I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Friends
Both EJ and our son work four 10-hour shifts at their companies. EJ works Friday through Monday and JJ works Monday through Thursday. Mondays are the only days when they are both at work and I have the day to myself. I still accomplish tasks on Mondays, but they aren’t as busy as other days. This means it’s quieter so I can think and write without so many interruptions.
Yesterday I went with JJ to his trailer to load up his few remaining possessions and do final cleaning before he turns over his keys to management. No more exhausting trips to the trailer! No more pickup truck loads to load, transport, and unload. Yay!
A guy JJ knows invited him to stay with him temporarily while he gets established in Alaska. JJ plans to fly to Alaska on Christmas Eve (he already bought his ticket) and look for a job and permanent housing. I actually think that’s a pretty good idea: If he decides he hates Alaska, he can just buy a return ticket. We will store JJ’s things for him until he can return for them. Since he would be driving back to Alaska in his pickup, he is going to have to be selective about what he takes. In the next few weeks, I will help him sort through what he wants to take. Some things he is giving to us–like the new loveseat he bought a few months ago–and the other stuff he will donate, recycle, or discard. JJ promised he wouldn’t stick us with a bunch of stuff that we will have to figure out how to get rid of. We are trying to downsize ourselves, working around our schedules and EJ’s health issues. The last thing we need is more things to discard.
I’ve been working really hard over the last few weeks to find places for JJ’s things. Depending on how durable/valuable the items are, we put them in the garage (which is stuffed to the rafters), the pantry/storage room (which is a bit crowded), or the house. The pantry/storage room is technically part of the house, but it’s an unheated room located off an unheated hallway that connects the garage with the house so it’s not in the main living portion of the house. I’ve been doing my best to arrange things in the house so it looks neat, comfy, and inviting rather than like a cluttered old resale shop. The more things JJ brought here, the more of a challenge it became, but I think I’ve been quite successful.
One of the good things about JJ moving here is that Clara finally has a friend. We adopted Clara last year when she was a kitten. Over the months, Clara has tried very hard–and very unsuccessfully–to make friends with the other animals. Our cat Timmy is old and has no use for a playful, mischievous kitten’s nonsense. Our dog Hannah isn’t particularly fond of cats and barely tolerates her. JJ adopted Astrid last year. We took care of her whenever he was gone on his boat. Astrid likes us but hisses at Clara and the other animals. When JJ brought Astrid here for the first time, she made a place for herself on the top shelf in the pantry/storage room (redecorating by pushing things off the shelf) and she’s content to stay there in her fortress of solitude. A few months ago, JJ adopted a second cat–a kitten he named Solveig. Clara and Solveig, both young cats, have become good friends, sleeping together, bird watching together, and chasing each other around the house. I joked that JJ needed to permanently give Solveig to us because she and Clara would miss each other if he took her away. He wasn’t too receptive to the idea.
Dreadfully Busy
Today is the last day of my birthday month. October has had a lot of goodness in it, although one sad thing.
The one sad thing is that the two little chicks we snuck under the broody hen didn’t make it. We had a friend downstate who didn’t provide a safe environment for his chickens. He simply let them roost in an open outbuilding. Coyotes got some of them and others froze to death in the winter. His attitude was that “They’ll live or they won’t.” We hate that attitude and do our best to protect and care for our animals, including the chickens. Despite our efforts, the chicks didn’t make it. Maybe the hen wasn’t a good mama. However, Richard VI, our new rooster, is thriving. He should: He’s currently the only rooster among 21 hens.
The last couple of weeks has been extremely busy. To quote a line from a children’s Veggie Tales song:
“I’m busy, busy, dreadfully busy,
You’ve no idea what I have to do…”
Our son was working on a Great Lakes bulk carrier for several years, but he decided he had had enough of it: The pay was very good but he wasn’t home much so it was difficult to have a social life and he’s had problems with his foot after he slipped on deck a year ago and badly broke it. So he quit in late July. He’s been working in a factory, but I think it bores him. He decided he wants a change. He wants a challenge.
So he has a notion to move to Alaska.
Yup. Alaska.
JJ knows someone who lives in Alaska who will let him stay with him while he gets established there. He’s not sure exactly what he will do when he gets there. He’s looking into various jobs but mostly winging it.
Honestly, we’d prefer that he not move so far away, but we also believe that he’s an adult and he needs to make his own decisions. We will help him as much as we can. This involves letting him move in with us for a few months so he can save money. The plan is that when he believes he has enough money, he will fly to Alaska to get settled. Then he will return for his belongings that we are storing for him. We will also take care of his two cats until he can come back for them. He gave his cats interesting Scandinavian names: Astrid and Solveig. Astrid is a calico and her name means “divinely beautiful.” Solveig is yellow and her name means “sun strength” or “daughter of the sun.” Astrid stayed with us before when JJ was working on the ship. She likes us but not the other pets so it’s a bit of a challenge. Solveig is his newest cat–actually just a half-grown kitten. I’m hoping she will adjust well. Maybe our cat, Clara, will finally have another cat to play with.
Over the last couple of weeks, EJ and I have made several trips to JJ’s place to help him pack and to transport boxes to our house. Some stuff will be stored in the garage, some in our storage room, and some, of course, in the guest bedroom where he will stay. He is giving us his living room furniture–a couch and chair he bought a few months ago–as well as a few other things. I told him we will only “borrow” his furniture and if he decides Alaska isn’t for him and returns to this area, he can have it back.
When we haven’t been making trips to JJ’s, I’ve been reorganizing everything to make space for his things. I hate clutter so I’m trying to make things fit and still look nice. It basically requires reorganizing the whole house. If I empty a dresser drawer in his bedroom, I have to find space for the things I took out. I’m putting his living room chair in the library, but it displaces a small deacon’s bench that I moved to our master closet, which required I find places for the things that had been there, which requires that I reorganize the whole closet. His couch is more like a love seat, so I think it will fit where the large recliner was. The recliner was worn and we’ve been wanting to get rid of it so this was a good excuse to toss it.
One challenge that we have is that EJ is allergic to scented products, which JJ uses. That means that a lot of the clothes he doesn’t need will have to be stored in the garage. The things brought into the house will have to be washed with unscented laundry soap. JJ suggested that he take his Dad shopping with him so EJ can show him which personal hygiene products are ok. I think that is considerate.
