I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Pre-Thanksgiving Prep
Miss Madeline Meadows has been piling up the kills. Monday she left a shrew on the mat near her food and water bowls. When I went out to feed the garage cats yesterday morning, there was a dead mouse lying there. A short time later when I went out to care for the ducks, she was at the mat eating a rodent with a flat tail and huge eyes. I suspected it was a Northern Flying Squirrel, and Google verified that I was correct. I had never seen a flying squirrel before, but I learned that Michigan has them when I researched the types of squirrels found in Michigan a year or so ago. We have seen three different types here in northern Michigan, not including the flying squirrel. I learned yesterday that most people have not seen flying squirrels because they are only active at night. I was rather sad that Madeline killed the squirrel because I love squirrels of all types–and the flying squirrel was especially cute. I’ve never found squirrels to be as destructive as mice, moles, shrews, or voles.
EJ and I wondered how on Miss Madeline Meadows had managed to kill a flying squirrel. Then today I was sitting in my chair by the window when I suddenly noticed a dark blur running as fast as a cheetah (or so I imagine) across the ground on the other side of the driveway. I looked more closely and saw Madeline on a tree truck about 20-30 feet off the ground, with a squirrel chattering angrily above her. I hadn’t even seen Madeline climb the tree–she was just not there and suddenly there, as if she had teleported. Madeline is FAST. She’s also sweet and kind of scary at the same time.
I spent all yesterday reorganizing the kitchen and pantry. I got all the coffee supplies in the new coffee cabinet. I moved all the boxes of tea where the coffee supplies used to be. I took all the canned goods from the kitchen cupboards to the pantry which freed up a lot of space in the kitchen. Now JJ has his own shelf for food items he buys, and EJ also has a shelf for items that he particularly enjoys. With all the canned goods neatly arranged in the pantry, I can more clearly see how many of various items that I have. EJ was very impressed with my work.
I spent several hours this today making pies for Thanksgiving. I made two pumpkin pies, one cherry pie, one mincemeat pie, and several cupcake-sized pies made with the leftover filling. I like using cookie cutters to cut dough shapes for pies. I put small hearts on the cupcake pies, turkeys on the mincemeat pie, and state of Michigan and heart shapes on the cherry pie. Our area of Michigan is known as the “cherry capital” because there are so many cherry orchards. I just bought my Michigan cookie cutter from Amazon. So far I only have the lower peninsula, but the upper peninsula is on the way. I really love Michigan. EJ calls me “Michi-centric.”
One of the cupcake-sized mincemeat pies sort of fell apart a little when I took it out of the cupcake pan so I ate it. Mincemeat is my favorite kind of Thanksgiving pie.
Even though there are just the three of us, none of us can bear excluding any of our favorite traditional dishes so tomorrow we will be having turkey, stuffing, squash, green bean casserole, homemade rolls, and relish items. We feast on leftovers for several days. I especially like making homemade turkey pot pies from leftovers.
EJ is off work from Thursday through Sunday. He plans to get some stuff done in the garage, including cutting up his deer. JJ gets time off from work and school Thursday and Friday. He is really enjoying his new job. He gets a lot of walking in. He said that the other day he walked 9 miles through the mall.
Miss Meadows
EJ arrived home safely from his hunting trip. I’m glad he gets to enjoy hunting with his friend, but I’m always glad when he gets home. The house feels empty without him.
Today was an extremely busy day.
I got up at the usual Monday morning time, fed Danny and the cats, took care of the ducks and chickens, took my shower, and got dressed. As I was coming out of the bedroom, I saw a deer up near the deck. We both froze. After a couple of minutes, the deer wandered off. I think it was checking out the bird feeders. It sure didn’t take long for word to get out among the forest critters that the feeders are out.
After breakfast, we drove off for our eye appointments. I got a notice about a month ago that it was time for my annual eye exam but with JJ driving our second vehicle to work and school, I am usually without a vehicle to drive. Usually I just wait until the weekend when EJ and I can enjoy doing errands together but the eye doctor is closed on the weekend. I could have dropped off/picked up EJ from work so I could use the suburban, but that’s a lot of driving and I don’t feel comfortable with driving in (potentially) bad winter weather. Another problem was that we needed to use our vision debit card before the end of the year or we lose all the money EJ had paid into the card during the year. Since EJ also needed to have an eye appointment, I simply made us appointments on the same day and he took the day off from work. Problem solved. We have told JJ that he needs to start saving for his own vehicle so we don’t have these transportation problems.
Our appointments went well. We both have only a little change in our vision. We both are getting new eye glasses. We were able to use our health/vision debit cards to pay for it, so it didn’t cost us anything out-of-pocket. The only problem with the visit to the eye doctor was that they put drops in our eyes, which made the world too bright and strained our eyes. But we managed.
After our eye exams, we stopped at the Habitat for Humanity Resale Shop because EJ wanted to check it out. We weren’t planning to buy anything but then I found a beautiful small cabinet for only $15. I think its original purpose was to hold the bathroom sink but I thought it would be perfect to use as our coffee cabinet–with the coffee machines on top and the coffee supplies inside. EJ agreed. It’s much better than the tv tray we had been using. The cabinet didn’t have a sink or a counter on top, but EJ made a temporary counter and he will make a more permanent one later.
We were going to stop at a local farm store located not far from the resale shop to buy bales of straw and some wild bird seed, but we had several other stops to make and we didn’t think it would all fit. So we decided not to stop at this store today.
Next, we stopped to eat at Culvers for a late lunch. We had left home at about 8:30 a.m., and it was 1 p.m. when we stopped at Culvers. We were very hungry.
Our fourth stop was at Goodwill. I found a few sweatshirts, EJ found a radio, and we both found some books. We love thrift shops.
After Goodwill we stopped at Meijers, which is a regional store that is sort of like Wal-mart. EJ bought socks and stuff, and then we went shopping for groceries–mostly items for our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. We also bought wild bird seed.
We had planned to stop at TSC for poultry feed and canned cat food, but we were really tired and the suburban was filled with the cabinet and groceries so we decided to skip TSC. I still have enough feed and cat food; I just wanted to buy extra so I don’t have to worry about running out later in the winter when the weather is worse.
We were planning to just go home, but there were things at our little local grocery store that we still needed to get. We decided that we would continue on and get all our grocery shopping done and not have to try to find the time to go to the store later this week.
After all our shopping was done, we drove home. EJ and I unloaded the suburban and put everything away. Then he went off to the garage to find a temporary counter for our coffee cabinet, and he set up the coffee machine on top and put the supplies in the cabinet. Meanwhile, I went out to care for the ducks and chickens, clean the kitty litter, and other such stuff. By the time we had everything done, we were totally exhausted and glad to sit and relax.
EJ and I always have fun together–whether we are going off on fun adventures or running errands. As we drive, we always talk, and discuss, and laugh. One of the things we talked about today was a movie called “Miss Meadows” that we had recently watched on Amazon Prime. I had started out thinking the movie was going to be a magical, lighthearted feel-good movie but it was a bit more complicated than that. Miss Meadows was a school teacher who loved children. She was a sweet, gentle, well-mannered and almost Disney princess sort of person who had taps on her shoes and often danced instead of walked. She also was a serial killer who killed murderers and child molesters who hurt the innocent. It was such an unexpectedly quirky, not-too-scary-or-gruesome movie that it was interesting and we’ve discussed it often since we’ve watched it. Here is the trailer for the movie:
I told EJ that our cat Madeline reminds me of Miss Meadow. Madeline has such a sweet, gentle personality…and yet she is also the ruthless killer of mice, shrews, and voles. EJ said that we should have named our cat Miss Meadows, although, of course, we got–and named–Madeline several weeks before we watched the movie. However, we decided today to add to Madeline’s name: She is now officially Miss Madeline Meadows. It has a nice ring to it and seems to fit.
In my post yesterday I shared a photo of one of Madeline’s latest kills. I knew it was not a shrew or a mole so I figured it must have been a really large fat mouse. When I showed the photo to EJ last night, he had doubts about whether it was actually a mouse. So I did a bit of research, and we are both convinced that it is a vole. I didn’t know much about voles, but I learned last night that voles are burrowing rodents who eat plants, roots, grasses, tree bark, fruits and nuts. They consume their weight in food every day. They cause a lot of damage. Voles are the most prolific breeders in the rodent family. They can reproduce up to 12 times a year with an average of three to seven pups per litter. A female vole can birth more than 100 offspring in a single year. The highest recorded vole population density is 2,000 voles per acre. Wow! As far as I’m concerned, Miss Madeline Meadows’ can kill as many voles–and mice and shrews–and she wants!
