I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
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.
Raindrops Keep Falling…
It’s been raining, raining, raining, non-stop since Sunday afternoon. Day and night we hear the pitter-patter drumming of rain on our roof. We’ve had 5-6 inches of rain so far and it is still raining. The weather forecast shows clearing on Thursday and then it’s back to rain again. JJ said someone at work told him we could get a foot of rain before the skies clear. At times like this, I’m especially glad we live on a hill top. Otherwise, I might be tempted to start building an ark.
The temperatures have fallen dramatically. I’ve had to wear my winter coat and hat for the first time since last winter, and I carry an umbrella when I walk down to get the mail. I haven’t yet had to wear boots, although I think I’ll get them out tomorrow so I have them ready. I’ve heard that we should expect snow soon. 
EJ cleaned the furnace filter yesterday after work yesterday so I turned on the furnace today–but I set it at 60 degrees because it’s still warm enough in the house and I would rather wear sweatshirts and sweaters than pay high heating bills.
The duck pen is flooded and I sink several inches into mud every time I go to the coop. I told EJ that if he comes home from work and can’t find me, the first place he should search is the muck–to make sure I haven’t disappeared down into it. Of course, the ducks don’t mind the rain. They seem to enjoy playing in the rain, and puddles, and pool.
The chickens don’t like the rain at all. They have been staying mostly safe and dry in their coop–although yesterday I was surprised to see Captain AmeROOca outside. He looked bedraggled and miserable with his beautiful tail feathers soggied and drooping. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more miserable chicken. I wondered if Sassy, our alpha rooster, had banished him from the coop as punishment for some offense. Poor guy.
I usually only see Madeline in the mornings when I go out to the garage to feed her and Annie, our outside cats. Madeline likes to roam. However, she has stayed in the garage with Annie for the last two days. It’s been too wet even for her. Although I did find another dead critter in the usual place near the door this morning. I couldn’t tell what it was because its head was missing. Yuck. I tried to avoid looking at it too closely as I picked the body up with a shovel and threw it outside. Almost every morning I find a dead shrew or mouse lying in front of the garage door. Madeline is very prompt with her rent payments. 🙂
Half the Christmas lights went out in the coop on Sunday so this morning I got out the extra strings of lights–the ones I had removed from the wire deer that the previous owner left behind. Most of the stings didn’t work, or only half worked. I found only one string of lights that completely worked. I took out all the light bulbs from the non- or half-working strings, testing each bulb to see if it worked. I put the working bulbs in a sandwich bag. Then I sloshed out to the coop and changed all the bulbs in the non-working sections. They still didn’t work. So I sloshed back into the house, grabbed the string of lights that worked, took it out to the coop and hung them up. Now I have a cheerfully lit coop again. I asked EJ if he could install a regular light in the coop. The Christmas lights are festive, but they have always frustrated me because they always go out. EJ said he could, but I don’t know when we will get to it. We have more important things to do–like put up the snow fence and the protective fencing around the fruit trees. I hope we can do that this weekend. Forecasters are saying we could get snow within the next 10 days.
When I have an order from my Etsy store, I make it a priority, but when I don’t have orders I work on new items. I have a lot of projects that I would like to make. This winter I would also like to teach myself macrame. Years ago I learned to macrame in summer camp, but that was a long time ago and I have to relearn how to make the knots. There are a lot of beautiful macrame projects I would like to try–like owls and trees of life. I love both owls and trees.
I hope it’s not pouring down rain when EJ and I go on the Owl Prowl at the nature center this weekend! I’m really looking forward to it!
Home Work
I found another dead shrew inside the garage this morning. This is the third shrew Madeline has killed. She always leaves her “gifts” in the same place, just inside the garage’s back door. With Madeline on the job, we won’t have much of a problem with “critters.” I usually see Madeline in the mornings when I bring her and Annie their portion of canned food. She seems to be really happy coming and going according to her own schedule.
After our day enjoying the beauty of autumn yesterday at the Sand Lakes Quiet Area, it was time to get a few things done around home today.
After EJ and I emptied the pot of coffee, I carried the ladder down the driveway and set it up next to my sign so I could outline the yellow letters with the red paint pen I bought yesterday. I think the sign looks very splendid now. The red outline makes the yellow letters stand out much better than the orange. I declare that my sign is finally officially complete. That is good–because I suspect that this will be the last day of unseasonably warm temperatures. The high temperature today was in the mid-70s, the high tomorrow is supposed to be only 60, and the forecasted temperatures go down from there.
