An Early Morning Walk

 

We have rain again today.  I thought it might be nice to go for my early morning walk.  I don't mind walking in the rain, but it is nicer when its dry. Sasha will go with me. She will not get off the porch in the rain. She got another mouse this morning. She is a happy dog. She has found her purpose in life. Enough said.

 

The birds are loosing their minds now. The mockingbirds are fighting like crazy. The dove are who-hooing. The blue jays are getting very aggressive towards the doves for nesting places. The meadowlarks are singing in the green grass. The finches are getting their spring coats and the phoebes are singing almost non stop, except of course, when I leave the yard and they can take baths in the swimming pool in peace. I admit to watching the phoebes take baths. They enjoy it so much. The hawks are really incredible. Three red-tailed hawks were incredible in their dance high up in the sky.

 

This morning I was out walking when one of my hens decided to come for a walk too.  I didn't think to much about it as they do love to come out where I am and take in the sights. Sasha feeling her oats after her warm breakfast, decided she might like a little chicken to go with her mouse. Sasha all I can say was a crazy dog. She never does anything but round the hens up and put them back in their coop all day if I would let her.  Today Sasha wouldn't let the hen back in the gate. The hen thought this was a good idea. ( Yes, hens think)

 

The hen went next door. It was no big deal when no one lived there but now that someone does I can't go jumping the fence anymore. Once she got on the other side of the fence, she started this little singing sound. Which said to me, " Wow, look at these digs!! I have never been in this place before, what if I go over here and check this place out." So I jumped the fence. I chased her around in the driveway of the neighbors yard.
( Just an aside, I grew up on that other side of the fence, so its a weird feeling thinking once through the fence, I become Kim the girl.) Like Alice Through the Looking Glass.

 

As I chased her around a bit, ( Great for getting steps.) She finally went back on our side of the fence. To the front yard. Now that we don't live out in the country anymore there is traffic. Lots of traffic. There I am on a early morning chasing this hen in the front yard, who does not want to be caught. She finally decides that she wants to go on the front porch. Sasha has now turned into White Fang.  Sasha manages to  get the hen up on the front railings and I grabbed her, drawing her to my chest, because White Fang is wanting to jump up and bite her. The hen is flapping and squawking and I am just praying no one is out there with a phone filming this for You Tube. Sad isn't it that you can do anything anymore with out someone filming it?

 Its always interesting when I go outside. Today I saw lots of little cats that live behind us. Some of the prettiest kittens I have seen in awhile. I must harden my heart, but I am intent on getting them used to me so I can pet them. I am their daily entertainment.  I saw something really interesting. A whole flock of finches were in the furrows of the pasture when I was walking. They were following me all over the pasture. On the ground, walking. At first I thought it was baby killdeers, but it wasn't it was finches. When I finished walking, they flew up in the trees in the yard and just talked among themselves. I think they are really missing sunflowers.

Wishes for free.

Thank you so much for visiting today. Thank you so much for sharing my life. Have a beautiful day,

~Kim~

 “When in these fresh mornings I go into my garden before anyone is awake, I go for the time being into perfect happiness. In this hour divinely fresh and still, the fair face of every flower salutes me with a silent joy. . . . All the cares, perplexities, and griefs of existence, all the burdens of life slip from my shoulders and leave me with the heart of a little child that asks nothing beyond the present moment of innocent bliss.”
-- Celia Thaxter

Cleaning Up!

No sunflowers as of yet, but I have been looking for this picture for days. I finally found it. Can you believe all of the water and all of those pictures of the flooding going on in California. This morning Ron and I were watching the L.A. River in flood stage and in our lifetime we have never even seen water in it before. I told Ron, " When I was a little girl and we would go to L.A. I would ask my Dad why they had such a big river with nothing in it." So to see it overflowing is just plain scary.

Before

After

We worked about four hours cutting limbs and just getting all of the limbs cut back and I was the limb hauler.
Ron was the chain saw guy. Today we are working on this part of the fence.

Before

After

It looks like this pretty much every where you look. Ron was able to get to this before it started raining again. We have rain in the forecast until Wednesday. If we don't get to it today, by next weekend it will be as tall as the fence. I did get 20,000 steps yesterday so I was pretty happy with that since it has been my goal since I got that fitbit. I also got my badge for walking 250 miles.

While Ron was weed eating on the other side of the fence, I was pulling out stinging nettles out of the garden. Our little kitchen garden is what we are calling it this year. He then got the tractor and used that to break up the soil. We had rain all night so we have standing water in the yard and everything got sopping wet.

Kitchen Garden

I did get this little mat hooked. It is a pattern from a book by Polly Minick. Next I will bind it. I have a new rug on my frame and hopefully I will get my wool pulled for this next rug.

 Every time I look at the forecast they have added more days of rain. This storm hitting today is another atmospheric river. Another one lined up all the way to Hawaii. It just boggles my mind. We have 48 roads closed or washed out or something. Isn't that crazy? It rained all night. It has been so many years since we have had rain like this.

