The 'Coons are coming . . .

... the coons are coming! ! !  "MOM!  Quick, come here, but don't turn on the light!" .. HAH?  I rushed into the kitchen, and looked out the window at the maple tree where my daughter was pointing.  All I saw was an animal tail.  I got the flashlight and crept out the back door, but saw NOTHING.  I did see, however, Pompom, the barn cat.  Her tail was not as bushy as my daughter thought she'd seen on the tree, so we explored a little further.  I took the flashlight to the garden, and there were two small raccoons dashing under the fence.  AHA!  COONS!  I decided to fake some bravery, so I shone the flashlight the full length of the southside fence.  I saw eyes in a tree ... but as the animal scurried down, I deducted it must be a squirrel.  I commenced to shine the light along the front facing fence line and low and behold!  There were at least five or six coons running along the fence line, looking for food.  Of course, discreet me (read NOT) scared them and they all scurried up my three maple trees alongst the fence line.  WHAT a picture opportunity, but alas, I didn't have my camera with me. 

Like Father like Son

The  BOY is home .. well, it's home for him now.  When he enlisted into the Reserves, our home was in Hawaii.  When he left for basic training, we moved away from the islands, leaving only our relatives behind ... all our other belongings were shipped to New York.

    His first assignment a few months after returning to the islands from basic was to Iraq.  Funny, we couldn't wait for all the kids to leave home, yet it was with great anticipation we greeted him at the airport!   
   He has already shocked the  shoes off of us ... got out in the garden and weeded for me ... and NO MONEY INVOLVED!!!  He mowed the back path to the tree line for me so I could get back to my "observation rock" ... I highly suspect is was more PLAY for him than work, all in my favour! 
   See my guys here .. like father like son ... this was the best shot I could get of them ... see ... two pairs of legs ... two pairs of tennierunners ... like father like son!
  I will cherish all these times, and try not to think too much on when he has to return to the sandbox. 

Farm update

*** Been busy trying to fit into the "farmer wife" shoes, so a farm report is long overdue. 
*** The vegetables in the garden are growing like weeds ... OH WAIT ... maybe that's because the weeds are growing faster than the veggies ... what's with that!  Anyway, soon, very soon we will have MORE zucchini than we ever thought possible.  Send on  the Zucchini recipes please! 
*** New fencing is being put up in anticipation of the girls' BF's (bulls).   Have run into a few snags, but the new fencing should be up before we take off for the deep south in a few weeks.  We went out to pick up cedar posts for the new fencing.  Just a 4 hour trip, but it ended up being longer than 7 hours, thanks to a FLAT trailer tire!  HAHA ... this is the second time we forgot the spare tire at home on a long trip! 
*** We've discussed the front porch for the hundredth time.  The farmer suggested a partial wrap around porch ... I choked a little (( Should I have LET him think it was his idea?  ))  I snorted and asked him "Is that such a great idea that you had to steal it from me"  OR  " Does this mean you were NOT LISTENING when I suggested it ages ago?"  He looked rather sheepishly, but I think he REALLY thinks it was his idea. 
*** The kittens continue to entertain, and BE ENTERTAINED.  What IS IT about an automated litter pan that is should become center stage?  Maybe the dome shaped entry way suggests to the kittens "ARENA" ... it's SHOW TIME!  haha
*** Well, again, I must rise early to help collect the remaining cedar posts.   Guess what?  We have SPARE tire this time!!!!!  :D

Around the Farm

Funny how NO ONE imagined I would end up on a FARM, especially ME!!!  I think I have adapted rather well though.  I have herded runaway yaks ... put the truck into 4WD *yippeeeeeeeee* ... fed and watered goats and yaks in deep winter ... even managed to stifle a scream when a milksnake ventured into my home. 

Above is a collage of life at the farm.  Cat in the Hat ... right in MY house!  A pile of cat nappers; lone albino weed; FIRST zucchini; robin moth (see my earlier entry); swallow nest with 4 young`uns; FIRST and ONLY guinea hen egg; apples galore; tigerlily and wild daisies. 

Empty Nest.

Empty nest.  You think that's just a bored persons variation of "emptiness" with a "T" at the end?  Empty nest would suggest that we are all birds.  That's fine with me, since I am a Redbird.  I'm not so sure how that affects others though.  Oh wait a minute, then there's Rat's Nest, perhaps this is where everyone else fits in?   My children have grown and gone.  Grown up and gone away.  I still have extra beds though.  One for each child if necessary.  You know, if a visit is in order. 
       
 The little Precious One would have her pick of beds if she wants to spend the weekend, or summer with Grammy and Papa.  There is to be a new arrival late this summer.  We're expecting another grandchild.  I suppose this is ONE way to re-fill the NEST!  No complaints from me. 
(I'm still writing, but must save this due to so many "browser error" shutdowns!)

Some weekends are good . . .

What can I say of this weekend?  Well, it's over!  HA!

It's been one of those fun weekends, the kind you just want to sit back and say "aaaaaaaaah!"

a)  Riding lawn mower was not working, so it was HUFF PUFF and push it till nearly half the lawn (about .75acres) was mowed, THEN the darned rider starts effortlessly!!!  Below is a little organic snack I found in the lawn, "Dandeshroom Salad anyone??"

