About Me

My photo
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!!!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Cautionary Comment from Ronan.


   "Uhmmm, Mama. I think you're taking this whole holiday preparation thing way too seriously. I do believe I see smoke rising up from the top of your head!
   I think you should relax a bit. Maybe drive out to a store and purchase some cat treats or something. Yeah, that would help you calm down.
    Or the seafood market! That would be even better.          Wow, theres even more smoke now!!!  How do you make it DO that?
    Have you ever given any consideration to trying catnip? It really helps with my stress situations.     WHOA! Now you have steam coming out of your ears!!!
   I get the feeling I'd better shut up now."

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Whats Almost Here?




   " Mama keeps muttering to herself about how she can't believe its almost here. Blossom and I were starting to think that the cats might have slipped her some bad catnip somehow. (Well, you never know! Cats can be really sneaky when they want to be.)
    Then Coco assured us that we were incorrect. She'd all ready asked Brave Dave and Ronan about our suspicions and they said that all the cats were just as perplexed as we are.   We know shes been under a lot of stress this year... so we were keeping a close watch on her anyway. Wonder if her mind has finally snapped? That's not a good thing in humans. (Doesn't seem to matter much with cats though.)
   I tell you, its unnerving! She starts mumbling and every once in a while throws her hands up and says things like "I'll never be ready in time!" and "What the heck happened to 2013?" Shes making a fuss about finding some kind of cards. Says she needs to get them out soon! Sheesh!! What is all the worry and hurry about?!
   And to make it even more strange... she put some silly kind of collars on me and Ahulee. They were soft and fuzzy and had big BELLS on them that jingled every time we moved! It was really upsetting! I hope she takes those back to the store where she got them.... even the cats were snickering and making fun of us! Yep, I think that Mama might have lost part of her mind. I'll keep everyone updated on this dire situation. In the meantime......


....I'll look around outside. She may have dropped it out here in the back yard! Wish me luck."        Jacob

Friday, December 6, 2013

Feeling Better!


   Everyone has been asking about Jake! He finally healed up from the mystery injury. Took about three weeks! He seems good as new, but is still a little bit hesitant about certain things. Like the steps.
   Our latest adventure is trying to teach him some leash manners. He knows  I'm a real softy. And he keeps testing me, but heck, all kids do that! Its just part of their society development. Dogs are no exception.   Anyway, please wish us luck..... and pray for me! hahahahaaa!!!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

My Pitiful Little Boy.


   Poor Jacob! He just wants to lie in his crate. He started crying out in pain a couple of days ago. Yesterday was pretty bad, so off to the vet he went this morning. The trouble is in the hip and lower back area. Right now he is on some pills for pain reduction and I'll keep a close eye on him.  Hopefully, he simply pulled something out of whack while running and bouncing around like a little maniac!!!  Or maybe Blossom got fed up with his shenanigans and pushed him off the porch!  I just don't know!  All thats for certain is that he is in a lot of pain. Hopefully time and rest will heal him.  If not, then x-rays will be the next logical step. (Not sure where the money will come from... but somehow it always works out.... somehow. Getting the feeling I'd better get creative this time!)
   For the last few weeks I've been trying to decide on how to raise money for an improved deck with a ramp for Ahulee to use. He'll be 13 years old in March of 2014. With his size and bad joints I KNOW I have to make something!!!! Never even considered I might need that for either of the younger dogs. Oh well, life has a way of "happening". And we just have to adapt and do the best we can.
   So please say a prayer or send positive healing energy to the four legged gang here. We appreciate it!!  Blessings to all.
   

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Jacob Looked SO Serious.


   Jacob was doing some serious sunbathing the other day! Looks like he learned the finer points of this art form from Ahulee. This certainly is a familiar looking pose. chuckle    Great weather for it!!!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Not Exactly A Battle Royale!


"Here I am well hidden. Just waiting for my chance to pounce!"
  


"I spring into action! A little bite on the muzzle before she even knows I'm attacking. From that point.... its ON!"
 


