We've already stared the fireworks...

4:15 this morning I hear a sound. So I sit up and look out, it is already light out. I wait. Finally I see the raccoon, the big one that has eluded Rob for three shots so far. He is (as you can see....HUGE) I know I can take out the window screen and wait, and I'll stand a good chance of getting a clear shot. Nice way to wake everyone up :-) So I wait, and watch, as Rocky comes dangerously close to getting into the chicken coop (never would have made it, I may be old and slow but my bullets aren't). Then Rocky goes across the grass toward the house. Out of my line of vision. So I come to the front of the house, near the garden.
The other day I had some old grapes in the fridge. I tossed them out to compost in the garden. Rob said "you should put them in the compost bucket, the way they are they might attract raccoons"
Yeah, so guess where ol' Rocly was? Just a-chompin' on those grapes. About 6 feet away from me, and looking me right in the eye. So I guess I "baited" him...I know I can't open the window without spooking him...
So I go and get Rob, tell him if he goes upstairs he'll have a clear shot...I figure after missing him 3x, Rob deserved to administer the coup-de-gras. He takes my gun up and sure 'nuff, perfect shot. He unloaded both barrels (his gun is a single barrel, mine is a twin side-by-side) and no more Rocky. Helluva way to start the 4th of July weekend...

I think Misty is going to be a mouser!!!

Rocky

Last night we had rabbit for dinner. It was yummy, and when we were done Rob wanted to take the bones out for the kitties. He took them out to the driveway, joking "we don't want raccoons on the porch"
Ha-ha
A few hours later, at dusk, I see what at first I take to be a cat approaching the plate. Now, I know Kali-ka has had her share, I take it to be Razzie because she is the biggest cat. I know she's been at the plate, figured she's coming for seconds. But no. that's no cat...it's a raccoon! And a HUGE one at that!!! S/he must have gone #35-#40!!! I watched it take some and retreat, then come back...this time it didn't retreat but just sat there chowing down. I went to the bottom of the stairs and called to Rob (upstairs watching TV with Robbin) and told him. Well, we have chicks and rabbits and don't cotten to no varmints 'round cheer...so he got the 12 gauge single shot and came down. Of course as soon as we opened the door it took of, but he got off a blast and almost got it...it was on the run and almost dark out, the fact he got so close was pretty good marksmanship...he later found some 3" magnum #2 buckshot for my 20 gauge, so next time I won't be a'wastin' time calling for the menfolk but I'll load both barrels and blast away...iffen you think I can't shoot, BTW, I was a marksman in the NRA at 11...so yes I CAN shoot...and will muahahahahaaaaaaaa
Well, on a different note, today is my initial appt with my new GP. I hope I like her. My neighbor says she likes her, so that it an optimistic start...
The kittens have reached the "popcorn" stage...we're starting to wean them. the one that is spoken for (named Chizzle) is such a cutie, they will adore him...he is rambunctious and playful and adorable. The ones we're keeping are too, but I'm glad I'll be giving them a great little kitten...that always feels good...

Alright

I didn't want to do this, but...
One time Rob was telling me how sometimes deer will "mingle" in herds of cattle to go undetected...I asked if that was COW-MOO-flage?
You can't hit me, you don't know where I live.

mowing

Next morning Rob asked me how I was feeling after my tractor extravaganza...I said "Nothing a few MOWtrin wouldn't help"
ouch
That cow has been coming by in the very early morning as well...the last two mornings I have been awakened at about 3:45 a.m to her munching grass right outside my bedroom window...I love it!

AAAAWwwwww

Mowing

We have 2 2/1 acres here, and right now most of it is overgrown with grass. There was an old riding lawnmower in the yard, Rob got it going again. So I got brave and went mowing today. I had so much fun I mowed the front field for over an hour! Loved it! Rob brought out his old battered leather hat (see the ZZ Rob pic) and a beer...I told him I'll end up mowing zig-zag's, he said he didn't care if I mowed my own crop circles! There is SO little I can do here on the farm, but mowing is something I found that I CAN do, and enjoy! He made the worst pun, though...he said I'll be picked up as a terrorist for "operating weapons of grass destruction" bad bad bad boy...
There is a cow that wanders over from the neighbors farm...same one every time...she came by this evening, I guess she's helping mow the land as well...I should go over and tell them they owe me some milk ROFL...

Bugz

I think one thing I hadn't thought about is bugs...there are no fleas or roaches, which is great, but there are something they call "potato bugs" which look like ladybugs but are solid red, no spots, nothing really bad about them except there are tons of them. Their "season" apparently is over, I don't see them now, but when we first got here they were profuse. Now we're dealing with ticks. Fortunately they are the big black ones, not the itty bitty red ones that carry Lymes. With MS all I'd need would be Lymes...At first it was EEWWW get it OFF me!!!, now I just detach them (if they've bitten) and calmly dispose of them. We DO do "tick check"s pretty much daily. I haven't found any on the cats but I've found plenty on US!! They don't bother me as much now, but I DO still feel the creepy-crawlies when I find one. I hear their "season" is almost over YAY. And there are 'skeeters that could carry off a cow...there were big 'skeeters in Northern NY as well, so that's no surprise, especially as we have swamp very nearby. They don't seem to be going after me as much as Rob, which is unusual. Saw our first deer yesterday. I mean here on our land, we've seen plenty by the roadside, but these were out in the field chowing on the lush grass.
So far my MS is not acting up at all, I feel the LDN really helps and wish everyone with MS could benefit from it as well. My knee, on the other hand, is extremely painful. I have a Dr's appt next Thursday, I don't know how the system works here, if I'll need a reference to go to a "bone Dr" or not, I'll find out then I suppose. I really need a cortisone shot in that knee. Well what I REALLY need is a new knee but I'm a wuss about that and will try anything to stave it off. They have this stuff called "synvisc", I'm going to try that if I can. It is supposed to re-lubricate knee joints, almost like rebuilding the cartilage. I don't care how it works, I just hope it works. This pain sucks big time. Even just standing to cook or shower is huge pain, forget excersize. I'd love to be able to climb stairs again or go for a walk. I'd love to be able to walk around our property, see the plants, smell the roses as it were...but I can't even get down the three steps to get off the porch without help and pain. That's just.....wrong, somehow. I'm too young to be in this much pain, too young to be this old...I want to be able to go out and collect eggs when the "girls" get old enough to lay. Maybe by then something will happen and I can. It is my hope, my prayer, to get my legs functional again.
"nuff of that, I don't want to get into a pity party, I don't have any party favors...

Awesome clouds last evening

Full rainbow over the field

The Chicks

These are light brahman pullets, and they added an extra chick, they gave me a white polish, she's the one in the food dish. I'm using a salt lamp as their heat lamp, this gives them the added benefits of the salt lamp *and* provides the heat these chicks need. So far they're doing splendidly. We have about 25 or so. In about 5-6 months we'll have our big brown eggs again YAY! Meantime, a neighbor is selling me some of her eggs...it's fun because she has so many different types of laying birds, from chickens to ducks to turkeys, even a few colored egg layers, so we never know what we're getting...I must say that the duck eggs are a bit "gamey" or so said Rob, I've not had one yet...