Chick Chick

The name is the most creativity I could muster when I found her . It was late afternoon when I went out to feed the horses and this youngster wouldn't budge. She let me pick her up without a fuss. Dang!! She has a broken leg! That is not a good sign since most little ones would just perish from the shock. I figured she was just holding on and I set her in a box in my workshop and concluded I would have a dead pullet by morning. I set food and water and she practically lunged at it. Good sign.

When she was still alive in the morning I knew I now had to do something about her leg. She was amazingly compliant when I got her on her side and gently pulled the leg as straight at I could get it, put on a splint made from cardboard and taped it up with vet wrap. She camped out in her little box for a couple weeks and we did chicky PT a couple times a day. She had no balance and made no attempt at walking so I just held her up under her breastbone and we stretched legs and moved up and down. We went outside a couple times a day to keep her spirits up, but made sure we stayed away from the flock. She was "different" and had evoked a violent response from "The Old Biddy" hen. They would no doubt want to attack since she was now an outcast. We turned the corner when one morning I went to work and she was perched on the top edge of the box! She was learning how to cope with her handicap and was coming along with her walking. Then I lost her in the shop! She wasn't really hiding from me but had just FLOWN to the top bank of cabinets and perched there for the night. 

Through all of this we have become quite close! She always lets me pick her up and we check out the flowers and all the best places for a bite to eat. She's becoming more accepted by the rest of the flock and I expect one of these evenings she will go in the coop to perch for the night. My little Chick Chick is not going to need me for much longer! 

Long Shadows on the Trail

 I've had several very nice evening jaunts lately. For some reason there are NO mosquitoes, deer flies or other pests! At least for now. It was so nice to enjoy a rare ride on my bestest girl, Cheyenne. We take it slow since neither of us have been in the three-rides-a-week routine. I guess we are both slowing down at the same time. Windsor is trotting along with us and he probably gets the most benefit from the romp.

My photographer friend, Janene Nelson, posted these amazing skyscapes which precluded the hail storm last week. She really captured the drama from her location. They really remind me of Mayfield Parrish paintings. 

Mother Goose is at it again...

But with chicks! I got a variety of hen chicks that joined us a couple weeks ago.

First in the "baby box" that they arrived in. Once they are out of the box, they won't be going back in! They grow that fast. I haven't even looked up what varieties arrived, but the two Goldens are probably Buff Orpingtons. Sometimes it's hard to have different colors because if some pass by the wayside you KNOW. It's kind of easier when everyone is the same if a predator strikes. I have never been one to name them because it's hard when they are struck down. I've had "Elizabeth Taylor" and "Little Scottie" and it doesn't make it easier to say goodbye. 

I set up the big kids pen, maybe a bit early, but they were getting kind of "birdy" in the shop, so it seemed time to move. It's warm and they will be fine. 

 

Midsummer Musings

My kid seems to spend too much time on the computer these days!

I put together the new cat tower last weekend. It only took THREE HOURS! Mainly due to the fact the pieces are so heavy I had to stage the whole thing on the patio and bring in pieces as I was ready for them. It's good they have more things to fight over now. The old tower got moved to the breezeway which gives Reba some other places to escape the fray.

Tight places

My "vacation" before the 4th has involved a redo of the garage space so my truck can "fit" inside. I've had several trips to the dealership for engine lights and each time it has been rodent damage. It's gotten very expensive to keep fixing the problem and while it wasn't practical to build a new garage this was the solution. Our hired man is a wiz at reorganization and he insisted the truck would fit. It just involved getting a new configuration, getting rid of junk, and a parking plan. Yes, there is a tennis ball from the ceiling so I don't drive through the back of the structure. (Idiot ball!) I can scoot through the front if I stand sideways. The back. Not so much. But I am thankful to have the truck inside. 

This just cracked me up (pun intended) because it isn't right, but it will work!

From there, we tackled the barn that hasn't been cleaned for eight years! The last big cleanup was just before my final art tour weekend. The year of the horse crash so I didn't even participate in the tour. Again, there was a plan put into place to get the corrugated boxes in order, with SHELVES! Emptying out the contents and cleaning everything. Throwing stuff, selling stuff, just plain downsizing. It's liberating! 

Looks like we had a snowstorm here that past few evenings with all the tiny white moths everywhere!

The best blessing we had was a 3/4" rain last evening. We had not seen rain for 33 days. So praying we can get into a wetter weather pattern as most every shower that shows up has missed us. In spite of that, I think the tomatoes are doing fabulously. I put them in the backyard up by the house so I can water easily and keep track of their progress.

They are nearly as tall as I am at this point and blossom are coming on nicely. Maybe all those white moths will be good pollinators.

 

Let's Catch Up!

 

A long time since an update. I'll start where I left off. We caught this beauty strutting by during the rut season back in November. He's all puffed up and full of himself with love on his mind. 

The horses were all ears when I came out to feed. The snow was falling and now it all began with the winter season. It was a pretty mild winter and everyone came though it nicely

We are so blessed!

It got cold!! The double wool hat, hood and red nose was in force.

This is Beau wrapped up in holiday ribbon. Filling my giant old antique Red Wing crockery bowl. Two days later the brats were chasing and the whole table runner and bowl ended in pieces on the floor. One of my usual cries around here is "I can't have anything!". Too true. Cats are why we can't have nice things.

I found this photo that came up on a FB feed and it struck me that I had seen it before. It's a great painting and amazingly similar to my own work.

My pastel artwork of our Daisy done back in the day. It won a couple purple ribbons at the Polk County, WI, fair and is a tribute to my sweetie girl.

Speaking of interesting photos and connections. I found this one on the Chik-wauk Resort link. The resort has been closed for decades but is now a museum of sorts on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. The place has a special meaning for us because Don's ancestor was the lead surveyor of the Gunflint Trail back in the 20's. Years later my grandmother was a widowed and, as professional cook, took a summer job at the resort. I believe this is a photo of the owner of the resort. I'm thinking this was an interesting gig for her! Don and I were married at the Gunflint Lodge in 1994. 

Out of this world! Far, far away is a tiny planet that is called Pluto. A decade or so it was determined that Pluto was not a planet and would be known as a dead star. Pluto is the planet of the sign of Scorpio, of which I take notice for November reasons. I found this photo after Pluto was seen by the new technology of deep space photography. AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL! I can't help but notice it is red, white and blue. I have had to wait years and years for this planet to rise for me. Pluto must mean "patience".