We had wind and we had this tree that I thought was going to fall over. Ron and Peter got out there with a chain and this last windstorm it kept the tree up. I am afraid it could fall on my chicken coop. The wind was so crazy on Friday and Saturday but it stood strong. Like us don't you think, we sometimes need someone to come along side and give us a bit of strength to get us through the storms.

I had to show you this picture because of my little photo bomber. I didn't know he was watching me or that I had got this until I was looking at my pictures later.

I hope you have a very nice day.

~Kim~

I wandered lonely as a cloud
  That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
  A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

 

 

---William Wordsworth--- April 15th, 1802
*Excerpt from Dorothy's journal:

'When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow Park, we saw a few daffodils close to the water side. We fancied that the lake had floated the seed ashore and that the little colony had so sprung up. But as we went along there were more and more and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road.
I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about and about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the lake, they looked so gay ever dancing ever changing.

This wind blew directly over the lake to them. There was here and there a little knot and a few stragglers a few yards higher up but they were so few as not to disturb the simplicity and unity and life of that one busy highway. We rested again and again. The Bays were stormy, and we heard the waves at different distances and in the middle of the water like the sea'.

Dorothy Wordsworth, The Grasmere Journal - Thursday 15 April 1802.

More Storms!

 

This morning is was a "Sailor take warning kind of sky." I got to Bible Study on Thursday mornings and when I left this morning it didn't look like it was going to rain very much. We had a speaker today and while we were listening to the speaker I could hear this storm. It was a huge cloudburst. Of course, today I didn't wear a coat, so I got wet, sopping wet. Then of course, I planned on going grocery shopping because you know tomorrow is the day of the big storm. I was already wet so why not just get wetter which I proceeded to do and looking a lot like a drowned rat. I had to load my car with with groceries in the rain and carry them in the house in the rain.

Today is one of those days for me. I am just behind and not able to make anything run smoothly.  I just have felt late every place I have been today. Today as I said above we were having a speaker instead of going into our normal Bible Study group. I have only been in this very nice room where the speaker was speaking. I know it has a name but I can't think of it right now. It also has these really nice chairs. Like recliners almost but you can take notes because it has a little table. I never sit in these chairs because I think older people should sit it them. Emilie is the assistant to the lady in charge of women's ministry so she was sitting in the front row. Against my better judgement I went to sit with her.

When I sat down in the chair that silly thing slid backwards into the lady sitting behind me. My feet flew up, my Bible, and purse, and notebook went flying over in the next persons lap. The lady behind me spilled coffee all over her and the carpet. I said I was sorry and here I am in the front row. Emilie, is snorting and laughing as she runs off to get paper towels to clean that poor lady up. I am still trying to figure out how this chair thing works and save my dignity. You can tell that the lady and me are never going to be friends because she is very put out at my antics. ( I get the distinct feeling she thinks I did it on purpose.)

I sit down very, very carefully. I realize that the table in my chair is for a right handed person. I am left-handed. So that isn't going to work. I sit and sort of scoot to reach the back of the chair. Now my feet are not touching the floor in fact, you know how a little kid looks sitting in their Dad's chair. That's me.
I can't really move very much because the chair threatens me with movement into the lady behind me.
Finally we have a break. I stand up and send the glass of water I have not spilled when I sent my Bible flying but this time I sent it flying into the chair next to me that is thankfully vacant at this point. Emilie runs off again to get more paper towels. If you can believe it, Emilie thinks this is extremely funny!!

So of course, when we get out it is pouring rain. I am still not feeling right but at least I am home and everything should be fine for awhile.

We have storm upon storm coming this weekend. It should be really interesting. We have wind watches, and flood watches and of course this weekend four of the young adults known formally as my children will be at snow camp with blizzard conditions and maybe not be able to make it home on Monday. 

I hope your weather isn't as crazy as ours is going to be. Thank you for stopping by,

~Kim~

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”

― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

First Signs of Spring

I went out very early this morning, when it was dark and cold and wet. I could hear the sounds of birds singing the sounds of spring. I knew when it got light enough I needed to take my camera and go for a walk. I needed to see for myself if the birdsong was indeed singing the song of spring. These are my findings today.

Its too cold yet. These blossoms go un- pollinated because its too cold. The bees need it to be 55 or warmer for them to fly. February is like that.   A few warm days and it fools the trees into thinking its going to be warmer and then winter comes back in with a vengeance. Though it has been warmer with the rains.

 

I loved this shot this morning. Its been called a "Full Snow Moon. Next month its called a "Full Worm Moon." That makes me laugh but April is a "Full Pink Moon."  Have you seen all of the water in California? It is mind blowing to me. The last time I remember it being like this I was in third grade. I remember sitting in Miss Wagner's class and watching the rain as it just poured from the sky and every canal and river was full. Dad took us for a ride up the canyon so we could see the Kern River raging as it came down through the hills.

Have you watched the news about the Oroville Dam?
Here is the link. They had to use the emergency spillway for the first time in 48 years and its quite a sight to see. We live in the Central Valley. Just a small political commentary. Jerry Brown had to go to President Trump to get Federal money.

