About Me

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Greetings and Welcome to http://www.crittersgaloreandsomuchmore.blogspot.com/ and also http://www.gardeneroflight.blogspot.com/ From these spaces I want to share my love of animals and Nature and Life in general. So here you will find stories, information, reminiscences, an occasional bit of advice and a recipe or two. Please check them both out!!!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

What to do.....What not to do.

 My grandson Wyatt enjoying a "safe" look at the girls.
   NOT so safe! 
   Chickens will investigate everything!
  And they do this by pecking. Ouch!

Obviously I was Mistaken......

    There has been a new development in the egg laying around here. Its definitely NOT business as usual for my chickens.
    Here is Reuben the Rooster. Or so I thought. Looks kind of like one, doesn't he? Slim built and smallest of the four. Attitude up the wahzoo!! Wasn't laying eggs. Yep, thats a rooster.


   Turns out Reuben laid the egg on the left in this photo. Its the third one that looks like that. So I'm assuming "he" laid all three. I actually saw him lay this one.   All three eggs are noticeably  larger than the others, a different shape and have a strange texture to the shells. 
  So you never know what Life is going to bring your way!!
   As another size comparison, here is Helga/Hank. No eggs from this one either. But notice the big, fat hen shape. Hester is almost as big! Hermoine is on the daintier side... but still bigger than Reuben.
   What a bunch!!!
  

Friday, January 27, 2012

Blossom is Having a Great Week!

   Blossom has really been enjoying herself this week. Just a quiet time at home. BUT the weather has been warm and clear (until this morning!), the breezes have been blowing, there are LOTS of birds flying around....and best of all... the squirrels are REALLY FRISKY! Few things beat chasing the squirrels along the fence. Or watching them rip-and-race around the tree limbs. It seems to be the equivalent of a doggie amusement park for my three canines. And I swear the squirrels enjoy teasing the dogs too. So its a win-win situation.
   Except for Rory, who got whacked in the eye by Blossom's tail right before I took the photo! Kinda' looks like shes winking at the camera. Yep, lets roll with that. It sounds so much better.

What Beautiful Eyes You Have!

   Found this photo of Ellsbeth. Such a pretty face! And her eyes are simply gorgeous. The picture doesn't do them justice. They have the most beautiful "marbled" pattern in them.....sadly it didn't show up.  I'll just HAVE to include this in one of the drawings. 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Buggy Wheat and a Thoughtful Neighbor.

   My neighbor Matt is one of those cool guys that does things like grind his own flour for the bread he bakes. And I'll add that he takes the time to try and find the NON-GMO grain. Very cool!  Anyway, the other day I received an email from him stating that he had found bugs in some of his wheat and did I think my "girls" might like it? Would they EVER!!!  So he came over with half a bucket full. They've been in buggly wuggly heaven ever since. "Buggy wheat is good to eat!" chuckle
   Tried to photograph them dining, but they are SO NOSEY. Every time I paused with the camera they came running over. Probably hoping I had more goodies!
   They'll be three years old this Spring. When I got them as pullet chicks I named them Hester, Hermoine, Helga and Rosetta. The first two grew into nice hens. The other two sort of "switched" on me. I now call Rosetta by the name Reuben. He even looks like a little rooster. Darn sure acts like one! Helga is most often referred to as Helga/Hank. Looks like a BIG hen, acts kind of like a rooster, never was much for laying eggs, stopped laying at a year of age. Go figure.... chickens do the weirdest things!   But they're SO GREAT to have around.  I'll expound later on that subject.  
   Oh, by the way, the "girls" are Buff Orpingtons.

Watchdog Ahulee.

Yep, hes watching all right. Hes watching the back fence, hoping our neighbor John will pop his face over the top and offer him a treat! Its the intensity of his gaze that I get the biggest kick out of. That is one ALERT watchdog! He is NOT about to let a doggie biscuit sneak past. Not on his "watch".

Monday, January 23, 2012

Why did I "rescue" a cactus?

   I know this photo isn't in focus, but I was perched rather precariously on top of a ladder at the time. I wasn't going to be picky.
   What I'm trying to show is what I saw growing in my rain gutter the other day. Don't know how long it had been up there. Obviously for a while. But that is not a good place for any plant to grow. Including a cactus. I'm not a huge fan of this type of plant. I admire them for all their fascinating qualities, but I don't really enjoy trying to maneuver around their thorns.  Thats why I'm trying to figure out why I felt so compelled to "rescue" this little one.
    I've been trying to be more conscious of trying to see the sacredness in all things. Or perhaps the tenacity of this little plant is showing me something.  Whatever it is..... this little cactus has my admiration.
    Just look at this root system it developed!


So here it is. All safe and sound in a little pot of soil all its own.   I'll have to read up on whats best for it.  So its "home" will probably be changing.  Kinda' cute, isn't he?

Friday, January 20, 2012

Little Bella..... Looking for a Forever Home.

    Let me introduce Bella. This lovely little gal had to be left behind when her humans moved away. At least they came back to check on her. Thats the first time that ever happened  in the thirty one years I've lived in this neighborhood. Most folks just leave and never look back. They leave all their cats...and quite a few of their dogs. I find that behavior severely reprehensible. But who am I to judge? Some people never grasp the concept of caring about and being responsible for another living soul. Thats their challenge.     I simply offer aid and compassion to some of the creatures left behind. Its one of the things I do here in my little corner of the Universe.
    Anyway, haven't had her to the vet yet. But she is a beautiful cat! Young, friendly and playful. Seems to be the indoor-outdoor type. Quite a little talker!  I'll update on her when I can. If anyone is interested....... let me know!!
   

