Would You Believe....

That it's spring time in North Idaho and not a single game cam at any of the pawn shops that I stopped at?  The hopeful side of me was.  

The cynical side said, "Duh, everyone's back to work and it's tax season!  There will be nothing good in the pawn shops at this time..."  That side of me was correct.  Nothing!

Sooo, now I have to decide what "real" dollar amount I want to put on my "sleuthing".  

Cheaping out is now no longer an option!  LOL!!

I figured out Friday where the crow's nest is.  It is easily in sight of the dinner post, but on the neighbors property not ours.  It's the tall tree on the left, kind of behind the tree on the right.  If you look really closely or enlarge the picture, you can see the nest.

No chicks yet.

As a side note, when reading up on crows and their behavior, I read that they can/do hatch white chicks...

but usually kill them.  It is extremely rare for anyone to ever see a white crow because the parents cull them.

Smart and weird...

On the flip side of that little set back, Kase and I were out "working" today (Saturday) and saw someone who is definitely capable of bringing in a cat...  Just as Shirley suggested.

A bald eagle!! 

Unfortunately for me, I only had a cell phone...and that bird looked just like a spec of pepper!  LOL!

I really hope that he/she will be around tomorrow when we're out.  I'll have my camera with a fully charged battery, and I'll be able to snap a few pictures of it!

Those birds are amazing!

Way back when I lived on the farm at the landlord's we had an eagle that hung out for the entire summer.  

It was awesome!  I got a few pictures of it, they weren't great but I did get them!!

Now, to decide if I want to pay full retail for a game cam...

And to see if I'm lucky enough to get a picture of a Bald Eagle!!

No Buffer This Time!

Sorry, this is just crazy to me...and honestly on these rainy days, the most interesting thing happening!

This was on the post when I left this morning at 8:05.

Not "the usual" post, but next to it.

Sorry had to use my cell phone for these pictures.

Horses are still not bothered by it.

There were two crows messing around the pasture when I got out to take these pictures...

But I doubt that they had anything to do with this.

I asked everyone at work, and no on had a game cam.

I will be stopping by the pawn shops on my home tomorrow to see if I can find one a bit cheaper than regular retail prices.

I must know who's doing this!!

O.K. It Just Got Creepy....

If you're squeamish, don't scroll down and look at the pictures at the bottom of this post.

Jack-Jack says you've been forewarned!!  

I came to the horse pasture to take care of my horses and found another kill.  Kinda fresh, kinda not.

It wasn't there this morning when I left for work.

So it was dropped off on the post between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.

This picture was taken after I cleaned up the post.  Funny thing the horses were hanging out waiting for us with the "ick" right there for all to see.  Maybe they don't like cats...

It was so gruesome and shocking, that it totally stopped me in my tracks...

I looked at it in sheer disbelief...

Really, it shocked the crap outta me.

And I'm a farm kid... The butcher your own animals farm kid.

I also worked in an out patient facility and took samples to the lab.

I'm not squeemish, or usually jumpy about blood, guts, bones, bits, and pieces....

Just trying to give you a chance to turn back...  I don't want you to not like me if you accidentally see the pictures at the end of this post!

I haven't heard or seen the hawks for about a week or maybe a little more.

But this is defiantly the work of a  large bird. 

Or maybe the El Chupacabra...

Abbi is also a little bit creeped out by the whole experience today...  She may need a doggy downer to get to sleep tonight!!

All I know for certain is that, it wasn't our cat...

This is your last warning to proceed at your own risk....

Yikes!!  I told you!!

I am going to see if I can find someone to lend me a game cam!!

Sooo.....

How do I tell Kase that the Easter Bunny bought the farm?

(I have been dieing to share these pictures with that comment... But can't put it on FaceBook because I'll end up offending someone...  /0: )

Wow, it was just as fun to type as I thought it'd be!  

LOL!!

I'm still feeding Fiona up after her weight dropped with her bad teeth.... I'll try to write about that here shortly....

