The Mystery is Solved!

October 22, 2013October 23, 201346 Comments

Since buying the property I have been seeing large floaters in the water. Some are over two feet long! I had been told that they were snapping turtles, but I could never see them. Trying to get closer only caused the shadowy shapes to dive down deeper.

Do you see those scary dark spots in the water? Do you think they are snapping turtles?

Sunday afternoon I tried a different tactic. I walked very slowly, and cautiously to the pond. I stopped and waited several times for the shadows to resurface and then put my tripod up in the shade. Being in the shade masked me, but the awesome part was when the slanty light finally revealed the mystery.

~*~

I went hunting,

What did I see?

I saw a big Catfish

Looking at me!

~*~

So happy there are no snapping turtles to bite the feet of my geese!

A Saturday Snapshot: find the kitty

July 27, 201342 Comments

Do you see *her?

~*~

*Her name is Miss Kitty and she is one of two kitties we inherited when we bought the Mountain Farmlet. The kitty boy is named Neville after this fellow!

Neville is even more camera-shy than Miss Kitty, but seems to be well fed. I will keep trying to get a photo of him and post it if I do. We are hoping that once we get moved up onto the mountain that they will be less skittish and come around more often. 😉

PS: The young man down the road is being paid to keep them fed and watered in our absence, so never fear! 😀

Saturday Snapshots: little miss muffet ~ revised

July 14, 2012December 12, 201229 Comments

This would have been Photo Friday, but other pressing matters came first. Thank you for your patience with me as we return to our regularly scheduled programming…

**~*~**

~~Little Miss Muffet~~

The Lady of Farmlet

(with apologies to Mother Goose)

The Lady of Farmlet

began her chores,

of feeding her chicken and geese.

When along came a spider,

that stopped there beside her,

resting and looking at peace.

The lady of Farmlet

not wishing to harm it,

leaned closer and heard it say:

“Dear Lady of Farmlet

I mean you no harm,

I’m tired and have lost my way.”

So the lady reached down,

picked up that three-inch spider,

and rehomed it straight away!

The End

**~*~**

NOTICE: When this rather large spider showed up beneath the water spout in back of the house I guess it thought it was auditioning for the part of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” I broke it to the behemoth gently. 😉 I did not touch that Fishing Spider with my bare hands! I coaxed it into a large can with a stick and then transported it to the back fence where, when last I saw it, it was resting comfortably in a patch of wild violets.

Want to know more about the Dolomedes tenebrosus, or Fishing Spider? Look HERE

Baby Huey Fights Back and Wins! (Well, sort of)

May 16, 2012May 16, 201235 Comments

I have been taking the babies outside for a bit of exercise, greens, and some sun. I also want the babies and the Mommas to get used to each other.

Polly seems to be genuinely interested in the little Hueys, but the Hister Sisters aren’t so taken with them. They hiss, stretch their necks, and wiggle their neck feathers at them. When they do this their eyes seem to get this fixed stare to them and it is genuinely scary looking.

The Hueys don’t seem to mind so much so long as I am in view, but if they can’t find me then panic ensues! They stretch their necks up like periscopes and swivel their heads, all the while peeping in unison, it is a frantic sounding call.

Yesterday on our little walk the Mommas came up and stood their ground, as if to say, “This is our turf, go find your own clover to nibble. The little Hueys just hid under my skirt. Then one of them popped out and peeped at Polly, whereupon she stretched down and bonked him on the head with her bill!

Ouch!

The little Huey sprang to action and raising himself up to full stretch he flapped his little winglets and charged her! She, being caught off guard, tried to avoid his lunge and nearly fell backward onto her tail feathers!

I am sorry there are no pictures of this little battle, but it was such a shock, and it all happened so fast…

It was hysterical!

The Hueys have been here since May 1st, and that is only two weeks, but Oh how they have grown! When I got them they were shipped in a little cardboard crate like this one.