Okay, Okay ... so mowing the lawn is boring, but it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE!!!  I dressed this pile of mushrooms with dandelions and added hashi and holder ... very appetizing!

b) I started a tow service, no start up fee.  Had to haul my hubby and "effortlessly purring" riding lawn mower out of the ditch TWICE.  He thanked me and said I was the cutest tow driver he's seen!  HA!

c)  I cleaned and made ready the guest room, and ALREADY have guests!!!  Ms Kitty carried all three kittens up the stairs to their NEW play arena, my freshly organized guest room!   

I hope you all are having an Aloha Monday!!!  Why wait for Friday to celebrate Aloha:  carry some around with you every day of the week!

Sneaky slithering snakes!

This farm  life is  proving to  be more  eventful  than I ever  bargained  for.  One evening as we were bringing our dinner to the den to eat, I heard an odd sound in the  darkened  hallway.  I looked down and  only saw the  shadow of  something laying across the heater vent on the floor.  I kept asking ... WHAT IS IT ..WHAT IS IT???  We turned on a light and heard a "rattle"  OMG .. I just KNEW it was a baby rattlesnake in my hallway!!!   Well, after careful research, we discovered it was none other than an eastern milksnake, complete with rattle imposter. 

And then a day or so later, the farmer ran

across a garter snake in the outer pasture.  Of course, we, being city folk, had to research to be SURE.  And, me being a snap baby snap kinda gal, I had to snap baby snap!  These are about as good as it gets for now.  I am sure, as we are in the BOONIES ... REALLY in the BOONIES, that we will encounter countless opportunities to assert my photographic passions!

Backyard Safari

First let me clarify the meaning of "backyard" in this entry.  Backyard: n.  all inclusive area beginning precisely at the entry of front gate.  I have 50 acres of back yard.  Just a few weeks ago, I was informed by the County office, that indeed I did NOT own the "60 acre" parcel I was being taxed, but merely "50 acres" as somewhere there was a HIDDEN clause that the "10 acre" lot separated by the ROAD was NOT in my parcel as originally assumed.  SO, therefore, the 10 acres across the street is FRONT, and all the rest isBACK.         

I was out "exploring" the backyard a few days ago, and when I FINALLY decided to pack up all my equipment and trek back the  lesser fresh air area of my property (house), I noticed this little guy below the rocky ledge I had stood on for the past half hour.      Of course, being the CITY FOLK that I am, I did not recognize what it was until, with the help of my binoculars, I could see that it was clearly a porcupine.  OKAY OKAY, so I still couldn't tell it was a porcupine until it moved it's front paw up to scratch an itch ... HA!  I wonder if I can claim it as a backyard pet, I mean, it "IS" in my backyard *wink* 

    

Look who we found on our front porch ... an American goldfinch and a black capped chickadee!                       

Headed South ...

Well, I DID it.  I flew the coop.  I know my blog suggests that I am grounded, but I haven't OFFICIALLY had my wings clipped, so, I sneak off now and again.  Securing a "babysitter" for the barn animals, then filling all automatic feeders and water dishes for the house pets, BEFORE anything else, I made sure I packed all my camera gear ... memory cards, tripod, battery and charger, lens', filters, remote and camera, I HAD IT ALL.  Having packed my case, checked the whole house a number of times, I hit the road!  "ONE" hour and WHAM ... I was TIRED ! ! !  Amazing what a 15 minute nap can do!  I hit the road again this time not stopping except for gas and one potty stop.  I arrived at my destination 8.5 hours later ... the last hour RAINING!  We spent the next three / four days Shopping, shooting pool, messing with computer/printer, shopping, more pool, girl time!!!  I miss having a girlfriend around.  I'm not truly a shopper,  have not been since the children began walking ... yikes!  This called for a celebration .. I got a new teapot and two teacups.  Lots of misc boxes and tins to go with my designer card collection.  My prize, was a teapot.  "YES" I am a SISSY ... I love teapots and fancy teacups and tea parties.  All was good.  Hugging my best friend, we parted by saying "SEE YA NEXT MONTH ! ! !" ... All was good.  I arrived home 8hrs01min later ... you should see that redbird fly!  I arrived home and the "babysitter" had already fed the animals and even had a fire burning in the furnace for me!

FOR the record:  i had all my camera gear and camera, yet the last picture in my camera was of a bird on my lilac bush the morning I left.

But, I must say, tis way better to have a camera and forget to take pictures than to have photomoments and just ONE LENS minus camera .  All is good

GRRRRRRRR ... GOATS ! ! !

WHY is it the GOATS always predetermine how I will use my day?  I got up this morning extra early, not willfully ... I was dragging like Garfield. I snuck (yes, this is in the dictionary) into the computer room, unbeknownst to the kittens ... I updated various VT travelogues (pat me on the back for that!  much over due) Still in my jammies, I headed to the kitchen for my first drink of the day, and, opting out of my usual breakfast COKE ... another pat on the back please!!!  Of late, it has become a habit to check the pastures from my dining window to make sure all goats and larger beasts are accounted for. 