Enchanting Critters
I had to laugh yesterday when several hours after EJ had left to go hunting on the other side of the state, I looked out of the window and saw four deer standing on the hill on our own five acres. I sent him a photo of the deer and I’m sure he laughed too. He did kill a deer later in the day so we will have venison to fill our freezer. EJ texted this morning that he will hunt until dark and then leave for home. I am glad that he can enjoy a hunting trip, but I always miss him and can’t wait for him to return.
I looked out our bedroom window last night at twilight and saw Madeline leaping about hunting her prey. Not long afterwards I went through the garage on my way out to shut the ducks and chickens in their coop for the night, and I found the mouse laying near the cats’ food and water bowls. The mouse was very fat–one of the fattest I’ve ever seen. I wondered if it was pregnant. Because of my suspicions that Josette’s weight gain might be due to pregnancy, I’m beginning to think every fat critter might be pregnant. When I re-entered the garage on my way back into the house, the mouse was gone. I wondered if, after showing it to me, Madeline had taken it away to eat privately. There were a few small bits and pieces of other kills still lying on the mat. Sweet little Madeline is a ruthless killer. I don’t mind removing the whole bodies of her kills, but the little bits and pieces are gross and I try not to look at them to closely. I was able to get a video of Madeline hunting a mouse or shrew this afternoon. It was rather fascinating. I never saw whether or not the critter escaped but I assume Madeline killed it. I wish cats didn’t play their prey so much, but I don’t feel very sorry for mice because they carry disease–and if they are in a coop, I’ve heard that sometimes they nibble the feet of the chickens who sleep very deeply at night. And shrews are venomous so I don’t feel sorry for them either. I tell Madeline, “Good girl! You are a mighty hunter!” when she shows me the bodies.
Yesterday it was warm enough outside that I actually saw a couple of insects flying about. This morning I woke up to a cold snow-globe world. We had periods of snow and gusty winds all day. JJ was not thrilled about that because he now has a 45 minute drive to work instead of a 5 minute one. Sometimes he exclaims, “Why? Why is it snowing?!” When he asks questions like this about the weather, I always launch into a weather report like in the movie Groundhog Day and then he begs me to stop. Laugh.
JJ didn’t get home from work until almost midnight last night. I tried to wait up for him because I like to know that he is safely at home, but after two days of waking up before 5 a.m., I started falling asleep in my chair so I finally went to bed. All four indoor cats settled around me in bed. Luke was on one side of my head. He has a habit of sneezing and I was afraid he would sneeze in my face so I turned away from him. Kee-Kee settled on the other side of my head–so close that his whiskers kept tickling my face. The other two cats were further down my body and they hindered my movement. Between the four of them, they kept me awake until JJ arrived safely home. Then at 6:30 a.m. this morning, Timmy was waking me to tell me I needed to feed them. They usually aren’t this bad, but they have been little troublemakers since Daylight Savings ended.
JJ said he had a good day at work yesterday. He told me they almost had a missing child–but apparently she was found. I asked what happens at the mall when they have a missing child alert. He said they did nothing–they just keep an eye out for the child. “You mean they don’t go into a full lockdown–sort of like in Monster’s Inc.?” I asked. I would think a missing child would be a huge deal. He said no, but if I ever got lost at the mall, he promised he would yell “2319! 2319!” JJ had to be at work at noon today and he gets off at 7 p.m., so I won’t have to struggle to wait up for him.
Today I have been doing a lot of little tasks–like laundry and cleaning the house. I also made homemade pizza. When the guys aren’t home for supper, I like to make uncomplicated meals that can be quickly warmed up–like pizza or soup or chili.
One of the smaller flimsier t-posts holding the snow fence snapped off a few days ago so this morning I found a heavier t-post, pounded it into place with the post driver, and fixed the snow fence. We used zip-ties to fasten the fence to the posts, but we had run out of the heavy ones when I put up the last of the snow fence a week or two ago. I had to use smaller ones which break more easily for the last few posts. EJ found another container of zip-ties in the garage last week. Today I used the larger sturdy zip-ties to attach the fence to the new post and then put them on the posts that I had put up the other day.
Yesterday and today I’ve been working to position–and reposition–the bird feeders so that both EJ and I can clearly see them from our chairs. I also try to position them so that I have a clear view to take photos of the deer that visit. Positioning the bird feeders usually involves me sitting in my chair considering where to put the poles, then going outside to reposition the poles, and then coming inside and sitting in both EJ’s and my chairs to see if we both can easily seen them. I keep doing this as I try to find just the perfect place to put them. I’m putting them all up near the deck this year. I love to observe the deer but it’s not particularly healthy for them to gather at feeders so I figure that either the deer will be hesitant to come so close to the house to eat the bird’s seed or I will have some awesome close up photos. I kept the dead morning-glory vines on the poles to provide cover for the birds.
I have only two suet cakes and a small amount of bird seed left over from last year. I hung one suet cake outside a week ago for the birds to enjoy. Because we have mostly woodpeckers visiting our feeders, I had considered just buying suet cakes and not putting out any bird seed this year to save money and not attract deer. However, many chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, and various woodpeckers have been swooping in to check out the feeders so I changed my mind about the seed. I put out a small portion of leftover seed in the tray feeder for them yesterday and today. I hope to buy more suet and seed tomorrow. I love winter because the birds come to the feeders where I get to enjoy them. I have to put the bird feeders away in the warmer months because of bears and then the birds mostly stay high up in the trees. Here is a video I took of the visitors to my feeders this morning:
Besides the chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, and various woodpeckers visiting the feeder today, I saw a flock of more than 25 turkeys. They began to run across the yard. I almost never see them run like that. Even when they see me outside, they just sort of slowly meander into the forest. I figured something must have spooked them; I wondered what it was. I fancifully imagined Madeline stalking them, but I don’t really think she’d go after them. I think it’s more likely that they were spooked by a deer hunter in the woods…or maybe coyotes or something. I know that I’ve shared a lot of videos in this post, but I couldn’t decide which one to leave out. This 17 second one of the turkeys running is the last one. Honestly!
I love the cold winter months because there is always so much wild life to enjoy! It’s such a magical time of year. Some day I’d love to get a cam to livestream the wildlife that comes into our yard.
Dramas in the Enchanted Forest
This is the second morning that I’ve gotten up before 5 a.m.
Yesterday morning Kee-Kee woke me by pawing at my head. This sounds weird, but I am very sensitive to light at night and if someone turns on a light anywhere in the house, it wakes me. So I always sleep with a soft shirt over my eyes to block out the light. I suppose I could get one of those sleep masks, but the shirt works fine. Kee-Kee seems to hate my face being covered so whenever he comes to lay on my pillow next to my head, he first paws until he has removed the shirt from my face. Yesterday morning he pawed away the shirt and then he gently touched my closed eyes as if to reassure himself that I was ok. Of course, this woke me. I might have been able to go back to sleep, but EJ was in a lot of pain and unable to sleep so he finally decided that he might as well get dressed. Because Kee-Kee had pawed the shirt away, the light of the closet shone in my eyes like a spotlight. It woke me fully and I decided that I might as well get up for the day.
This morning EJ woke me early at my request. I wanted to get up with EJ so I could send him off on his weekend hunting trip with love and prayers. EJ has known his best friend since high school and he is considered a member of their family–just as his friend is considered part of ours. The friend’s family owns a 100 acre wood and they always let EJ hunt there. EJ will return home tonight or sometime tomorrow. I hope he gets a deer, but the most important part of the weekend is for him to enjoy the peace and beauty of nature.
The two mornings arrived with different looks. Yesterday there was a brilliant sunrise. This morning arrived shrouded in fog. Both were beautiful.
While I was taking a photo of this morning’s fog, I noticed with surprise that one of our lilac bushes seems to be budding. I don’t think it’s been that warm outside. Apparently the bush is confused about which season it is.