I find this really ironic. I wouldn't want to have to do that after my state has pulled so much stuff lately. Pick one stupid thing that California has done or said since November. I keep wondering when I am finally going to get sick of it and just move away. Every time I go grocery shopping I am reminded I am living in a place that has changed and it does not reflect my values nor what I can believe it has now become.  

Today is a very pretty day. Lots of sunshine. We will have another storm later in the week. The last storm it rained so much that every thing is so deeply wet. Its so nice to finally see that moisture.

I hope all is well in your in your neck of the woods.

~Kim~

“The way you keep your house, the way you organize your time, the care you take in your personal appearance, the things you spend your money on, all speak loudly about what you believe.”  Elisabeth Elliot

Finally Playing With Wool.

 

On Elliot's birthday, he had two rainbows. These were in the front yard in the afternoon. The really good ones in the back yard were in the morning. This was such a great rainbow that people were stopping in front to take pictures. It looks like it is just right in the front yard. It was just pouring. We have a whole week of rain in the forecast this next week. I was so afraid that we would have a February like in the past with not a single bit for rain the whole month. So I am so thankful for these storms.

This week, I decided that I haven't played with wool very much this new year. I needed reds and blues. I got out my dye and went through that great little book called Antique Colors for Primitive Rugs by Emma Lou Lais and Barbara Carroll.

I used the dye #12 Emma Lou's Favorite Red.

I over dyed most of them. I can't wait to start a little heart rug that Ron drew out for me. I just have to hook something with red hearts in February.

I also dyed some blues.

Only for the blues I used the Dusty Old Dye Book by Karen Kahle. I need to order new dye packets and I was using what I had.

There is something that just settles me and makes me calm and peaceful and relaxed. I hope you have a lovely new week. Valentines Day will be here before you know it.

~Kim~

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

Maori Proverb

A Hen House Story

 

First of all, look what I found in my very weedy-waterlogged flowerbed! It was the nicest surprise. I didn't expect to find a hyacinth bulb open this early. I looked around and I found this pink one getting ready to open.

Its like finding treasure.

 

This is Sasha in her chair. She sits here while I sew or hook or do my Bible Study. Its a nice way to spend the day. I forget she is a dog. Today I remembered.

This is true confessions. The truth of the matter is I have a mouse problem in my chicken coop. I knew in the fall when I saw a few mice with their baggage moving in we were going to have either rain or cold or both. I haven't had mice in my coop since Ron built it. I thought I would just ignore it and maybe the cats would take care of the problem.

I go down every night and lock my hens inside of their little house. It is safer for them and helps me sleep at night. The other night when I went down, all I could hear was lots and lots of squeaking. I came back up to the house and told Ron that I had a problem, there was either lots of mice living under my chicken house or we had lots of bats in the trees. I knew I had to look at the mouse issue for real. I then started with thinking do I lock the cats in there at night? Or do I set a ton of mouse traps at night? That last one gave me the shivers.

This morning

I went down this morning to let my hens out of the hen house, when I saw that during the night a skunk had solved my problem. I have never been so glad to have a skunk dig under my coop but I was and I didn't even bury back the hole. He can come back tonight.

I went in my coop, and I knew I had to turn over my feeders to see if there was any mice under them. There was a lone mouse. It ran from my little feeder to the big feeder. I turned it over and it ran to my automatic chicken waterer. I turned that over and I make this sound that I am incapable of not making when I see a mouse, its kind of a scream. Sasha runs to me when ever I make that sound. I let her in and pointed to that  mouse. Sasha never kills anything but she bit that mouse. Then proudly carried it out in the yard and dropped it and looked at it. The cat had come down too and was very interested. I picked up a stick and was trying to flip that mouse to the cat when Sasha grabbed that mouse and the tail was sticking out of her lips and promptly ate it. Just swallowed it down after a few crunches. Just like that. I am not much of a farm girl I tell you because I wanted to gag. I had to go walk around and take deep breaths of cold air.

See our last tumbleweed pile.

I don't mind when the cats catch mice but Sasha well that's different. I have been calling her mouse breath all morning. My brain keeps having all of these terrible thoughts and wanting to write stories about how carnage came to the chicken coop last night. From the mouse point of view. I have to make myself stop. They are rodents, vermin who carry disease. They do not look like cute mice like in Cinderella or Beatrix Potter. But in my mind they do sort of because as Elliot said, they are corn fed mice. I will let Mr. or Mrs Skunk enjoy  the mice then I will bury the hole back in and problem solved. With very little effort on my part.

That rainbow looks like it came down on Ron's shed.

Can you see the double rain bow in this last picture? It was a very nice rainbow. Well need to go bake a birthday cake. February is a nice month for birthdays. Elliot likes Fun Fetti cake, but I make it from scratch and use lots more sprinkles.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. This post was really going to be about all of the wool I dyed this week. Maybe later. I got the best reds and blues.

Thank you for visiting today.

~Kim~

Perhaps, after all, our best thoughts come when we are alone. It is good to listen, not to voices but to the wind blowing, to the brook running cool over polished stones, to bees drowsy with the weight of pollen. If we attend to the music of the earth, we reach serenity. And then, in some unexplained way, we share it with others.
Gladys Taber