After a bit, EJ walked down the driveway to see how I was doing. After admiring my sign, he remarked that the clouds were very beautiful so I asked him if he wanted to use my camera and take photos of it. Silly man, he mostly took photos of me. This is why I don’t let him take my camera very often! (Ha ha!)
Next, I would like to make signs for INSIDE the coop. Signs such as “Farm Fresh Eggs” or “Happy Chickens” or something like that.
After I finished my sign, I did tasks such as scooping the poultry feed into kitty litter buckets for storage. EJ did a variety of tasks as well. He repainted our post that measures snowfall in preparation for winter. I’ve read that because of El Nina, we could have a wetter-than-normal winter. Whether the precipitation comes as rain or snow remains to be seen. I’d rather have snow than rain that freezes into ice.
EJ also figured out how we are going to put fencing around the apple trees to protect them from deer. His plan required a trip to the hardware store. It’s such a beautiful drive along one of Northern Michigan’s many lakes that it is always a joy to drive to the store. On the way home, we stopped at the grocery store so EJ could get gas in the Suburban and I could shop for groceries. JJ is working in the deli today and he gave me a hug when he saw me in the store. Then it was back home to put the groceries away.
I think EJ planned to clean the furnace filter and we were going to start on installing the protective fence around the fruit trees, but it started to rain not long after we got home, so we postponed those tasks. Once it started raining–about 2 pm.–it continued to rain steadily. I think we are supposed to have rain every day this week.
As you know, EJ and I decided to take turns having multiple birthday celebrations throughout the year. It’s just a way to make sure we take the time to have fun. If we just say we are going to have “fun days” every month, we might keep putting them off. But birthdays! We always celebrate birthdays! And it’s fun to take turns deciding what to do and wishing each other a Happy Birthday throughout the year. 🙂
As we were driving home from Sand Lakes Quiet Area yesterday, I told EJ that for my next birthday, I wanted to go to a different nature area. We have many of them in our area. This morning the nature area I want to go to posted on their Facebook page that they were hosting an event called Owl Prowl next weekend. They described it as
What is it about the elusive owl that sparks an air of mystery and intrigue? Join us as we learn about our local owls with an indoor presentation and then go for a night hike in search of these amazing birds. Participants must be able to hike on uneven trails in the dark for about 1 mile/1 hour. Please bring a light if you have one.
In the wee hours of the night one summer evening in 2016, I couldn’t sleep so I went outside and stood on our deck admiring the stars. Suddenly, I heard a whoo-whoo-whoo not far away, and an answering whoo-whoo-whoo in the distance. It was amazing. I’ve wanted to hear it again. So I exclaimed to EJ this morning, “I would love to go on the Owl Prowl for my birthday! What do you think? Can we?” I would love to learn about owls and I love night walks. It’s only $5 each. EJ said, “Sign us up for it. We will go.” So I did.
Then I noticed that in another week or two, the nature area is hosting another event called Tree ID by Leaf, Bud and Bark. The info said:
How well can you identify trees without leaves in the winter? Join us on Saturday, November 11th at 1 pm to gain the skills to identify Michigan trees by their bark, buds, and branching patterns while taking a short hike on our beautiful trails with a naturalist.
EJ said that he would like to go to this event for his next birthday. And, of course, we both enjoy both events–both owls and trees. So I signed us up for this event too. It also is just $5 each. That’s a lot of fun for just a few dollars.
So we have our next birthday fun scheduled. I can’t wait!
Then we will have to figure out what to do for our December birthdays. I think I will try to find a place where we can go on sleigh rides for my birthday. I have always wanted to go on a sleigh ride. I remember when I was a kid, our local Public Radio Station (PBS) had annual auctions to raise money for the station. My parents often bid on items–that was before the PBS station had minimum prices that a buyer had to meet. My parents were able to get wonderful things for low prices. One year, my parents won a Christmas evening at Greenfield Village, which is a living history village near Detroit. The evening included a historic dinner at the village inn–complete with minstrels playing–and a sleigh ride through the village. We were able to enjoy the dinner, but there wasn’t enough slow that year so we couldn’t go on a
The Quiet Area
Today we celebrated EJ’s birthday.
