Chicken Attack

Okay, I know..it's been awhile since I posted anything..no excuses. Just no motivation. I think it's the heat. The heat and drought is bringing up coyotes into the yard (or near the yard). My 20+ hens, one rooster and two clutches have been reduced to 8 hens and one chick. Talk about sickening!! And they are quick! Each day when I was on the lookout for the coyotes, it seemed they came up an hour earlier each day. I would glance out the window and see one trotting off with a chicken and before I could get out the door, they were gone. The only thing that saved them several times was the field fence between me and my neighbors'. They would just stand over there and watch me.

So now my chickens have been moved closer to the house. They are actually in their own yard in my yard. I love having them close. I love my chickens!

It's been 100-107 degrees here for weeks. There is no grass left. I'm now making mud puddles for my chickens to keep them cool. And I'm getting only two eggs a day...if I'm lucky.

I guess this is one way to keep a fuzzy butt cool...lay the egg in the mud!

This is my one little chick that's left. His name is Pong because when he (I call him a "he" in hopes he's a rooster) and the other little chick hatched, they looked like ping pong balls. Ping didn't make it.

Since I've moved the chickens, I haven't seen any more coyotes. I'm sure they're out there looking for something to eat and trying to find water.

Hope everyone out there is staying cool..

Happy Trails...

Berte

New Life on the Farm

Finally! I've had chicks hatch out. This mama hen persevered through extreme heat, cold and even a possom curled up for a nap two "doors" down to hatch out these six little chicks. This is sooo much fun! Now I can share in the excitement that others of you post about when you have little ones.. chicks, goats, lambs, etc. I have chicks!!!

As far as the possum, I went out one day in the morning to all the ruckus and another hen was on this mama's nest. I got her off and the mama got back on her nest. When I went back out in the evening to gather eggs, I lifted the lid on the nest box and thought there was a snake in one of the nest boxes. Yep, I 'bout wet my pants right there! But it was a possum curled up taking a nap. And there was mama hen sitting two boxes down on her nest. My generous BIL gathered up his gun and came over to take care of the possum. That mama hen didnt' budge.

Happy Trails,

Berte

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter yesterday and got to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With both our trucks loaded up and ready to pull out, our alarms went off yesterday morning at 4am to head out for sunrise service. And it was beautiful. Unfortunately, the morning was so busy, I forgot to take pictures of the first service. Buddy brought a wonderful message and it was a great service out at the rodeo arena. Then we loaded it all up and went down the road to the auction barn where we had a chuckwagon breakfast and 10:30 service. Oh my goodness...there's nothing like coffee cooked over a fire. With all the burn bans and area fires, the fire department allowed us to go ahead with the cookout as long as we had barriers put up. It worked. And the food... there aren't words to describe...we had breakfast tacos and sausage gravy over biscuits. yum, yum....

Check out the size of that skillet! When it's empty, I can't pick it up!

Our dear friends came and cooked for us. Don't ya love it?

We had a great time and lots of new folks came out for both services. God has blessed our church richly!

After second service, it was home again and, I have to admit, I came home and crawled in bed for a couple hours of z's. Then it was cookout time again at home ..homemade elk sausage and potato salad. What a great day!

Happy Trails...

Berte

Cool Water

It has been extremely dry here in Texas with lots of wildfires out in west Texas. We've had no rain to speak of and no rain in the forecast. Besides that, the humidity has been down to 9% which is unheard of around here. What green grass we have around here crunches under you feet as you walk on it.

I have noticed more and more folks putting out water for animals that can't find any water source. Most of the ponds and tanks have dried up. Here, at a lot next to the convenient store, is a sign posted that says "no pets allowed" but there is also a plastic pan set out for the birds. Only one bird stayed at the "watering hole" for the picture.

What month is it anyway?

Why are June bugs called June bugs when they show up in April?

Happy Trails,

Berte

Still hangin' in here

I honestly try and post on this blog but I find myself coming and going. I know, I know... I need to slow down and smell the roses. As a matter of fact, that is just about the only thing that is green and growing around here. We have not had rain in months and everything is dust around here. It's horrible! And the wind will almost blow me to Kansas! We live in the middle of farmland and it's nothing but a cloud of dust. If ya'll think things are getting pricy now, just wait...several of these farmers are considering not even planting their cotton crops this year. That's bad news for us. Cotton prices are going to skyrocket. Okay, enough of that...

The black calf is gone...hallelujah! He never would get big so off to the sale he went. I'm jumping for joy! Now, to figure out what to do with the Longhorn... those horns are dangerous. If only I had a hotshot...

Between the etsy shop, the farm and working on church stuff, my plate has been full. I'm not complaining. I'm so blessed. Buddy worked hard to make a cross for our church. We started a cowboy church the first of the year and we meet in an auction barn so this helped. You might be able to see it in the picture. I wrapped the bottom with a burlap bag since the entire cross is stuck in a Christmas tree stand. What do ya call it?...ambiance? Whatever..it helped. See the podium? One of the guys at church made it for Buddy. It's so cool..it folds up and it goes wherever. It's got a barbed wire cross on the front.

We have another new addition to our menagerie...Meet Jethro. He's three months old and will be Buddy's compadre. Gussie, the red heeler is mine. All the merrier!

To everyone..

Happy Trails,

Berte

A WishOut

My posts are most likely terribly boring to anyone and everyone that comes across them. I initially started blogging to keep a journal and let everyone (friends and family) know what's going on in my life especially when we moved out to the farm. I would like to spend more time on blogging but am pretty certain my days are pretty boring.

This past week I kept three of my granddaughters while their mom went on a scrapbook retreat. Oh my gosh, there were some tough moments but I wouldn't trade them for the world. I truly wish all my grandkids lived closer to me so I could love on them all the time.

Anyway, since last Thursday was St. Patrick's Day, I decided we would bake a cake and make it green. The two older ones (ages 5 and 3) were so excited. The youngest (age 1) could have cared less. And then this Nana had to try and find all the ingredients.. a little of this, a little of that and none of that. Ohwell.. we had fun making it. I knew when I put it in the oven, it wasn't going to turn out. So..it came out of the oven and, for sure, it was not going to be the best in the west. But it was green and it turned out edible. It got covered with a towel and left on the counter. I discovered a while later that the 3 yr old had pushed a chair up and had been eating on it. She is so precious. There is no way this nana could be upset.

I had her in my lap talking about what she had done and she looked up at me and asked if would make her a cake for next birthday. Well, of course! I asked her what kind of cake she wanted and she replied, "A wishout".

I finally figured out she wanted a birthday cake with candles on it to blow out and make a wish.

This is one of those posts that only a nana could love.

Happy Trails,

Berte