Thursday, May 24, 2018

I Love Our Country Days......

We are on Critter Duty again, although tonight Dean and Sherry did all the evening chores before they left except closing up the hen houses. We went down to do that along about 8:00. By that time all the chickens have turned in for the night. I walked down to the meadow to watch the fireflies for a few minutes while Louis Dean was loading up some wood for our campfire tonight.


The frogs were making a big racket as I walked up to the tank.
Deep throated bullfrog calls mixed in with so many other kinds of frogs.
The noise crescendos and then total silence falls and last a couple of minutes before it all starts over again.


We say it is quiet in the country but it's really not.
The difference is, in the country you mostly hear critters and nature.
In the city, you hear people, cars, trucks and sirens....and some nature.


I'm fascinated by the fireflies. I loved them when I was a little girl and then for many years I never saw them. Now the last several years I am seeing them again. I saw my first one this year on Monday of last week and have seen them every night since then here on the ranch.
I marked the date of the first one in my Country Diary.
I'm still waiting to hear my first locust (cicada) of the season. I have heard them as early as May 8th and as late as June 10th. Summer and I have had a contest for years to see who hears the very first one. In recent years another friend has joined the fun and he sent a message to me this afternoon....
he heard one first! Jerry wins this year but I'm hoping to be in second place. We will see.


As I was walking back from the tank, I spied Henrietta 'Chicken Little.' 
Those two old biddy birds were harassing her so Louis Dean picked her up and held her as I drove the truck up to the camper. She was glad to be back. I had saved out some watermelon rinds to feed the horses so I gave one to her and she was pecking away at it before she climbed up her ladder to roost. We noticed she had gone missing a few days ago and had thought she might have been killed by a coyote. He got one of the ducks last night - Dean said there were lots of feathers around his parked truck this morning. And there was one duck that wouldn't go in the pen last night.

I left some rice cooking on the hot plate when we went down for the firewood.


I heated up the pork roast from last night and poured that good gravy from it over the rice.
It was really good!
I do most of my cooking in the front room using the hot plate, electric skillet, crock pot, or electric griddle. Dean and Sherry also gave us a Nu Wave oven and I used that the other day.
None of these heat up the place like the stove in the camper!
I'm loving my little cooking area! We are improving it all the time!


This is my newest wall!


I spent a few hours cleaning up out there this afternoon and evening.
Art is still out and I intend to paint some more tomorrow and then pack it all up.


This side of the room is once again neat and tidy.
I'll work on the other side tomorrow!


Louis Dean brought up some firewood that Grandson Robert had rounded up for us last year.
Speaking of him, he is planning on coming down perhaps next month when we are here. It's been nearly a year since he's been here.

If I don't tarry, I can get this Thursday journal entry in on Thursday instead of after midnight!!
Now I'm going to take my book, bottle of water, iPad and iPhone and tuck myself in the Girl Bunk.
Louis Dean is already snoozing away!
It's good to be in the country tonight.....

11 comments:

Vee said...

Listening to the country sounds is soothing...isn’t that interesting to note. I am listening to morning sounds. Pretty soothing except for some crows who’ve decided to join the symphony. Do not tell me if anything happens to Chicken Little. I won’t be able to handle it. 🍉

Susie said...

Linda, I loved hearing the many frogs sounds of the night...but I would be creeped out if I were to hear it in person , alone. I am loving your new big room. It can seem cozy at times, but plenty of room for the cooking spot too. I like not heating my house up on hot summer days. I see the honey sign is hanging up. :):) Hope you keep having nice weather. Please show us your paintings when finished. Blessings to all, Love you, xoxo, Susie

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Everything seems to come your way a little earlier than it does here. It is usually around the 4th of July that we start seeing those lightening bugs or fireflies as you call them. I do love the chorus the frogs make. So far I've not heard them here. Goodness knows we have enough water to make our own little pond with all the rain we've had. You made short work of that new wall. Didn't take long at all to look like home! Love the looks of your front room. Very warm and welcoming. Hope you have a fantastic Friday!

MadSnapper said...

I love the thought of you and your STUFF in the girl bunk and would like that myself. poor little duck, hope the chicken is ok today. even here in the city we have night sounds, frogs and crickets and of course tire noise and sirens.... it is never quiet though. doves and owls calling PLUS the sound of the never ending TV talking. I love your mini kitchen and it would be perfect for the type cooking I do. we could easily live in your country place year round. would need a garage in the yard for bob to play in

MadSnapper said...

ask Dean and Sherry if they would consider renting out space for another camper home

Cheapchick said...

Beautiful night and pictures!

Debbie said...

you are right about "country noise" - it is so much better than quiet. we live in the suburbs, on a river, and we have wonderful wildlife around us. i enjoyed the video and the sounds of your country!!!

everything looks great linda, i don't know if i could bounce around like you do...but i can tell from your posts that you really love it!!!

Rain said...

Hi Linda :) Oh, the nice soothing sounds of Nature! I love hearing the bull frogs, and the spring peepers lately! Much more beautiful than a honking horn! :) It's funny what you said about the fireflies. I saw them a lot as a kid, then not at all for years, but just last summer Alex and I saw so many of them! Is it because we weren't really looking? Interesting thought! :)

Wanda said...

Hi Linda...It's so nice to see Rain over to visit you. I love country sounds...love going to sleep hearing crickets, or frogs. Your home away from home is to perfect. I love all your critters, and your new room looks so adorable. Hugs.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I have heard any cicadas here yet, in Lancaster County PA. Soon. We usually see our first fireflys in June. I'm glad your sweet hen is okay. There is a reason for the saying "pecking order." Henrietta is low hen on the roost I guess.

Enjoy every moment of your time in the country.

Carole said...

I'd never thought about that pecking order thing... Glad you are enjoying your second home so much. When you have filled it up, will there be a third?? Cheers