Perhaps it's the thick smoke from the forest fires, perhaps it's that I'm weary to my bones with summer in general, or perhaps it's really real... but I feel a prickling at the back of my neck that I should be 'getting ready for winter'.
Acorns are dropping off the oak tree onto the roof of the house and rolling off and bouncing on the ground. The squirrels think this is just perfect and are taking care of them, or at least the ones that the deer don't eat first. It's a competition. I think the deer are winning.
Anyway, I have found myself doing all kinds of little and not so little chores around the homestead that I want to finish before the weather turns cold and rainy. The rainy part is in my daydreams. Rain to end the drought. Snow to seal the deal.
I even got myself down into the ice pond and filled the wagon with 4 foot lengths of wood that were down there from last year's pruning. I hauled them up and they are now ready to saw into fire wood.
Today instead of going for my usual walk, I decided to stack wood. That was very satisfying. Making order out of chaos. It's always good.
While I was down there I noticed an old section of mat that was in Mr. P's horse trailer that he took out quite some time ago. It's not in the best of shape, but I suddenly thought of a really good use for it. He told me I could have it, so now Sunny has a mud porch for her dog house.
I've moved one of the planter boxes out of the deep shade of the cedar tree and put some new soil in it, plus a Sweet William and an Aster that I picked up at the feed store yesterday.
I also repaired the boxes, as a couple of the corners had come loose. This area of the dog pen looks pretty spiffy now.
Sunny seems to feel somewhat comfortable in there, though it could have something to do with the fact that I toss a dog biscuit inside from time to time. She's starting to think it's a doggy cookie vending machine. But I want her to see it as a happy place. She has never had a dog house before and sometimes I think they make dogs a little nervous to be closed in like that.
We shall see how she likes it when it's pouring rain.
While I was out there I got a couple of pictures of the chickens.
Jill is starting to fill out and put on a little weight. If my calculations are right, sometime in the next four weeks, she could start to lay eggs.
My plan for having greenery in and around the chicken pen is working out pretty well. We have blackberry canes, butterfly bushes, feverfew, spearmint, iris, sweet peas, lavender, and some very slow growing hollyhocks.
The chickens like to eat the blackberry leaves, so I have to put fences up. The rest of the stuff, they seem to leave alone.
And finally today indoors, I found a new chair to put by Bruce for toe toasting this winter. The rocking chair I had there kept wanting to come to pieces. I glued and put screws in and used zip ties, all to no avail. It just does NOT want to hang together.
I found this one for sale on Facebook right here in town.
Seven dollars!!!
I love it.
I worked outdoors all morning and am now officially worn out.
I think I need to get some knitting done. And a little reading. And perhaps a nap!
Winter will have to wait.
Today instead of going for my usual walk, I decided to stack wood. That was very satisfying. Making order out of chaos. It's always good.
While I was down there I noticed an old section of mat that was in Mr. P's horse trailer that he took out quite some time ago. It's not in the best of shape, but I suddenly thought of a really good use for it. He told me I could have it, so now Sunny has a mud porch for her dog house.
I've moved one of the planter boxes out of the deep shade of the cedar tree and put some new soil in it, plus a Sweet William and an Aster that I picked up at the feed store yesterday.
I also repaired the boxes, as a couple of the corners had come loose. This area of the dog pen looks pretty spiffy now.
Sunny seems to feel somewhat comfortable in there, though it could have something to do with the fact that I toss a dog biscuit inside from time to time. She's starting to think it's a doggy cookie vending machine. But I want her to see it as a happy place. She has never had a dog house before and sometimes I think they make dogs a little nervous to be closed in like that.
We shall see how she likes it when it's pouring rain.
While I was out there I got a couple of pictures of the chickens.
Jill is starting to fill out and put on a little weight. If my calculations are right, sometime in the next four weeks, she could start to lay eggs.
My plan for having greenery in and around the chicken pen is working out pretty well. We have blackberry canes, butterfly bushes, feverfew, spearmint, iris, sweet peas, lavender, and some very slow growing hollyhocks.
The chickens like to eat the blackberry leaves, so I have to put fences up. The rest of the stuff, they seem to leave alone.
And finally today indoors, I found a new chair to put by Bruce for toe toasting this winter. The rocking chair I had there kept wanting to come to pieces. I glued and put screws in and used zip ties, all to no avail. It just does NOT want to hang together.
I found this one for sale on Facebook right here in town.
Seven dollars!!!
I love it.
I worked outdoors all morning and am now officially worn out.
I think I need to get some knitting done. And a little reading. And perhaps a nap!
Winter will have to wait.