Robins before Sunset.

   I love it when the robins land en masse in the sycamores early in the morning or a little bit before sunset. This time of year the sunlight is so beautiful on the tree limbs and the last remaining leaves. I wanted to try and capture that when I saw the birds swoop in, but by the time I got the camera there were only three left. Can you find them? Who knows, maybe there are more.  (I made the photo as large as I could, hope it helps)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

After the freeze......

   Well, we finally had a freeze that actually damaged the plants around here. This firebush is about six feet high. Even the berries froze..... and thats what has the birds perplexed. I have the same mockingbird that comes every morning to dine at this bush. She sat in the mulberry tree and kept looking at it after she had tried to eat some of the frost burned fruit. Do birds look disappointed? No. But I could feel the sense of loss as one more food source disappears for the season.
   This is why I always encourage people to plant their yards with birds and other wildlife in mind. Every little bit helps. There is sooooo much habitat destruction out there. Every place they can find as a food source helps! Never think your efforts are worthless. If you can't plant where you are, consider a feeder. Just remember to be diligent about filling it. Once the birds know its there they will depend upon your consistency.  Their health and survival depend on being able to have a source of food. Think for a moment about how you would feel if your food sources were dwindling dramatically. A little despair maybe, followed by a sense of urgency.  Birds don't do the despair trip. They just pour all their energy into finding food.  Lets help them!   
   And remember, those angels that like to hang out near the birdfeeders are watching you too. And they know an act of kindness when they see it!

Monday, January 16, 2012

We're Just Watching the Birds.

   It has warmed up nicely today. Most of the cats are gathered at the windows. Enjoying the sunlight, sniffing the fresh breezes and watching the birds. LOTS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS!!!! Quite a few robins, hordes of grackles and a surprising number of cedar waxwings for this time of year. The cats really DON'T CARE about such things. A bird is a bird to them. But in large numbers they become a source of great excitement, anticipation and sheer JOY! Oh, the simple pleasures in Life.
   From left to right: The avid birdwatchers in this photo are Cormac, Ronan, Ruby the Runt and Rufus Rupert Uglybutt.  

Easier Said Than Done.

   Well, as promised I'm posting a photo of Wulfrig. NOT a very good one! But considering the fact that he is in near-constant motion this will be about as good as it gets. At least until I can get someone to hold him still for a few moments! He is extremely playful! Also loves to hug and snuggle, but only for so long. Then its off to play again......Typical youngster. Looks a lot better all clean and healthy doesn't he?

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Merlin at Six Months.

What a handsome guy!

Checking out the sketch for one of my Angel drawings.

"YOU HAVE MY APPROVAL!  Now you may continue."

3 Nights before last Halloween!

   At Dusk one evening I was still out trying to pull those last few weeds before calling it a night. And I heard this quiet little cry off under some bushes. When I went to investigate, this little black kitten ran out and crawled under a car across the road. I couldn't convince it to come out... so I tempted it with food. That always works to some degree!  Managed to catch him and put him in the safety of a cage for the night. That was three nights before Halloween 2011. A little black cat....hmmm.  This is a photo of him the next morning. A pitiful sight, isn't he?  He only weighed in at 1.2 pounds. The vet wouldn't do any blood work until he put on a little weight.  Since then he has gained nicely, tested negative for all the bad stuff, and is an absolute charmer. I named him Wulfrig.                   I usually do a little meditation to ask if an animal has a name they prefer. When I did that for him, I was shown a black wolf, with a silver undercoat. Which is just what Wulfrig has.... so hence the name.
He is much better looking all cleaned up and well fed. Will update photo soon. Promised Merlin I'd post his photos first!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Of course I took him in!!!

1st Day Inside
Back in June 2011 a little kitten showed up under my mother's mobile home. With daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 90's F and no rain for weeks, it's chances of survival weren't very good. So I finally managed to trap it. A trip to my vet to test for FIV and Feline Leukemia was next. Both results were negative! Its a BOY! And his age was guesstimated at six to seven weeks. Named him Merlin.
Brought him home to stay isolated in my bedroom for awhile as he healed from some abrasions he got during his time out in the big, bad world.

Merlin helping with house cleaning.

It wasn't long before he made himself at home, and even tried to help me with chores. What a good guy! He especially loves to "tend" the houseplants. As a result of that, most of my plants moved outdoors. I decided to give him a proper name afterwards. So his complete name is Wilford Merlin Dobbyns. Yep, WMD. The initials are very fitting!
But what a handsome little fellow.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Also before the freeze.

   Meet Malcolm the Malcontent. He decided to relax under the rosebush this afternoon. Everyone else was out in the sunshine trying to warm up! Not Malcolm....he "chilled out" in the shade of one of the David Austin roses.

There is a Chill in the Air!

   Everyone can feel the air temperature changing. We have a cold front approaching...... finally. While I may look forward to wearing some of my cozy winter clothes, the animals don't share my enthusiasm. When I saw this "bundle" of cats on my table this afternoon it was clear they were not happy about the chill in the air.  So let me introduce the Ladies... Autumn is the one at the top of the photo, Ellsbeth is to the right and Itty Bitty Kitty is the one giving the camera the 'evil eye'. Guess I'll bring out extra blankets tonight!!!