As I went about my week, sharing black and white photos that are reflective of my daily life, I’ve been thinking that some people might think my life is rather boring. It’s not like I go out and climb mountains or sky-dive or anything. However, I enjoy our beautiful, gentle, quiet life. This caused me to consider that both JJ and I enjoy computer games but JJ likes intense realistic games while I like gentle games in which I have to solve puzzles and find hidden items. Sometimes JJ glances at my computer and says, “Your games are so lame. They are boring. You should play an exciting game like mine!” But I tell him that life is filled with enough struggling, sorrow, and heartbreak so I don’t want to play an intense game filled with the same sort of drama. I want a quiet game that relaxes me. I love our Enchanted Forest for the same sort of reasons–in the struggles of life, our forest is beautiful, quiet, peaceful, relaxing, and often makes me laugh. Our forest reminds me of Psalms 23:
Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.
You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.
Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.
But now and then I am reminded of the drama that exists even in the midst of beauty.
Thursday afternoon I went out to check on the ducks and chickens–to see if there were any eggs to gather (I think I found one) and to give them clean drinking water. While I was refilling the bucket with clean water from the outside faucet, I saw the Rouen ducks acting a bit goofy–but they are always doing goofy things that make me laugh so that’s nothing usual. Then Rose and Daisy started chasing after Lily as if they were playing tag, so I looked more closely. Lily had caught a mouse. She was constantly shaking and nibbling her mouse while running around trying to keep the others from taking it from her. In the photo at the top of this post, you can see Lily shaking the mouse so vigorously that both her head and the mouse are a blur. I don’t know if Lily actually ate the mouse or just nibbled it to death and then left it for some other critter to find.
I first learned that poultry are actually quite vicious with mice last March when I found blood splattered everywhere in the chicken side of the coop. It looked like a crime scene! It was quite gruesome.
We also have a soap opera drama concerning Josette. Her previous owner had told us that she was spayed. However, she seems to be gaining weight very quickly so we are wondering if she is spayed or not and if she could possibly be pregnant? We are hoping the previous owner told us the truth and that Josette is putting on weight only because there is now no wild animal living in the barn (where she used to live) and eating all her food. However, the question of whether there will be kittens nags us. We try to feel if there is movement in her belly, but she doesn’t hold still long enough. We love cats but, ugh, the possibility of our cat family doubling in size does not delight us.
Yup, there are life and death struggles and soap opera dramas even in beautiful, peaceful enchanted forests.
The First Day
The weather has been very changeable. One day it is cold and snowy and the next it is warmer and rainy. At the moment, as I write this, it is snowing. The National Weather Service is forecasting that this winter “above average precipitation is favored from the Pacific Northwest, through the Rockies, and dipping down into the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys, with even higher chances around the Great Lakes.” In other words, it looks as if we will get hit hard with snow this winter.
There are many things about snow that I think are beautiful or interesting. I thought these tracks that a flock of turkeys left behind a week or so ago was both beautiful and interesting.
I’ve often wondered where Madeline goes when she’s out wandering about. Sometimes when I think of Madeline, the old nursery rhyme comes to mind:
“Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?”
“I’ve been up to London to visit the Queen.”
“Pussycat pussycat, what did you there?”
“I frightened a little mouse under her chair”
“MEOWW!”
I looked up the rhyme to make sure I got the wording right, and I just learned that the origins of this rhyme dates back to the history of 16th century Tudor England. One of the waiting ladies of Queen Elizabeth I had an old cat which roamed throughout Windsor castle. On one particular occasion the cat ran beneath the throne where its tail brushed against the Queen’s foot, startling her. Luckily ‘Good Queen Bess’ had a sense of humour and decreed that the cat could wander about the throne room, on condition it kept it free of mice!
Madeline doesn’t go to London to visit the queen. When I walked down to the mailbox the last time we had snow, I saw her prints in the snow. I followed them as they left a trail along the edge of the driveway to the bottom where the sandy place is. Then she went into the weeds and walked back up the driveway. It was interesting to see where she went.
After Madeline returned from her week-long absence, she has been staying close to home. I often find her in the garage, especially on days when the weather is nasty. She still goes out, of course. Yesterday I watched her through the window as she went down the driveway and then returned later carrying a shrew in her mouth. I’ve lost count of how many shrews she has killed, but it has been quite a few.
Jared’s cat, Luke, loves to leap up and pull magnets off the refrigerator; it’s his favorite game. In the process he often pulls down photos or important papers that are held to the fridge by magnets. The cats are always knocking stuff off onto the floor–they are worse than little kids. The other night when I saw Luke eyeing the magnets, I quickly stuck a magnetic dart from a game to the fridge, hoping that it would attract him more than the other magnets. I was able to capture him pulling it down on video. Cats really do provide us with a lot of entertainment.
Today is the last day of the black and white photo challenge at Facebook. I had so much fun doing it that I thought I would continue it on this blog. I hope to share one black and white photo each day that is reflective of my life. I’ll also add all the photos to a slideshow. You can find them in “Moments in Black and White” in the center column on the Home page.
My friend and I are finally getting back to study Hebrew together. We both have a fervent desire to learn Hebrew, but life has interrupted us many times. We love to study together because we always end up having deep discussions. Hebrew is a unique language and studying it involves more than learning vocabulary words and pronunciation. Every letter, every word, and every similar word is connected and has a deep meaning, so a study of Hebrew is actually a study of life. It’s difficult to explain, but we never study Hebrew without also discussing the deep issues of life. We love it!
On Tuesday JJ started his job as a security guard at the mall. The job pays a little more money than what he was earning at the grocery store and is closer to his goal of a career in law enforcement. As a Mom, I really wish JJ would pursue a safer career, especially with all the police ambushes and mass shootings, but JJ has always been drawn to military/law enforcement and I think he is very suited for a career in law enforcement. I think he will do well and I’m proud of him.
JJ had a wonderful first day. He came home in his uniform–complete with a badge–bursting with excitement and pride. He told me about aspects of his day, including driving with his mentor through the parking lot to check out a report about someone in a windowless van who was hanging around the parking lot and seemed to be stalking lone women. He also now gets crime alerts sent to his phone. I have a feeling we are going to become more aware of the darker situations that occur at malls.
I insisted JJ let me take photos of him in his uniform. Later he said, “Ugh! I look stupid!” But I thought he looked fabulous and I loved the joyful pride in his face. (Update: I learned that the security company doesn’t allow their employees to be photographed in their uniforms so I cropped the photo so it only shows JJ’s face.)
Stories in Black and White
I have been participating in a Facebook challenge.
This may seem like a no big deal, whatever, kind of thing, but I almost never, never, ever participate in group challenges. Never. This might be the first, in fact. I recognize and accept that a lot of people think the group challenges are fun but they usually don’t appeal to me, or motivate me, and sometimes it’s private. Like, nope, I’m not ever going to post the color of my underwear on my timeline, and while I realize that the intent of the “ice bucket challenge” was a fun way to motivate people to donate to a cause, it didn’t motivate me. If I decide to give to a cause, I will give without a lot of hoopla. I’ve kind of wondered if participating in group challenges is an extrovert/introvert type of thing. Extroverts might enthusiastically participate in the challenges because they are energized by people/groups while introverts are energized by more quiet, individual pursuits. It’s not a right/wrong thing, it’s the way different people are.
This Facebook challenge appealed to me deep down inside–I suspect because it is creative and involves a hobby I enjoy. It inspired and motivated me. The challenge was to share one black and white photo each day for seven days. The photo was to be a reflection of your life and be accompanied with no explanation.
I find it interesting that people who participated in the challenge interpreted it in different ways. Many shared photos they found on the internet that they felt were a reflection of their life. The way people fulfilled the challenge is interesting to me because how a person interprets the challenge is also a reflection of who they are. There are no wrong answers–it’s like if a group of artists were presented with the same scene to paint, they all would paint the scene differently because they would all see it differently and they would express what they saw differently. None would be wrong.