Anywhoo, I was taking Fi from the pasture to the stall for her grain and I saw this rabbits foot.  

My first thought was, "Oh, no!  Seven murdered one of the neighbor's kid's pet rabbit!"

 (Since we lost Kage, Seven has been trying to find herself and she has been a handful at times...)

I don't know who may have a rabbit, but now I'm thinking about hiding the evidence AND keeping Kase from finding it and trying to play with it.

I am feeding the other kids some alfalfa pellets and cubes so that they don't feel left out with Fi getting pulled for extra feed.  So after Fiona was secured and fed, Kase interested in a new puddle, I went in to feed everyone else.  I dumped the feed and exited the gate only to notice yet another rabbits foot.  Pretty much in the same condition as the first one I spotted...only on the other side of the gate.

Upon seeing the second one, I decided that Seven was probably NOT to blame for stealing some child's happiness, but a little bit of Mother Nature at work...

Then I looked at the top of the post.

It was someone's dinner table.

Well not just some anonymous someone...  One of the two hawks that have moved into our neighborhood.

I've seen them hassling the crows that we have around here.

So I'm guess that they are an old married couple and they needed a date night.  

Since the feet arrived on Tuesday, they have also eaten or prepped for their chicks... a mouse on this post.

I think I need a game cam or something so I can watch them.

I'd really like to get a picture or two of them.

Good pictures, not those far away, can you guess what it is pictures!  (0:

We will see though, as they have started logging less than a quarter mile from the house, and who knows where the hawks were making their home...

Dang it!

Got All Fired Up...

....And couldn't find the keys to my locked pick-up.
I'd let Kase play in it a few days previous to discovering it was locked.  All 4 doors...
The keys are kept in the visor, because they have a house key on them to keep me from locking myself out of the house.  And to keep it easy for us to move the truck if we were in some sort of hurry and it was in the way.

Our burn pile is still smoldering thanks to the stumps that were in it.  Kase and I go and "feed" it everyday.  I kind of think he will be sad when it's finally out!

Chad keeps his spare key at work, because he doesn't like to have too many keys on his key ring.
Why at his desk at work.
Because.  That is why.

Great minds at work...

Sooo, I report to Chad that I'm locked out as soon as I discover it.
I was kinda bummed because I was going to haul some various trash from around the place and pick up a half ton square bale of hay from the hay broker up the street.
He says he will look for them when he can remember.

Now they're mobile!!

Good enough, the time has passed and I won't really have time until the following weekend to get hay or do the cleaning and dump run.
That weekend comes and goes, but it was cold and windy and until it was nearly over, I'd forgotten that I needed the extra key.

It really was fantastic weather last weekend!!

Soooo, last weekend Chad rips apart his desk.  His shelves to the left of his desk.  The drawers in the filing cabinet and every nook and cranny in the office to no avail.
He reports back to me that it's a lost caused.
So I start tearing apart my car.
All of the little hidey spots that I have and nothing.
All of the little hidey spots that Kase has...
Nothing.

Queen of the dirt mound!!

On Sunday we were all heading out to start a burn pile and do some work on the driveway and I was complaining about Chad's loss of the spare key and he starts on me about letting the kid play in the truck and not paying attention... And did I look everywhere... and blah, blah, blah, BLAH!!
I say yes I did, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!
Then Chad starts digging through the pockets on my coat and pulls out they keys to my pickup.

It is really TOO early for this kind of dust!!
And yesterday I killed a mosquito on Remi!!

REALLY?!!?

Yes, really.

And now this weekend after all of that beautiful weather, it's raining cats and dogs.
Oh, well.
What's another week?

LOL!!

Get yer ass movin'!
This picture cracks (pun intended) me up!!

It's Feeling Like Spring!!!

These unseasonably warm temperatures have really started making my mind kick into gear...

Yet, the Doubting Thomas in me thinks as soon as I start making spring plans and get things going, I'll have to stop for snow...  (0:

What to do? 

