Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Tetched In 'Da Head (Or Ow, Ow, Ow...)

That's Gotta Hurt!

I suppose when one stays up late working on "stuff" then rises early, perhaps it causes one to think slower throughout the day.

"
OK dogs, since we're up early then lets up and at 'em and do our simple morning chores first thing! Yes, I know Granny is shaking up our routine, but hey - at least it's not boring!" :-)

Actually the dogs love this idea, usually in the early morning, they get breakfast. Then they sleep or watch Granny while she works on the computer.


"Mush you huskies! Outside we go." Got the kitty food? Check. Got the koi food? check. We are just planning to have a simple kitty, koi run... Well, next thing you know we are cleaning paddocks and letting alpaca herd-sire, Sancho, see if Lady Christina wants a "date"...Definitely NOT! And then ZAP! Why is it that Granny seems to be the only one who gets a "refresher course" on electric fences ???

Every day she says to herself as she ducks under this one spot in the fence, "You really should fix that." Yeah, Yeah... later. Ummm... me no have 'um hammer and insulators on me. "Ummm... then be careful to duck!" Sure, Sure...

So here is Granny, mumbling around. I'm sure the neighbors (if they could see her) would consider her a bit teched in 'da
head. For a brief moment in time this morning, SHE WAS !!!!

One thing for sure... After that zap, you could place the 'ol gal in a small area with a fence of just plain clothes-line and be able to keep her there. Probably for ever!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Roo, Katie and Liz

Dance with me... da da da da da da da da dance with me....

Yes, Roo, the wonder dog likes to dance with Granny. He was so excited to be back "on duty". It had been over a month since he had been to see Liz. Granny had been in Colorado for almost a week. Then she had "catch up chores" to do. Then there was trying to get ready for not only winter, but the project of automating some of the routine stuff... Along with some extra "homework" for her business. Oh, and cria stuff with the alpacas.

Oh, where are my mud and paints? Alas, Granny has missed not only dabbling in such, she has also missed missed her daily horse rides. Then, there was our family STAR party. That took some prep and clean-up time. Then, last week Katie had a turn to visititing at the nursing home. So, Roo had missed going for a bit. He was so wiggly tonight! Even though he's 120lb, the wonder dog still manages to jump up on Liz's very high bed - ever so carefully so Liz can pet him for a while. No Roo! Liz (like Granny) doesn't like kisses! We save those for "Auntie" Linda :-)


Well, Liz was happy to see Roo again. Granny was asked over a year ago to bring him to see if he could help Liz. She had not been even talking when Roo first took on this assignment. Tonight Liz and Granny even had a small discussion - among other things about how Granny should stay the #### away from the ones in the home who don't care for dogs! Which of course Granny does. Well... perhaps not quite as Liz states it, but Granny does respect those non-critter lovers. She does find it odd though, that non critter lovers seldom respect those who do love critters.

Thanks Roo and Katie. You not only brighten my world, you bring joy to those who are stuck behind doors most of the time. Granny is blessed by the smiles she sees when you walk through the doors and a hand reaches out to touch a warm furry being...

PEEP PEEP

This past spring, there were dogs in the car as we had planned to stop on the way home to see Liz . First Granny had to stop at the farm store, we brought home some baby replacement pullets (who can resist the little tufts of fluff ?? Sorry, but the old gals have done their thing and thus need to spend time with some noodles or dumplings this winter perhaps).

Anyway, when Granny stopped to let the dogs take turns visiting at the nursing home, she "sneaked" a little bit of fluff into her pocket.
Actually, Granny figured no one would care, but you should have seen Liz's eyes light up when she thought about having a secret! She was delighted, to be 'getting away with something'. I suppose when every bit of your life is under a magnifying glass, of sorts, even a stolen moment with a bit of fluff can seem like a treasure. Granny did feel rather like she had perhaps been a bad testimony - to encourage delights in something Liz thought was forbidden, but sometimes Granny in her wild enthusiasm for life and all that God has richly bestowed her with forgets how others perceive things. And so, Granny quietly let her treasure her moment - leaving the issue of the delights in forbidden fruit to whom it matters the most.

(It wasn't really so "secret", as several of the staff had held and delighted in the little peeper too...)

What A Buzzy Day...

Calm before the STORM,

I am wondering what kind of day is awaiting. The newest buzzing episode, after a rather productive spring. Well... Catching several of our honey bee swarms made it "seem" productive, even though we've not had a lick of honey yet. We did have the exception of Mary Queen of Honey Pots - Dethroning herself from our "court yard" and taking a VERY large entourage of honey workers with here (ouch!) I was looking forward to possibly even having some '"homemade" honey to share as
gifts for
Christ-mas. The little buzzing varmints of course, took all their little "suitcases" could hold of the precious liquid gold !!