I chose to take my own photographs of small everyday moments that represent my life. I’ve always felt that each person’s life is a story–their story. I’ve sometimes stood in a grocery store watching all the people, both customers and employees, and wondered about the stories they were living. No doubt there was someone in the store who was getting married. Or someone who was joyfully expecting a baby–or someone who was grieving the loss of a baby. I remember when I had a miscarriage, EJ and I would turn our heads in sorrow and walk quickly past the baby aisle. Someone might be shopping for college–or for a move to their new home. Someone in the store was perhaps caring for a loved one with a serious illness or suffering abuse. I could almost hear the whispers of stories. I love the Doctor Who quote that “We are all stories in the end.” And because I’ve always felt that small moments are as important and defining–or even more defining–than big moments in our lives, I love this quote that appeared on my Facebook page this morning:
“Our lives are made up of a series of moments. There will be small moments. Moments when you’re doing something so mundane you won’t realize you’re in a moment, but then you’ll remember it like a moment of true happiness. There will also be big moments. Life changing ones. Keep them all. They are what made you, you.” (Word Porn)
I think that the true value of a photograph is that it captures a moment in a person’s life story. Photographs are like book covers that give you a hint of the deeper story within. That is what I tried to capture in the black and white photos I shared. I’ve always taken colored photos–I love the beauty of colors–but I actually discovered a deep satisfaction in taking black and white photos. Black and white photos removed the distractions of color and brought out a simple beauty of their own.
In the challenge, we are supposed to share a photo without explanation. I found that fascinating as well. As the photographer, I took each photo as a moment in the story of my daily life, but in not giving an explanation, each person was free to bring their own interpretation to what the photo was expressing. I think that is the function of art: besides being an expression of the artist, a piece of art also stirs up a memory or emotion in those who view it. I did not give any explanation of the photos I’m sharing at Facebook, but I love stories and I thought I’d share with you the stories of some of the photos I’ve been taking. Most of the photos I have shared at Facebook but a few I haven’t.
This is the first photo I shared on Facebook as part of the challenge. It represents more than just the fact that I like to crochet. In this photo I am working on items that a customer ordered through my Etsy store. The photo represents sacrifices, hopes, and dreams. After our son JJ’s battle with cancer in 2013-2014, we felt that we needed a fresh start in a new place–not only from cancer, but also away from my abusive family and EJ’s very difficult job. So we moved to Northern Michigan, a place we have always deeply loved, a place that has always refreshed our spirits. Moving took risk, sacrifice, and every emotional, physical, and financial resource we had. I’m hoping to make enough of a success of my Etsy store that I can help pay down some of our debt. With JJ driving our second car to work and college, I don’t have transportation to pursue an outside job, but even if I did have transportation, life’s difficulties have worn us down and I am hoping that I can earn money by doing something I really enjoy instead of merely tolerate. If EJ and I can make enough money to supplement our income through our on-line store, maybe he can actually retire someday and won’t have to work while he’s in pain. I think that behind every business is a story of why the owner started it.
This next photo represents how I usually write this blog–sitting in my chair by the window with a cat on my lap. I love cats–my lap is rarely empty–and I love writing, which is where I find my strongest voice. That might be because I am an introvert, or even more so because I am an INFJ personality type. INFJs tend to love animals and love to write. As one article describes:
“INFJs are often natural writers. We not only have the empathy to understand others, but as Introverts, we enjoy working alone. For many people, the solitude necessary for writing is the hardest part, but for INFJs, it often feels like a sanctuary. It gives us the time and space we need to stop and think, reflect on our ideas and express ourselves. As sensitive individuals, we are always absorbing information around us, including sights, sounds, smells, temperature, light and other people’s feelings. We are constantly processing this information and trying to make sense of it. Because we absorb so much, we need an outlet for all this energy. This is what gives us a creative drive. Without attending to our need for creative expression, however, we can quickly become ill or experience physical systems of being “blocked,” including skin problems, headaches, digestive ailments and sleep disorders.”
This is a photo of EJ working on the surburban, but it is so much more. In recent weeks, the surburban has been developing a growling noise that was growing worse. Normally, we would take it to a shop for repairs because EJ has chronic back pain from an injury he suffered years ago and working on vehicles is painful for him. However, it is difficult to find time to get our vehicle into the shop for repairs. It was hard enough to get the vehicle in the shop last summer when JJ didn’t have school, but almost impossible now when he has a very busy schedule of both school and work. We really need two vehicles in working condition. So EJ did the repairs himself this last weekend to spare us the difficulty of trying to get him and JJ to and from work and school. EJ worked on the vehicle all weekend in the snow, and after dark, and making multiple trips to the auto parts store for a part or tool he needed–all of which aggravated his injured back so much that he hardly slept last night. This isn’t just a photo of EJ working on a vehicle, it is a portrait of his deep, quiet love and sacrifice for his family. Because EJ is humble and doesn’t proclaim “Look at me! Look at all the good things I’m doing!” I don’t think many people see or appreciate what a truly good man he is. Through his life, EJ has anonymously and sacrificially helped out his siblings and friends, encouraged co-workers who were struggling, and faithfully provided for JJ and me. EJ has more goodness, integrity, humility, and sacrificial love than anyone I have ever known. And he has an awesome sense of humor.
This is a photo of Danny quietly sitting in the driveway covered with snow. Danny isn’t easy to photograph because usually he just looks like a big black blob, but this photo turned out well. I think that him sitting in the snow makes him look like a faithful, quiet, and protective guard dog, which he is. He rarely barks and he is completely devoted to me; he rarely leaves my side. He doesn’t rush, he quietly meanders around our property delighting in the scents. He is very sweet but has quiet principles–he usually obeys but when he doesn’t want to do as we ask, he just quietly stands his ground, smiling politely. We call him our “introverted dog.” The snow on Danny also represents his old age. We have noticed him slowing down greatly–especially in the last year. He gets to his feet very slowly and stiffly these days, sometimes with whimpers. I think his days are becoming limited.
This is a photo of Josette, our most recent addition to our family. I refer to the outside cats as “the hunter, the singer, and the herder.” Madeline loves to roam and hunt; she’s always leaving dead mice or shrews in the garage. Annie is the singer with a very musical meow that is a delight to hear. For want of a better description, Josette is the “herder” who loves to help me with the ducks. When I go outside to care for the poultry, she always joins me. Sometimes I don’t see her when I first go out to the pen, but then I look up and find her waiting outside the gate so I let her in. Although they aren’t “cuddle bunnies” with each other–yet–Josette isn’t afraid of the ducks and the ducks aren’t afraid of her. Josette loves to wander around the pen, poking her nose here and there, watching the ducks and the chickens. She always leaves when I do.
I experimented with this photograph of my shadow with a camera poised to capture a beautiful sight on our property. I think it represented me quite well because although I don’t appear in my photographs, every photograph is an image seen through my eyes. I like to be an unseen presence sharing the beauty I see.
I found such satisfaction in taking one black and white photo of my life each day that I’m considering continuing it for a year. I’m trying to figure out how best to do it on this blog.
Home Again, Home Again
Yesterday was a very beautiful day. When I wasn’t doing other tasks, I sat in my chair by the window and crocheted as I watched the leaves flying off the trees. Watching falling leaves fills me with joy. I just figured out how to add music to my Youtube videos; I think music describes how I feel when I watch the leaves.
We woke up this morning to the sound of rain…which quickly turned to snow. It snow all day, transforming the world into a wintry white wonderland. The wind picked up, swirling the snow around and causing the temperatures to plummet. I was glad that I could mostly stay inside our cozy home. I only went outside a couple of times to check on the poultry and cats, and to walk down to get the mail.
The chickens were wise and stayed in their coop all day. The ducks only left the coop to greet me when I went out to check on them. A small flock of chickadees flew up on the bird feeder poles, so I put out some suet for them even though I’m not sure the bears are asleep yet for the winter.
Madeline disappeared for almost a week and I feared the worse–that she had fallen victim to a coyote, fox, or some other predator. Annie and Josette stay up near the house, but Madeline likes to wander off into the forest. She is sometimes gone for a day or two, but never for this long. I was surprised and relieved this morning when I went into the garage to feed the cats and she greeted me with the other two. I gave her lots of lovings and divided up an extra can of cat food between the three of them for a special treat to celebrate. Madeline stayed with Annie and Josette in the garage all day today. I think that even she didn’t want to be out in the winter storm.
Cats, Poultry, and the Snow Fence
After our busy day on Saturday, EJ and I took it easier on Sunday. I did small tasks such as cleaning the house and doing laundry. I spread one straw bale among the raised garden beds to (hopefully) help the plants survive the winter. I also poured the dry dog and cat food into their storage bins to keep it safe from rodents and insects. The storage bins are actually very large plastic trash cans with lids. The bins have about 100 pounds of kibbles in them. It feels good to have them filled up before winter so I don’t have to worry about running out during in a storm. EJ did a few tasks of his own, and he cooked some venison that had been in our freezer. It was yummy.