His official birthday isn’t until the end of March, but we have so many fun adventures on my birthday, which is in early October, that we decided we would take turns celebrating our birthdays throughout the year. I mean, seriously, why should we wait?
We have wanted to go to Sand Lakes Quiet Area ever since we moved to Northern Michigan so we decided to go today. “Quiet Area” sounds so appealing to us introverts who love quiet and nature! Sand Lakes Quiet Area is about a 3,000-acre tract that is part of the Pere Marquette State Forest. It has miles of trails through beautiful forests and around several lakes. Motorized vehicles are prohibited so it’s very serene and a great place to watch wildlife, hike, bike, or cross-country ski. The weather was in the mid-70s today and the autumn colors were beautiful. Some areas have more color than others, but we think the trees are at or near their peak right now.
We walked through the quiet forest for about 2 1/2 hours. We occasionally encountered others walking or riding their bikes along the trails and we all said a polite “Hello!” as we walked past each other. EJ and I chatted quietly with each other at times, but mostly we just walked silently together and absorbed the peaceful beauty. It was, after all, a “quiet area.” We pretended we would get “shushed” if we spoke too loudly–like at a library.
I love forests. I also love the beauty of the autumn leaves falling like a golden rain. I took several videos of the falling leaves, such as in this video:
When we saw a glimpse of one of the many lakes through the trees, we took a side path down to it. The water of the lake was very clear and rippled to shore.
We took a different path away from the lake and then we weren’t sure what path we were on. One of EJ’s superpowers is a strong sense of direction so while I was totally lost in the woods, he reckoned–correctly–that we were headed in the right direction. We made it to a seasonal road, which means that it’s not plowed in the winter, and walked along it for quite a way until we found the parking lot where we had left our Suburban.
I took several hundred photos. Here are just a few:
After we left the Quiet Area, we had a few errands to do. We drove to TSC for poultry feed, straw, and some fencing so we can protect our apple trees from the deer this winter. Next we stopped at Joann’s Fabrics because I need a red paint pen to finish (finally!) my sign. We both love Joann’s Fabrics, but the perfumes and scents bothers EJ, so while I was in the store, he went over to the nearby Dunhams to window shop. Then we ate out at Culvers. Our final stop was at Goodwill because EJ needed some new sweatshirts for work.
It was a wonderful day.
Next time it’s my turn to celebrate my birthday! 🙂
Autumn Joy
Today was an absolutely beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining and the sky was the shade of deep blue that only occurs in the autumn. The warm winds were 15 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 mph. The leaves flew off the trees like flocks of colorful birds.
The day was so beautiful that it was impossible not to feel a deep satisfying joy.
I dragged our stepladder down the hill and set it up next to my sign so I could reach the higher-up boards. I spent a happy hour or two outlining the yellow letters with orange paint pens. The orange looks good, but I don’t think it’s dark enough to be seen from a distance so I will probably re-outline the letters in red as soon as I can get to Joann’s Fabrics to buy a red paint pen.
After I finished working on the sign, I carried the stepladder back up the driveway. It was a lot harder carrying it up than it was carrying it down. I kept stopping to rest, and also to enjoy the wind blowing the leaves off the trees. I also couldn’t help noticing my shadow self carrying a shadowy ladder. I took a photo. I’ve always thought shadows were interesting. I have fond memories of making shadow creatures with my hands when I was a child. JJ and I used to take “night walks” when he was younger, and we had fun playing with our shadows that were formed by the street lights. I always remember an interesting short story I read years ago called The Shadows. It was written by George MacDonald, an author who lived 1824-1905. I like the interesting patterns formed by shadows, and sometimes I take pictures of them–like these, which I took over the last couple of months:
This afternoon and evening, in between my other tasks, I began working on a new crochet project. I’m experimenting with making small snowflake dreamcatchers/ornaments. I’ve never done it before, so I did some ripping out–mostly because I didn’t really understand the pattern I was using. I really think the designer left out a row in her instructions, and I didn’t quite understand how to double crochet around the metal ring. I found a different snowflake pattern and adapted it to fit in the 3 inch metal ring. I took a quick picture of it so you can see it. I’ll take better photos when I post it at my Etsy store. I’m quite proud of my efforts. I searched for and printed off other snowflake patterns to adapt as well.
