Farm Cats

We have three cats in residence - Cricket, Onnie, and Missy - Cricket and Onnie are sisters and Missy is the daughter of one (which one?) of the sisters.

I never wanted a cat, let alone three, but when a little girl asks with hopeful eyes and an apprehensive smile, a Mother relents and says, 'OK'.  Becky got the OK and brought home two, grey kittens from a friend's litter.  Soon the two kittens had four kittens each.  Most of the kittens were adopted.  A visit to the vet for our three quickly followed.

two dogs, two cats

Years later, I am so pleased to have these felines as a part of our life.  I was wrong to previously malign these soft, lovable creatures.  They are friendly, get along tremendously with our two canine companions, and are just fun to have around.

Buddy and Cricket playing footsie

Each cat has her own personality.  Cricket is Glenn's 'pet'.  She is the friendliest of the three and craves attention.  She loves to curl up close to Jake's tummy to take a nap.  Onnie is a loner, but allows me to bestow my attentiveness on her at her choosing.  Missy is the 'scardy' cat.  She comes out to eat, but spends most of the day hiding out in the barn - her private lair unknown to all.

Every morning all three cats wait for me at the main door of the house, expecting my appearance, knowing that I will come out and serve them their breakfast.  I do.  They saunter off, tails up and steps ahead of me, looking back occasionally to make sure I am still following.  At the barn, I scoop out their favorite 'Chow' on top of the aluminum garbage can lid covering the storage of their grub.  Once they finish eating, each goes on her own and separate way.

Cricket, Onnie, and Missy are outdoor cats.  All three are not great mousers, but I do find an occasional dead vole (head removed), chipmunk tail, or bird (again, dead) lying at the door.  I am all for dead voles and a deceased mouse or two would be nice,  but I wish they would use a bit more discretion with the more desirable wildlife.

When I weed, the two sisters keep me company, usually on the sly, from underneath a bush or very leafy perennial.  Sometimes I catch a glimpse of them as I go about my work and smile.  I am glad they are near.

Like all cats I'm sure, ours are very entertaining - their antics, like playing with a grasshopper; their sleeping habits, weird locations and positions; their expressions, interested or indifferent. 

All in all, the resident Homo sapiens at Mountain Glen are glad to have these three furry friends around.

Note:  Like cats?...good reads by Gladys Taber, Amber, A Very Personal Cat (1970) and Conversations With Amber (1978).

Master of the Vegetable Garden

Yesterday, while I mowed the upper lawn (the lawn located above the farm road, house side vs. the lower lawn which is located below the farm road, garden side) of the yard, Glenn weeded the vegetable garden.

vine veggies and pole beans

I am not a fan of weeding the veggies because the weeds are so thick and they always outgrow the vegetables.  My forte of weeding is, like I previously mentioned, weeding my beloved perennials.  But, when Glenn finished, instead of a mass of green, you could plainly see the rows of onions, potatoes, peppers, corn, tomatoes, beans and vines.  You could almost hear those vegetables sigh, "I can breathe, I can breathe" after being released from under the cover of all the offensive weeds.

onions

I used the riding lawn mower instead of the walk behind mower because of time issues ad because I was just plain lazy.  Essentially, not lazy but sluggish as the the weather was hot and muggy, and I was uncomfortable.  When the grass collector filled, I would ride over to Glenn and he would empty both baskets around the vegetable plants.  There was so much grass that Glenn was able to  mulch the entire garden.  The day before, I had created a mountain of grass clippings when I mowed the lower lawn.  This pile was not even used.

Glenn planting sweet corn

After weeding, Glenn decided to put in a second planting of sweet corn.  Rain was in the forecast and would be beneficial to set the seed.  Our first planting of corn was actually planted twice due to the irritating crows pulling the emerging sprouts out of the ground.  From past experience with said crows, we knew the corn rows had to be protected until the stalks became established (approximately one foot tall).  In previous years, we had placed long cages created from woven wire fencing, folded in half along the length, over the newly planted corn seed.  The crows would not go under these cages. But, this year, the caging did not phase the crows as they walked under the protective covering entering at the open ends.  So, we learned and closed the ends on the second seeding, and foiled those crafty crows.

newly planted sweet corn rows (caged) next to first planting of sweet corn

Regrettably, our first planting was on the late side making this second planting a bit close to the first in terms of maturing.  Although we have a long growing season, we could not wait any longer to get the second crop planted.  Glenn and I love sweet corn, both fresh and the excess frozen to use later, so an abundance at once would not be a problem.  Forgoing a second planting was not an option.

