Hump Day

Wow - life just keeps on  rocking and rolling. We went back this morning to the local little nursery and I finally got those yellow pepper plants. The gentleman is just so kind . I would rather eck out my little pennies to him than some big company.

I had also trapped another big coon - aka - chicken eater and took him with us and turned him loose in the mountains at a river where there was plenty of water and crayfish for him to eat.

We came home and I planted all of the little pepper plants and transplanted some of my flowers in front of an ugly old propane tank -hoping the flowers will grow tall enough to kinda hide that tank.

I fed us some peas and potato goulash and then took the girls to the playground to try to burn off some of the two year old's Endless energy.

It was another perfect day for the playground - nice and cloudy and breezy. No sunburns in this weather. lol

We came home and I fixed a big pot of a simple stir fry and then I collapsed. My energy was gone. I managed to see my grandson pop in and then I hit the bed. Of course my fibromyalgia was hurting any way I lay but I was so tired I went to sleep only to have the stray cat wake me up at 3AM attempting to break into my bird cage. At least I will get an early start on my chores. lol

Tuesday Rain

It was an absolutely lovely day -the temperature was perfect and there was no sun to burn you. The wind was a perfect breeze. I had done all my chores but could not put the chickens out because they were calling for a thunderstorm.  We ran out the road to the local nursery -hoping to grab a handful of the yellow pepper plants he had reduced but he was closed. I was so disappointed.

We came back to the house and I heated up the left over spaghetti with garlic bread. It was very yummy. I tried to crochet the ear I need for the little cap but the little  "french-fry" was getting pretty wound up so I decided to take them to the school house playground to burn off some steam.

The breeze felt sooooooooooooo good -it was perfect outdoor weather.

The little "french-fry" loves to swing so that kept her busy for a while.

After she got out of the swings she was still wired so I decided to walk on the track.

It takes 5 times around the little track to make a mile and this little one ran most of the way around it and was still going strong? lol

We took my pups back to the doctor this morning. He checked their weight for their new heart meds. Coco (the brown one) got a worm pill . Mocha's heart was a little bit worse so he increased her fluid pill just a tad. They all got flea meds too.. It was a chewable pill and none of them would take it just as a treat. We had to sneak them in some cheese to get them down them.

Blondie is the Mom of everybody else and she will be 13 come August. Her children turned 10 in March. Time sure does fly.

Wish I could have got a picture of Mocha -but she is in hiding.

I fixed the trap today and have it ready just in case Mr. Coon tried his stuff again tonight.

Start of a New Week

A lovely view as I carried my little chickens down to the garden so they would do bug duty for me . (I put them in the little corrals so they work only where I want them to and nothing gets destroyed that way.)

I know this does not look like much - but this is where I hand dug this piece of land and planted my anasazi beans this morning. I actually remembered to soak them overnight to speed them along a little . They are not real common in my neck of the woods so I have to go out of my way to find the beans. I decided I would plant them and leave them on the plants until they were dry for this Winter. I make a pretty good tiller! lol

My little double impatient is growing and very pretty.

I know this does not look like much but it is a project I am very proud of . That trim had come loose on my car and was flapping in the wind. Plus when you opened the door it would poke the front of the car. Crystal got me some double sided tape and I had installed that - but it did not hold and made a big sticky mess.

Then I went to the Riley's Auto Parts and picked up a product called JB Weld . I remembered my DH had used it many years ago for metal . Now I had picked it up to use on a Big Fan that had broken the supports on it in the building but then I thought of this??? The trim is not metal - some kind of plastic. But I figured it would not hurt to try??? And low and behold it is holding good  so far. I am so tickled.

I know this does not look like much either - BUT- this is my Big sewing project - LOL. This is a little cat collar that I had cut down to fit one of my big chicken's leg. But the entire thing had come loose so I took it to the sewing machine and zigzagged it back together ??? lol  I will put it back on her and tie her out in the yard with me while I am working there . The four of them really do help more than you would think . They eat a lot of the grass -fertilize some and even do a good job weeding the walk way. I am grateful for the help they give and enjoy their antics.

Well, the sun is going down so it is time to go load up my little chickens from their corrals and carry them back up to the building for the night. Hope all is well with you.

Another Day In Paradise

My stupid computer would not let me post anything last night. Stubborn little things when they want to be.

I worked hard in the garden this morning and Callie got quiet a work out of her own today too.
I took my madic and dug up a nice big section for my beans that I have been so anxious to plant. Now I have them soaking and will plant then in the morning.

The last two days we got some lovely rain and it looked like things had grown 6 inches over night.

I am bone tired. I think there has been too much life crammed into my day. ~smile~ But my lovely girls are taking it all in stride.

June the 16th ALready? Half of our month is Gone

I worked hard today outdoors. I put all the little chickens outdoors and cleaned and fed . I had wanted to get the tiller fixed but the taxes took that money when I received a double bill for the month? So there went that money and I decided well, I would just have to go back to my hand digging if I wanted to get those beans planted. So I grabbed the madic and went to digging until my back gave out and I knew I would just have to do a little each day.

