Another sunset

Not a better sunset, just a better stitch job in Photoshop of another pretty sky from the back porch. The big black corner is the roof getting in the way. Dead apple tree on the left, dying willow tree on the right.

The best sunsets are the ones that include clouds, and it has been cloudy for the past week or so. Almost every night we have been treated to a beautiful sky. I am wasting precious moments trying to capture them in a photo. I think I will go back to enjoying rather than capturing...

I went with my good friend Kathy to Key West about 21 years (!!!) ago. We went to the one spot that supposedly had the most beautiful sunset views over the ocean. There was not a cloud in the sky the whole week we were there, and frankly I thought the sunsets were pretty boring. Big blinding disc becomes less blinding and drops into the water. I did however get the best suntan I have ever had. For about a month after our trip I was no longer a white girl. You've heard of the black Irish?

Bits and pieces

You will just have to believe that the sunset was beautiful because I still haven't figured out how to make the panoramic feature work on my iPhone. This was quickly stitched together in Photoshop.

The others are just some recent and unrelated photos.

Cyrus is bored by whatever Woody is barking about.

The darkest yolk I have ever seen in an egg! Can you say anti-oxidants? :)

And finally, a pair of goldfinches feasting on the weeds outside the living room window. Hard to get a good photo on a windy day.

Was 4, now 5 chickies!

The Black Australorp hen was the charm. She right away was convinced these were her chicks, and the same day that I put her in there, she hatched one of the eggs that I moved over with her. (One of the eggs that I was sure would not hatch.) So now we have 5 little ones in with a momma who cares for them.

Update Thursday, July 26:

With the sun shining, I got some better photos today. Mom has been very patient stuck in the crate with the 5 little ones crawling on her back and flitting around while she is still trying to hatch the last 3 eggs in with her.

After all the confusion of moving hens and eggs, I have no idea how old the eggs are or if any more will hatch. Maybe by the weekend I can move the crate on the floor and leave the door open. It's just a bit difficult for her to hatch eggs and watch the little monsters at the same time. Better that they are contained for now.

Happy birthday little chicks!

It started with one German hen sitting on eggs about a month ago. Then she was moving from box to box and not being careful about sitting on them, so after a week or so, I stole some and took them to Elmer to incubate. I brought him 10 eggs, and yesterday 4 of them hatched. (Yay Elmer!)

Since I stole the eggs, one of the Australorp hens has joined German in the same nesting box. This is one big metal box that has 10 holes meant for egg-laying, not chick-sitting, so I am not real happy they are in there. And why in there together? A Barred Rock decided to join them 2 doors down. Sometimes the other hens go in there and lay eggs in with the sitting hens. And the sitting hens don't seem to know how to hatch them because they have not hatched a single chick on their own!

Now I just have to find a way to get the hens to accept these little ones as theirs. I tried to introduce them this morning, but German was pecking at them. I will try sometime later tonight. Rumor has it that you can sneak them under the hen late at night and she won't bother with them until morning when she will think she hatched them.

We'll see... For now, 4 little chickies are in a crate across the room, waiting for a mommy to love them!

Beautiful July!

We have survived quite the party weekend! We spent Friday and Saturday evening hanging out with various Peters family members celebrating the visit of Kimball and Terry from Lake Okeechobee. Sunday afternoon/evening hanging out with the Cooperstown Jam folks: Rachel's family from Nova Scotia was here for a visit. And yesterday, since we had no plans for more partying, we took the dogs up to the hill for a visit with Don on the Hill (doth).

Fantastic view of Canadarago Lake from up there! Thanks Don for your continued hospitality, and the cold Saranacs!

June slacker

I have been quite lazy about posting this month, so, on this last day in June I am going to give you a little bit of everything from all my recent (not so great) photos.

First, I am both happy and sad to report that we sold Johnny Cash today. He is the black alpine featured in the top photo with Rita and her 2 kids looking on. He was a great goat, and probably the friendliest we have ever had. Bucks just don't last too long here if we can find them a new home where they aren't going to be eaten.

It was coincidental that Larry, who bought Johnny, was the same Larry that we bought the big wooden crate from about a month ago. At least we know he will give him a good home with other goats for him to hang out with. Thanks, Larry.

