Herdin' Cattle in a Mini

Today was certainly an interesting day.

While the Queen was sawing logs getting her beauty sleep, the King snapped pics of this little gal who was peeping at the kitchen window.

What a cute little baby cardinal.

Then as I was sitting on the couch taking tests so the local employment agency can find me a job (which I aced... cuz I'm a smartie with 'amazing skills'), I noticed a small herd of cows meandering up the road.

Odd.

At first I thought it was strange that someone would herd them up the road like that, but hey, if you can...

But then no one came along beside them or behind them. They just stayed in their little group and kept walking. Cute little baby moo cows and a couple of moms. And a bull who went the opposite way.

So the King jumped on the 4-wheeler, and I hopped in the royal Mini, and we wrangled them, putting them back into their pen in short order. Wish I had pics, it would probably be hilarious to see us in action.

And after all that, this little guy bonked his head on our window. Maybe the Windex commercial is right... we need a smudge stick.

He was really stunned and it seemed touch and go for a little while.

His eyes were heavy and he didn't have much strength. I've seen it before and it usually doesn't end well. But I refused to give up. His neck wasn't broken... he needed to live.

But then we got him on the branch and after a while I took him to the feeder.

He started expressing an interest in food.

And little by little he started to grow taller.

And began to look around.

And the two bully birds came and buzzed us at the feeder, but I am the alpha hummingbird. So this time, this little one came out victorious.

I think perhaps that also bolstered his resolve. (I write my own history!)

And just about the time the King rode up from searching for more moo cows...

... and the little hummer decided it was time.

So after patiently allowing me to snap dozens of photos (because when do you get to hold a hummingbird and see them so up close and personal?)...

... little hummer flew away.

Which is how it should be. But I do hope he'll pay us a visit from time to time. Well, he will because he likes our feeder, but I hope he'll let us come near him now.

Which won't happen because hummer's are notoriously snobbish.

After all this we went to a friend's farm to load up some compost for our flowerbed. I'm so jealous, she has chickens and ducks and turkeys and GOATS and horses and rabbits and pigs and MOO COWS!!!!

I even got to wrangle a baby angora goat... a real cutie who managed to escape his pen. We're pals now.

Not really, but at least he stopped running away from me.

The King snapped this pic of another avian visitor on the castle grounds.

  
And the adorable royal hounds. I call this one "Lazy Daisy."

No daddy, don't take my picture...

Another hummingbird getting breakfast

Our handsome boy

It's a Bonut

And our whistlepig, also known as a groundhog.

So the day isn't over yet, but hopefully there are no more escapes!

Just a Walk in the Park

My friend Lisa and I met up to take a walk through downtown. I thought the track made a circuit, but it terminated at a church on one end, and a road on the other... strange.

Along the way we snapped pictures and endured having wood chips thrown at us by a heathen child. Well Lisa did, because she tried to interact with him. That's what you get for being nice... ignore them and they go away.

A festive spot... but the Queen wasn't invited to the party...

Actually I think this was all duded up for the car show this past weekend.

Life after death... the little flower that could...

I had a Flash Gordon moment

Yes, tree roots still fascinate me... 

An outcropping at the back of the park. I have always wanted something like this in my backyard... but no... we have an electrical easement instead. 

I would like one of these too please.

We cheated today. Day 22 out of 28 and we couldn't stand it anymore. We were running errands and starving and we caved.

I sort of regretted it but not completely. This is a 'taco salad'... I was (in some respects) trying to behave... but the cheese and sour cream and tortilla chips say otherwise. Although I do have to say... I wasn't hungry until dinnertime.

Was it good? It was as good as it looks. So not very. But for some reason my body still wants this instead of tuna salad with no mayo.

At least our errands were fruitful. I have effectively been talked out of the restaurant business, but we applied for jobs and found another job lead in the unlikeliest of places. Weird story about being referred to someone for something that wasn't their forte, but in the process of talking to them subjects came up and odd coincidences happened... And we may save money on insurance to boot.

So tomorrow is new day, and we'll see what happens because as I have learned... you just can't plan these things.

Talkin' 'bout my best friend

The Queen is happy that the royal canines get along so well and have since day one.

Mr. Bo-Bo likes to initiate play. Daisy Bear likes to ignore his impassioned pleas. 

No thank you, I'd rather roll in the grass. It's fun. You should try it.

I'm far too distinguished for that, note my regal profile. I think I'll sniff the air instead.

And this patch of grass is interesting.

Time for the Queen to get back to work sanding down pallet wood for the wall.

Seventeen more boards ready for stain, although some will be left naked.

Did you know that toad poop is almost as big as a toad?

At first we thought a raccoon had somehow gotten into the basement, but thankfully it was just a toad. With disproportionately large poop.

Back to the besties. Loud sounds startle Mr. Bo-Bo and he seeks the comfort of his humans and sometimes plays little spoon with Daisy Bear...

... who doesn't mind one bit.

Sometimes they both end up in my lap. Mayor Tom wanted to sight in a gun this afternoon and they were stuck to me like glue.

The King has been busy building evil genius type things like this bin for the pallet wood storage made out of scrap wood and slide jacks we had for our RV.

And this rack for our yard tools.

We keep the torture rack next to the oubliette.

He cut out slots where the tools can hang.

And repurposed this wire shelf for his work bench.

But don't worry, he makes time for play.

While tomato season may be coming to a close, we still have a couple coming!

I also read that I can take a cutting of this plant, put it in water over the winter, and I can replant it next summer. Woot! A free tomato plant from a free tomato plant. I may take another cutting before the frost hits so I won't have to buy any plants next year.

We also have this tiny pepper and several buds.

These are my lemon trees. I took seeds out of a lemon and put them in dirt... and they grew! I don't know if they'll ever produce lemons since they were grocery store lemons and probably hybrids, but you never know.

Here is my tomato cutting, and a coleus cutting that I stole from the bank this afternoon. Seriously, I loved the colors on it so I picked a stem knowing that it's pretty easy to propagate coleus from a cutting. I like to think I provided them with free landscaping services by pinching the plant before it bolts... so we bartered...

And just because it looks cool, my salad bowl, with barely enough for a proper side salad... by hey - it grew! Gives me hope for a real garden.

It was actually chilly today, and tonight it started raining. If I liked pumpkin this is when I would start to celebrate, because it's now pumpkin flavored anything time of year. I just rejoice because I can wear warm and fuzzy clothes again and snuggling with the dogs is far more satisfying when I'm cold.