 
 "The battle rages"
 
 
 "As you can clearly see my fighting skills are far superior to those of my opponent. I have her just where I want her!"
 
 
 "When she becomes distracted.... I go for the EAR! Great move on my part."
 
"Unfortunately at one point in this conflict of strength and guile, I miscalculate a lunge... and wind up waaaay too close to the deadliest part of this ferocious beast. But with my lightning fast reflexes I manage to escape unharmed by any noxious fumes!"


"Here I am..... VICTORIOUS!"


Sunday, September 15, 2013

When Coco Met Blossom.


   "Well, I got to meet my big sister Blossom face to face today. We've chatted through the screen door up until now. Mama wanted us to get familiar with each other that way. I think she was a little nervous, but I knew everything would be OK! You see, Blossom is a very gentle and thoughtful dog."


   "I started off by showing her some of my really cool ninja moves. They impressed her more than they did Ronan! At least someone appreciates my prowess and skill."


   "She, in turn, demonstrated  some of her fancy footwork. She says its necessary in order to keep up with Jacob and the bigger cats."


   "We shared some really good laughs as she told me all kinds of stories about how life is, here at Mama's house. I REALLY LIKE my big sister!"

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Ronan and Coco: 2nd match.

        "Coco here: You know I'm beginning to think that I just might have bitten off a little more than I can handle when I started this wrestling match with Uncle Ronan. Its not his size advantage that has me concerned ~ I may be tiny, but I'm mighty! What I hadn't figured on was his level of skill in the fighting arts. This old guy really knows some moves!!!    But hey! I never give up! Though I might have to settle for an honorable surrender under these circumstances."

Friday, August 30, 2013

Still Here!!!!


    Someone asked about the blogs the other day. I explained I was still fighting with the computer, trying to figure out how to edit, crop and such. Obviously I'm not having much luck!!!! But I decided to go out this evening and try to get a few shots of the dogs. Ahulee wouldn't cooperate..... think he is still miffed about Uncle John not being around to give him his treats over the fence! Oh well! He can grumble if he wants to. Everyone else posed nicely for me. So here is Rory behaving like the lovely old lady that she is.


   Heck, I even got Blossom to 'smile' for the camera. That was a shock! hahaha (a little photo bombing going on here)


   And of course, everyone's favorite goofball ~ Jacob!  Always a happy guy!
   We all hope that everyone has a great weekend! Have fun and be safe!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

This is Coco Kitteh.


   How could I almost forget to post a photo of the latest addition! I wrote about the arrival of Coco over on my other blog. http://gardeneroflight.blogspot.com/2013/08/got-surprise-this-morning.html
   That explains the circumstances surrounding her rescue plus in little rant on being compassionate. For some odd reason I'm always shocked (and angered) by the callousness and cruelty that some people demonstrate towards animals, especially the really young and/or weak ones. I just want to believe better of the human species. Then along comes a little one like this that has been dumped to fend for herself and I'm back to thinking VERY POORLY of my fellow human beings!  Oh well, whats happened has happened.... it can't be changed. Only the future can be made better by our choices. So it is with Coco. Her future looks very bright indeed.
    Her stats are simple: She is approximately 4 to 5 weeks of age and weighs in at 1 pound! She had a few fleas and some tapeworms. Has been medicated for both. Recheck on the worms in 4 weeks. Has a good appetite. Is active and inquisitive. And LOVES to play and snuggle.
   My first response to something like this is to educate people. Now, folks should know NOT to dump kittens! Or any animal for that matter. But there is a lot of prejudice about black cats... and dogs. My thought was that Coco might be able to get some information about this subject out to folks. I mean, she is a cute little kitten!! People like looking at "adorable"! haha    So, she now has her own Facebook page.   (Yes, Blossom is really put out about that!!! If you check Her FB page you will be able to read that for yourself. Shes been nice... so  far.)  So here is Coco's page:
https://www.facebook.com/CocoKitteh

And so I don't get any static from Blossom... here is her page:
https://www.facebook.com/blossomandcrittersgalore

So please feel free to go over and give them some likes and enjoy the photos. We are going to be posting more information as the holidays approach!


