The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today!

   

 

    Well, today is the first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count. I had decided I was going to get up and go to the nesting colony. (You don't HAVE to stay in your backyard for this) Counted well over 60 wood storks, several snowy egrets, great herons and some anhingas!  Its not as crowded as I've seen it in years past. But maybe they're just getting started.  
     Lots of activity! Flying in and out, feeding and gathering nest building materials.  Nothing like a low flying stork heading my way to really wake me up!!! It was close enough I could feel the air being pushed off its wings! Very great start to my day!

    Go to   http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/   and check it out! You can report from all over the world!    Happy bird counting everyone!

A Little Help With The Yard Work.

Couldn't resist trying to do a little yard work, its just too perfect a day not to. So I set my sights at bagging up a bunch of the plumbago branches I had cut the other week. Not allowed to burn right now. So they have to go out this way. No, I'm not happy about it! Would prefer to compost somehow.
Oh well, with all thats going on, this is the best I can do at present. So anyway, Mr. Maynard B. Mouth decided to help me pack the branches down! Did a pretty thorough job of it too. Kept going back to it after I'd put in more brush.



Until finally, he was satisfied! Or perhaps he was just plain tired! Either way, I'll take all the help I can get.

They Grow So Fast!

Just a little glimpse of how much Jacob is growing!!!!
We'll get back to work on the blogs pretty soon, been a lot of sickness with us humans around here. HAVE to get better, its almost time to start the garden!

 

2013! Its Going To Be A Good Year!

   As I gaze into the future... I see adventure and exploits heretofore unknown.

Cats Keep Getting Into Trouble!

   Well, it seems I still have that issue of the computer not letting me post photos. I know I don't understand these machines very well....... ok, not well at all!! But that doesn't make any sense to me.
    Anyway, its been a little tough around here lately, but the last week has been heck on the outdoor cats! Poor Cleatus! He showed up the other day wearing a new fashion accessory. Somehow he had managed to get a piece of accordian pleated tubing stuck around his neck! Don't know what he was after when he stuck his head in there..... but it got away and he wound up wearing that piece of plastic like a scarlet letter!!!
    The biggest problem with that is Cleatus is not a very touchy, feely kind of tomcat! Not the least bit happy with me trying to hold him. And hes a pretty large cat!!!  After a lot of hissing and some really TENSE moments, I came up with a better plan. One that I felt would keep me reasonably safe! So with scissors in one hand and a bag of Temptations treats in the other, I proceeded to distract him with said treats. I'd quickly snip a little on the "necklace". He'd quickly jump back and hiss and growl at me! We repeated this procedure till most of the treats were gone and I had managed to cut completely through the plastic. Then I tried to pull it off of his neck....... then I immediately went back to offering him the rest of the treats!!!! Finally got a good hold on it and held on as he jumped and twisted away!  Patience pays off again. No blood was shed!!
    Then this last Saturday morning as I was out at the clothesline, Buckshot Charlie came up to be petted. He'd been hanging back for a few days, so I was happy to see him back to his old friendly self...... until I ran my hand down the back of his head and neck and my fingers slipped INSIDE the hole in the side of his neck! Yeah, I was a little shocked by that turn of events. Luckily my vet is open on Saturday mornings. Getting Buckshot into the carrier didn't go very smoothly, but I finally managed! He HATES being closed up in any kind of cage!!! And lets you know it too. This from one of the friendliest and laidback cats we've ever had around here. Oh my!  
    The vet said it looked pretty good considering. It was a bite wound that had festered (that explains the withdrawn behavior) and burst. Its a pretty big hole, but since he had all ready eaten that morning they couldn't give him any anesthesia in order to sew it up. So, they cleaned the site up, gave him a shot, wrote me a script for antibiotics, told me to clean it several times a day and apply Neosporin. Watch to see if it heals on its own.   So now I'm worrying myself silly about this old cat who loves to lay in the dirt!! ha ha ha  And of course, hes rubbing his neck on everything!      WHY do they DO that?  Oh goodness... all this and Yule is on its way!!!  At least I have a big treat for all the dogs. Wrapped and ready.    My hope is that everyone stays safe and sound from here on out.