The last of the corn kernels were placed in the soil and fenced as the initial drops of rain arrived - perfect timing!

And, in 85 days or so, Glenn and I will be dining on fresh, homegrown corn.  My mouth is already watering!

One of My Favorite Things

I love to putter in my garden - my flower garden that is.  My perennial beds are randomly designed in what are more like garden islands floating on my lawn.  I think my gardens are extensive, but I realize that is a very relative term.  Let's just say I never lack for any work, time - yes, work - no.

Initially, when we first moved to this farm about 22 years ago, I started with flower beds around the base of the house - pretty typical for a novice - adding to what was already growing from previous occupants.  As I purchased (many trips to many garden centers including Andre Viette's where I met Andre, himself, regularly puttering in his gardens - how lucky was I) or obtained (such as thinnings from a friend - more luck) new and different plants, I needed more space.  I added a small oval flower bed in the lawn.  This small oval expanded into a larger oval.  Soon I had ovals, circles and amoeba-shaped beds throughout my yard.  Then I expanded my lawn into the pasture; then the following year, a little further into the pasture.  I added a few fruit trees, apple and cherry; ornamental trees, shrubs and grasses; fruit-bearing bushes, blueberry and raspberry; and grape vines in ensuing years.  Glenn kept moving a temporary fence to meet my needs until he decided I had taken possession of more than enough of HIS (and his cows) pasture - he built a permanent, 4-board wooded fence two years ago.  So, now I have a permanent parameter, boundary if you will.  I cannot expand my perennial gardens any further than this obvious delineation.  I am still adding to my plant collection and I am staying within my bounds - a win, win situation if you ask me.  Now, if I can only keep Buddy from digging up my plants...

Weeding and Friends

I went outside early to try to get some weeding done before the sweltering heat arrived.

It did not rain last night, but there was so much moisture on the grass that it was as if I was standing in a rainstorm.  Weeding with heavy dew on the plants is rough on my hands.  The moist soil is like sandpaper rubbing away the outside layer of skin.  My main weeding fingers, the two index fingers, are the most abused.  They bear permanent dirt stains throughout the entire growing season.  Most of the time they hurt, just hurt.  I will not even describe what my nails look like, but they are not pretty.

At one point, I thought I had punctured my hand, as I crawled around on hands and knees on the twiggy mulch, as I delivered a loud, unconscious 'OUCH'.  But later, after washing the dirt from my hands, I discovered that I was bitten - but, by what?  A small welt with four barely visible, brown marks appeared on my palm.  Pressure on the site causes pain. I kept saying that a poisonous snake bit me.  Glenn and Becky rolled their eyes and laughed.  They agreed a spider maybe, but not a snake. I imagine all will be better by the end of the day - I hope...

One hour later, I was beat - as in exhausted.  The sun was hot.  Sweat rolled from my head down to my feet.  I felt faint.  I barely finished one, small garden bed (I really thought I could get three done today - ha ha), but I needed to stop.  Besides, my garden wagon was overflowing with undesirable vegetation and it would have to be emptied before continuing to the next bed - and that would only be when the temperature cooled - none too soon as far as I could tell.

Weeds be gone!

 

I staggered to the back of the house and sat on the cool, brick steps, in the shade of the house, to recover.  As I played 'fetch' with Buddy (not by choice - Buddy just shoves his stick into my hand and expects me to throw it), I kept feeling a crawling sensation over my arms.  Yikes - 5 ticks, all on me!  Quick, get the matches!!!  Unfortunately, the thing about ticks...once you feel and find a tick, the rest of the day you continue to feel ticks crawling all over your body whether they are present or not.  You just sense one creepy beasty after another, so you keep searching, and searching, and searching.

Rain, rain...keep on coming!