Well, how about if we start small??

 

And by starting small, I mean, lets wear a warm shirt and out sweatshirts outside...

Then lets look around at everything and try and see what I can do with a toddler alone.

Make lists in my head of things we'll need Chad for, what I can do while he is "doing" his own "work", and what I might be able to see to 80% completion while Kase sleeps.

Lists, I'm going to be the Queen of lists again this year!!

 

 

But, this year, I think I'll be able to get a bit more done.

Mostly because Kase is older and I can do more with him.

Last year we tried, but his naps are pretty short and he wasn't happy just being put into his stroller to watch...  This year I'll get him some "tools" for him and we'll start messing around with work!

I can also put him on the tractor and he'll sit there and drive for 10 minutes before he's mad that he's not moving!  What a bonus for me!!  (0:

 

In my Pre-Spring walk-a-bout, I took note of a few things that were frustrating...

First off, I miss judged how much hay I'd need to get to the next haying season.  Bah!!

I knew that we'd hauled with a smaller trailer and I'd need to haul a few more (5) bales in my truck to have the same number that I'd had last year to start the year with.  I also knew Fiona would be eating here and that would add a few bales... (10 was my guess)  Well, I hauled in 16 more bales.

Yeah, should have hauled in 26 probably.  )0:

I'm not complaining about the money or the time.

I'm just thinking, REALLY Nikki?!

How could you have so grossly under estimated your horses hay consumption?

Yeah, I'm not sure.

I have been slowly feeding out the 40 small bales I bought too.

But I feel like their consumption is right on where I thought it would be.

It's the rounds I'm going to be short on.

I've found a source, but really to me, it's the principal of the whole thing!!

 

The next thing that wasn't a "happy spot" was Fiona.

Now I have physically touched my horses almost everyday this year, having learned my lesson last year with Horse Girl's eye.

BUT Fiona always presents with her head and neck.

So I usually pet her there more than anywhere else...

I guess..

I'm not really sure.

Anywhoo I was giving her the once over, (and she has started shedding...no one else has...)

And really she is under weight.

Everyone was wormed once we froze.

No one else is ribby...

And it's been about 3 years since she saw "The Dentist" so I'm assuming it's her teeth.

I fed "snacks" and she seems to be chewing normally.

Nothing is falling out of her mouth.

No odd chewing... But it seems like the most likely thing...

It's all I can really think of that would be the issue...

An issue that I'm pretty sure wasn't there a couple of months ago.

They are all in good condition really, and Fi's not horrible, but for being on free choice hay constantly, she's not heavy enough.

So I'll worm everyone again here at the end of the month and also schedule a dental day (aka, give all your money to the vet day) for the about the same time.

In addition to these things, I'll probably add some fat (vegetable or coconut oil) some grain (probably a mixture of equine senior and whole oats) and maybe some extra alfalfa cubes.  Also considering getting her a little beet pulp.

So weird to have her thin coming out of such an easy winter...

 

And as I think about Fi's teeth, I have to consider everyone else...

Horse Girl's teeth haven't been done in about 5 years.  She was evaluated when Fi's were done, but the vet said they looked pretty good and since she wasn't doing a darn thing except eating, she should be fine.  Matter of fact he told me that until I saw cause to have them done, just let her be.  I feel like she may need something, just because it's been so long.

Remi is a real burden on my moral compass and heart.

She is a kind and loving soul...  But I'm never going to ride her again.

Her mucus runs outta her nose almost nonstop. 

She isn't really coughing, but it's coming...

On one hand, it's been 3 years since her teeth were done, and they were AWEFUL, but on the other hand what's the point.

I have already started working on my mind set about her health.  If I cannot keep her comfortable without pumping her full of steroids this summer, I'm going to let her go.

I hate having a stuffy nose and feeling like I can't breathe.  Not being able to breathe easily on a daily basis, coughing nonstop, with thick mucus running from your nose and being poked everyday with a needle...

I don't know, I just think that's a poor quality of life for her.