Damnit! Just DAMN IT!!!

   Well, I've been kind of busy lately... so took a little break. Then today hit me like a tornado.
   Can't post a photo because the 'puter keeps telling me theres no room. Sure wish I understood these things better. 
   Anyway, that saga of the trailer where all the dogs were just keeps getting weirder. The woman moved out about two or three weeks ago. Comes back occasionally and packs a little more, or just stays a few minutes. No big deal right? Probably still paying rent till she figures out where to put all that "stuff" she has all over the place. But I've been hearing the chickens! And I got to worrying if they were being fed or not. No one lives there anymore. Hardly ever see anyone come by, much less feed the hens.  And as you know, I've got a soft spot in my heart for those feathered cuties! ha ha ha   After not seeing anyone for about three days now, I called Animal Services and asked if someone could check on them. I was referred to the Pasco County Sheriff's office. Seems they have an agricultural department. Really? chuckle    Later on a deputy arrived and came to address my concerns. He thought the hens looked ok. But then he said that there were dogs inside the trailer... in crates. He saw five heads looking out at him. Couldn't see their bodies to see if they were healthy looking or not.  I just wanted to SCREAM!!!! I haven't heard or seen a dog outside of that place in two weeks or more.  My friend John and I have been hearing dogs barking, but we couldn't figure out WHERE they were! Now we know. 
   How can anyone be that cruel? Imagine my surprise when I saw her car parked there later in the afternoon. Only for about ten or twelve minutes, mind you! Thats not nearly enough time to feed, water, exercise and clean the cages of five dogs. Plus the chickens! 
   DAMN IT! Dogs need to be loved and cared for. They need to be able to run around and play outside! They need interaction with the humans they love and depend on. What is going on over there? Obviously neglect and cruelty. And the authorities responsible for stopping that abuse haven't done their job. The deputy that came today didn't have the right to just break the locks and remove the dogs. I think he would have if he could!   No. Pasco County Animal Services should have taken the dogs away from that horrible situation months ago. In the very least, they should have kept a close eye on the situation. A VERY CLOSE one! But no. They seem to have that "they're JUST dogs" attitude.
    Folks in the neighborhood have their suspicions. Its pretty clear a hoarder lived there. You should see the place!   Then theres the ones who are betting that she provides the dogs to fight rings. And thats why they aren't fixed. More puppies!   We just had that arrest in Hillsborough county where the dogfighters were bragging they had been doing it for over twenty years. And joking about how there were dog bones everywhere on the property. Sick! Demented, Evil and Sick! Those so-called humans have twisted souls. No decent person could treat another living being like that. 
   So.... what to do? I'd love to alert every news reporter in our section of Florida! But would it do any good? Most of the dogs over there were pitties and pit mixes. The news media seems to only want to say bad things about them. They're a WONDERFUL BREED!  More to the point, they're WONDERFUL DOGS! And all the ones that came to my home in search of food were as sweet as could be. Scared! But sweet. And craving attention on top of the food. Remember, Jacob escaped from the awful place!
    John contacted me and said he had called Animal Services. So they're alerted to the fact that there are dogs locked up inside that place. Hopefully they'll actually do something this time. But my hopes aren't very high. He asked to talk to the director, but was told he had left early today. I've heard that one a couple of times myself!! sarcastic chuckle    Perhaps this time things will go differently. Perhaps this time they'll actually put the health and well being of the dogs first and foremost. I can only pray at this point.  And spread the word that this is happening!!!

Rockhound.

"So I was just relaxing in the dirt this morning... minding my own business."

"When I noticed this rock sitting there next to me. Looked like it might be fun to chew on a little bit.  Limestone. Maybe kind of tasty. "

"So I started to sneak up on it. Gotta be a stealth machine in order to catch a good rock like this one."

"Got a little closer."

"A little closer. Then a nice long pause to make it think it was still safe. You gotta fake out some of these minerals.... others are, well, dumb as rocks."

"Choosing just the right moment, I POUNCE!"

"After a brief struggle, I was able to wrestle it into submission."

"Don't worry! It never felt any pain."