I have a long list of projects I’d like to work on….including designing/adapting a crocheted shawl and learning to macrame. I learned how to make macrame pot hangers years ago in summer camp, but I have forgotten how–and there are so many more interesting techniques and patterns these days.
Shrewed Discovery
I named yesterday’s post, “The Killing of the Shrew” because “shrew” made think of Shakespeare’s play, “The Taming of the Shrew.” Last night I asked EJ if he knew why a “shrew” is a description of “a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman.” Are the mouse-like shrews “bad tempered”? “Aggressively assertive”? Curious, because I don’t know that much about shrews, I started looking up more information about them. I discovered that Michigan has about four different kinds: the masked shrew, the water shrew (one of the few mammals in Michigan that live exclusively in wetland habitats), the pygmy shrew, and the northern short tail shrew. I’m quite sure that the one Madeline killed yesterday is a northern short tail shrew. I was not really surprised to learn that shrews have poor vision. I was quite surprised to learn that they move about with echo-location like bats and whales. I was extremely surprised to learn that some shrews, including the northern short tail shrew, is venomous. That’s right: venomous. Apparently their saliva is toxic and is strong enough to kill small animals. It’s secreted through grooves in their incisors. The shews don’t inject their prey like snakes or spiders do. Instead, they chew the venom into their prey until the prey is subdued. If they bite a human, their toxins can cause pain that lasts for several days, but bites are rare; they usually occur when someone tries to handle one.
Fortunately, Northern short-tailed shrews have many predators. They are preyed upon by snakes, cats, skunks, raccoons, opossums, owls, hawks, weasels, red fox, coyotes, and occasionally pickerel, trout, and sunfish when they venture near water. Northern short-tailed shrews are aggressive, and they threaten and physically drive away any intruders. They escape predation by remaining hidden in the cover of vegetation or under the soil or snow during foraging expeditions from their nest. They may also make themselves distasteful by exuding a musky odor from glands on their belly and sides. Many mammal predators may refuse to eat northern short-tailed shrews because of their foul taste.
(Sources: biokids.umich.edu and Wikipedia)
After reading about the aggressive and venomous shrew last night, I became concerned about Madeline. I imagined her in pain or paralyzed by a bite. So I went out to check on her before I headed to bed. She ran up to me as soon as I entered our garage. She didn’t seem to be in any distress or pain. In fact, she acted completely normal. Apparently, the shrew didn’t chew on her. I told her to be careful around those shrews. I can’t believe we have such creatures here. Next someone will be telling me that Big Foot or the Dogman are real.
This morning before it was fully light outside, I looked out the window and saw Madeline hunting something on the other side of the duck pen. She was dashing here and there and occasionally leaping. I didn’t find any dead bodies in the garage today so either her prey escaped or she left the body outside.
Meanwhile, the four inside cats gathered as usual in anticipation of getting their morning treat of canned food. They always remind me of little panthers. HUNGRY little panthers. I love black cats.
The weather was very nice today so I walked down the hill and used a yellow paint pen to outline the red letters on my sign. The red wasn’t showing up very well but I think the outlining really makes the letters stand out. They look better than in the photo. Although it’s not absolutely necessary, I thought I’d outline the yellow letters as well. I would like to do them in red, but I don’t have a red paint pen and I don’t know when I’ll get to Joann’s Fabrics again. I have to get the sign done before cold weather hits, which could happen at any time. I couldn’t decide which of the colors I already own to use–green, orange, or black–so I did a few tests and I decided to outline the letters in the orange pen. I could always paint over the orange with red at a later date if I want. I hope to do it tomorrow.
After I finished working on the sign, I walked back up the hill, admiring the beautiful blue sky. I noticed two birds soaring overhead and clearly saw their white heads and tail feathers: Bald Eagles! They were near the sun, which blinded me so that I wasn’t able to see them in my camera’s view finder. Oh, well. I’m thrilled I got to see them!
The Killing of the Shrew
It was quite warm early yesterday morning when I went outside to care for the ducks and chickens but the temperature steadily dropped from the mid-60s down into the 40s throughout the very rainy day. Overnight it was even colder–in the 30s. Brrrr. The cats snuggled with us in our bed. Kee-Kee lay up near my head and Timmy lay on top of me. Whenever I turned from one side to the other, he resettled back on top of me. One or two of the other cats slept elsewhere on the bed. With the cats and the warm blankets, we were very comfortable.