YELLOW JACKETS...

The biggest buzz on the horizon, is no doubt going to be an explosion of the mean faces and repeating stingers of the yellow jackets. Now you are probably wondering what on earth that means? Have you seen the Disney movie with Pooh Bear and his honey attempts?? Where he and all his friends plug up the bee hive and it explodes in activity???? Umm... I have this sick feeling...

Ta da! The one eyed pirate, thought he had a clever idea to solve our
yellow jacket problem. Umm... Do you know what a yellow jacket problem is ??? Do you want to know ???? Well it doesn't matter 'cause if you read this you'll know anyway :-)

Take a rather entrepreneurial
yellow jacket...
queen? Somehow it doesn't seem fitting to call them a queens. Royalty they do not seem to reflect. Well perhaps the sort of royalty like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland... "off with their ----'-!" Perhaps the yellow jacket's "mantra" is, "Lets let 'em have it and keep our stingers intact for repeated 'fire'!" Yow !!!!

Ok, ok. I digressed a bit.... Back to the one eyed pirate. Clever boy - he decided... (Granny with a lot of apprehensive questions and hesitations to support his decision...Well as I was SAYING ,ahem....) He decided to spray them with hornet killer really fast :-) and seal them up with this nifty seam caulker thingy. Didn't sound so cool to me, but well, what's a Granny to do, but smile and wait?

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, I think I will be dreaming about the mounting pressure in the sealed vault of angry yellow jackets. Now who do you think will be doing the chores tomorrow a.m. where the little vaulted missiles are pressurizing while the one-eyed pirate is happily mixing chemicals or something of the sort at work ????

Now perhaps if Granny had more faith in the hornet killer ???? So far (at least for her) the little buzzing varmints have seemed to slurp the stuff happily and build a bigger nest even stronger. Perhaps the stuff is creating a new wave of super
jackets ?


I am relieved granny kept her thoughts to herself. She usually expresses such ideas rather a lot. Perhaps she can avoid eating humble pie, IF the pirate is right....

Now perhaps this story makes up for the 'Don't Bzzzz Me I'm Rather Busy' post that my computer ate. How did it print the title and not the story ???


Tuesday, August 14, 2007

ANGELINA BALLERINA (And How She Got Her Name)


Just another "routine" day at Betty's Crazy Critters. Ho hum... There goes the one eyed pirate and Granny, all dressed in bee suits to check on the beehives... Mary Queen of Scott's, Queen Ester, and King David and Queen Abigail.

Recently, Miss Mary Queen of Honey Pots, took her kingdom and went to find another castle (while Granny followed them calling, "Come back... You'll be sorry... You need us! All to no avail...). Grandma said the same thing to Queen Azalea last year. She snickered at Granny from a lofty hole in a rather large oak tree, amused at Granny's vain efforts to entice them to come back to a rather "boring" looking hive (thus granny has been refurbishing the hives into very enticing kingdoms). Granny felt sorry for Queen Azalea's entire kingdom who drowned last winter after their new home fell onto the earth and later was enveloped in high water during the yearly flooding (Granny wearies of mud every winter).

Anyway. As I was saying, another "typical" day... Granny pauses to holler at the Alpaca boys (they have been squabbling alot this particular morning). She glances up to see how serious the squabble is and sees a little white thing scrambling, stumbling about and realizes the new baby has arrived. Granny tells Grandpa he is on his own - she has other fish to fry.


Let it be a girl oh please... Thank you! Oh, Thank you! Our first cria is a girl! Daddy Sancho is so proud and I guess Hershey Tyee is perhaps a little jealous. Auntie Vonetta is just curious, Mommy Christina is very loving, patient, and perhaps tired, though she doesn't show it. While a boy would have been loved, it is generally a girl one is hoping for.

For all the imprinting and daily handling, little missy is quite the acrobat, and quite able to run off, while doing of all things, an arabesque! What else could we call her but Angelina Ballerina? Named after a mouse in one of our grandaughter's favorite books....


Angelina is so soft, so fluffy and very sweet. Despite her curiosity, she is quite self assured and reserved when it comes to Granny wanting to love on her. Alpacas can be that way...

