Toys

When you're living on a ranch you need a few implements that are a bit larger than a trowel, rake, or lawn mower. So, of course, we had to have new toys. 

First need was to mow the "yard" that hadn't been touched for a year except by the realtor who kindly ran over it with his shredder/brush hog/whatever you want to call it. By the time we'd moved in it had grown another foot and still had the mowed year's worth laying around. So, you claim about 2 acres of land around the house as yard and only crazy people would choose to mow that with a push mower. We chose a zero turn mower to cut it in record time. Boy is it fun! Everybody ought to get on one at least once in their lives :) After 3 mowings and piles of hay laying around.... Yes, I said hay. It's coastal bermuda up at the house too so when it's cut, it's hay. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah... I was really glad once the tractor arrived because then we spent half a day moving the hay that I could only move so far with the mower out of the yard into other pastures. That was after a day of moving old hay bales out of the barn. BTW, I know I mentioned cleaning out the barn a couple of weeks back. Well, I didn't take before and after photos. We didn't end up putting the horses back there because we got three rather than two and there just wasn't enough room and when they moved the cows it got all messed up again... long story. Below you'll see a photo of Oliver and Tucker in the yard before, Sierra with piles of hay near her, and Merlin laying in a nicely mown yard. There were quite a few long piles spread all over the place. I was attempting not to kill off too much grass....

It'll look GREAT next year!

When the tractor was delivered I was watching him back it off the trailer and realized: I had always wanted a tractor and now I have one! It's really cool! I might add that when you're out there riding either of these for a few hours, it's work. It's not like just driving down the road in a car. Anyway, it's been put to use clearing the garden area, including using the hay fork to lift out some really stubborn tomato cages, and hauling hay, baled and cut. Mostly. And, over time it'll be used to clear trails in the back 70, etc. Not sure we'll ever cut our own hay. The equipment is very costly....

We also needed wanted a UTV for getting around. Okay, maybe we did need it. We carry stuff all over the ranch to work with that would be ridiculous to carry by hand over multiple trips. I get enough walking around here as it is. I'm sure if I hadn't lost my fit bit months ago it would be very proud of me on a daily, if not hourly, basis. It's actually lots of fun. Not exactly a smooth ride but the ground isn't exactly smooth either. Tucker loves to ride next to me or in the back. He's a pro after a couple of uncertain short slow trips in it and now doesn't like to be left behind. Actually, he and Oliver both ride with me a lot. Sierra and Merlin just run along beside following us.

So, that's it for today. A few people have asked for more details on the move, reason, etc. so I'll work on getting that together and sharing it soon. Have a blessed day!!

Meet the Boys!

Private Import aka PI
16.2 hands
age: 23
breed: Westphalian
formerly: Olympic champion dressage and therapy horse

HAPPY JACK
16 hands
age: 21
breed: Quarter horse
formerly: ranch horse and therapy horse

KING OF TROY
16 hands
age: 21
breed: Trakehner
formerly: cross country jumper and therapy horse

A little girl's dream....

Like many girls growing up I always dreamed of having a horse. My sister owned a few, barrel raced, and worked with them on and off when she was younger. I remember her taking me to "test ride" them. She figured if they were gentle with somebody that didn't know horses they were good potentials for her. Such abuse... Ha, I got to ride horses!

Although we weren't able to raise our kids in the country we attempted to expose them to the outdoors and animals as much as possible. At the Keller farmer's market one Saturday years ago I talked with a lady from a nearby therapy ranch. A few months later Rachel started volunteering once a week. Over the next five years I could count the days she missed and still have fingers left over. It was her therapy to spend time with horses and helping people with special needs. We've witnessed her passion and encouraged it. God willing she'll be a physical therapist and manage her own therapy ranch some day.

She had a favorite horse from the beginning, Happy Jack. When the purchase of a ranch became a reality she let them know she'd love to be considered for his retirement home. They seemed more than happy she would be able to do this knowing he'll be loved and well cared for. We then discussed a companion for him and learned that Troy was also on the list of retirees. We learned we would be receiving the boys earlier than we thought AND they wanted to know if we'd be interested in a third horse. 

Later today you'll get to meet Happy Jack, Troy, and Pi. 

Our very own herd of horses, a little girls dream!

Abundance of Creatures

So many living things out in the country! I've yet to identify many of the birds we see and hear. I know we have cardinals, blue jays, plenty of bluebirds, and one of my favorites, scissor tail flycatchers. Of course, crows, buzzards, and a few hawks as well. And, I finally heard a woodpecker but never found him.