Another challenge is that JJ’s pickup is only 2-wheel drive and won’t be sufficient for making it up our steep driveway in the winter snow. EJ and JJ work in the same town, but they won’t be able to car-pool because they work on different days: EJ works Friday through Monday and JJ works Monday through Friday.JJ says that a truck that’s good enough to make it to Alaska would cost too much and delay his move. I suggested he buy a cheap 4-wheel drive pickup that’s good enough to make it through the winter. He can sell it before he moves to Alaska and probably recoup at least some of the money he spent. He will have to decide what to do before the snow gets deep enough to be a problem.
Preparing for JJ arrival is a major task, but reorganizing is actually a positive thing. It motivates EJ and me to sort our own things that we no longer need, use, or want. We are donating or recycling items as we have time. Once JJ moves in, I’ll help him further sort through his things to help him downsize. He can’t take everything to Alaska.
Oh, I think I forgot to mention that one of EJ’s co-workers is moving. A couple weeks ago, he gave EJ a nice bookshelf set–one large bookshelf and two matching smaller ones. The bookshelves were a tremendous gift because we needed more room for our books. After EJ brought them into the library, I spent a day or two deciding which books to go on their shelves. So that room was already re-organized and looking nice before JJ decided to move to Alaska. The only real change I had to make is moving the deacon’s bench to the master closet to replace with JJ’s living room chair. Here’s a link to the video I took after I finished getting the books on the shelves. The new shelves are the dark free-standing ones. I thought it was funny that months ago our Hannah Joy started storing her bones in the library as well. It was her own idea and effort. Apparently she knows that’s the room where we store our treasures–our books–and she wants to store her treasures there too. She goes into the library whenever she wants to chew on her bones.
A Fowl Week
My Birthday month has been splendiferous. We’ve made homemade cider for the first time, I’ve set up more bird feeder stations, and we found a “new” couch and ended up enjoying a private garage sale. This has been another awesome week. This week was very fowl.
Last Spring we bought Partridge Chantecler female chicks. We really like the breed so we were planning to get some Partridge Chantecler rooster chicks this coming Spring. I’ve looked it up and read that roosters don’t begin to mate for at least 4-5 months–some say even older than that–so we wouldn’t have fertilized eggs until next fall. Normally that would be fine, but…
We have a hen who tends to get broody in the fall. Whether it’s the same one or not, I don’t know. But this year she sat on unfertilized eggs for weeks and weeks, well past her “due date.” She was very determined and refused to give up. We don’t want this to happen next year so we’ve kind of been looking for a rooster that will be mature enough to mate with the hens in the Spring. We were actually looking on social media for a rooster last week when we found the couch.
On Tuesday we found three postings for free roosters on FB. EJ encouraged me to try to get one. The first two people had already found homes for their roosters, but the third still had them available. So we got their address, drove to their house, and chose one of their roosters. I’m not sure what breed he is–we forgot to ask–but he’s very handsome.
After we drove away with the rooster, we discussed possible names. We don’t name our hens–too many and most of them look alike–but we’ve begun giving our roosters kingly names with a number afterwards indicating how many roosters we’ve had since we first got chickens. For example, we named our last rooster Edward. He was the fifth rooster we’ve owned so he was Edward V. We had decided to name this rooster Henry when I suddenly exclaimed, “No! We can’t name him Henry.” EJ asked why not. I said because we have to reserve that name for our eighth rooster. You know, Henry the Eighth. Haha. So we named this one Richard VI.
As we drove away with Richard VI, we discussed our broody hen. Poor thing. She has persevered for weeks and weeks, sitting on her eggs with no hope of them hatching. We decided to reward her faithfulness if we could. We drove straight to our local farm store with Richard VI in a cat carrier in the back seat. Once at the farm store, I asked our favorite employee, who is very knowledgeable, if she thought a hen would adopt chicks that weren’t hers. She said absolutely, especially if the hen has been broody for a long time, which ours has been. She gave us advice on what to do to better our chances of the hen adopting a chick. Armed with this information, we went to the bins of little chicks in the back of the store. There were four different breeds there. We chose two of the littlest chicks, which were Barred Rocks. Originally, we were only getting New Hampshire and Rhode Island Red chickens, but we find ourselves expanding: Buff Orpingtons, Partridge Chanteclers, and now Barred Rocks and whatever Richard VI is.
Once home, I got Richard VI set up in the bottom of the fancy coop inside the Coop. It’s suggested that when introducing a new chicken to an old flock, to keep them separated but able to see each other for at least a week before letting them mingle. That lets them get familiar with the “stranger.” I waited about three days and then let him out. He’s doing fine. The older hens are not impressed but the young Canadians (Chanteclers) are batting their eyelashes at him. I put the little chicks in a cat carrier in the house until night.
After dark, when the chickens were asleep, EJ and I snuck out into the coop with the little chicks. Turning on the lights would have woken the chickens up but EJ had a flashlight with a red light, which he kept mostly hidden, allowing only the tiniest bit of light to show. I made my way to the broody hen’s nesting box, lifted her up, and put the chicks under her wing. She was so drowsy that she never woke up. The theory is that she’d wake in the morning and assume that her eggs had hatched during the night.
In the morning, EJ and I went out to the coop to see if the hen had adopted the chicks. If she hadn’t, she would have killed them. We were so relieved to see that the chicks were alive. Mama was happily clucking. Mission successful! Several of the nesting boxes, including the one the broody hen nested in, are cat litter boxes located on top of the old doghouse in the coop. I wanted to make sure that the chicks could access food and water, that the other chickens wouldn’t hurt them, and that they wouldn’t fall off the dog house when they got older, so I carried Mama Hen and her chicks into the doghouse and shut them inside. They will stay there until the chicks get older and are so vulnerable.
I’ve only seen a few brief glimpses of the chicks because they mostly stay under Mama’s wings where it’s nice and warm. I hope they continue to do well. I hope they are getting enough food and water. They are awfully tiny and winter is approaching. I feel like a worried mother hen.