Next is 1 of the 2 little deer bucks who have been hanging around here. They, with the help of Cyrus, woke us up at 5:16 a.m., eating my flowers in the big blue pots by the metal bench. Here he is eating some low-growing apples by the side of our house. We have a lot of apple trees, but I will be surprised if there are any apples left for me by picking time.

They will probably stick around for most of today because the very noisy Schuyler Lake Truck Pull is going on right next door. And the neighbor on the other side of our property is haying his field. I hate to think of what will happen to all the little fawns trying to hide in the tall grass.

The last pic is one of our 2 German Bielefelder hens who decided she wanted to sit on some eggs last week. If she makes it through to hatching them, we should see some chicks around July 12. But I don't have much hope of seeing any because she left the box yesterday and took up residence in the box next door. I think she was off the eggs for most of the day, but it was fairly warm so maybe they will survive. I moved them over underneath her much to her dismay.

2 young bucks in the back, and Phil

We very frequently see deer on the property and the dogs are quite happy to point them out if we don't see them. Woody just showed me yesterday that there is a new little fawn in the neighborhood. It seems very late in the season for fawns, and no one else I have talked to has seen any.

But we rarely see bucks here. Last year we had one young buck, and possibly the same guy the year before, but have not seen him lately. This morning though, Cyrus let us know that these 2 were in the backyard by the new trees. I didn't know until I got closer that they are both young bucks. Young bucks completely unfazed by 2 barking dogs and me with the camera.

Not the greatest pics, but you can clearly see their velvety new horns coming in.

And I found this last pic on facebook today. It is Phil Quartier, owner of the Quartier Horse Farm across the road from us. I did meet him once when we were still in the trailer out front. He came over to say hello while I was out working in the garden. He has since passed away. I have heard so many stories about what a character he was, and now I can see he was quite the accomplished horse man as well. Wow!

Sunset house, red table, better WoodMan

Sunsets are always pretty here at Lester's Flat, but some are prettier than others. I caught the elusive Husband in that photo standing in front of his truck.

My multi-colored, rusting, peeling picnic table and chairs are almost finished being painted—a lovely tomato red to almost match the screen door I painted a couple of years ago to almost match the Adirondack chair on the back porch. It is not easy painting that metal mesh, but I am getting there.

And the WoodMan is recovering nicely from his ear injury. He and Cyrus still go at it, but I stop them sooner than I would normally. Don't need any more blood spattered about the house. Plenty in here that I keep finding even though I thought I cleaned it all up... Stitches come out in 2 weeks. That should be loads of fun!

Woody Van Gogh

Will explain later. :(

Morning-after update: Always getting into trouble with those big ears!

The Van Gogh portrait :) was our Christmas card from a few years ago when Woody ran off into the woods and came back all bloody from a tiny little nick in one ear. The vet taped it up over his head to stop the bleeding which made him look a lot like this crazy painter who cut off his ear.

Yesterday, Cyrus was in a frenzy about getting out the door first to bark at a deer in the backyard, and he bit Woody on the ear, ripping it about an inch, all the way through. Tape was not the answer this time. They had to sedate him and stitch it. Cyrus appears repentant, but I doubt he knows that he is responsible. Woody is still trying to figure out what he did wrong to be punished so...

The king, the frog, and the blue-eyed dog

The king was testing out the bench by my big flower pots that finally got planted up. I hope the plants get a bit larger before the chickens discover them or they will scratch them right out of the pots. To the left of the king on his throne is a young red-leaf birch that we bought from Melinda's Nursery 2 years ago. To the right is a mountain ash that we just got a few weeks ago.

This little frog with the green head is probably a green frog from what I can find online. He lives in the culvert in front of the beagle house. He and the king are a bit shy about having their photos taken.

Cyrus and his one blue eye are not at all shy about posing. Right by the windowsill that is all scratched up by himself, and right by the slobbered up windows. He gets all lathered up when he sees a critter outside—large or small makes no difference.

The best birthday presents!

The youngsters are always fun to watch, and always hard to capture with the camera. They are at the bouncy silly stage where I could just sit out there and watch them all day!