In between my various tasks, I searched the Internet for fun things EJ and I can do on our weekend adventures. I have always wanted to go on a sleigh ride and there are quite a few in the area. There is also a place where we could go on a sled dog ride, which I think would be really cool, but I think it would be too painful for EJ’s bad back so we will just watch dog sled races instead. I would also love to go see snow and ice sculptures…there are so many things to do in Northern Michigan.
This last weekend Daylight Savings Time ended so we moved our clocks back an hour. The time change forces me to rearrange my schedule. I don’t mind the sun rising when I go out in the mornings to care for the poultry, and it’s not really all that bad to gather eggs and refill water buckets at 3 p.m. instead of 4 pm. However, it’s dark enough that I have to put the ducks and chickens to bed before EJ gets home from work.
The indoor cats seem to be having trouble adjusting to the time change as well. I wasn’t awake enough to notice the time, but they seemed to be very active last night. EJ said that he caught Timmy jumping from me to him and back again, and I know that at one point Timmy was poking my face. The time might have changed, but they expect to be fed at the same time as before.
This morning I put up the remainder of the snow fence. EJ had said that we would do it together, but he gets home from work after dark, and he’s tired from a long day at work, and putting up the snow fence was something I could easily do. Because EJ and I had put the other segment of fencing up together a week ago, I knew how to do it. I wanted to get it done while the weather was still relatively nice because we are expecting winter weather at the end of this week–with several inches of snow, wind gusts of 25-30 mph which could cause blowing and drifting snow, and temperatures falling into the teens. Brrrrr. I took the 100 foot roll of snow fencing that we had bought on Saturday down the hill and got to work. I think that we have put up a total of 300 feet of snow fence.
I still had some fencing left after fastening it to the last t-post, so I dug up another t-post from the chicken pen and replaced it with a wooden post from the garage. I laughed because the chickens all came up to the fence to watch me work. I’m not sure if they were just curious or inspecting my work. I chatted with them while I worked.
After I had replaced the t-post with the wooden post, I lugged the t-post down the driveway, pounded it in with the post driver, and fastened the last bit of snow fence to it. Annie and Josette both followed me down the driveway and stayed around while I worked, and then they followed me back up the driveway. I am seldom without animals around me.
Josette seems fascinated with the ducks and chickens. She often sits outside the pen and watches them, but not in a predatory way. She also loves to follow me into the duck pen when I go care for them. She just sort of meanders calmly through the pen. Neither Josette or the poultry seem alarmed by the other. Although Josette can’t go into the chicken pen, she watches them through the fence.
I haven’t seen Madeline in about four days so I’m a bit concerned. She’s so sweet that she’s kind of my favorite of the outside cats–although I like them all. We understand there is a risk to outdoor cats but Madeline wouldn’t have been happy confined inside. She was so woods-wise and wary that I’m hoping she is just out roaming and will eventually return, although I know there is a possibility that she came to a bad end. 😦
This afternoon, I set up the bird feeders but I did not fill them. I want to make very sure the bears are hibernating before I fill the bird feeders. Since we get mostly woodpeckers, I’m thinking that this year I will only put out the suet–no seed. I love watching the deer and turkeys come to the feeders to eat the seed, but they gobble it down quickly and buying so much seed gets expensive. More importantly, I’ve learned that it’s not very healthy for deer or turkeys to gather at the feeders. It can spread disease. We plan instead to plant grasses that they will enjoy.
We still need to figure out how to protect the apple trees from the deer this winter….
November Fun
Today was EJ’s extra birthday celebration so he got to decide how to spend the day. It’s rather fun calling our weekend adventures our “birthday celebrations” because it focuses us on taking turns celebrating each other and it feels more special than just thinking of them as fun weekends. EJ remarked today that for years he had to work almost every weekend. I told him that we have to have fun every weekend to make up for all the years that he didn’t have them off.
EJ wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for his extra birthday and we had a lot of errands to run so we decided to do our errands and be spontaneous at the same time. We have fun together even just shopping.
I didn’t sleep well last night–this time the cat were not to blame–and I overslept a bit. As soon as I woke up, I had to rush to feed the hungry cats and take care of the complaining ducks and clucking chickens. When I came back into the house, I took my shower and rushed to eat a quick breakfast so we could be on our way. EJ had gotten out of bed long before I did, so while I was getting ready, he found someone at a local buy and sell group at Facebook who was giving away a section of school lockers. EJ contacted the guy, was given his address, and off we went to pick up the lockers. The drive was beautiful. But, then, there is no place in Northern Michigan that is not a beautiful drive. Once we reached the guy’s house, he and EJ loaded the lockers in the suburban. The lockers were quite heavy and well made. EJ is creating an office area in his garage, and he is going to use the lockers for both storage and as a “room divider” to divide his office from the rest of the garage.
Our next stop was at a farm store. It is not the one we usually go to. It’s actually quite a distance, but this farm store sells 50 lb bags of dry cat food for a decent price. We can’t find the large bags at other feed stores. We bought two so we don’t have to worry about running out during the winter. We also bought a bag of dog food. We had planned to buy straw bales as well, but we didn’t have room with the lockers.
After we left the farm store, we drove toward our favorite Goodwill. We had only driven a few blocks and were stopped at a stoplight when I gasped, “Look! That is the BIGGEST fly I’ve ever seen!” EJ exclaimed, “Where?” I pointed to a building where a huge fake fly was resting. We laughed. EJ said he wished he could buy that fly. I think it would be so cool to put it in our forest to scare trespassers. Ha ha!
We meandered through Goodwill. EJ found a nice lazy boy chair that is more comfortable than his current chair, so we bought it for him. It is his extra birthday, after all. If he hadn’t bought it for him, I would have bought it for me. EJ was willing to give it to me, but I said that today is his birthday–and he needs a comfortable chair for his poor back. We bought a few other items as well. We couldn’t fit the chair in the suburban along with the locker and large bags of pet food so we asked the store to reserve it for us. We drove home, unloaded the lockers and pet food, said “hi” to JJ, and drove back to Goodwill to pick up EJ’s chair.
Then, because it’s EJ’s extra birthday, we stopped to eat at Culver’s. I love our local Culver’s because it’s right across the street from the beautiful bay. We always try to get a table where we can admire the view.
After Culver’s, we drove to TSC where we bought another roll of snow fencing, poultry feed, and a box of canned cat food. I divide a portion of canned food among the cats in the mornings as a special treat.
Then we drove home and unloaded everything. We moved the little puzzle table from the living room into the library, moved EJ’s old chair to where the table used to be, and put the new chair in place. We might give EJ’s old chair to JJ when he moves out–or not. It looks pretty good where it is now.
After everything was unloaded, we hopped back into the suburban and drove to the local hardware store where EJ bought his hunting licenses. We also bought four bales of straw. I use straw for bedding in the coop and I’m buying extra to use as insulation for the winter. I’d like to buy more to last the winter but that’s going to have to wait until next payday.
On the way home from the hardware store, we stopped at the grocery store to buy groceries. JJ was working today, and he came over to say “hi.” He gave the store his two weeks notice today. Soon he will be working as a security guard at the mall.
Finally, we got home. We unloaded the groceries and while I put them away, EJ unloaded the straw bales into the garage. When I finished putting away the groceries, I went out to the coop to gather eggs. I lugged two bales of straw out to the coop, but I was really tired by then so I didn’t try to do more. I came inside, washed the day’s dishes, and finally relaxed.
It was a very busy day, and a tiring one, but EJ and I had tons of fun.
Cats, Deer, and Other Stuff
We had a beautiful mix of winter and autumn on Tuesday, but by Wednesday the snow had disappeared and we were back to autumn. The trees are still beautiful but they are becoming barer as the leaves fly off. The delightful thing about the leafless trees is that we can see deeper into the forest. We can also see the sunrises and sunsets better. In the summer, the trees block the horizon so we can’t see the sun until it’s much higher in the sky. In the winter months, we also get a better view of the stars.
However, with the trees getting barer, we can also see our neighbors’ house much more clearly. They live in a red-roofed house on the hill across the road. It kind of spoils the view. I would much rather see trees than houses so a few weeks ago, I gathered pinecones from the trees at the bottom of the driveway and threw them in places that–if they grow–will block the view of the neighbor’s house in the winter.