I only had a little bit of chick feed leftover from last Spring and I forgot to get more when we were buying the new chicks. So Thursday we drove back to the farm store. While there, EJ noticed that they had apple trees were on sale for $10 each. He bought two. I told him that it’s his birthday gift. (His birthday is actually in March, but it’s cold and snowy then so I share my October month with him.) In the afternoon, he planted the trees and put fences around them to protect them from the deer until they get taller. Our little apple orchard has expanded from six trees to eight. We now regret not buying a few more trees but we were trying to get out of the store without buying more than chick feed. Oh, well. Maybe they will have a sale again next year.
Thursday I was out in the orchard putting more bird seed in the feeders when EJ, who was on the deck, made a small noise to get my attention. I looked up and four wild turkeys were running–not walking–out of the forest toward me. They started gobbling up the seed even while I was still there. In previous years, they’ve always ducked into the forest when they saw me. Apparently, word is spreading among the forest creatures that I’m no threat.
As we drove around on our errands, EJ often took roads less traveled so we were able to enjoy the autumn trees. Day by day–and even moment by moment–the trees are growing more beautiful. We are well into the color peak right now. The trees are gradually losing their leaves and I can see further into the forest.
EJ has removed the screens from the windows. I moved the patio table and chairs from the deck to the covered porch for the winter.
Here is a collage of my birthday this week: The autumn trees are from our “color tour” as we drove on errands. There’s a photo of the happy Mama hen. Sorry, her chicks are hidden under her. I tried to get a good photo of Richard VI, but that’s the best I could do. I did get a good video of him: Richard VI
Wildlife Viewing Setup
Today was a nice autumn day. It was mostly sunny, somewhat warm, but with a chill in the air. I went outside and set up another bird feeding station, which is what I’m calling the ones that are on posts rather than hanging from hooks. I am proud of my endeavor so I thought I’d make a video to share it with you. I do not like making videos of me doing a lot of talking. It took me a lot of tries before I was happy with the result.
Read MoreOctober Thus Far
We are well into October now and thus far I’ve received a lot of gifts for my birthday month and had a lot of fun. I’m thankful to God for gifts throughout the year, of course, but in October I see everything as a gift more intensely. When everything is a gift…uh…then everything is a gift.
Here are some of my October gifts:
Read MoreOctober Gifts
October is here! I love every season, but I think October is my favorite month–for a variety of reasons.
I love the ambiance of October’s autumn. I love the cooler temperatures. Even when the temperature reaches into the 70s or 80s, it still feels less hot than the same temperatures in the summer. I love the trees dressing themselves in festive colors–vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, purples. I love the deep blue of an autumn sky on a sunny day and the way the sun makes the colors even more vivid. I also love the drama of dark storm clouds which highlights the autumn colors in a different way. I love the other colors of autumn as well: ripening grains, pumpkins, and the colorful rain of falling leaves. I love the tastes of autumn: apples, cider, donuts, and pumpkin spice. I love the smells of autumn, which is too difficult to describe. I love the clothes of autumn: jeans, sweatshirts, jackets. I love the urgency of autumn as birds loudly gather for their migrations south.
I also enjoy October because it is the month of my birthday. By “month of my birthday,” I mean we celebrate my birthday all month long. It didn’t start out that way. I used to have a one-day birthday like everyone else. But through much of our married life, EJ worked at companies in which there was a lot of mandatory overtime, which means we usually couldn’t celebrate my birthday on the actual date. Instead, we would fit it in when we could, celebrating it on the closest day that he had off. And then it kind of streeeetched into more days. Eventually, we called everything fun we did during October my birthday gift no matter what it was. It doesn’t matter if we stop at the thrift store every few weeks all year long. In October, it’s our birthday gift. Drive to the farm store to buy chicken feed? It’s our birthday gift. Everything in October is a gift.
My favorite birthday gift has always been to go on a long drive through the countryside, enjoying the beautiful autumn colors. Often we’ve stopped at cider mills for cider and donuts but we also stop at other places, some planned and some spontaneous. One year as we drove along, we saw a sign from a local ski resort offering free chair lift rides to enjoy autumn colors from up above so we spontaneously turned in to enjoy an awesome view. Another year we drove through Pigeon River Country State Forest, an area known for wild elk. We never saw elk, but the drive through the forest was awesome. Another year we drove up through the “Tunnel of Trees,” which is a scenic stretch of M-119 winding along the Lake Michigan shoreline, known for its canopy of arching trees and natural beauty. It is particularly popular in mid-October when fall foliage peaks. We’ve also driven on M-22, another beautiful road. One year we explored the beautiful Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes along Lake Michigan. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of experiences and made a lot of memories during my birthday month.
The great thing about celebrating my birthday the way that we do is that it’s not just a gift for me. I get to share it with EJ. We’ve tried to celebrate EJ’s birthday for a month, but his birthday is in early spring when it’s cold and snowy so it’s not quite the same. A lot of places are closed for the winter and we don’t want to get stuck taking a road less traveled. Instead, I share my birthday with him. October is “our birthday,” not just mine.
Last Tuesday, EJ and I harvested the apples from our trees. Our Gala and Empire apples were both ripe. We decided to try our hand at making our own apple cider for the very first time. It was surprisingly easy: quarter the apples, add water, sweetner (we used brown sugar), cinnamon sticks, and spices in a slow cooker for four hours. Then get the juice from the apples. We made one batch on each of EJ’s three days off (Tuesday through Thursday) for a total of about three gallons. With each batch, we experimented with different combinations and amounts of ingredients. We taste tested the different batches–all are yummy–but I will write down the ingredients/amounts of our favorite. I love apple cider. Drinking it–and now making it–is one of my birthday gifts.
Life & Death
The week before last we drove to the auto parts store to get a belt for our new truck, which is actually an old truck but new to us. We had just left when the tire went flat. EJ drove to a gas station to put air in it, but it immediately started to go flat again. So he drove back to the auto parts store to change the flat. Then we drove home.
Obviously, the tires were not good. So EJ took the tires off our the old old truck and put them on the new old truck. I think they weren’t the right size (or something) so we obviously had to get new tires. We got them done this last Thursday. He had the new tires put on the truck’s original rims. Then we drove to the auto parts store and EJ bought new brakes, which he will put on during his next days off. He will also have to get a new alternator. After that, the truck will be as ship-shape as an old truck can be. EJ said that it really is a good strong truck, but we expected some problems because it had sat in the field for a while.