Monday, August 5, 2013

Good Grazing the Last Few Days.


   Just a joyful note.... I FINALLY got some figs! And I got to eat them all myself! hahaha  I swear it takes so little to make me happy.  But seriously, between the rain (too much makes the figs drop off), the wild birds and my chickens... I was lucky as could be the other day!!! Got twelve nice, big ripe figs! You would have thought I was in heaven. There were even a few that the birds had pecked at, so the girls got them. Hey, we were ALL HAPPY!   Very few things are as fantastic as truly ripe fruit right off the plant they grew on. Those figs were magnificent! And yesterday evening I had some scuppernongs. Have lost a lot of those to the rain. But these were outrageously sweet! Whatever you do, don't pick those until they are completely RIPE. I got a couple that weren't and I thought my tongue would curl. The hens enjoyed them though!!!!  Wonder what I look like to other people as I "graze" through the yard with four chickens following me?
    Oh, and don't forget the cats. Theres always a few that come along for the excursion.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Yep! Thats What You Think It Is!


   And I have a reason for posting it.... bear with me.
   Remember that old saying about "one man's trash is another man's treasure"? Well when I see the dog poop in my yard, I just see work. I have to shovel it up and dispose of it. Can't compost it or anything!  But I've noticed what a great thing it is to the toads. They hunker up close to it.... usually not as close as this guy.... and just wait for the flies and bugs to gather. And ta da! An instant insect buffet!!! Pretty cool if you ask me.
    So next time you catch yourself complaining about something... try and look at it from a different perspective. You might not have it so bad after all.  If nothing else, be happy that this isn't the way you get your meals!!!
   

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

WHAT? More Rain is Coming!


   That's what Bella seems to be saying to me! The yard cats have about had it with all the rain showers! But they help keep the temperatures down, so I'm as happy as can be!  It does create a lot of work, especially when the heavy rain washes out underneath the mobile home. That's an unpleasant job that I don't look forward to doing. But I have to reinforce it somehow. And its cool up under there. So that's a plus.   Had a real toad-choker the other day and the chickens were, well..... mad as wet hens! (Sorry. I just can't resist a bad joke) So will have to start from scratch (get it?) and come up with a new plan for the proposed henhouse and coop. Need to take advantage of that cool air under the trailer somehow. Summer heat is so hard on the girls!
    Well I'm having an issue with the spiders again. And this time its akin to war.  Heres what happened..... tell me if I'm over reacting.  I was sitting at the kitchen window yesterday and there is a large orb weaver web under the awning. I'm ok with that. Actually its fascinating to watch her go about daily life. But then I saw a dragonfly get one of its wings caught! And the spider started down the web! Of course I jumped up and bolted out the door!!!! Its only about five feet away, so it didn't take long. By the time I shut the door behind me the spider was all ready trying to hog tie that dragonfly! I just grabbed up a walking stick and leaned over the railing to knock them apart as gently as I could. Success! The "mosquito hawk" flew away!!   Now, I love the dragonflies! Always have.     Spiders.... not so much. I admit to having  arachnophobia. (Childhood experiences. shudder!)  But this was too much! My plan is to remove the webs that I can and if possible relocate the spiders elsewhere on my property.... at much lower elevations. Don't know if that would really help the dragonflies or not. Might keep ME from walking into so many webs as I go about my yardwork!!! I can't begin to count the times I got webbing all over my face and in my hair ~ sometimes with the spider still in it!! Yep. THAT made up my mind! I'm NOT over reacting. I'm doing this! 

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Learning to Post Photos...... Again!


   Thought I had some idea of how to post the photos..... finally! Then this picture of Sibyl came up differently. BUT I still managed to get it on here! Thats a good thing!  Then the next photo came up the same as the photos did for the last blog post.    I am sooooo confused!