Dog-A-Vision

Granny Now In Living Color

Yes... It is quite "the thing". Life at Betty's crazy critter farm is really entertaining - Even for the dogs. Now before you say 'she's gone to the dogs', consider how much fun our neighbor's dogs must have...

Can you imagine how dull and boring life would be for our country neighbor's dogs, while their owners are gone working if it weren't for us? Why not install Dog-A-Vision? You can watch your favorite daily "soap" of the latest adventures of Granny and her crazy critters... Most fun! Grab a bone and you can lounge on the top of the hill and be quiet entertained...

Granny Take Two:

Yes, today's episode was entertaining. There was the usual... Feed the kitties, move some hay, Katie crashing into Granny, and oh yes... A couple of dry runs as Granny attempted to re-direct those clever geese. Hmmm... Is that a turkey sitting on a nest over there ???? My! Lets keep an eye out for those little poults! Turkey snacks any one? Uh oh. I think granny is wise to us..... Well, I wonder what tomorrow's show will be about? Grandpa is home. I know he usually brings home the bacon, but make mine TURKEY!

Katie: Grandma's Black, Silly (Albiet Gorgeous) Slug-Pup

I have to say, when this big, black, gorgeous, 8-month-old Dobie tries to climb up on something (forgetting she could elegantly jump up), she rather looks like a floundering slug. Or at least that's what I tell her.

So what did 'Slugger the Wonder Pup' do today ???

Hal, loving husband that he is, has recently (actually, over the past few years) been purchasing VERY heavy hay bales for all of the hay munching critters. He told me this was due in part, to curtail my help in moving the bales. I have to admit, the past few years I could barely budge the things, so I have happily "retired" from even trying.

Well this works out fine until ,something goes awry. Say for instance, hubby dear "decides" he needs a surgery. Well, Granny often likes to "steal a march" on the one eyed pirate (for those of you who don't know: Hal has a glass eye. Thus I call him my one eyed pirate, now and then).

So last week while Hal was comfy, lying on the couch, and enjoying a good book (his favorite past time) granny noticed our trailer was plumb stacked with a load of hay (winter is coming). So Granny says to herself that perhaps she could move a couple of bales a day and thus surprise the one eyed pirate, something she loves to do :-) . She also was curious to see if she could budge one, since her health has vastly improved this last year, and, why yes, she could.

So, deciding to parcel them out, she found she could manage to shove, roll, shift, tumble, and wheel barrow up to 10 a day. Not only was she able to do this, she also found bed time was very rewarding on the days she managed to do TEN. Or perhaps she has become demented from the excitement of such stuff and needs a new dictionary ??? (Rewarding ??? how many people reward themselves for moving hay ???)

HAY HO HAY HO IT'S ON TO WORK WE GO...

OK. Fast forward to the next week. Now the goal of ten bales is barely doable. A goal of 5 or 6 is... Well, still a lot of work!!! Especially since now that the trailer pile is diminishing (all down- hill) the mound in the hay shelter (all UP-HILL) has been growing. Today, as Granny managed to get another bale UP there, (only bale tree thus far) she took a break. It was rather pleasant sitting UP there looking down on our small kingdom. Well, my entourage (a fluffy, furry, feathery entourage) noticed all movement had ceased. Not to be out-done, our dog, Roo, decided that since I was so very still, that he could jump up a steal a kiss, (something he loves to do despite the fact I discourage him on a regular basis). Our Dobie, Katy (the copy cat), saw Roo up there and decided that the hay stack looked like fun. She must have thought she was climbing Mount Everest as she tried to come straight up the side ( ignoring the stair-step bales I'd rigged to help me maneuver the bails). She tried to "slug" herself up - not working.

Me, I'm nearly falling of the stack laughing, she looked so comical! Casper (the old man) saw the fun (fun-loving boxer that he is) and since he has the advantage of wisdom that age often bestows not only on us humans but on the critter creatures too, went to the stairs-steps and climbed right on up. Albeit, not as spryly as he once might have.

With some prompting, Katy saw the light. Enjoying the view of our little realm and the refreshment of a breather, I noticed that the entourage was still in process. There came two of Grannys fluffy kittens, dubbed Tigress and Bear by grandsons, Jay and Jonathan.

Granny is laughing again. What will be next the geese? Probably not. They were still in a high dudgeon from my nixing their foray onto the front lawn earlier this morning. Hmm.... They've become quite clever and SNEAKY about finding ways to come and flaunt their new found freedom. That or else they want to be sure granny doesn't sleep in to long, as they always give a honking alarm, bright and early :-)

COWABUNGA! DAT'S GOTTA HURT!

