Fall is in the air

     Although it started cooling off in September, earlier than usual but very welcome, and is still warm (low 70's), it is definitely autumn. My favorite time of year! I love the colors, the cool temperatures after the heat of summer, seeing the babies on the farm becoming grown up, and, even though everything dies, there's the promise of new fresh color to come in the spring. It's time for harvesting, resting, being thankful for what we have, and looking forward to a new year and all that will bring. (Come on 2021, were counting on you!) There's the holidays as well, time spent with family and friends, celebrations and parties. My photos aren't what they used to be 🤷‍♀️ but I'm going to share a few.

     A view down to the pond

     Maple leaves

     Michael had a vision and has been working since early summer to bring it to fruition. Almost done but here are a few photos in and around our new garden. More on it soon!

     Plenty of lettuces and greens in the garden for Marley to top off her hay.

     The new coop out by the garden

     And, a butterfly bush, lemongrass, oregano, as well as one of my roses still blooming beautifully

     From our family to yours, we pray you are having a wonderful fall season! 

Kittens, kittens, and more kittens!

     Preface: I've attempted to write this several times. I'm just throwing it all together to get something posted for you, therefore, it may seem a bit... Oh, who am I kidding?! It shouldn't be any more confusing than I normally am 😏

     I was recently tagged in a post needing a local to bottle raise a kitten. Rescue really isn't my thing but I absolutely love bottle raising animals of all kinds. I decided I could, so he was delivered the next morning. That was last Friday (10/16). Later that morning I received a call that the people had left a second kitten, all night in the cold, to see if the mom would return.... 🤦‍♀️ I then had two boys. We were doing just fine. Got extra supplies from the rescue group, and so forth. 

      Wednesday (10/21) I was updating my rescue contact and she mentioned a litter of 5 had been dropped off. I decided I could handle that so I picked them up. They were in good shape so sadly their mom was probably frantically looking for them after going out to hunt 😕 They're all super cute!

     Yesterday (10/24) one more was dropped off), so why not? Fleas have been eliminated with the help of apple cider vinegar - works like a charm. She's a bit weak but I'm hoping time will show improvement.

     (This is today. I put dates in the previous paragraphs to help you follow along but I didn't correct the tense.)

     Last Wednesday (10/28) a little bit was found curled up in a puddle, cold and hungry. Before she could tell me about him a litter of 4 was left at a vet. I couldn't say no. 

     The cold boy was covered in fleas and very happy to be rid of them and have a warm full belly. 

     The litter was in rather sad shape. Somebody had tried to bottle feed them but weren't successful so fortunately they turned the kittens over to the vet. Sadly, it was too late. Two didn't make it, although I tried... 

     PLEASE, if you haven't bottle raised anything before, don't have the time, are uncomfortable, whatever, find somebody that can help. It can be very easy but it can also be very difficult and trying if the animal is uncooperative, not healthy, etc. 

     I'll get off my soapbox.

     So, that's what I've been busy doing, raising 11 kittens. I've taken a few pictures but... they're blurry 🤣 Here's a photo that shows 10 of the 11. If you or somebody you know would like to add a kitten to the family let me know! I'll share more as they become available 🙂

Available:

2 calico girls

2 orange tabby boys

1 orange bicolor (piebald) boy

1 tuxedo boy

1 black and white boy

1 gray and cream tabby girl

3 tortoiseshell girls

     

Visitors in the yard

We have almost twenty ducks at our pond, a pair of geese, and regular visiting local Canadian geese. The local wildlife do not go hungry.... Raccoons enjoy regular meals of fresh eggs from the nests during the spring and summer. Foxes and coyotes have been treated to fresh meals as well. Sadly not a lot can be done about it. We have had one successful duckling hatched and raised in the 4 years we've had ducks. 

Two smart ducks have learned to come into the yard to lay. We then round them up after hatch and raise them for a few weeks until they're large enough to survive the catfish and turtles. They don't all survive but some do. This year we've had 4 clutches hatch and so far 1 survivor 🙄 The girls decided to have one more go at it and we released 15 young ducklings at the pond last Thursday. 

This morning they made their way back and are happily following the two young geese around. Silly ducklings! It'll be fun gathering them up for another trip out. Any volunteers?! 

UPDATE:

Volunteers not needed - they made their way back to the pond by mid afternoon! 😏

Marley

Marley joined our family in 2017. She is a Sulcata, or African spurred tortoise. I'd always wanted one and found an owner who wasn't prepared to continue providing for the tortoise. I feel very fortunate to have found Marley because baby Sulcatas can be difficult to raise. She was 1.11 pounds at 2 years of age when we got her. At first she stayed in a huge tub in the pantry with daily soaks and trips outside for sun and fresh grass.