    I feel like Rueben looks! hahahahaa

STILL Don't Know What I'm Doing!


   Well, I still don't know what I'm doing! But I figure if I stumble across this photo thing enough then I'll learn to post a few pictures... at least some of the time. I accidentally managed to crop these!!! hahaha  And its a complete shock to me that I was able to find them! Much less post them successfully. Y'all don't know how many times I've tried in the past few weeks!
    Anyway, roosters are supposed to be good luck. So heres Rueben, looking 'ornery as usual.


   And Merlin. Such a handsome guy. So photogenic too! But he hates it when I point the camera at him. chuckle

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Spring Came Back for a Short Visit.

"I'm just sitting here blowing my coat and minding my own business. Life is good"

   Well, we've all enjoyed a wonderful day. Spring actually came back for a little visit!  It left way too early this year. I honestly wasn't sure if we were going to see it again or not.  Ahulee has certainly been making the best of it while he can. He LOVES being outside!   Except when the hens run over top of him. He isn't very happy about that. Can't really blame him either. hahahaha

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Jacob Helping in the Yard.


Well, I'm still gradually working at leveling up the backyard. I figure a little at a time. So I try to move two or three buckets full of dirt whenever I'm out there. Today I "went for the gusto"!!! Got quite a bit dug out of that one corner where its the highest. Jacob was helping me, of course!!!
But where was Blossom? Shes usually at the forefront of any yardwork endeavour that I undertake....
she was in my bedroom helping me sort through the winter clothes and blankets just a little while ago.


Oh!
Can't blame her. With a cool breeze blowing through the window and all that softness to cuddle up on. I'm tempted myself!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Oh no! Egg eating.


Well, with the discovery of the egg eating thats going on, I'm faced with making some choices. Of course, I need to pay closer attention and find out whos doing what! I know Hermoine isn't guilty because shes the one that goes all out to get my attention, so I'll move her back to the shed where she can lay her eggs in peace and safety. The other three are all suspect!!!! Hester can be a bit aggressive. And the other two just aren't "right" somehow. hahaha  Not to mention that they both go after me! Don't laugh, chickens can draw blood easily.



Heres Reuben. Just plain ornery lookin', ain't he?
I'll have to research a little bit and see how to handle this. I KNOW how my Granny would have done it. For at least two days we'd be eating chicken!!!! 

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Hen Reactions!


"WHAT did I hear you just say?
The children hunted what?"


"Plastic? Plastic eggs?
Are you freakin' kidding me?"


"The insult! The indignity. Its just shameful, I tell you."

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Something Just HAS To Be Done!


    What was I thinking? Oh my. Don't get me wrong, it has certainly served its purpose. I just need to modify things.... immediately. Now, my hens spend their nights in the blue shed. Its roomy, ventilated and most of all, safe. I let them out in the mornings, later on they go up in this pen for a few hours. Before sunset I let them out again to forage until bedtime. Its worked for three years! But I need to streamline the whole poultry area.  So I have to enclose this little coop and make a bigger run for them. Sounds simple, huh? Nope. Lots of things need to be done before I can even start on the henhouse project itself.


      The ground itself needs work, then a foundation. The loquat tree will have to be removed. And I have to peak this somehow and put on a decent roof. I am not, in any shape of form, a carpenter!!! hahaha  Have a really nice door that my friends gave me. Just need to figure out how to put up a frame for it. Need to hunt up a few windows while I'm at it. Oh geez!!! Better not get ahead of myself. I'll tackle this from the ground up, literally. Wish me luck!!!

Monday, March 11, 2013

The New Yard Cat.


   Well, its happened again! Another feline has adopted me. Its been showing up after dark for the last four evenings. Still very skittish, but it has figured out that I mean no harm and better still, I have FOOD!!!  You've probably noticed me using the word "it". Haven't gotten a good look at It's back end yet, so until I know the right gender.... I'll stay in neutral territory.  I'm still getting ribbed occasionally about "Ms. Mouth" actually being Mr. Maynard Mouth. It has lovely coloring and a really nice symetrical pattern on the tail. Very attractive cat!


