Monday, July 24, 2017

Ducks IN and Ducks OUT!! A Country Sunday and Monday!

Sunday was our last full day to be on Critter Duty!


We ride our bikes back and forth and use this time for 'exercise!'

Louis Dean does the goats.
We can't decide which are the MOST stupid - chickens or goats!
The goats are definitely contrary and it's just a real good thing they can be charming in spite of themselves!


Louis Dean takes them out of goat pen in the mornings and likes to chain them up in an area where they have access to water so he doesn't have to figure out a way to haul it to where they are. They turn over all but the heaviest pots. Thumper was happy up by the big tank.

I take care of the ducks and the chickens.


The ducks are easy and as soon as I open their gate, they head straight for the little tank.
Normally, they do that - UNLESS I am taking a video and then, of course, they remember I can FEED them first!


And so I do!

Next come the chickens. I like the mornings when I go to each hen house and sprinkle the food around and leave the door open so they can go out and peck around the place at their leisure!


There are three hen houses and I usually gather in a few eggs each morning.
Then I cook breakfast!

Sunday I worked on the door we got through a barter.
I had done one side on Saturday.......


So this was the other side.


Louis Dean replaced the glass inserts with plywood.
Sanded and first coat.

We had to make a quick trip to Waco Sunday afternoon and enjoyed the storm clouds that were blowing in!


This was the sky at the ranch when we returned.
No rain here at all.

We arrived back and it was Critter Chore time again.


Louis Dean put the goats up and I had plenty of  table scraps as treats for them.


BBQ is NOT his favorite critter right about now.
He had to rescue him several times this weekend after BBQ stuck his head through the fence and his horns prevented him from getting it back out!


The chickens are easy.......
Now I know what is meant about 'the hens come home to roost!'


Good Girls!


I always enjoy leading the ducks back to their pen but yesterday I found them trapped in a hen house!! Poor things! They were not happy about that door closing on them!



I rescued them and I was happier about that than LD was about rescuing the goats!


Sunday night was such a nice evening to sit out under the stars!
I hung up my Edison light and thought it looked cozy back up in the new room.
You can still see the camper as we have not closed in that wall yet. Step by step.


Robert put a dryer drum on top of the rim he used for the fire pit and that makes it perfect for when I burn our trash. We save the bottles and all food things are saved for the goats or horses.
Everything else can be burned.
Louis Dean added a few logs and we were set for some star gazing!
I saw TWO shooting stars! One BIG and one small.
They BOTH count!

I have been sleeping so well since we have been here!
When I wake up in the night to go to the bathroom - I have to PULL my eyelids open.
I love deep sleep like that!


Since my toaster oven is outside, I made a batch of blueberry muffins - from a mix!
But it was good! We had our breakfast and coffee plus our reading before we started our 'work' day.
In addition to the One Year Bible, we are reading:

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
The Autobiography
It Doesn't Take a Hero

Edwin Way Teale
A Walk Through the Year

Melody Beattie
Journey to the Heart

My personal reading?

The Mystery of Lucy and The Dark Woods
D. Diana Kosmoski


I didn't get a photo before he started on the 'Star Gazing Deck' this morning.
That's it right in front of the open door.

I had a 'busy' day doing dishes and planning meals.....


I used the peacock feather to make a card for Rayne.
I'll bike down to the gate and mail it in the morning.
Had to wait for the Mod Podge to dry.


I finished the door!
What a difference!!
Solid wood and HEAVY!


I decoupaged the area under the baker's rack.
It was just cheap trailer wall before. 
I love the quirky feel of our camper.
It looks anything but cheap and plain.

While we DO have plans for an elaborate outdoor kitchen......


THIS will have to do for now!


My sweet husband!
This trip is much more relaxing than last month's was.


And tonight's Country Supper which we shared with Dean and Sherry!
Sherry is in a great deal of pain - BACK pain!
I'm becoming extra compassionate to those suffering from back pain.....
which brings me to my Summer Dee!


I wish I could tell you she is so much better - but she isn't!
Still she smiles and has the biggest heart of anyone I know.
She was on her way home from therapy and saw this lady walking with a suitcase.
It's a summer day in Texas and she thought, "This is some one's mother and I bet they would not want her walking in this heat!"

She stopped and gave her a lift to the local aTom Thumb grocery store.

She sent me this photo and said the lady is from Europe and her husband passed away on June 6th. She came to the USA on June 9th and has a daughter in California. Her other daughter with the two grandchildren is still in Europe.
I don't know the rest of the story but Summer told her about Walmart online with Uber delivery.
Free 1st time and then $9.95 after that.