This morning I walked down to the mailbox for our mail. I was beginning to look through the mail when I noticed a spider on the top of the bundle. It was either a large normal spider or a small wolf spider–I wasn’t really focused on identifying it. I stifled a scream and tried shaking it off, but it didn’t move so I picked up a stick from the ground and scraped it off. I bravely did NOT throw the mail into the air and run. The spider didn’t move and I would have thought it was dead except it must have been alive to crawl onto the mail. Seriously, I’m beginning to think these spiders are deliberately trying to scare me. I imagine them having a meeting to plan how next to terrify me.
A couple of months ago I took the Christmas lights off the two wire deer that the previous owners left behind. We were going to throw the deer away, but I grew rather fond of them so we kept them. I put them on our property. I have fun periodically moving them around–EJ and JJ have no idea when or where they will appear. This morning I moved them again. I put the leaping deer on the slope of a hill so it looks like it is bounding uphill. I put the other one on the top of a hill at the side of the house. I suppose is my version of the “elf on a shelf” tradition, only I’m doing it all year long.
I was very tired yesterday because the night before Kee-Kee and Little Bear woke me up and then I had trouble getting back to sleep. Kee-Kee is getting older so we have a little heart-shaped two-step stool next to our bed so he can more easily get onto the bed. It prevents him from clawing his way up and ruining the bedspread. He likes to sleep on my pillow next to my head and he often climbs up the stool onto the bed and then walks right up my body with no attempt to avoid stepping on me. Wednesday night he curled up next to me so I could feel his breath in my ear. Then, as he sometimes does, he crawled up right on my face. Believe it or not, it’s difficult to sleep with a cat on your face. I figured that as long as I was awake, I might as well use the bathroom. When I returned to bed, Little Bear was waiting and he got on top of me as soon as I got into bed. It was difficult to shift him so I could cover up with the blankets. Often Timmy sleeps on top of me too. I like sleeping with the cats, but now and then we have a difficult night. I also have an interesting time trying to make the bed in the morning with the cats around! Cats sure make life interesting!
Yesterday morning I unblocked the pet door so the garage cats can go inside if they want. Josette seems content to stay in the garage at this point, but Madeline went roaming, which she loves to do. I happened to look out the living room window yesterday and saw her come up the driveway carrying a mouse-sized critter in her mouth. I was able to get a very brief video of her as she went around the corner of the house. I assumed that she was taking it into the garage, but I haven’t seen it.
I have a new item for sell at Teric’s Treasures. They are beautiful snowflake dreamcatchers that you can hang in your window or on a Christmas tree. This is my first try at making dreamcatchers and I think they turned out quite well. Click on the photo to go directly to my Etsy page to place an order.
Tomorrow is EJ’s November birthday. (For those who don’t know, we have so much fun going on adventures on my birthday in early October that we decided to take turns celebrating our “birthdays” throughout the year. Calling them our birthdays make them seem more fun. EJ’s official birthday isn’t until March. ) EJ is tired from a rough week at work and he wasn’t sure what to do for his birthday. We have several errands to run and tasks to complete this weekend, and since we always have fun just spending time together, we decided that we’d spontaneous “play it by ear” and take advantages of opportunities that come our way.
I don’t write much about JJ because he would prefer his privacy. However, I will tell you that JJ just got hired as a security guard at a shopping mall. He’s excited because it’s more in line with his goal of becoming a policeman than working in the deli at the grocery store is. He had about a 3 hour orientation today. He will give his notice at the grocery store tomorrow. He has also been trying to find an affordable apartment so he can get out on his own. He still only working part-time so I don’t know when he can afford to move out, but he is at least looking. We think he’s ready to gain more independence. So his life is moving forward…
When Autumn Meets Winter
This morning, not long after I got out of bed, EJ asked, “Have you looked outside yet?” I know that that always means that we’ve gotten snow.
After EJ left for work, I fed all the cats–both inside and outside ones–and then I put on my boots to go outside to care for the poultry. This is the first time I’ve worn my boots since I put them away last Spring. I put them on with trepidation because of spiders. It seems to me that a spider might consider an unused boot to be a perfect home. With this in mind, I had gotten the boots out of storage a few days ago and sprayed them with spider-killing spray. Still, I imagined a black widow or wolf spider–or maybe even a mouse–lurking in my boot ready to bite me, so I shook the boots vigorously before I put them on. I sighed with relief when I didn’t feel any stinging bites or squirming bodies.
I didn’t cut through our attached garage as usual on my way to the coop because the cats are shut up there until Josette adjusts to her new home. Instead, I went through the front door and walked around the house. It was snowing hard and the ground was white. I took a few photos. I love taking pictures when it’s snowing at night because the flash makes interesting snow patterns. I also think the Christmas-lights make the coop look especially cozy in the dark.
I put the garden hose away last week so now I have to lug buckets of water for the ducks and chickens. I have to choose between my bare hands getting cold or my mittens getting wet as I fill the buckets. Oh, well, it’s all in a day’s work. As I finished caring for the poultry and walked back around the house to the door, I kept hearing stirrings in the forest, like footsteps. I logically reasoned that the sound was snow-covered leaves falling off the trees and hitting the ground, but I imagined a bear creeping up on me in the dark. Imagination won over logic, and I quickened my pace into the house.
In the autumn I never feel as if I’m ready for winter to arrive. There’s too much to do to prepare for it, and the thought of getting out the winter hat, coat, and boots, and cold, and the expectation of snowblowing the driveway, and winter driving doesn’t exactly fill me with delight.
And then it snows.
The snow transforms our forest into a magical place. And I think, “Oh! I love you beautiful snow! I LOVE you!”
I needed to mail our propane payment so as soon as the sun rose, I put the envelope in my inner coat pocket, grabbed my camera, and wandered out into the beautiful Enchanted Forest. It was especially beautiful because the trees are still dressed in their vibrant autumn colors. The mixture of winter snow and autumn leaves was breathtaking. I loved watching the snowflakes and autumn leaves falling together. The weather changed from moment to moment. Sometimes the clouds were dark gray, sometimes dramatic, and a couple of times there were even patches of blue sky. Sometimes the snow fell in small flakes, sometimes in large ones, sometimes it rained, and sometimes nothing fell from the sky except leaves. There were times when the sun shone and the snow and leaves fell all at the same time. As the day progressed, the temperatures rose a bit and the snow fell off the trees but the ground remained covered in snow and it was still just as beautiful. I took many photos, but finally had to stop to recharge my camera’s low battery.
When I meandered down the driveway to put our propane payment in the mailbox, I was surprised by a flock of turkeys when I rounded the last curve at the bottom of our driveway. I imagine that they were just as surprised as I was. They went across the road–quickly, but not in a panic. I laughed when I saw the trail of their tracks in the snow:
While I was out enjoying the beauty of the day and snapping photos like a tourist, JJ was groaning over the “terrible weather.” I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.
About noon I went out to check on the garage cats. They all came running up to me for lovings, as they always do. I was amazed at how quickly the three cats have accepted each other. They acted like old friends with no hissing whatsoever.
After checking on the garage cats, I went around to check on the ducks and chickens to make sure they were ok. They were all in their coop, although the ducks came out with me when I left the coop.
The Garage Cats
The previous owner of our new cat, Josette, had told us that she had been litter trained when she was younger, but she had been living in their barn for at least a year. I had originally decided to adopt Josette because 1. she’s black and I love black cats, 2. it’s Halloween and black cats are at risk during this time, and 3. she was a barn cat and would provide companionship for Annie and Madeline. But when the the owner kept saying that she thought Josette wanted to be an inside cat because she kept coming into the house through their dog’s pet door (probably because she was scared of whatever wild animal had moved into the barn), I thought we’d give Josette a chance to be an inside cat. She really is a very affectionate cat.
However, Josette wouldn’t use the litter box. And she kept jumping onto the counter and licking the dirty dishes next to the sink. Worse yet, she insisted on jumping onto the table and eating off the plates we were eating from! We would put her down and she would jump back onto the table. How rude! I think that living in the barn, Josette had forgotten how to act among civilized folk. So we decided that she was better suited for the garage.