   So anyway, this kitty is a little on the thin side and the fur on its torso has an odd texture. Perhaps its natural to this individual, but it doesn't seem right somehow. The rest of its fur is nice and soft, eyes are clear, ears aren't too filthy! Has signs of diarrhea.... but thats common with newbies. Timid, nervous, actually acts worried. This cat is used to humans but not a lot of handling. Seems very relieved to have found a "home". 
    Now I have to figure out how to raise some money to cover a vet visit. It looks to be in pretty good shape, but needs to be tested and such. Things are a little bit tough here at present.  Oh well, we always seem to get by. Our guardian angels will come up with something!!! In the meantime, if anyone has any ideas ~ please let me know!    Heck, I'm still trying to get over the stress from the fight last night. Ooops, forgot to tell y'all about that didn't I? It'll have to wait till the next post.... lets just say that Rory was inside sleeping while the other dogs got into a brawl with one of the local raccoons. And then I jumped in too!  Not the smartest thing I've done lately. hahaha

Monday, March 4, 2013

This is What I Wake Up To.


   When I wake up in the mornings, I usually see Ronan looking at me from some weird angle or another. I decided to put the camera on my nightstand so I could try for some photos. He and Brave Dave are the only cats I'm letting into the bedroom right now. With all of them in there, it just got to be TOO MUCH! Blossom has snuck in too. But Shhhhh... we don't want the rest of the dogs to hear. (I need to rearrange the whole room before I let them all in.)


   Brave Dave gets tired of the commotion pretty easily, so sometimes he moves off the bed completely. I've set up some nicely padded areas for him. Especially in this cool weather we've been having!


   Hes an older guy, after all. And since Enya's passing, hes been a little bit lonely. Choosing to hang out with Ronan most of the time.
   And "no", I didn't do a post for Enya yet. She took a bad turn for the worst while my mother was in the hospital. I barely had time to dig her a proper grave. It was horrible. But things are starting to straighten out a little bit, so it won't be too long before I can say a few loving words for her.


    Ronan, as usual, just TAKES OVER where ever hes at!!! But he is mellowing a little bit. And hes been very nice to Dave. Heck, hes been nice to Blossom too! And he hasn't smacked Jake around in a while. Hmm... wonder what he has up his sleeve? 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Its Just About THAT Time of Year Again.


The hens have been looking at me askew lately. Guess they're heard the blue jays and mocking birds talking about the mulberries!!! Can't convince them that they aren't ripe yet. And that the other birds eat them while they're still pink!  Oh well, my girls are a little bit spoiled.  Since I wanted to clean under the trees before my grandchildren start picking, I figured I'd find them some that had blown off in the wind. Keep them satisfied for a little bit at least!
 



Found quite a few berries! In all stages of ripening. Oh, the girls will be pleased with a big handful of these.


Then I found a ripe one!! And another! And the hens didn't get those.... I did!
Found plenty of others on the ground, even found a big fat grubworm.
That means I'll have some happy chickens!


Maynard came all the way out to the corner lot to help me with my work. He is turning out to be quite the garden cat!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

What A Beautiful Afternoon.


   The morning started out quite cool. Not like yesterday! We actually had frost! The cats weren't happy with any of it. They bundle up together, and this empty box was a perfect spot. Thats Trashbag Travis in the bottom there.


   By afternoon the temperatures were up and the sun was shining brightly. It certainly cast its hypnotic spell on Blossom! Ahulee was enjoying it too, but I think the pollen was getting to him. He started itching!


    Jacob was thrilled!! Warmth and sunshine. Nothing like living in Florida in the Winter! Its been a very mild season. Will have mulberries pretty soon! The hens and grandchildren will be thrilled!! And so will I.