More rain arrived last night.  Farmers and gardeners never question summer rain - the more, usually, the better.

I woke to no view as the entire farm was shrouded in dense fog.  Ten feet being my maximum sight distance, I felt like I belonged to another planet.  As the morning hours ticked away, the farm was released from its ethereal hold. The morning progressed into afternoon, the air became sultry and very uncomfortable.  I slowly walked out to the garden to harvest sugar peas for supper.  I checked the vines three times, as routine, making sure that I did not miss a single mature pod.  I checked once more for good measure and there were five perfect, just ripe for picking, pea pods grouped together right in front of my own two eyes.  How did I miss those?  Oh well, in the basket they went.

sugar peas for supper

At precisely 5:00 PM, the weather changed abruptly - dark, billowy clouds quickly hid the sun, the wind blew strong and steady, and the air temperature dropped ten degrees in minutes.  Although a bit scary, the change was a big relief, but a sure sign that a storm was beginning to brew.  I guess more rain will be arriving tonight. 

With all this recent precipitation, the flowers in my garden look amazing.  But, you be the judge...a picture is worth...

red hot poker

sedum

phlox

sunflower

spiderwort

coneflower

ice plant

Russian sage

Received, what we call, a 'good rain' last evening - 7/10ths of an inch.

Rain just naturally cleanses and freshens the whole outdoors.  This morning, all the plants (trees, grass, perennials) put on their happy faces - full, open foliage; bright green hues; and abundant blooms.

The most notable view was that of the lower pasture veiled in low lying clouds presenting a mystical, yet peaceful impression. 

I spend a lot time looking at the mountains - so much so that I eventually command myself to try and get some work done around the house/farm.  But, other times, I just keep gazing at the beautiful sky, mountains, farm - my world.  Work can wait...so I continue to reflect and appreciate.

I have been asked on several occasions, "Don't you get bored of the view?"  Bored?  The mountains, the sky, the weather, the entire domain are always changing - each and every moment is different.  Bored?  NO.  Fascinated?  YES.

This afternoon, Glenn over-seeded approximately ten acres of pasture with a summer grass known as crabgrass.  Crabgrass - yuck! My initial thought...keep this crabgrass out of my lawn!  After much reading on pasture management, Glenn discovered that cattle think of crabgrass as I think of ice cream - yummm! Go figure.  But, I am delighted to know that our cattle will soon be enjoying a few treats, too.

Happy Fourth of July!

Crickets loudly heralded the Fourth of July during the early hours of the morning.  I hoped to catch a breeze from the same open window which conveyed the music, expecting to cool off from the previous day's high heat.  Coolness and sleep eventually prevailed.

Later, I was awakened by a raucous pack of coyotes passing through the lower pastures of the farm.  Our border collie, Buddy, listening from his post on the back deck, responded with quite a howl of his own - going back to his roots, I guess.

Buddy

Today (what better day to choose), I proclaim that I need balance in my life - a kind of rejuvenation, revitalization.  I am hoping that my journal entries, regular or not, will guide me to this result.  I am anticipating that my old interests, my new interests, and those yet to be (yes, I am sure my list will expand) will meld into a melange of total contentment.  Give me one year and I will let you know if I have been successful.

Blackberry Lily

My blackberry lily bloomed today.  The glowing orange petals brighten a corner of my garden that is mostly green vegetation at the moment - a corner that is awaiting a burst of color from the several species of phlox growing there enmasse.  I rescued this one plant, from many that were growing in the middle of a hayfield, just days prior to the passing of the sharp blade of the mower, and transplanted it into my garden.  Year after year, I am able to observe and enjoy each bud as it untwists into the bold orange, and later, transform into seeds that develop in a cluster resembling the fruit of blackberry plants - hence, the name.

Like the crickets, all Americans should sing out and support the freedoms we all enjoy in the United States - Happy Independence Day!  May we be as free or freer one year from now as we are today.  Our government does not exist to keep us free.  The government exists to protect us.  We, the People, must work together and stand together to maintain our freedoms in this great land, this great country.  Let us uphold the United States of American as the greatest country on this earth - as an example to the world that a free republic is favorable to every citizen residing in that republic.

Happy Birthday, America!