When we lived downstate, there was such drama in our life–with emotionally abusive family, our son’s cancer battle, etc.–that when we moved to northern Michigan, I wanted to focus on everyday life and blessings in this blog. And when the Covid stuff happened, I also felt it was important to have a place to focus on everyday life and blessings. But on September 10th, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. That had such a deep spiritual affect on our country and world. There has been some vocal, ugly, reprehensible celebrations of his murder on social media. But overpowering that, God has used Charlie Kirk’s murder in amazing ways in the USA and around the world. Rather than loot, riot, and destroy in response to his murder, a huge number of people are honoring him in tributes and candlelight prayer vigils. Many people who were previously uninterested are seeking God and becoming Christians. Many Christians who were afraid to speak up are proclaiming Christ. Charlie Kirk’s voice was silent, but God has raised up millions of others. Charlie’s voice has been amplified and his faith is echoing through the world.
I’ve written in detail what is happening in the world in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on my other blog. That is a blog in which I write deeper thoughts; I write more about abuse. You can read it here:
Turning Point
Miraculous Provision
Our weather has been chilly lately with highs in the 50s and lows dipping into the 30s. We’ve also had several days in which dark clouds lumbered across the sky bringing quite a bit of rain. We have frost warnings out for tonight. The temperature is supposed to warm in the next few days but we are definitely entering into jeans, sweatshirt, and jacket weather.
Thursday was the last day of EJ’s “weekend,” which falls during the middle of the week instead of at the end. We had planned to do some grocery shopping–and maybe get a new router. Earlier in the week, we stopped in at our local Internet provider to sign a form and to return a device they had accidentally left behind when they put in our [free] fiber optic Internet. When our fiber optics was being installed, one of the guys said that our router couldn’t take full advantage of the faster speed so while we were at the Internet provider, we asked the employee at the desk if he could recommend and write down the best type of router for us, which he nicely did. Another customer was in the office and she overheard EJ mention our address and exclaimed, “You are our neighbor!” Apparently, she recently moved into her grandparents’ house after they died. They lived next to her Dad, who lives across the street from us. We had a nice chat with her and the other office staff. It’s nice to have a local Internet provider because we get to know the staff instead of getting voicemail from a distant company.
Our shopping plans were diverted by a phone call. EJ’s friend who lives about 2 hours directly east of us had been downstate visiting his daughter and her family. He had just left her house to head back home when his car stalled out. He didn’t realize that there was a leak in the oil pan so he tried to restart it and the engine seized up–as in, it’s now a hunk of useless metal. (I think I got that right. I’m not a car person.) His daughter lent him her extra car. He was driving home when the engine of her car caught on fire. He called EJ from a motel in a town about an hour away and asked if EJ could take him home. Of course, EJ jumped in the truck and went to help him. He and his friend are long-time friends and they help each other out.
EJ was returning home after taking his friend home, driving up our driveway, when suddenly the back end of his truck locked up. Apparently the truck frame had rusted through and parts were missing. EJ said that pretty much the only thing holding the frame together was the bed. (Or so I understand. Not a car person.) The truck is now undriveable. We are so very thankful that EJ was able to make it home ok.
We had known we’d have to get a new (used) vehicle soon, but we were hoping we’d have a little more time to save a little more money. We are trying hard to get out of debt and we have more medical bills coming our way, so we wanted/needed to avoid a car payment. We started looking at vehicles on the Internet on Thursday evening, mostly searching FB Marketplace. We needed a 4-wheel drive truck so we could haul things like poultry feed and make it through deep winter snow. We found several strong possibilities, most located at least an hour away, but they sold very quickly so they were crossed off our list.
Our undrivable truck is (was) our only vehicle so our difficulty was getting transportation to pursue vehicles for sale. In the past, EJ’s friend has lent us a vehicle when we had car problems but, well, he has his own vehicle problems. Our son, JJ, agreed to drive his Dad to check out vehicles, but he had a limited time to do it. EJ works weekends and JJ starts a new job Monday so we didn’t have much time to look. If we couldn’t find a vehicle on the weekend, we’d be stuck.
Thursday evening, we asked God to help us. We felt no anxiety about our circumstances. We’ve been in “tricky” situations before when we had a great need and few resources, and God has always helped us. We have many stories we could tell of His miraculous provision.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Do not worry then…for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (Matthew 6:31…32)
We began to see our prayers being answered on Thursday evening. (I have no idea how anyone makes it through the difficulties of life without God.)
Miraculous Provision #1: Thursday evening EJ contacted one of his co-workers, whom he has helped several times in the past, to see if he would be able to give him rides into work. The guy usually drops his son off at his job so they had to rearrange their schedules a little but they were willing to give EJ rides until we got a new truck.
Miraculous Provision #2: Friday morning EJ’s friend–the one who ruined two cars on his way home–messaged EJ that he had rented a car and was driving over to help us. That’s amazing and far beyond what we had imagined.
Miraculous Provision #3: EJ took Saturday off from work. We figured we’d do research Friday evening and the guys would drive around to check out possibilities beginning Saturday morning. Friday evening while EJ was on FB Marketplace, a new listing for a vehicle popped up. It looked promising and was only $1,900. EJ immediately messaged the seller, who said we were the first to contact him and gave us directions to his house. The seller lived quite close, so EJ and his friend immediately jumped into the rental car and drove off. They came back with a new truck. It’s older than our other one and has a few minor things that EJ will need to easily fix but EJ said the truck is strong and solid and he is very happy with it. Tuesday morning on his day off, EJ will get insurance on the truck and transfer the plates so he can drive it. Until then, he will continue to ride to work with his co-worker.
We are thanking God that:
- EJ made it safely home after rescuing his friend.
- EJ’s co-worker is able to drive him to/from work.
- EJ’s friend rented a car to help us search for a new vehicle.
- We quickly found a decent truck at a price we could afford.
Here’s a photo of our old and new trucks. The new truck is white. The old one is blue.
The Mystery of the Fifteenth Chicken
EJ needed to get a blood test in preparation for his medical tests so we left early Thursday morning for the lab to get it out of the way. We think he was probably the first one there because he was in and out very quickly. We had some grocery shopping to do and we wanted to stop at the thrift shop. The thrift shop didn’t open until 10 a.m. so we stopped at a small park and walked along the shore of the bay to–I won’t say “waste time” or “kill time” because it wasn’t a waste of time to enjoy the natural beauty. The clouds were very dark and so low that it looked as if we could stand on our tippee toes and touch them . This is one of the photos I took:
EJ said they looked like snow clouds. I shushed him because snow will come soon enough. However, it has been feeling like autumn lately. There were frost warnings last night.
