Beyond My Control

Everything has been so crazy around here lately with all of the last-minute school activities, that I feel like my phone is constantly alarming to remind me of the next thing I have to be at!  Although tomorrow is the last day of school, and they will only actually be there for 2 hours (basically just to get their report cards and get their schedules/teachers for next year,) the craziness won't stop there.  I have 2 doctor's appointments next week, along with the promise to keep a friend of the girls for 3 out of 5 days!

SIGH.

We had a lovely cook out with a bunch of our friends on Monday.  It was wonderful to have that break before diving into this week, in which I've had to schedule 2 "emergency" doctor appointments (1.  J, who has been getting a strange rash every time she is in the pool.  Verdict:  dunno, but don't worry about it from the Allergist.  2.  Stella, who has been limping every now and then for the past week.  Verdict:  dunno, but give her these expensive dog pills & call in 2 weeks.)

In the meantime, my hand has been bothering me more.  The discomfort has changed again, and now it is EXACTLY like what I had before surgery.  GRRRR!  I see the surgeon back next week.  Next week is June, and I STILL don't have my garden all the way planted!

I did, however, pick these lovely (and delicious) strawberries out there yesterday!

There have been some other odd occurrences around here lately as well.  Another tiny bird built a nest in my ficus outside of the garage.  It ended badly for the little bird family last year, so I did not have high hopes for this one either.  A couple of nights ago, I found Lizzie crouched beneath the ficus, licking her lips.  I removed her from the scene, but obviously she returned.  Only 1 baby remained the next day.  Mama bird never returned, so yesterday afternoon, I buried the tiny baby bird in my flower garden.

We have had daily (sometimes multiple times a day) sightings of a smallish, light brown dog around Poplar Ridge for the past week or so.  We chased it away the first day, but it continues to return.  It is eating the cat's food, and consequently freaking out the kitties.  I have been calling to it, and trying to catch it for the past 2 days, without success.  I feel terrible, because it is obviously hungry and has no where to go, but I also don't want it to scare my mousers or spread any diseases to my pets!  I called the Sherriff's office this morning for guidance, but had to leave a message.  Hopefully someone has some ideas for me!

So, we are riding the waves of crazy these days.  I'm feeling a bit seasick, and ready for the ride to end!  Enjoy your last few days of school!

Where's the Bear? #27

Looks like I caught the bear right at the end of his workout today.

He looks a bit self-satisfied, and, well...pooped!

It is impossible to "Dog Whisper" Chickens

I had J home with me today.  Her school had a trip to an amusement park all day, which she was waffling about already, since she is not a roller coaster fan.  She came home yesterday crying with a painful, swollen knee.  I am concerned about her JIA recurring after nearly 4 years in remission, but that is for another post.  Last night, JP said point blank, "You should not go to an amusement park tomorrow and walk around for miles on that knee."

With anti-inflammatories in her system, she is feeling much better today.  I enlisted her help to sit on the veranda and paint the picnic table/benches.  They look great now!

 

While I had the green paint out, I decided to paint the door inside the barn that goes into the Chick-bit house.  The peeps and rabbit didn't seem to mind that I was working there, but several of the hens appeared completely put out.  They clucked and complained long and hard.

At first, I tried talking soothingly to them, like you might with a fussy baby.

Didn't work.

Then I "dog whispered" them.  You know that short, sharp "Ch!" that Cesar Millan uses to get the attention of the dogs he is training?  It works sometimes with my dogs, and I even use it on the girls on occasion.

Didn't work on the hens.

I yelled at them to "Shut yer corn holes!"

All that did was upset the peeps and bunny.

I chased them outside.

That worked for awhile, but they came back in twice as agitated.

I finally decided that the only viable option was for me to just paint as fast as humanly possible, and get the heck outa there!

So, it's not a great job, but the door is painted on the outside.  I need to clean and sand the inside of the door and varnish it at some point.

 

This has been just one more observation to prove that chickens don't have much in the brain department!

Perching

I noticed that for the past 2 or 3 days, that the peeps have been perching on the edge of their feeder (consequently pooping in their food...ew!)  Today I decided that maybe they want to start roosting, and I put down the roost.  Several of them hopped up immediately!

They are really starting to get awkward and gangly looking!

Where's the Bear? #26

The Bear found a lazy place to "hang" out!

Open For Business

Last week we got the pool up and running...almost 3 full months ahead of when it happened last year.  We took a short dip on Saturday, but the water is still too cold to stay in for long!  We are looking forward to spending many hours in the pool this summer.


These peeps are morphing into the awkward pullet stage,
 where random feathers start growing any and everywhere!




We also opened up the other half of the Chick-bit house for the peeps this weekend.  They were outgrowing the watering trough we started them in.  They seem to be enjoying their new space, running and flying all around!



They can even see what's going on outside now!



 

I have spent a lot of time at the Elementary school lately, helping the PTA with Arts Day (all arts & crafts, all day long) and a final Scholastic Book Fair. 

I wish I would have had more time to spend in the garden!  I got the strawberries weeded and mulched.  There should be some ready to eat very soon!  I got the sweet potatoes, onions, and some of the cabbage family planted.  I am hoping to go out and get the tomatoes and peppers in the ground yet this afternoon!

We had a nice, steady rain for a short time on Saturday morning.  JP and I sat out on the veranda to watch it come down, and listen to the rain on the roof.

My peonies have started blooming!

Last night was L's piano recital, at which she performed very nicely.  I will try to put up a clip at some point.

We are headed into the last full week of school...whew!  These last few days are jam packed with lots of activities, and very little school work.  We are good and ready for summer to be here!  J asked if we were going to have "another boring summer where we sit around and do nothing the whole time?"  I reminded her that we spent 2 weeks in the Pacific Northwest last summer, and invited her to write me a list of things she would like to do.  I have yet to receive any list. 

Where's The Bear? #25

The bear seemed to go missing for a week or so.  I found him today, absorbed in a good book!