I then headed to the chicken building and started moving a big wood pile that was in where the wood stove use to work at? My plan is so move the wood so I can then move my daughter's pile of stuff she has in my corner of the building. She moved the sheet-rock yesterday so now there is this heavy bags that when it came time for me to move them - I  could not even lift them??? I will definitely need her help to get them moved I want to build some kind of run for a few more of my chickens since those darn coons like to break into everything and kill them. The building seems pretty secure as that is where I used to raise my parakeets and cockatiels .

It was very warm by then so I headed to the house and fixed me and the kids some potatoes and peas with cornbread. Just a simple "comfort food"

After we stuffed our faces I throwed them in the car and took them up to the school house to let the little 'French-Fry" burn off some of that endless Energy that I wish I had. Now I know why they used to say that Energy was Wasted on the Youth!!!!!!!!! Because we Old folks Need it.

This is "Miniature Nanny"-wearing my hat at the school that I used to walk about the track-it has such a nice Wide brim to it to try to help protect this puny eyeballs.

Where The Magic Begins

I Finally made it to my acupuncture treatment and was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO grateful ! My acupuncturist is definitely wonderful and I love her to death. My eyes had missed her since she had strep throat first - then I had a uti and then I had that foot that swelled up the size of a volley ball - for no reason. Then I had a family gig and finally my eyes just got so bad I had to "Run To The Needles"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, I hate needles so you know it really makes a difference. She also fixed my TMJ when a dentist told me I would just have to "Live With It".  She told me today that she had used it in my absence to quit smoking. She had been smoking 26 years and she said it just made it 100% easier. I was so happy for her.

I left Marcie's and took the hour drive to our county courthouse to ask questions about my taxes? I had thought I had paid it up for the first 6 months and then another bill came along? That had never happened before and it really put me in a bind?

I left there and took the money my friend had given me for "Puppy Sitting" last week and bought the oil for my car. Everything is just so darn expensive.

I got home at a good time because a Really Hard Thunderstorm came up. My grandson and I were standing on the front porch enjoying the show of the rain coming up the holler and all of a sudden a monster strike of lighting blinded me -right in front of us and the thunder was so loud it hurt my eyes. We both jumped a mile and ran for the house . LOL Then our electricity went out for several hours at dark.

O No - not again

I have been having so much trouble this week with something coming up on the porch at night and digging up my flower plants ! GRRR!  So last night I set the live trap to see if I could catch the culprit? I peeked out the door this morning and the food was gone but the cage was still wide open? I wish this dumb trap was not such a dud.

Then I started my morning trek of carrying the little chickens down to the garden and that was when I spotted that the squash bugs have moved in on my two squash plants -so I hated to see that the war was going to be on and I usually end up on the losing side after all the work of starting the seeds and growing the little plants and transplanting them and watering them and now to have to fight for their very existence.  The man online said just to plant new seeds because you were going to lose the battle. The other man showed the soapy water spray so I fixed that up and hit them with that -but they did not seem to die like in the video? Grrr.

My next heartbreak came as I carried another cage of the little chickens down only to realize that I spotted TOO MANY FEATHERS in one of my favorite cages???? Yep - those stupid raccoons had found their way into the cage and killed my two little pet roosters!!!!!!!!!!! I could not help but remember when my girlfriend used to say that the only good raccoon was a dead raccoon?????? So, I will have to do some moving of chickens and find a new way to set that cage with the bodies . I HATE that job -but once they start -they just continue. I am so tired of the battle.

My next project was that Mantis Tiller . I had got that gas tank off and finally figured out how to get the fuel filter out of the old one and into the new one!!!!!!!!!! Yea!

So now I put the new tank on the Mantis and hooked up the gas line -then filled her up with fuel and cranked. After a few pulls it fired up One time and died. That was it - that was the end of my success! No matter how much more I pulled or begged -it was just "Tough Luck".

I gave up and came took a shower. It was hot by now and I fed the kids Tuna chowder and peanut butter sandwiches. Then loaded them up and took them to the local school playground . The little one played until her little face was red and I did not want her to get sunburned . We came home and crushed up some ice and added kool-aid to it as a cool treat.

Now I have got to go figure out some "chicken-swaps" so they won't all end up DEAD! GRRRR!

They Just Absolutely Fly By

I had new babies hatch.They are little Cochins .I put all the hens outdoors and did all the chores and then started to work on my little Mantis tiller. I had ordered a new gas tank and a new air filter. It took me a while to get the gas tank off because I booger-ed up the last screw and had to make new marks to get the screwdriver to fit in it and Finally get it off. I then got stumped because the old gas line plug did not fit in the new tank??? As I pondered this the sky got darker and darker overhead so I had to run around like a mad woman grabbed up all the chickens and putting them back in the building just as the rain started pelting me.