I planned to shut her into the garage for a few days. I wanted to give her a few days to learn that THIS is her home, and I wanted to make sure she was kept safe during Halloween, and I wanted to give Annie, Madeline, and Josette time to adjust to each other. However, I couldn’t close the pet door until both Annie and Madeline were in the garage. Annie spends a lot of time in the garage during these rainy, cold days, but Madeline loves to roam. I kept checking last night, but Madeline didn’t return to the garage before I finally went to bed so I shut Josette into the bathroom with food, water, and a litter box (which she used only once). This morning Madeline was not out in the garage when I went out to feed the cats, and she still hadn’t returned when I finished caring for the ducks and chickens. She finally showed up just before 8 a.m., so I quickly blocked the pet door. Then I brought Josette out into the garage.
I checked on the garage cats several times throughout the day to see how they were doing. As soon as I came out, they all three came running for some lovings, which I generously gave to each of them. I noticed a tiny bit of hissing, but far less intense and much more infrequent than among the cats in the house. I think Josette is much happier in the garage. Some cats just prefer the wild life. The inside pets are much calmer without that “strange” uncivilized barn cat disrupting their comfy life.
It’s just so happens that all the cats in the house are male and all the cats in the garage are female. I think that’s kind of funny. (All of our cats are fixed.)
This morning the propane truck came and filled our tank. It’s a very comforting feeling to enter winter with a full tank of propane. It was also a relief that the cost was far less than I feared. I’m still getting used to the “propane life.”
Speaking of weather: It was rather freaky today. EJ and JJ were both in the same city–EJ at work and JJ at college. They both said it rained hard and there was lots of hail and graupel. According to Inverse.com, Graupel, also known as soft hail or snow pellets, forms when snowflakes encounter tiny droplets of supercooled water as they fall. This water immediately freezes and binds to the flake, and if this happens enough times, it stops looking like a snowflake and starts to look like a tiny, squishy snow ball.
I didn’t see any hail or graupel. Instead, it was damp and rainy in our Enchanted Forest. However, tonight’s radar shows snow very close to us. The weather forecast says we have a 80% chance of precipitation tonight and tomorrow we have a chance of rain and snow showers. Wintry weather is moving into our area!
The Owl Prowl
Last night EJ and I went to the Owl Prowl at the Grass River Nature Area. It was already dark when we entered the nature area. We drove a mile through the forest to get to the parking area, and then we had maybe a 50 yard walk to the Visitor’s Center, which was very nice with all sorts of displays. This particular nature area has many classes and activities throughout the year, including several Owl Prowls. Ours was the last one until February.
We began our adventure in a classroom where a naturalist told us what owls were in our area: The Great Horned Owl, The Barred Owl, the Eastern Screech Owl, and the Saw-whet. Although Snowy Owls are not usually in Michigan, in recent years they have been sighted in our area. The naturalist also shared some interesting facts about the owls and let us listen to some of their calls. I thought it interesting that Saw-whet Owls like to nest in Northern Flicker holes, and if you knock on the tree, they often will stick their heads out. I suspect that I will now be knocking on many trees on our property with woodpecker holes in them.
After the classroom presentation, we went on a night walk to look for owls. It was not raining when we first arrived at the Visitor Center, but it was raining as we left for our night walk–not hard, just enough to get wet. None of us minded. We followed our leader into the dark, dark forest. We all had red-lighted flashlights so our night-vision would not be affected. After a bit, our leader stopped and played owl sounds on her phone, which had an amplifier attached to it. Apparently playing owl sounds will attract them. We listened and we watched. Nothing. She tried several more times. Nothing. So we went down a side trail and she played the owl sounds again. Nothing. At one point, I could see a patch of stars overhead so I thought that maybe the weather would clear. Instead, it began raining harder so we got completely soaked. We finally concluded that the owls were probably staying home that night because of the rain–unlike silly us who were out wandering in the forest. We all agreed to end our Owl Prowl.
Despite the rain and the lack of owls, we had a very wonderful time–it was a HOOT! There’s nothing like walking in a dark, dark forest at night in the rain. There was an air of mystery and adventure and suspense. I did wonder at times what we would do if we encountered a bear or a cougar, but that was all part of the fun–like telling scary stories around the campfire.
I don’t have any photos of our adventure. I didn’t take my camera with me last night because, you know, it was night and we were in a dark, dark forest.
This morning I happened to glance out the window as I was pouring a cup of coffee and saw our beautiful red tree spotlighted by the sun so that it was a flaming fire. I grabbed my camera and ran outside and took several photos. It was good that I went out when I did because a few moments later the sun rose higher in the sky and the tree was no longer spotlighted. It was a beautiful sight while it lasted!
After breakfast and a pot of coffee, EJ and I went outside and began putting up the snow fence along the right side of the driveway. A snow fence is a barrier that minimizes the amount of snowdrift on roadways. Hopefully our snow fence will prevent deep snow from accumulating on our driveway. It took us several hours to put up the fence. We didn’t have enough t-posts, but we took out some of the t-posts in the poultry pen and replaced them with wooden posts from the garage. I also pulled out the post at the edge of the forest that my bird house was on. I haven’t seen any birds use it anyway. We ran out of fencing before we ran out of driveway. Hopefully we can get more fencing soon–before the snow falls–but even if we can’t, at least part of our driveway will be protected, which is more than the last couple of years.
EJ and I took a break and then we started back down the driveway to finish up the snow fence. We were still up near the house when I glanced over and saw 11 turkeys standing at the corner of the house. They didn’t move as EJ and I walked down the driveway. When we had gotten below the hill, EJ wondered what the turkeys would do if we were very still. He stood motionless while I stooped down and watched. The turkeys walked over the hill toward us, along the edge of the forest about 20 feet from us, and went into the forest. It was very cool. All day long I had carried my camera with me, but I had left it in the house and didn’t have it with me. Bummer.
I gathered eggs and refilled the chicken/ducks’ drinking water while EJ fixed the latch on the coop. It hadn’t been installed correctly and I couldn’t get it to close properly. Throughout the day, I also did laundry, washed dishes, vacuumed, and other daily tasks. We didn’t get the protective fencing around the apple trees. Besides the fact that we ran out of time and energy, we aren’t quite sure how we are going to do it. We have to ponder it a bit.
After most of our other tasks were done, EJ got out his hunting gun and we walked down the driveway and into deer meadow. He has a deer target set up and he sighted his gun by shooting the target. He hit right where he wanted to. So he’s set for hunting season. He always hunts at his friend’s uncle’s 100 acre woods on the other side of the state.
Our new cat Josette is very sweet and affectionate to us, but she hisses and swats at the other pets. That’s to be expected as she adjusts to new surroundings. Danny just keeps out of her way, while the other cats are wary and curious. With four and a half cats in the house (four black cats and one black and white one), I feel as if I am surrounded by minions.
Josette’s previous owner had said that she was litter trained but had been living in the barn for at least a year. She felt Josette wanted to be a house cat because she kept coming through the dog door–probably because she was scared of the unknown wild animal living in the barn. We don’t mind the hissing adjustment period–they always eventually get used to each other–but Josette hasn’t been using the litter box, and that IS a problem. So we are thinking she is going to have to go back to being an outside cat, living in our garage with Annie and Madeline. I always shut up new cats for a few days until they recognize that this is their new home, but I can’t shut Josette in the garage until Madeline is in the garage because I don’t want to shut Madeline out of her shelter. Sometimes Madeline is out roaming for hours and I don’t see her until the next morning. I keep going to the garage to see if Madeline has returned. Meanwhile, Josette is shut in the extra bathroom with food, water, and a litter box, which she hasn’t used.
Introducing Josette
This morning EJ and I adopted the newest member of our family.
We had intended for the new cat to join Annie and Madeline in the garage so this morning I closed off the pet door after I made sure that both cats were in the garage. I always keep new outside cats shut up in the garage for a few days they can understand that this is their new home. I think of it as the cats resetting their internal GPS. Since I can’t prevent the other cats from entering the garage, I shut them in as well, which gives them all time to adjust to each other.
EJ and I set off at 9 a.m. The temperature was 41 degrees and it was somewhat rainy–mostly just sprinkles that dotted the windshield. We drove through some very beautiful scenery, but the whole region is breathtakingly beautiful so there really is no ugly or commonplace scenery. And often we see unexpected sights. Like a Yak. Today we saw a Yak in a barn yard.