Every evening I go out to shut the chickens securely in the coop. I always count them to make sure that they are all there before I leave and shut the door. We currently have 6 chicks and 15 adult chickens
Earlier this last week, I went out to the coop and after counting the chicks, I began counting the adults: one two, three…twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Where was the fifteen chicken? I recounted in case I missed one. I still reached only fourteen. I looked in every possible place a chicken could hide. I couldn’t find the missing chicken. I went outside and checked around their pen. Nothing. I checked for signs of foul (or fowl) play. Nothing. I looked outside the pen because occasionally–although rarely–a chicken escapes the pen. Nothing. I went back into the coop and recounted again. And again. And rechecked possible hiding places. Nothing.
Finally I gave up. Either I just wasn’t seeing the chicken or it had escaped the outside enclosure and, sadly, was likely to become a predator’s dinner. Nothing I could do about it. I went back to the house and to bed, but worried and dreamed about the missing chicken all night. I take my guardianship of the flock seriously.
The next morning I went out to feed the chickens and opened the doors of the coop so they could go in and out. I counted them again several times. Still fourteen. Throughout the day, I occasionally went out and counted the chickens. No fifteenth.
If I were Nancy Drew, I’d write a book titled “The Mystery of the Fifteenth Chicken.” Nancy Drew can create a huge mystery out of a seemingly small event and I’m sure she could find a mysterious cause for why the chicken was missing. Since I am not Nancy Drew, I am only writing a post about it rather than a book.
That evening when I went out to shut the chickens securely in their coop, I did my usual count: One, two, three…twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Wait! What? Confused, I counted again: Fifteen adult chickens. I went into the house and dragged EJ out, asking him to count the chickens. He verified that there were, indeed, fifteen chickens.
I felt like I was losing my mind. Where had the fifteen chicken been for 24 hours? And why was she back?
We sometimes jokingly theorize that cats have the power to teleport, since they seem to be able to appear to be in two places at once. I suggested to EJ that maybe the hen can teleport like cats and went on a grand adventure in time or space. He said he doubted that was the case.
Even though I am not Nancy Drew, I deduce that the little chicks had been huddled together, making it difficult to accurately count them. I suspect that one of the hens had been in the same area. I’ve been seeing a hen up in the chicks’ normal nesting area lately. I’m guessing that I was actually counting five chicks (with the sixth one hidden in the huddle) and one hen. I’m just not sure why, despite my many recountings over 24 hours, I never came up with fifteen adult chickens. I mean, the chicks don’t always huddle together all day long.
Whatever the case, wherever the hen had been, wherever she has returned from, I’m now back to six chicks and fifteen adult chickens. With that I must be content.
The Pond
We’ve had some very hot days in August, but the weather is cooling. In fact, it feels very autumnish. EJ remarked that autumn seems to be coming very early this year; I reminded him that we say that EVERY year.
EJ had a follow-up appointment with his doctor on August 13th. EJ’s symptoms are unusual so the doctor told him to get an x-ray in case it’s a spinal problem. (EJ injured his back decades ago and has chronic pain.) An appointment is not required so we just walked down to the radiology department for his x-ray. We had enjoyable conversations with the other people waiting. While EJ was being x-ray, I got to chatting with an elderly lady sitting next to me. She told me that two of her sons had been born at that hospital. Then she went on to tell me stories of her family history: Her great-great grandfather (I think. I might have lost count of the number of greats.) moved to the area from Pennsylvania with his wife and his six children. He used to own a 30-acre pond called Rugg Pond. The elderly woman told me that her mother was 9-years-old when her mother (the elderly woman’s grandmother) died and the girl went to live with her 80-year-old grandmother. There are still descendants in the area.
It’s really interesting listening to elderly people share their knowledge of the history of an area. I was interested to learn more of the history of the pond so when I got home, I asked Grok (X’s AI) to search books, newspapers, blogs, and other sources for the history of the pond. Here are the highlights:
The area around Rugg Pond has roots in 19th-century settlement and logging. The nearby ghost town of Rugg, originally established in 1867 as Rapid River (named for the township), was renamed in honor of pioneer Rolando Francis Rugg (1843–1908), a Civil War veteran who homesteaded there in 1876. Rugg, born in West Auburn, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, to David H. Rugg and Anna Eliza Lacey, moved to Michigan after the war, where he served as Kalkaska County Sheriff from approximately 1893 to 1897 (sources vary slightly on the exact terms, listing 1892–1896 or 1893–1897). He was described in contemporary accounts as “one of the ablest and most popular men” in the county, and his family background included ties to Ruggtown in Pennsylvania, a small settlement named for his relatives involved in local business.
The pond itself is named after the Rugg family, with Rolando F. Rugg as a prominent local businessman and figure in the area’s development. The town of Rugg grew along the Pere Marquette Railroad during the timber boom but declined after the harvest ended, becoming a ghost town by the early 20th century…
The modern history of Rugg Pond begins with the construction of its dam in 1904 by Ambrose E. Palmer, founder of the Kalkaska Light and Power Company. Local farmers assisted by hauling rocks and sediment to build the structure, which created the impoundment to generate hydroelectric power for the village of Kalkaska and surrounding areas. A powerhouse was erected at the site, and the dam initially served as a vital early source of electricity in northern Michigan. Historical photos from around 1905 show crews building the dam, highlighting its role in the region’s industrial growth.
Ownership changed hands over the decades: In 1950, it was acquired by Consumers Power (now Consumers Energy), and in 1953, it was sold to the County, which has managed it since as a natural area. Power generation ceased long ago, and by the 2020s, the dam faced sediment buildup and condemnation, leading to public discussions about its removal to restore the river’s natural flow. In 2025, Kalkaska County received a $1 million grant for the removal process, with tours held for potential contractors. A historical marker at the site commemorates the dam’s role in early hydroelectric power.