When I went back up to lock up the building I asked one of the other little Mama's if she would accept 4 new babies so I could turn off that light that was on them. A Mama does a much better job anyway. She was kind enough to accept.

I said Good Night to the Fantail pigeons as I left. I am miffed because when I went out on the front porch to check the plants -something had come last night and dug big holes in my planters -thus, throwing my plants out ???? GRRRRRR! Darn It.  It just seems So very hard to have anything?

Miss Callie has been full of herself too - She came in last night and started a cat-fight at 1:30Am - and then hot-footed it out the doggie door- - - - Just because she can?  She is such a sweetie but she really needs to be somewhere where she is the only cat???? I keep hoping things will calm down.

My eyes gave me a fit today. I need an acupuncture treatment so bad ??  This week I will have to go talk to the county. They had sent me a statement and I had paid it - only to receive another statement now saying I owe more ????? When you are on a fixed income - you can only pay what you know about?????  That is hard enough.

I tried to make a pot of yogurt -but it does not look like it did  its thing???????? Hum???? I hope this is not a sign of what  the upcoming week is suppose to be like? I still have to figure out that gas tank installation so I can use the Mantis???? And , I am NOT a mechanic??????????????

Thurs. Sewing Guild

It was my Sewing Guild meeting night and I really wanted to attend because one of the members was doing a special presentation about her Embroidery Business. So, one of the Grandmothers came and stayed with the Grandbaby for me. I snapped a picture of both of them . Can't you tell that the fruit did not fall far from the tree. lol

This is that lovely Granddaughter.

The program was wonderful -the gal was wonderful. She showed all kind of stabilizers and fabrics and designs and different machines -and it was wonderful.

The Salvation Army was not going to purchase dolls for Christmas this year so the Sewing Guild purchased 20. I went back and told the lady that I had already purchased a doll on my own and had been working on outfits and that I could bring the outfits next month. She told me to bring the dolls home with me because she did not have room at her house. I brought them -but I Do not have room either. The box takes up most of my sewing table -Ahhh - the "joys" of a tiny house -Grrr.  If you have a tiny house then you do not need any Hobbies. You do not even need to do cooking as there is no room.

Then I got home and my daughter and her boyfriend had had a Monster fight and lots of drama. I am grabbing some potato salad and deviled egg and stuffing my face and falling in bed.

Love to all!

Hump Day

Boy, the sun is out but it is cold and windy here in Va.!

Even my little "working crew" were huddled in the sunshine today.

I got one of the wire panels up for my future tomatoes It is a piece of welded wire and I worked to straighten it out. Then drove two metal posts in the ground and attached the wire to the posts. That should be strong enough to hold up those plants once they get some size on them . Now I need to figure out 3 more ????? I have another piece of wire but it is stapled to two bad posts and I cannot find my old fencing pliers to get them out ???? Always a work in progress.

I got rid of my bad wasp nest that I found in my flower bed -so maybe later I can finish up in there. I also got my yellow zucchini plants planted but the wind was so bad it has kind of bruised them , so I a worried about them. I transplanted some Danish poppies and have high hopes for them. I have never had them before but I have seen pictures and they are so beautiful. Maybe I will get to enjoy them this year.

After working outdoors for 6 hours I headed in to a much needed shower. Since it was so cold I got chilled and started to really hurt-so - I loaded up the granddaughter and the great-granddaughter and took them up to the school to let the little one burn off some of that energy.

The sunshine felt really good and I got to enjoy a beautiful view.

Tues. Flies By

I actually got up early this morning when I heard my daughter leave-as she had stayed the night in a tent and the granddaughter and the great-granddaughter were still asleep.

I knew there were garden things I hoped to accomplish . I put all the little chickens out and cleaned out their runs and used their shavings to finish mulching the tomato patch.

Then I moved on to my little Blue Potato patch. I had got a bale of straw yesterday in town and used the whole bale .

I had laid out the wet newspapers on my Casaba Melon plants I had started from seed. I went back up the hill to get the shavings and the wind stole them from me. I had to track them all down and then put the shavings on top of them -from the chicken runs.. Maybe tomorrow I can add the last bit.Last year I had tried these , but I had planted them in a terrible spot so they had died. This year I am hoping for better results.?????????????

I got the peas all squared away.

The pole beans are just starting to climb up the stock panel. I did have a run in with a wasp nest today while I was attempting to work in the flower bed. He has built a nest in a Glove that I had left hanging up on a pole and when I accidentally jiggled it he flew out and hit me in the head a few times. Enough for me to figure out what was going on and RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
I need him to leave town so I can work in the flower bed. I am making progress.

I fixed another one of those sweet potato and white potato mixed -potato salads and it was good. I also fixed deviled eggs and more of the lambsquarter greens for supper. I was famished -so it was really good to me. lol

Right now it is bedtime and one of my little dogs is outdoors attempting to run off a deer in the yard. I wish he could have some success . ~smile~ I might have to go help. lol