The cat’s name is Nina, but I always like to rename our pets with a name that we choose–maybe because so many of our pets came with names that we didn’t particularly like. Nina is a cute name, but renaming our pets has become a habit and a tradition over the years. As we drove to pick up our new cat, I told EJ that I wanted her to have an old-fashioned name like Annie and Madeline. We tend to have “theme” names; it just kind of happens. When JJ was tiny, we named our pets with names ending in “cat”: We had Tom Cat, Bob Cat, Ellie Cat, Kit Kat, and Fraidy Cat. When JJ was old enough to watch Star Wars, we named our cats Luke, Han, and Anakin. We still have Luke and Anakin, although when we found out that Anakin was actually a female, we changed her name to Annie. Now we are naming our female cats old-fashioned names. Yesterday I googled “old-fashioned names for girls” and picked out the ones that I thought were prettiest: Clara, Elsa, Lucy, Amelia, Willa.
The owner of Nina lives in a beautiful rural area about an hour away from us. As we crested a hill and EJ slowed to pull into her driveway, I exclaimed, “Wow! This area looks just like Farmville!” Farmville is a virtual farm game on Facebook in which players cultivate their farms by plowing, planting and harvesting crops and trees. Players also care for their farm animals: milking their cows and collecting eggs from their chickens. I played it for a few months when I first got on Facebook. Today I thought that if Farmville were real, it would look just like this area.
When we arrived at our destination, the cat’s owner invited us into her home and gave us Nina to hold. She snuggled in our arms. We put her in the cat carrier we had brought along. I held the carrier on my lap on the drive home, poking my fingers through the wire door. The cat constantly rubbed up against my fingers and purred. Every black cat that we have owned has been very loving and cuddly. As we drove along, EJ and I decided that the cat was so cuddly that she belonged in the house, not the garage.
One the drive home, I asked the cat if she wanted to be named Clara or Amelia. Then I asked EJ, “Can you think of any other old-fashioned names you like?” He suggested two names, one of which was “Josette.” He said the cat reminded him of Josette, a beautiful dark-haired French-Canadian woman in The Northwoods Reader, a collection of stories set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I exclaimed that the name Josette was beautiful and unique, and just perfect for our new cat. So Nina became Josette.
We have learned over the years that new cats react in different ways when we first bring them home. Some cats are very timid and they hide out until they get used to their new surroundings. Ellie Cat hid out for a week before she felt safe enough to explore. Other cats are bolder and immediately start exploring. When we set down the carrier and opened the door, Josette reacted boldly, exploring all the rooms of the house. Little Bear was the first to encounter her, and he stared at her curiously. Josette hissed a bit, but there was no major conflict. At this writing, I’m not sure any of the other cats are aware of her presence. They’ve all been sleeping all afternoon. Our dog, Danny, has seen her, but he seems totally uninterested in her.
Josette looks very much like Little Bear, but her eyes are more orange than Little Bear’s eyes. She also has a few bare spots. The owner said that the vet thought she was allergic to the worm medicine. Her owner said she is a good mouser. I’ve heard it said that females are better mousers than males, and that has certainly been our feline experience. So while Madeline is reducing the mouse and shrew population outside, Josette can be keeping our house mouse-free.
In a couple of hours we are going to the Owl Prowl at the nature area as part of my birthday celebration. (For those who don’t know, EJ and I decided to take turns celebrating our birthdays frequently throughout the year.) I can’t wait to go on the night walk. There is a 60% chance of rain this afternoon and a 50% chance of rain or snow this evening. Hopefully, it won’t be too wet and cold on our night walk, but I expect it will be fun even if it is. I’ll write about our experience tomorrow…
Six Degrees of Comfort
Yesterday was chilly and I was cold.
I don’t know if I was so cold because the weather went from “warm enough to wear t-shirts” to “cold enough to wear a winter coat and hat” in just a few days. Or maybe the dampness from all the rain made the chilliness feel cold. I think damp cold is almost worse than snow cold.
Whatever the reason, I was cold all morning. After I finished off the pot of coffee, I switched over to drinking hot tea just to try to warm my hands. I wore a sweatshirt and wrapped myself in blankets. I put on the very warm cat slippers my friend gave me as a gift last year. I was still cold.
I finally decided that I had to do more than shiver all day, so I went outside to see if I could improve on the cat house I had made for the outside cats in the garage. I tried different-sized wooden boxes, but I couldn’t make them as warm as the house I had already made. Basically I put an old snowmobile suit in a box in an old radio cabinet, which I insulated. For added insulation, I hung another old snowmobile suit over the cabinet with the entrance between the suit’s legs. Annie loves her cat house and sleeps in it all the time.
Madeline prefers to sleep high on a room-sized rug lying on some boxes at the back of the garage. EJ will eventually put the rug down in his office area when he gets the garage more organized. I made a comfy box for Madeline there. It’s not as good as the radio house, but I want her to get used to the box. She can share the radio house with Annie when it gets colder. Besides, I’m not quite finished trying to design warm houses for them. I also lay down a thick mat and set the cats’ food and water dishes on it so their little paws don’t get cold from the cement floor.
In the process of working on cat houses, I moved things around and ended up organizing EJ’s garage a bit more. I actually didn’t do a whole lot, but the little that I did cleared a large area of space. Working in the garage warmed me up but when I came back into the house, I got chilled again. I figured that setting the thermostat at 60 degrees might be a little too low so I inched it up to 62 degrees. A few hours later I was still chilled, so I inched it up to 64. When JJ came home from school, he asked if we could set the thermostat higher. Since he’s had chemotherapy for cancer, his hands get very cold very easily. I told him that I already had set the thermostat four degrees higher. He asked if we could set it another four degrees higher. I thought that was too much so I compromised by setting it only two degrees higher.
This morning temperatures outside were in the 20s–brrrrr!–but it warmed up to about 50 degrees through the day. I wasn’t quite as cold today as yesterday. I think I just need time to adjust to the colder weather. The day was mostly sunny and very beautiful. I’m soaking in the beauty because it won’t be long before we get snow. EJ says that Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has just gotten 10 inches of snow.
Madeline had spent several rainy days in the garage, but she was out enjoying the day today. I took these photos of her by the gate to the poultry pen as I watched her through our bedroom window.
I have a confession to make: I was weak and gave in to temptation.
First, let me explain. It seems to me that usually there is always one person in every couple who says NO to more animals, which really keeps the animal adoption rate down. However, EJ and I both love animals. And we tend to accumulate them. Especially cats. EJ can say “NO” to more chickens and ducks, and he says “NO!” when I tell him (jokingly?) that we should get a cow, or a horse, or a goat, sheep, llama, kangaroo, camel, or giraffe. Surprisingly, he said “yes” when I said we should get a baby elephant, but I don’t know where to buy elephants so I guess we are safe. I think EJ would maybe let me get a dragon if I could find one and if I pleaded hard enough. A dragon would be better at protection than even a guard dog–although feeding it might be tricky.
I am able to say “NO” to cats more often, which is difficult because I love cats as much as EJ. I can say “No!” (most of the time) because I just keep in mind the articles about crazy cat ladies who have 500 cats. I have said “No” to more cats for a long, long time. But after Tesla died of old age a year ago, Annie looked very lonely, so we decided to get her another companion. They could cuddle up and keep each other warmer in the winter, we told each other, which is very Biblical: As Ecclesiastes 4 says: “Two are better than one…if two people [or cats?] sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself?” So we got Madeline.
But getting Madeline weakened my resolve, put a crack in my ability to say “No!” to more cats. In a Facebook group this week, someone shared this photo of a beautiful cat and said she needed a new home. I called the owner today and she said that it is a very friendly cat and a good mouser. She has been living in the barn, but some sort of wild animal has moved into the barn and it ate the cat’s food (so she got very skinny) and scared her. She has been hanging out at the door of their house and meowing to be let in. The owner said she can’t let her in the house because her son is allergic to cats. We have a special love for black cats, which usually don’t get adopted as easily as other cats because of superstition. And October is an especially bad time to find a new home for black cats because people mistreat them at Halloween. As EJ said, we know that we won’t be mistreating this black cat and we would give her a good home. So EJ did not say “No!” when I told him about this kitty. I mean, seriously, how could we say no? We are going to meet her on Saturday morning and undoubtedly adopt her. She will be another companion for Annie and Madeline.
I told EJ that he MUST say “NO! NO! NO!” if I weaken again.
I Love To Go A Gardening 