I always try to make the bed as soon as I wake up because the cats are more interested in getting their canned food treat and I can make the bed without them on it. But sometimes I’m late making the bed and I have to work around the cats. The photo shows how I make the bed when a cat is on it. Ha ha!
Today was mostly sunny, but the high reach only 55 degrees. The house was a bit chilly, especially in the morning, because we haven’t yet turned on our furnace. I could turn it on if I wanted to, but the chill was not intolerable and we are trying to put off turning the furnace on until we absolutely have to, which will happen soon enough…but not yet. The temps are supposed to climb into the mid- to high 60s this week, and I’ve even heard it could be as warm as 80 degrees this weekend, which is too warm for a furnace. So I stubbornly wore a sweater today, wrapped myself in a comforter, and drank hot coffee or tea (coffee in the morning, herbal tea in the afternoon).
Yesterday I mentioned that Shelob, the huge wolf spider who lives in a burrow in the ground near the poultry pen, fills in the entrance to her lair when it rains. Yesterday afternoon I took a photo of her entrance. By then she had it so blocked in that it was difficult to even see that there was a hole. I kind of wonder if she pulled the green leaf over her lair to also help block the rain. She is clever. I haven’t seen Shelob for at least a month, but observing her lair get blocked and unblocked tells me that she is still alive. I always assumed that all spiders died off in cold weather, but I looked it up and learned from one website that:
“Because wolf spiders spend their lives in amongst the leaf litter where there are many more species than in the air, they have had to become hardier than many types of spider. This is why they are often able to attack and eat web-building spiders even of their own size. Of the wolf spiders that live several years, many will hibernate during the colder winter months either in a burrow or under a rock. Those that live under rocks tend not to hibernate fully, which would be very dangerous, but rather just become sluggish and only move if they have to.”
Observing and learning about wolf spiders has been very interesting, but I am still scared of them.
I almost accidentally drowned Shelob again today. The key words are “almost” and “accidentally.” I had supper simmering on the stove–I was trying a new recipe–when I went out to gather eggs and give the ducks and chickens fresh drinking water. I was in a hurry to get back into the kitchen and I forgot to turn off the hose. A few minutes later I glanced out of the window and saw water everywhere. It was about only about a foot or two from Shelob’s lair when I turned off the faucet. It did not reach her though.
This morning I saw Madeline outside and was able to take a photo of her. I usually only see her when she is in the garage; she vanishes outside. Later I found a dead rodent in the garage near the back door in about the same place that I saw the dead mouse the other day. Madeline the Magnificent has killed again! At first I thought it was another mouse, but when I scooped it up with a shovel to throw it outside, I saw that it was more mole-ish than mouse-ish. I googled “What is the difference between a mole, vole, and shrew?” and I learned that Madeline had killed a shrew. I learned that
- A shrew has a pointed snout
- A shrew’s front feet are not enlarged.
- A shrew’s eyes are tiny, but visible in most species
- Shrews have many habitats, depending on the species.
- Shrews will reuse the tunnels made by moles and voles, and will also occasionally invade buildings.
- Shrews feed on insects, earthworms, slugs, small animals, seeds and roots.
I had wondered if Madeline was killing mice in the garage or if she was killing them outside and bringing them into the garage. The shrew made me suspect that Madeline is probably bring in some that she has killed outside. I told EJ that one of my awesome readers (Lucindalines) had commented yesterday that “Ms Madeline is showing her appreciation for being loved, safe and cared for. She may also be showing that she likes her new home and is happy to bring you the best presents she can.” EJ suggested, “Or maybe she thinks she’s paying rent.” I think Madeline is very sweet. She and Annie always come up to me for lovings whenever I enter the garage.
The sunset was gorgeous tonight:
Autumn Activity
On Friday evening we were planning to visit EJ’s friend and his wife. They live further downstate but were camping this weekend at a campground near us. EJ met the man on Facebook and they went fishing together this summer. EJ says he’s a really good guy. I met the guy briefly when he stopped by at the end of their day of fishing to look at my chicken set up and ask me questions. I think they were considering getting some chickens of their own. Anyway….the couple had to cancel their camping trip because the wife wasn’t feeling well.