I spent time learning about her - what she should eat, what not to feed her, the need for regular soaks, ideal temperatures for her, etc. She has pyramiding which means the scutes, or sections of the carapace, are pointy like... a pyramid. Over time those should all but disappear with proper care and diet. In the picture below you can see all of the new smooth dark brown growth. The lighter centers of her scutes are the older portion of her shell and the only part that pyramids. Below she is soaking in warm water and this is her relaxed flying tort position.

Last autumn I was hand raising a kitten, a piglet, and another critter soon to be introduced. The house was full of heat lamps and bottles of formula. Marley kept joining the pig because she liked his heat lamp, blanket, and trying to get a bite of food. The piglet wasn't willing to share 😏

Several times I have taken her outside, got distracted by the myriad activities around here, and lost her 😕 Once she was gone for three months! Can't tell you how happy we were to see her walking in the yard happily munching away on grass. We have tried several methods to keep track of her, including attaching a Tile to her shell. We've also had many discussions about what we'd like to build for her as she grows but haven't settled on anything yet. 

Summers are spent outside in an enclosure that gets moved around so she constantly has fresh grass, water, sun, and a shady spot. When the weather at night drops in the 60's she comes inside to sleep behind the recliner where her heat lamp is. Sometimes she likes a shower but most days her soaks are in the tub. Afternoons are spent wandering around the house rearranging furniture and eating. I'm convinced she's a closet interior designer... And, when the days get warm enough we sit outside while she eats grass. 

Notice the thin white lines between the scutes. That is all new growth! If you compare the video with the earlier photos you can tell how smooth her shell is growing now. 

I weigh her every year. Last year she weighed 4.5 pounds. This year she's at a whopping 13.6 pounds! She may reach 100 pounds and will live almost 100 years with one or both of the kids after we're gone 🙂

The Flock?

Late September and the weather has started to cool off earlier than usual. We brought Marley inside last week because many nights are down in the 50's and that's too cool for her digestive system. Also means I'm thoroughly enjoying being outside!

Sitting, reading, and letting Harley enjoy some sun. Suddenly around the corner the guineas alert me of their presence. A few moments later:

Looking at this photo you would think our flock consisted of turkeys, guineas, geese, and nothing else! Where in the world are all the chickens?! 

Two weeks later...

Okay, so the two week mark isn't until tomorrow... you'll get over it. Bessie is a wonderful mama. We're down two piglets but this happens. The remaining 8 are adorable, getting redder, and they've about doubled in size.

            Babies and Bessie at the barn. 

              Playing in mama's wallow. 

There is plenty of grass in the barn area but our goal is to raise them on pasture. We've had issues getting a fence put up and water to the land we have set aside for this purpose. Then Bessie finally gets pregnant and plans change. The garden area it is. We get it all set up with mobile domed huts for shelter, an electric netting boundary, and water set on a timer to give them plenty of cool mud to wallow in since shade will be minimal most of the day. Big Boy won't have any. 

We've attempted multiple times to move the hogs from the barn out to pasture. I was determined to get these babies on pasture ASAP! The Big Boy was willing but not Bessie. Can't say that I blame her. After all, she was very pregnant, or nursing, and it's been really hot. It's about a quarter mile walk. Hogs aren't really fond of climbing ramps into a trailer. We tried food, squealing piglets, the trailer, walking... multiple times, multiple combos. Hogs in abundance of 400 pounds don't move unless they want to.

Sunday morning we successfully walked the Big Boy out to his new pen. 😄

Mama almost made it... 😐

Later we got Bessie in the trailer after almost an hour. We're taking the long way around the pond. I'm following in the Ranger to close the gates. As I catch up to the second gate I'm looking at Michael standing behind the trailer with Bessie and I'm wondering why on earth he's decided to give her a potty break⁉ I mean, she's not a dog; it's not that far. Then I see we forgot to latch the sliding door... 
Inhale. Exhale. Don't lose it. I know I should've stopped about 30 minutes ago. I know I'm bordering on heat exhaustion. I know I want her on pasture. I don't know what to do, and what'll work but...
I tell Michael to get in the truck and don't stop. Of course, we get through the gate, merely yards, and Bessie decides a dip in the pond is a wonderful idea. 💦
Apparently it is. She frolics, rolls, roots for who knows what, and really enjoys herself. Michael gets a bucket of water to help the piglets stay cool in their tub in the trailer (amazing it's not that hot in there). Bessie climbs out, gate is closed, I grab a squealing piglet and, yes, she follows. We make the slow trek around the pond while I'm in a barely rinsed out cattle trailer (I really don't suggest you use your imagination) exchanging piglets for noisier ones. She made it!

Bessie was being lazy and eating while laying down. Silly girl! 

 Sweetly sharing with the piglets. I'm sure this won't last long...

Happy babies!