And me.

It damn near brings me to tears thinking about it.

The Hee-Haws haven't had any dental attention since they were gelded...

Oh, about 8 or 9 years ago.  I think...

But they are F.A.T.

So I don't really feel any urgent need for them....

Except to get some weight OFF of them!

LOL!!

 

And rounding up our walk-a-bout is the fact that we- me really needs to get halters on the Hee-Haws and get some time with them and Kase in a more controlled setting.  A setting with a purpose.  To this point it's just been pet, feed, pet, throw treats at them. 

It really seems like Patron had a real interest in Kase, and if I've learned anything about these two is that they choose "their" person. 

On paper, Jack-Jack is Chad's.  In "life", he's mine.

On paper Patron is mine.  In "life" he's more mine than anyone else's, but I honestly think he'd like Kase to like him.

Jack-Jack wants nothing to do with Kase...

Which is fine. 

I kind of feel like we should start working on them spending time with each other and learning about one another.

Hope Fiona isn't too jealous that "her" kid maybe spending time with someone else!

Haahahahaa!! 

 

While I'm thinking about it.

How do/did you experienced parents control the interactions of your kids and the large animals.

My horses are quite and their herd dynamics are quiet and well established. 

All three mares are interested in Kase and very cautious, or seemingly cautious.

I'm not so worried at this time about him getting kicked (the Hee-Haws are kickers and I am ultra alert when he is on the ground and they are not facing us...but that's another thing entirely), but stepped on.  Definitely.

None of my horses are treat crazy and I also get large treats and have been trying to keep Kase only throw them out to them... But he really wants to hand feed.  And they are pretty good about taking stuff gently... I don't want to tell him no and make it not fun for him, but want him safe too...

Fingers don't grow back!

Pointers?

Ideas?

The last thing I want to do is scare him off of anything that I consider "fun".

Well, that's not right, the last thing I want is for him to get hurt... Followed by the previous statement!

 

 

TTFN!!

 

Our Visitors Are Back!

This last week, everyone on the place that uses 4 legs was to move around has been wired for sound.

The dogs woofing and cocking their heads for what seems to be no good reason.

Abbi and all her bravery barking from the well lit sidewalk into the dark and then running back inside.

Seven at least has the "pride" in her home defense to run around the house barking before she wants to come in!

The Hee-Haws patrolling the fence line and snorting like they had a snout full of pepper....

And then rushing to the top of the pasture posturing like they are 19hh and bullet proof.

And the girls were snorting, jumping, flinching, and spooking at the slightest noise.

During the week of terror, the crows even set them running!!

Which was funny, if I do say so myself.

I'm not sure where "our birds" actually live, or where they "shop" but these three will fly in carrying strange food items...drop them in the middle of the horses and eat.

Which makes me think that they've got access to some one's trash.

Where ever it comes from they bring in apples, banana peels, partially eaten steak (some one's dog's getting ripped off!), partial loaves of bread, and in this instance part of a burger...bun included.

This bird dropped it's food in the middle of the pasture from about 12 feet up, and about 10 feet away from the Drama Queen herself, Horse Girl.

Kase and I were playing in front of the barn when the "incident occurred" and that crazy red head levitated 4 foot off the ground for about 6 seconds and all the while her feet we going as fast as they could go.  She hit the ground running and full speed, bumped into Fiona, nearly killed a Hee-Haw on the corner and motored off into the trees.

Everyone just kind of watched her go and stared off in the direction that she had gone.

She came out of the trees tip toeing looking for the attacker and trying to regain her composure.

It was pretty funny.

The bird, now joined by it's buddies even looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

(Seven broke up the bird lunch and I then took the food from her and threw it in the trash where no one could get it...)

Then finally on (last) Friday morning the moose showed themselves.

I couldn't see the cow, but the calf decided to snack in front of the house so I was able to get a few pictures of him!

They hung out in the neighborhood for a few days, and are gone now.

So the drama is gone.

For now!  (0: