The screaming meemies

Well, the chiclets are home . . . but Poppy was nearly homeless! I can kid now, but earlier was a different story.

It started out shortly after we turned out of our driveway. Two deer crossed the gravel lane right in front of us, and Poppy started bark-screaming. She had seen these same two deer in our upper pasture when we got home from agility last night, and really wanted to get out and chase them then. Seeing them again just sent her over the edge, which in turn nearly sent ME over the edge!

When we got to Kate's (my chickens' foster mom 😉), Poppy got to play with her good friend Glory. We went for a walk up the hill off-leash, she got her feet wet in Glory's 'swimming pool,' and there was plenty of romping. But when it was time to catch the chickens and put them in the dog crate I brought, we thought it best to tie up the dogs, both of whom are a little too interested in feathered peepers. They were together on the front porch, close enough to interact and even play, but when I walked out of sight, Poppy started screaming again. Oy. It was most annoying; Kate even got after her.

Once the chickens were loaded in the crate in the back seat, I had Poppy jump into her side of the back seat to be 'buckled in.' She immediately zeroed in on the 'birds in the box' and started trying to gain access. Clearly THAT wasn't going to work! So Kate moved the chickens' crate to the front seat, and we headed for home, with Poppy periodically exploding with more screaming, "I WANT THOSE CHICKENS!!!" I finally had to pull over and put the chicken crate in the trunk to save what was left of my jangled nerves, shortening temper, and damaged hearing.

When we got home Poppy was deposited in the house so I could get the chiclets moved in. First, though, I cleaned the henhouse and put down fresh straw. Then I set up the 'nursing pen' next to the inside waterer, with a perch and food, installed the chiclets, and hand-fed them some treats. When I checked on them later, I was able to reach in and pet Chippy, Lottie, and Dot; Kate is more skittish. At bedtime, everyone was on the roost.

On the left you can see a much-larger adult

All that screaming is exhausting, apparently; Poppy has been very quiet ever since we got home:

That's it from the noise-exhausted at . . .

The longest month

Good grief; July is lasting forEVer!!! I don't have anything against the month (other than that it's summer); two of my favorite people were born in July, after all. But it does feel like it is taking up more than its fair share of the year.

Then again, I guess that means more homegrown food. As worried as I was that we weren't going to have a garden this year, it is shaping up to be one of our best seasons here. Last night I picked the first snow peas, after thinking they were just beginning to bloom. That has happened with several 'crops,' including English cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. (It's amazing what you find when you wear you reading glasses to the garden! 🤣)

ONE potato plant has blossoms

No glasses needed for the zucchini; it's producing abundantly enough for us, neighbors, and friends, who are all welcoming the offerings as I am picking them young and tender. Another neighbor let some get away from her, so my chickens benefitted.

Our new 'chicks' are now beautiful young birds that come running to my friend for mealworms. I was planning to bring them home week after next, but got a text from my friend tonight asking if we could move them tomorrow since she has to leave town for a funeral. Okay, then; hopefully introductions will be trauma-free! Here are the last photos Kate sent me on July 12; I'm sure they look much different now. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be seeing that for yourself soon!

Dot

Chippy

Lottie

Kate

Last Sunday I worked on skirting fleeces, finishing all of the five reserved by one repeat customer which leaves only one to do before the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in October. I took photos of the first one I did (Bridget) and the last (Vienna).

I had a new perspective as I did it; I've been asked to judge fleeces in the Shetland show at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in September. I do NOT feel qualified but have been talked into it, and while I'm in the area, I'll get to visit relatives that I haven't seen in decades, too.

This year is turning into "The Year of Extended Family," and I love it. Since the funeral/family gathering in Alaska, my cousin who lives in Salem and I have met up three times; we're really enjoying our visits. Now I get to anticipate a visit with my mom's first cousin and his wife in Wisconsin!

That's it for now from . . .

The Perils of Poppy

Yes, two posts in one day; don't panic!

That's because I decided to 'divide and conquer' the topics and photos piling up in my mental and laptop files. Although I could have worked Poppy into the previous post since she has a flower name.... 😉

Poppy leads a busy life. She plays, she hunts, she sleeps, she goes to agility class . . . and I even get photos of some of it!

She loves our bed – with or without company:

She's a good little traveler, and sometimes is rewarded with FUN! On Sunday Rick had to go to the coast on a vet emergency, so Poppy and I rode along. The client had a large mixed breed puppy, and they had a great time playing together (even thought they look like they're fighting 🤣):

Then we went to the beach for a walk:

She wants to get a seagull SO.BAD.

Yesterday while outside, she must have tangled with a bee or wasp, because she came back to the front door looking like Rocky Balboa:

She's almost back to normal now. I suspect she revisited something she killed; the yellowjackets go crazy for flesh this time of year. If I find something right away, I pitch it on top of the woodshed so the vultures (and wasps, I suppose) can clean it up from there. I did that last weekend with three of Poppy's catches. At first I thought she was playing another gopher – until I saw a long, hairless tail. Ugh; a RAT! After I got a closer look at it and the two smaller carcasses I thought were mice, I did some online research. Who knew there were so many species!?! What Poppy killed appeared to be an adult and two young Dusky-Footed Woodrats, which  now makes me kind of sad because these aren't your nasty city rats. Oh well; terriers will be terriers.

That's it for now from . . .

Beauty and bounty

I posted this to Instagram>FB last week:

In spite of a lack of watering (the soaker hose I've used for them has failed), my daylilies are providing some color in the yard.

Rick and I took Poppy for a walk Sabbath afternoon and found more flowers:

Up in the garden, the flowers are less obvious but more fruitful:

I've eaten the first yellow cherry tomato; something helped itself to my first Matt's Wild Cherry tomato. 🤨 My tomatillo plants continue to go CRAZY; if I'd know they'd get so big I would have planted things differently. The eggplants seem to like their shade, but the pepper plants are struggling to find more light.

The zucchini, true to form, are producing well; hurray! I've harvested eight to date; Rick and I enjoyed the first two sautéd with onion, garlic, EVOO, and Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, then tossed with whole wheat spaghetti. This morning I gave the neighbor three of the four I had just picked. She was delighted; they turned their garden plot into their chicken yard so have nothing planted this year. I really like the light green variety that was in the Renee's Seeds mix; need to save seeds for more of those next year!

This morning before it got too hot I chopped thistles and pulled tansy. Both noxious weeds are blooming now, and we don't want THOSE to go to seed.

That's it for food and flowers for now from . . .