Many leopard frogs called the yard home until the grass was cut. I'm assuming they moved on to the front pasture, except the two Lillie Mae devoured. Gray and Cope's gray tree frogs galore. Praying mantis, walking sticks, huge daddy long legs, wolf spiders, and the ground is covered with the funnel webs of grass spiders and, one of my favorites, the garden spider. Oh, I can't forget the nasty velvet ant aka cow killer that I promptly killed while mowing a couple of weeks ago. They're actually a wasp. We've seen a lot of dead asps as well... bah!

Garden spiders eat mosquitos, aphids, flies, grasshoppers, and wasps. The large female spins a large orb web while the smaller male will spin a second smaller zig zag web at the bottom of hers. She'll spin an egg sac for her hundreds of eggs that will hatch in the fall. She dies soon after. The babies will spend winter in the sac and leave in the spring. One of their predators is the dirt dauber.
This means I'll continue destroying the dauber nests all around the house! There were a dozen or so garden spiders on the front porch alone the first time we looked at the property. Somebody cleaned them up and I was happy to see I've got one that's still here. Sadly not for much longer, as she just spun her second egg sac...

Here are a few photos I've been able to take...

Praying Mantis (male)

Praying Mantis (female)

Gray tree frog

Walking Stick

Wolf Spider

Cope's gray tree frog - this is the greenest we've seen him.

This Woodhouse's toad hangs out on the side porch at night.

Tiny grass spider web

I found a grass spider hanging out at the edge of her funnel web! Look closely and you'll see the funnel going down into the pine needles.

Molting time

Autumn has arrived! My favorite time of year with the cooler weather, changing colors, and the promise of spring to come. A crisp morning brought added fog off the pond providing a beautiful scene of my favorite view. Of course, I'm happy to share the photo!

Shedding dogs have always been a part of my life. Twice a year the dogs blow their coats and hair flies everywhere. There's ALWAYS hair but during those times they produce mounds not puffs.

After three years with chickens their annual molting still fascinates me. The girls are beautiful full and fluffy with feathers all summer. Then with the first cool night you wake up to this:

Feathers everywhere! New feathers come in causing the old ones to drop off. Sometimes you can't really tell they are going through molt unless they're missing their tails. Other times it is very apparent. The above pile was left by Lillie Mae. Poor girl loses more than the others. Last year she looked so pitiful. Here she is with Reba napping with their heads tucked under their wings. Lillie Mae, silly girl, is standing... I'll post another of her in a few weeks.... It'll be sad.

Molting can be a rather stressful time for the girls. I mean, wouldn't you be stressed if you were forced to run around naked? I provide more protein during this time and will continue to do so all winter. I give them extra black sunflower seeds with their treats and mealworms before bedtime. I always feel like they've got to be cold but they don't act like it.

As for the youngsters, their feathers are coming in nicely and they are growing like weeds!

Guineas and Chickens oh my!

For any who didn't know, we have had chickens for the past two years. I never posted anything about them because the HOA wouldn't be too happy about it. All the neighbors knew of them and a few got eggs when the girls were being productive. We originally started with 3 Cochins ~ Dolly, Reba, and Lillie Mae. Later Wynonna (spotted Sussex) and Loretta (barred rock) joined them. Well, to my dismay, Loretta (the barred rock) started to crow and he went to live in the country with a much larger harem. Dolly, our big, buxom, beautiful, black girl quietly died her second summer. That was a very sad loss as she was absolutely gorgeous and so very sweet!

Today: We still have Reba, Lillie Mae, and Henrietta (previously know as the too difficult to say Wynonna). A week before we moved the flock was enlarged to included 3  Frizzle Bantam Cochins and 8 Guinea keets. Frizzle refers to the feather type ~ think of what a chicken might look like if one stuck it's beak in a light socket! Bantam is a small breed of chicken that are just for fun, make great pets, and lay tiny eggs. Cochin is the breed and they have feathered feet. As for the Guineas...

Keet refers to day old Guineas. Reasons for having Guinea fowl are alerting the flock of danger, decimating the tick population, ridding the area of snakes, eggs, and entertainment. Well, that's a bit of what I've read and heard. We'll find out as we go! I don't plan to name them as they are much more wild than domestic so they will not be friendly like my girls and I'll have to work at keeping them close by. We're handling them several times a day and hoping they stay healthy and grow up to be good at what they do!