Although we were sorry we couldn’t get together with the couple, it seemed wise to cancel the trip because not only was the wife sick, but it was actually forecast to rain all weekend. Further south of us had several inches of rain on Saturday–some places more than 4 inches!–and more was expected today. Those places are being flooded. It didn’t rain much in our area until last night. It rained all night and is pouring buckets right now. When I went out this morning to care for the ducks and chickens, I noticed that Shelob’s hole is almost completely closed. She closes up her hole when there’s rain. Sometimes she puts a duck feather over it to shield it. I think critters are amazing.
Early last week one of EJ’s favorite work friends died unexpectedly. He was having seizures at work so his daughter took him to the hospital. The hospital couldn’t find anything wrong with him so they sent him on his way. He asked his daughter to stop at work so he could get his stuff from his locker before heading home. When he didn’t come down, she asked someone to check on him, and he was found dead in the locker room. I think that is very sad. We stopped in briefly for visitation at the funeral home yesterday. EJ knew only the deceased co-worker and I didn’t know anyone at all so we didn’t stay long. I told EJ on the way home that I felt like crying even though I had never met the co-worker.
On the way to the funeral home, near Meijers, we saw hundreds of little birds sitting on the power lines. I hurriedly got out my camera, but I didn’t have time to get a very good shot. The birds in the photo are only a small segment of what we actually saw. They were everywhere! On the way home, EJ pulled into the road leading to the store so I could take a video of the birds. He loves nature as much as I do and indulges me in my photographic endeavors.
The funeral home is located in the same area as Joann’s Fabrics. We arrived at our destination a bit too early, so we stopped in at Joann’s. I needed to get a couple of yellow paint pens so I can outline the red letters on my enchanted sign. The yellow letters show up clearly but the red letters are a bit too dark. As soon as we dry out from all the rain, I will finish the sign.
A couple of days ago I finished another sign. I love making these signs! I hung this sign on the fence dividing the chickens and the ducks. Cuddles, our male duck, liked to stand at the fence and pluck the feathers of any hen that came too close to the fence. Sassy the rooster would try to protect his flock by keeping himself between the fence and the hens, but sooner or later a hen would get within Cuddles’ reach. I finally fastened chicken wire on the fence so Cuddles couldn’t reach through, but he still waited by the fence, and Sassy still patrolled the fence and glared at him. I thought the “fowl play” sign was appropriate.
All summer long Cuddles has been, uh, intensely pursuing Esther. Esther is the older lame duck that EJ’s sister gave us. Esther is Cuddles’ favorite female and he was after her all…the…time. I felt sorry for Esther because Cuddles was merciless in his attentions. EJ called Cuddles season of lust his Pon Farr in reference to the reproductive cycle of Vulcans in the Star Trek universe. As Wikipedia explains it, “Every seven years, Vulcan males and females become aroused. They undergo a blood fever, become violent, and finally die unless they mate with someone with whom they are empathically bonded or engage in a ritual battle known as kal-if-fee.” Now that Cuddles’ season of Pon Farr is past, I often find him in the coop quietly hanging out with Esther.
Yesterday afternoon after we returned from the visitation, EJ’s friend stopped by–not the same friend we were going to visit at the campground. EJ has been friends with this guy since high school. They are closer to each other than to their own brothers. They call themselves “brothers from different mothers.” The friend stayed for a few hours before heading back home to the other side of the state.
This morning when I went out to feed Annie and Madeline and to care for the ducks and chickens, I found another dead mouse in the garage. Actually, it was near the back door of the garage and I sort of stepped on it. I got a shovel, picked up the mouse with it, and threw it outside. Then I praised Madeline for her mouse-killing skills. She is Madeline the Magnificient Mouser! She’s killed more in a few weeks than Annie does all year. But I give Annie lovings too and tell her she’s a sweet cat.
The trees are growing noticeably more colorful and beautiful every day. I love the beauty of autumn–and also the excitement as birds gather in preparation of their journey south. Here are a few photos that I took on our way home yesterday:
Plum Crazy
I’ve gone kind of “sign crazy.” I’ve been having a lot of fun making cute little signs. I’m getting low on wooden letters so I’ve been constructing new letters out of old letters–like making an “R” into a “P” or a “Y” out of a “Z.” Eventually I’ll get to a craft store to buy more letters. 🙂
I used my purple paint pen to color the “Plum Crazy” letters. Then I turned the letters upside-down and painted the back with blue paint. Some of the blue paint got onto the front side, which I think gives the letters a wonderful “plum crazy” look. When I finished with the letters, I glued them to the gate leading into the poultry pens.
I painted other letters green. I glued some of them outside over the chicken’s little door, which is at the back of the coop:
I glued other letters for the ducks’ door. Since their door opens to a little alley between the coop and the garage, I glued the letters to the front of the coop with an arrow pointing to the ducks’ little door:
I have another sign that I’m working on. I’ll share it with you when I get it finished.
While I was outside gluing letters on the coop, I heard a flock of birds flying overhead. I looked up, but couldn’t see them. I kept hearing them so, curious, I went further into the garden so I could locate them. At first I still couldn’t see anything, but finally I saw a large flock of birds circling very high in the sky. They made sort of a cooing/warbling sound. I didn’t know what they were, but I videoed them so I could show EJ and maybe we could identify them. EJ immediately identified them as sandhill cranes. I have never before seen so many. It was very awesome! Here is the video:
Enchanted Signs
Our cat Tesla was so old that she didn’t have many teeth left so a couple of years ago we started to buy canned cat food for her. After she died last year, we kept buying the canned food. Every morning I put a dab into four portions for the inside cats, and then take the remainder to the outside cats. The rest of the day they have dry food. The inside cats love the canned treat, and they are so eager to get it that they have begun waking us in the mornings by leaping on us like trampolines. Sometimes they leap from one to the other. Silly cats.
We have discovered that Madeline is an excellent mouser. In the two weeks that she has been with us, we have found at least five dead mice in the garage. Annie has always killed a mouse now and then, but the bodies haven’t piled up as quickly as they have since Madeline has been here.
My goal this week was to finish my signs and get them put up.
The last step was to cover the boards with a protective coating. EJ read the instructions for the can of spar varnish we had, but it said that it could not be used with any type of glue which meant that we couldn’t use it since I had glued my wooden letters to the boards. EJ was going to stop at Meijers for some clear spray paint on his way home from work last night, but he was tired and forgot. I had the use of the car this morning since JJ didn’t have school and he didn’t have to be to work until mid-afternoon so I decided to drive to the hardware store. It’s less than 5 miles away but I wasn’t sure how to get there. Besides the fact that I’m severely diretionally challenged–which means I can get lost anywhere, anytime–usually EJ drives when we need to go to the hardware store. Although we’ve gone many times, I am usually looking at the beautiful scenery we drive through on the way. But EJ told me the way to get there and–surprise!–there were only two turns! I found the store very easily.
When I entered the store, a woman employee asked if she could help me. “Yes!” I said. I explained my project–painted wooden letters on boards that I needed to cover with a clear coat of something that wouldn’t dissolve the glue I used. We went over to the spray cans and we found cans of clear paint and we both tried to read the info on the can. I finally confessed that the print was so small that I was having trouble reading it. “So am I,” she said. She finally found a telephone number to call on the can, so she went to the phone, called the company, explained my project, and asked if it was ok to use with glue. The woman at the company check and said it was ok. So I thanked the hardware lady and bought two cans.
When I got home, I put all the sign boards out on the deck and sprayed them several times with the clear paint to protect them from the weather. I used all of one can and most of another.
We share a short segment of our driveway with our neighbors because our properties were originally one 10 acre property before it was split in two. Our neighbors driveway turns off first while our driveway continues up the hill so every now and then a package gets delivered to our neighbor’s house by mistake, especially if there is a substitute delivery- or mail-person. We have needed a sign with our house numbers on it, so I’ve been making one. I chose an old board that looked like it was pointing up towards our driveway. I nailed the address board to a short-ish post and then set it up at the bottom of the driveway just before the driveway curves around. I think it looks very “enchanted forest.”
I waited until EJ got home from work tonight so he could help me with the other sign. He fastened all the boards to the post for me. Since he used an electric drill to quickly drive in screws it went lickity split. Once he got all the boards fastened to the post, he carried down the sign dow the driveway while I carried the post-hole digger and sledge-hammer. When we had decided on the location for the sign, EJ dug the hole, I set the sign into the hole, then he held the sign while I stood back to make sure it was in a good spot. Then EJ filled in the hole and used the sledge-hammer to pack down the dirt firmly around the post. We think the sign looks splendid.
I love my signs.
Next I’m considering making a sign or two for the poultry pen. Like maybe “Beware of Fowl Play.” Ha ha.