This morning, no exception.   RATS !  No, not rats, but two escaped goats AGAIN!  One in my yard and one in the outside back of the main pasture.  I quickly sized up the situation, and after noting NO broken fences, I headed upstairs to put on official FARMER WIFE clothes ... don't ask what these are .. they are whatever is clean and quick to slip on .. today it could be jeans .. yesterday it may have been hubbies workout pants ... like I said ... easy come easy on!  Out the door I went and MS GOAT in my yard skips to me like .. GOOD MORNING .. WHATCHA GOT FOR ME?  I have a bucket of alfalfa, and you aint getting any!  hmmmmph ... Still wondering HOW she got from the back pasture into my yard, I saw the other goat SNEAKING BACK "INTO" her designated grazing area.  Hmmmmm ... okay ... so I need to tighten the high tinsile fencing again.  No problem, I've seen FARMER do it a number of times.  "Here BABIES!"  I call everyone / thing Babies ... doesnt matter .. I call, they respond (RIGHT KIDS??????)  So all the animals in pasture race towards the barn and Ms Goat skips along thinking she gets FIRST in line.  HMMMMPH ... NOT.  I finally roust her into the barn and into the winter pasture. 

Now is the tricky part.  Scheming exactly how I should approach this ... finally my plan of attack is inorder and I begin the countdown ... probably would take "FIVE" minutes for then to devour the bucket of alfalfa ... that gives me 4. 5 minutes to re-attach springs for electric fencing ... run to barn, plug in, run back out ... dash to check water level .. quick analysis of exposed farm equipment (ah! no clouds in sight, so not gonna mess with it) and dash to the far side and enter HUMAN entry ... side kicking any goats that challenge me in this timed obstacle course.  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ... and do you know what?  I HOPE and PRAY (sorry GOD) that it's MS GOAT that is the first to get her nose ZAPPED as a warning that I AM BOSS WOMAN!

Technology presses onward ...

You know, I THINK I have adapted quite well to being the Farmers Wife!  I can only imagine how things went for him during his departure the other day as the whole crew went off to play soldier games.  Before he had even boarded the aircraft, I called him on his much despised mobile phone to have him teach me how to operate the pump in our quickly flooding dungeon.  NEXT call to his much despised mobile phone ... WHY is there NO WATER PRESSURE!?!?!  This time I was truly on my own because he was already in the soldier game arena.  No problem, a quick lesson from the previous owner and I'm back in business *whew*( NOW there was no need to go to the WalMart store to do my "other business")  AND THEN ... what, you thought that was ALL?  Hello! we're talking Okinawan Princess here!  Yes, THEN the DUMB cow got loose ... ugh!  So there I was, yet again, on that much despised mobile phone, calling the Farmer, asking "ARGH ... what to do what to do!"  Actually, I pretty much KNEW what to do, but somehow I wanted reassurance and a bit of sympathy.  So, I lured the DUMB cow back into the main pasture with grain, but I wouldn't let him have it because I thought he was BAD BAD BAD!!!  Then, I tightened up the high tinsile fencing and we were back in business!  I texted the Farmer, causing him to actually read text in front of soldier buddies, and ... DIG THIS ... he sent a text back from that oh so despised mobile phone ... YOU THINK I GOT HIM CONVERTED?   Can you say "BUSTED!"

....    ....

Ah, technology has a way of converting even the most bullheaded farmers!

ps ... DO NOT correct me on the proper name for this MALE  BEEF CATTLE style animal .. he will always be "DUMB COW" to me!

Introduction to the Grounded Redbird

Having discovered travel from a very young age, it is a part of me that runs rampid through my blood.  The excitement of even just a short roadtrip to the mountains or beyond the familiar sides of town ... is exhilarating!   Having only recently taken up photography, there is now  even MORE excitement in travel ... the bags packed are even BIGGER and HEAVIER as I carefully select (ALL) my camera gear ... to include car charger just in case ONE Of my batteries dies off (you think?) 

Things I LOVE are my family ... my WHOLE family, the light of my life at the moment, step aside Sony baby, is my grand daughter.  I love crafting things with my enormous rubber stamp collection, tea parties, having friends and family drop by, reading inspirational poetries and stories, and of course, this new hobby (new?  TEN YEARS NOW) ... computer and internet.  Because I wouldn't change a thing in my life, the only regret I have is that I didn't take up photography earlier in life. 

I will go far out of my way to help a friend in need, but baby, don't hurt me!    When you really get to know me, you will discovered my passions :  redbirds, travel, sony baby (photography), VT, rubberstamp crafting, pink sweaters, ham and COCA COLA!!! 

My homelife babies at the farm are as follows:  two yaks named Maile and Pikake.  FOUR housecats, named Secret, Ms Kitty, Kolohe and Kaui(onalani).  At inception of this journal, we are also keeping 3 goats, 1 cow and three barn cats. 

For the time being, this redbird is grounded, with travel being limited to a few trips to search out the perfect yak bull or improving our property down south.