It's never wrong to do the right thing!!
I'm so proud of Summer!!
Even in pain - she is still thinking of others and doing her best to help someone!!

Now! Louis Dean did, indeed, finish the Star Gazing Deck so I am going out to join him on it.
I gave him a head start since I saw two last night and he didn't!


17 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

You look so cute in this first picture!!! I have never seen ducks this excited! And they got in the wrong pen, that is funny! I'll tell you an animal dumber then ducks or goats. And that is sheep. That's why they need a shepherd all the time. The ones around here seem really dumb. Your food looks so good! And I am so excited about the extensive kitchen! I can't wait to see it. LOVE your decoupage! Summer is a saint...really. Most people in this much pain are so cranky. It takes a lot to be in pain, smile, be cheerful, and help people too!!!

Linda said...

What a life. Forget all about the rest of the world and relax. Hard to beat that life. LD has some blood on him, guess he's a Coumadin man. Is that hair do his relaxed look or just a bad hair day? I've never seen a woman with so many aprons. The pockets are always handy. You better hurry and get those rugs on the floor before there's too much debri to find the floor. The new/old door cleaned up real good. Looks super nice.

Nancy Chan said...

Hi Linda, you look good and great with the bike! I have experienced looking after ducks, chickens and pigs but not with goats. I was a child then and it was fun then. The food makes me drool and I enjoyed reading your post very much. Life in the country is so much relaxing. Summer has a great compassionate heart and I hope she will recover from her back pain. Have a wonderful day!

Arlene G said...

I love the Dominecker hens...as we used to call them in GA. I love their black and white feathers. Y'all are staying busy and this heat is terrific. I am longing for fall this week. You are right about back pain. It is the devil for sure.

Susie said...

Linda, I can see you are relaxing there at the ranch. Although herding animals can be work. LOL. Goats are way dumber than chickens. Always sticking their dang heads thru a fence to eat the same grass they are standing on. Ted had to help the neighbors get those pygmy goats out of the fence before they were taken back to their homes. LOL. Your Summer is a sweet girl. I pray for her to be relieved of pain. I hope Sherry heals too. Blessings to all, love you, xoxo, Susie

MadSnapper said...

I love the finished doors and the medallions on the outside of the front. Silly goat silly chickens! Those are some really really large eggs Bob will just love that pan of eggs. So sorry summer is still in so much pain and what a story that is to have help somebody. We have more and more people using the Walmart online shopping here and having it picking it up I'm not sure about the delivery

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

That was really sweet of your daughter to do a good deed for the woman, but one has to wonder how she happened to end up in Texas if her daughter is in California?

Wanda said...

Oh it must be hard to decide where to be...love your home, and love your country home. You have the best of both worlds.
You pictures tell such a wonderful story. When I visited Jill, Tristan would gather the eggs from his chickens, and those fried eggs are the best!!!
Summer is truly a sweetheart...will continue to pray for her and this difficult time of pain.

Carol said...

How sweet your camper must be. I would love for you to decorate my home.

NanaDiana said...

Well, I was reading down through your post and thinking about all you had going on...and was so surprised to see my name and my book there! Hope you like it-it is a bit different but it has no sex, swearing or violence in it- I wanted something my grandkids could read and not feel ashamed that their grandmother wrote it. lol

Summer is a sweetheart and it makes you wonder why that lady is there instead of with her family in CA. I hope she ends up close to family at some point. Poor gal.

Hope you have a great week, Linda. xoDiana

Vee said...

Wow...that's quite a story about the lady from Europe. Is she trying to get to CA to see her daughter?

Enjoy the deck and the star gazing...

Carla said...

That was a full day. Are you sure you don't need to just move to the farm? Y'all always have the best time. Well except for LD and BBQ. ;o)
Hugs

Bluebird49 said...

Make sure to star gaze in August for the Perseids ( Sp??) meteor showers! They are awesome!

BeachGypsy said...

I love the picture of you with the bike and the hat on---that is absolutely adorable and captures your personality so perfectly!! Enjoy all the post about being in the country and all your adventures there with the animals and all. and that door you did looks GREAT!!

Katie Mansfield said...

Wonderful. I felt like I was right there with you.

Linda said...

We will be in Gulf Shores, Alabama! Should be a perfect place!

Ang said...

You make me want to move to a farm, pesky goats and all. I'm so glad you all are enjoying your stay. If I ever had a little place out in the country, I'd totally have a very cool outdoor kitchen area! I'm sure when you do have one it will be amazing. I love how you make little cards and such to send out of treasures like a feather. You are such a creative soul!