Rugg Pond is linked to American author Ernest Hemingway through local legend. Hemingway, who spent summers in northern Michigan as a youth, reportedly spent a night fishing from the Rugg Pond dam powerhouse in June (likely during the 1910s, based on his known visits to the region). This story appears in county histories, Wikipedia entries of the county, and the JFK Library’s Hemingway Reference Collection, which includes a photograph of the powerhouse remains as the site of his overnight fishing. While not directly mentioned in Hemingway’s fiction (such as The Nick Adams Stories, inspired by Michigan rivers), the tale aligns with his documented trout fishing in areas like the Rapid River.
The elderly lady told me about the plans to remove the dam and said she wasn’t sure how that would effect the pond if they did. On the way home, EJ said we should take some photos of the pond before they destroyed the dam so we stopped in at Rugg Pond this week. Here’s one photo that EJ took:
EJ took Monday off so he ended up with a four day weekend. (He works four 10-hour days and gets three days off.) and we did a few tasks around the house. I searched FB Marketplace and found an entry of straw for sale that met our criteria: relatively inexpensive and nearby. We went on a beautiful 20-mile drive to pick up 8 bales from the young guy selling it. The next morning, EJ unloaded the straw and carried it out to the coop, and I arranged it. We decided we could use more straw, so we messaged the guy that we wanted 8 more bales. He said he had 10 bales left and asked if we wanted them all. We replied that we’d take them if we could fit them in the truck. When we got to our destination, the guy said he had miscounted and actually had 12 bales. EJ said we’d take them all. I didn’t think we could fit them all in the truck–I thought our max was 8–but EJ moved the spare tire into the back seat of the truck and with careful arrangement, got them all to fit.
The next morning EJ unloaded the additional bales. I put several more in the coop–it insulates the coop in the winter. With the remaining bales we built a straw “castle” in the garage for Theo. We arranged the bales around an old cooler so Theo will have a warm shelter this winter. I’ve already seen him sleeping on the top of his castle so it appears he approves. In the Spring, EJ will dismantle the castle and use the straw to mulch his garden.
We get out of bed each morning at 4 a.m. This morning Hannah wanted out at 4:30 a.m., so I put her harness and leash on her and we took her out. During the day I fasten her to her tether, but I always put her on her leash at night so I can quickly pull her in the house if there are wild critters around–like skunks, coyotes, bobcats, or bears. EJ sat in a patio chair on the deck while I stood and held Hannah’s leash. All of of sudden, EJ exclaimed, “AHHH! Jeez!” He had glanced to his side and saw a white face in the bird feeder tray that was only a couple feet away and it startled him. A young possum was calmly sitting in the tray. We pulled Hannah into the house. She had noticed a cricket singing on a bush but she never saw the possum on the tray. It was dark but every now and then I shone a flashlight through the window to see if the possum was still there. It remained on the tray for a long time and I was getting concerned that maybe it was injured and wondered how I would deal with that situation. I’m glad the little possum was gone before it got light outside. I’m surprised it didn’t run when we went out on the deck. EJ theorized it was just a teenager possum doing dumb stuff.
We suspect this is the same young possum that almost got sprayed by a skunk, as seen in this video I put together with footage from my trail camera: Skunk and Young Possum
My trail camera also recently caught footage of a raccoon fight. Raccoons look like a cuddly stuffed animal until they get angry. Their conflict makes an exciting video, but it’s kind of unnerving and I’m glad we don’t see serious conflicts too often: Raccoon Fight.
Wired
We love going to thrift shops because we can find all sorts of treasures. Sometimes we enjoy comparing prices of items we bought at the thrifts with what they cost brand new. For example, I have three pairs of crocs that I bought for less than $5 each. The same shoes brand new at a store cost about $60. It’s always a bit of a shock to see the difference between retail and thrift shop prices.
Several weeks ago EJ bought Christmas lights at the thrift shop. He knows that I enjoy using Christmas lights to light the chicken coop. The last string of Christmas lights I tried to use were too delicate for the coop and they didn’t last long but these lights are encased in a heavy tube which I anticipate will work very well. Last weekend I hung them in the coop. The warm light looks very festive.
Today I let our Canadian chicks (Partridge Chantecler) out of their fancy coop. I felt they had grown big enough that they wouldn’t freak out like they did when I tried to release them a couple weeks ago. I’ve gone out several times to check on them and they seem to be doing very well. (Video)
Our internet connection had been “line of sight,” meaning our wireless dish pointed at a tower. As long as there was a clear view to the tower, all was good, but if (or rather when) trees grew up and blocked it, our connection would not be good. Fiber optics would be better but since we are far from the road (500ft?), installing it would have been expensive. However, our Internet Service Provider is installing fiber optics to its customers for free with no increase in the monthly payment. I think that’s amazingly generous–and also increases our loyalty to the company.
The ISP guys came out Tuesday to put in our fiber optics. I thought it was very interesting watching them do it. They used a machine to both dig a trench in the ground and put in the fiber optic cable as it drove along. It sort of reminded me of a sewing machine. (Video) Later, the same machine drove back over the trench, which closed the seam. It only took a few hours to lay the fiber optics and to hook us up. Our Internet is now faster, although one of the guys told us that we actually need a different modem to take full advantage of the faster speed. I’ll look into it as soon as we can find some extra money.
I’ve always thought it was interesting to learn about different types of jobs. I’ve sort of become a collector of knowledge about jobs that people do. I find there’s always more to a job than what it first appears. For example, years ago we went on vacation near Port Huron, Michigan. Everyday we packed a picnic lunch and drove from our campsite to the river to watched the big boats go by. It was very enjoyable–but I was quite ignorant about the big boats. Now that our son works on a Great Lakes bulk carrier, I have much more knowledge about what it’s like to work on the boats. It’s even more fascinating when I have more information.
EJ has been struggling a bit with his health. He didn’t want to go to the doctor because most of the time he simply orders expensive tests or give him another pill to take. We believe the bills have actually adversely affected his health so he didn’t want to take anymore. So we have tried to tweak our lifestyle instead. However, Thursday he felt a pressure in his chest so he finally gave him and called his doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. They couldn’t get him in until next Wednesday which, if he was having heart problems, was a bit too long to wait. The receptionist suggested we could go to the walk-in clinic, which has just opened. So we did. The doctor who examined him didn’t find any indication that it was a heart problem, but since it was “inconclusive,” he recommended he go to the ER for tests.