How did the rest of the day go ?? Well, Granny became one of the (barely) walking-wounded. Pup, Katie, in dodging some unseen playmate, or perhaps remembering her she was part of a wild goose chase (one of the Nene geese likes to give katie a run for her money whenever she gets a chance), Katy whipped her head around and hit me right above the knee. I thought it would be a bad bruise and limped along grumbling to her to be more careful as we finished the remainder of the chores. Later, in the cool haven of the house, the dogs all relished lying in front of the fan after lying down and watched Granny work (unless they decided it was time for a game of tag).

After setting out to do eve feedings, Granny finally gets a rest. By the way... Granny has put on another hat with her work at home... Entrepreneur. So now with wounded leg propped up, she finishes up a few things (OH MY GOODNESS! Granny is lying down on the job!) and uses the time with a couple of ice paks, to enjoy watching the grandsons playing, interspersed with getting a long overdue blog worked on...

WHAT'S NEXT ????

"Meow!" says a kitty. "Where is dinner....?"

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Tiny, Soggy, Voratious Appetite With Squeeky Voice???

SMALL BEGINNINGS

I suppose it is poetic justice that my first post should begin small!
I should have been clever and taken a picture of the little critter, but who thinks to grab a camera at 4:45 a.m. ???

Hubby is getting ready to go to work and I interrupt him for an early a.m. pilgrimage to one of the busiest rooms in our small abode. Let's see ...one would think it would be the kitchen, after all it contains food... But there also always seems to be at least a few dirty dishes clamoring for "help", and more often a lot !!!! (Is that why there is always room in there?? I mean not lots of "action" going on in there even when all the family was home. Doesn't appear to be much now even, so how do the dishes keep getting dirty??? ..Hubby and I have even been eating prepackaged meals lately, for health, so go figure ????) (Ummm yes ,I know fly lady keeps her sink shiny...guess that's why I haven't seen any signs of emerging wings !!!) I'll bet you can guess - yes, it is the beloved "powder room".... Early morning adventures :-)

After my brief morning "visit" I head to the kitchen ...no sparkling lights from the sink this a.m. to light my way...oh dear....

I hear... Did you put a shrew in the sink? Hmmm I kinda shake my head and think what on earth is hubby talking about this time, so I say, what??? Exchange of same conversation several times... Finally I think, I'd better check this out... Is hubby muttering nonsense? Am I hearing correctly? He sort of sounds like he has this incredulous idea that I'm awake enough for playing a practical joke (which I confess, I am guilty at times...but where would I find a shrew at 4:30 a.m. ???)

Poor hubby is standing a way's from the sink, not sure what to do I suppose, so I walk over and peer into the sink. Yep, that's a poor bedraggled shrew alright, no dear, I wasn't having a farm funny moment (I had actually been trying to decide whether to go back to bed for a bit or start my day).

Poor little thing (Ha...)

Poor little critter, it was sopping wet and so pathetic looking, and since shrews are one of the keeping rodents on a farm (They eat their weight in... Gracious I can't remember what at this early time in the morning ... That's what happens when you begin those senior moments I guess... Anyway whatever they eat I know we don't want them so we always rejoice when we happen upon a shrew...)

While I didn't hear much rejoicing this morning, I did take pity on the critter and picked it up by the tip of the tail to give it a better home to catch and eat those 'whatever we don't like and want gone'. YIKES did you know they can climb up their own tail, kind of inside out like and bite you before you can say poor little thing. Well, I managed to let go before the chomp was administered, but new problem...itty bitty ,soggy, squeaky ,thing trying to get away, and I didn't want him/her inside. (Did you also know they are poisionous??)

YEAH BABY! (As a friend of mine is always saying) GRANDMA RULES!

I have a house rule... If you are a rodent w/o a cage (such as when kids had pet hamsters or gerbils... if you have more than four legs, fly and buzz or crawl at the same time (thus my canaries are allowed) ...or you slither and slide... You are not allowed to share my house! (Perhaps fly lady would be proud of me, one can always hope). Well, I grabbed some tissue... for a blanket to not only capture the little escape artist,but to dry him and allow me to safely transport? Hmmm... to deport :-) him to out side. All we could figure is it must have climbed up the sink drain...how on earth ??? I don't even want to think about that...At least not now...

So little shrew eat your weight in whatever it is we don't want. Love, live long, and prosper. Have many children and grandchildren and KEEP them all outside !!!!!

Since I'm starting out small, perhaps my next article should be... What is small, slick and green and in your shower? (No it isn't mold or moss !!!!)