EJ’s doctor’s office and the walk-in clinic are both located inside the local hospital, which is convenient for getting tests done quickly although last time he went to the doctor and was sent to the ER for tests, our portion of the bill that insurance didn’t pay was $5,000. Personally, I think medical costs are out of control–but don’t get me started on THAT rant. Anyway, the ER staff drew blood and hooked him up to a bunch of wires that made him look as if he was hooked up to the Matrix. After several hours of waiting, the ER doctor informed us that EJ’s test results were good and there is no indication of any heart damage, although his symptoms are odd and a bit concerning. I’m glad that EJ wasn’t suffering a heart attack but it would also be nice to know what is causing his symptoms. We will go back to trying to tweak our lifestyle…with a huge bill and no conclusions.
Chicken Littles
Our weather has been extremely hot lately. For those who don’t know, “extremely hot” is 90 degrees in Northern Michigan. With high humidity added in, it’s even worse. I honestly don’t know how Southerners can endure their hot weather.
Fortunately, thanks to the repairman, our central air conditioning is working. It’s almost working too well. It’s now cool enough in the house that I am wearing a sweater and I’m covered up with a comforter. But I love it. When I was a kid, it used to drive my Dad crazy when he had our window air conditioner running in the living room and I wrapped myself in a blanket. “If you are going to do that, I might as well turn off the air conditioner,” he’d grumbled. He didn’t understand that sweltering on a hot day was unendurable, but cuddling in a blanket when it’s cool (even if the cool is due to an air conditioner) is cozy. Fortunately, EJ understands completely. We are alike in many ways.
I don’t know how other people introduce new chicks to an adult flock, but I usually keep the chicks in a cage in the house until the weather is warm enough and they are big enough to put in the coop. When I first put them in the coop, I keep them caged in the “fancy coop” that is inside the large Coop. The fancy coop is 4 feet by 6 feet so chicks have room to grow and run around. Keeping the Bigs and Littles separated allows both an opportunity to get familiar with each other. I also can give the chicks “chick starting” feed without the adults eating it all. Once I feel the chicks are big enough to hold their own, I let them out to join the adults. Usually my system works well.
Yesterday I let the chicks out to mingle with the adults because I thought that maybe they were big enough. Also, I wondered if I was being overly-protective and careful because EJ’s co-worker’s chicks got out of their cage a couple of weeks ago and everything went ok with the adults. However, I discovered it was a big mistake to let our chicks out. They weren’t ready for the adult world. The adults crowded into the cage, ate the chicks’ food, and bullied them to put them in their place. The chicks freaked out like Chicken Little running around shrieking that the sky was falling. I figured it would take them a little while to adjust so I checked on them periodically to make sure they weren’t being over-bullied but didn’t interfere too much.
Then the chicks disappeared. They found hiding places. They were little enough that I feared they’d squeeze into tight-fitting places and not be able to get out of them. I decided to put them back in their fancy coop for a few more weeks, but first I had to find them.
I listened for the chicks. Adult chickens cluck; chicks peep. I heard peeping and tried to following the sound, but it was difficult knowing where it was coming from.
I found the first chick hiding in the corner squeezed between two bales of straw. She escaped me when I tried to lift her out and I had to chase her from the top of straw bales to the top of the platform to the top of the dog house and back again. I finally caught her, put her in the fancy coop, and closed the door.
I searched in, behind, and under bales of straw, behind the dog house in the coop, and any other small place I could think of. Nothing there. But I could hear peeping.
I found the second and third chicks outside and herded them one by one into the Coop and into their nice safe fancy coop.
I concluded that the other chicks must be under the Coop because I couldn’t find them anywhere else. I went into the house and changed into my torn, raggedy work jeans and then laid on the ground and shone a flashlight under the Coop. After moving to several locations, I finally spotted some chick legs underneath the Coop. I got my long staff and gently herded one out. I guided her squawking into the fancy coop. It’s harder to do than it sounds because chickens don’t like to be herded and she sometimes got around me. After number four chick was safely caged with the first three, I went back and got number 5 out from underneath the Coop and into the cage. Then I got number six out. She didn’t want to go so I had to corner her, grab her, and carry her to the others.
I recounted to make sure I had them all. Yup. All there. They will stay there for a few more weeks. The chickens–both adult and littles–calmed down once they were separated again.
I was drenched in sweat by the time I finished rounding up the chicks. I went into the house, changed into shorts, and enjoyed the coolness while cozily wrapped in a comforter.
July Relief
July is nearing it’s end.
We’ve had very hot days this month and cooler days so we alternated between shorts and tshirts and jeans and jackets. Our Michigan weather is why I don’t store “out of season” clothing: I never know what type of clothing I will need to access from one day to the next.
We’ve spent July trying to get stuff done.
We needed new straw for the chicken coop. It provides bedding/nesting material as well as insulation in the winter. We searched Facebook Marketplace for straw for sale that was relatively inexpensive and close to us. It’s not all that easy to find. We finally found–not straw–but hay and bought 8 bales which is all that fit in the truck. The hay was loosely tied which we had to retie because it’s not as easily stacked and the chickens can scratch it apart. We need more straw so we will keep searching.
We’ve had a flock of six turkeys frequently visiting over the last couple weeks. The turkey with the longest “beard” was apparently wounded at some point because he limps. We called him Chester. We never intended to name the wildlife that visits our property, but it’s easier to refer to animals by name–Chester, Esmeralda, Bucky, Duke, Tulsi–rather than “the turkey that limps,” “the female turkey with a nest nearby,” “the little–or bigger–buck,” or “the squirrel with white at the tip of its tail.” We haven’t seen many turkeys on our property since we adopted Hannah Joy because she scared them away with her barking so I was very glad to see them. Others might disagree, but I think turkeys are very pretty: The pattern, textures, and shades of their brown feathers are beautiful. Here is a video of Chester displaying his beautiful plumage:
We’ve observed several different types of wild birds–doves, tufted titmouses, chickadees, crows–with young newly leaving their nests. We identify the young because there’s suddenly a flock of each kind flying overheard or visiting the feeders. Sometimes the young ones will rapidly flap their wings to beg their parents to feed them. Little birds often expect their parents to feed them for a few days after they leave the nest.
Our coffee machine died a week or so ago. I told EJ that it was a “Level 1 Coffee Emergency” but it actually wasn’t because we had another coffee machine in our pantry/storage room. We buy “like new” coffee machines at thrift stores for $5-$10 and always make sure we have an extra one on the shelf in case the current one dies. Our last few coffee machines have been Cuisinart, which is a good brand. Of course, they never come with their instructions so we have to figure them out through trial-and-error, but it usually doesn’t take too long. Our newest machine also has the ability to grind coffee beans–if we had any coffee beans to grind.
A few days ago our Internet provider called to inform us that they are installing fiber optic Internet for free with no increase in monthly payments. They asked us if we wanted it. Well, duh. Currently our wireless dish connects to privately owned towers that use “line of sight”–meaning that if trees grow up and interfere with the “line of sight” between our dish and the tower, our connection will be bad. I think there are around five privately owned towers between us and the provider, which makes it worse. We figure it would cost us about $1,000 to pay for fiber optics installation because our driveway is so long. So, yeah, we want it. For free. Fiber optics will be faster and more secure. Yay!
The woman we talked to on the phone from the Internet provider told us a two-foot deep trench (done by machine) would be dug from our house to the connection point (or whatever you call it) at the road. I wondered exactly what route up to the house the trench would take. I wouldn’t want it to be on the east side of the driveway where we released the beetles to eat the toxic leafy spurge plants spreading over our property. I hoped they wouldn’t be coming up the side of the driveway and destroy our erosion control efforts. A guy came on Thursday to walk and measure the route with us. The route he chose was the one I thought would be best, causing the least impact. So I’m relieved. Whew.
For several years we’ve struggled with our heat-pump heating system. The system draws heat/coolness from the earth to heat or cool our house. When the temperature drops below a certain point, it switches to auxiliary heat, which uses propane. In the winter, our heat-pump worked fine but when the system switched to auxiliary heat, it never heated the house. In fact, if we set the thermostat to 68 degrees, it would drop to 65, 63, 58. Last winter we used portable propane heaters to supplement our heat. In the summer, the AC worked briefly and then didn’t so we put in a window AC. We’ve always called the company who originally installed the system to make repairs. However, every time they came out to repair our system, it cost us a lot of money and the repairs only lasted for a season or so. Disgusted, we finally decided to switch to a different company. I was dreading expensive repairs, but dreading even more trying to make it through another winter with inadequate heat. I figure it’s best to just brace for the worse and get it over again so we put aside some money and EJ called the new company this last week.
The repairman came yesterday evening to look at our heating system. Although EJ has faithfully changed the filter every year, the guy said there was a second filter that EJ had been unaware of and hadn’t changed. Also, the coolant in the AC unit was low. Also, caps had been left off in a couple places. (Caps to what? I do not know.) He also tightened up the bolts/screws on the AC unit that the previous repair company had replaced a few years ago. The unit rattled even when new. What I want to know is why the previous company never noticed, checked, or informed us of the second filter? Surely they could have seen it hadn’t been replaced. And why hadn’t they put in enough coolant? And why did they leave the caps off? And why hadn’t they tightened up the bolts when they put in the new AC unit? I’m glad we are rid of that other company. EJ said this new guy explained everything he was doing to him. He seems more competent and I have more confidence that we will be warm this winter.
Unlike our previous furnace company, these repairs cost us very little. Whew! It’s such a relief. Now we can start saving for a new secondhand truck. Because the furnace repairs didn’t cost as much as we feared they would, we start off with a little more than expected in our truck fund. We are in a race to get a new truck before our current truck falls apart.
Chick Graduation Day
It’s extremely hazy today. I’m guessing it’s due to smoke from Canadian wildfires? The air quality is very bad so EJ asked me to stay indoors as much as possible. I have the air conditioner on so it doesn’t get stifling in the house with the windows closed. Meanwhile, EJ, who is actually the one who struggles with asthma, is at work breathing bad air. He says he is keeping his inhaler nearby.
We were so busy during EJ’s “weekend,” which occurs Tuesday through Thursday, that I don’t mind an extra quieter day indoors.
Early Tuesday morning I put on my most raggedy work clothes and EJ and I went out to rearrange and clean the coop. We wrestled out of the Coop one of the two dog houses that were left here by the previous owner. The dog houses are well made, sturdy, very heavy, and not easy to move. EJ said they are made out of large shipping crates. The chickens enjoyed roosting on it, but they still have other roosting places. Then we moved the fancy coop towards the front of the Coop (which is a 10 x 12 shed). The fancy coop is one we bought from a home improvement store when we started our chicken flock. It never seemed big enough or sturdy enough to keep out predators so we’ve always put it inside–first in the garage and then, later, the Coop.
Once the heavy lifting was completed, EJ worked at installing a window in the coop to let in a little more light. It’s a long narrow window that he took out of an old door and turned sideways. We repurpose things as much as possible.
While he did that, I finished cleaning and rearranging the Coop. It was Graduation Day for the little chicks, the day I brought the little chicks from their cage in the house into the fancy coop. We moved the fancy coop toward the front of the Coop to provide more light and air flow to the chicks. I’ll keep them in the fancy coop until they grow big enough that they can’t get into hard-to-reach places, escape under the gate, or tempt predators. It also gives adults and chicks time to adjust to each other before the chicks join the flock.
The Coop was the major project but during our weekend, I also did laundry, gave the house a thorough cleaning, and restored order to the pantry/storage room after we went searching for paint for EJ to use around the new coop window. We also mowed the lawn–both of us mowing half. JJ came to visit and EJ fixed (refreshed?) his truck’s air conditioner for him. EJ and I did other things as well, but it’s sort of a blur and I can’t remember everything. We were pretty busy from morning till night and we went to bed exhausted each night.
Next weekend we’d like to buy new straw for the coop. EJ has been searching online for local people selling it at a decent price.
JJ returns to his boat in a few days so he’s bringing his cat, Astrid, back to us tomorrow to cat-sit again for the month that he’s gone.
JJ knows that The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite books so a few weeks ago he bought me a nice quality map of Middle Earth. It’s printed on canvas. I hung it in a place of honor under the map of Upper and Lower Earth that I bought myself a few years ago. Both maps are really cool. I suggest my Michigan readers especially look closely at the top map in the photo for a good laugh. Enlarge it if you can so you can read place names.
I Love To Go A Gardening 