Welcome to our family blog to keep you updated on all the happenings around the Walker cottage and "farm". Even though we live in a rural section of the Tennessee Mountains life is far from boring as you will see.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

MAY NEWSLETTER

Hello!
Summer has arrived with a blast of hot air. It's hard to believe that only a couple weeks ago I was building fires in my wood-stove due to freezing temperatures. My iris and roses are blooming while the peonies are beginning to open up their fragrant blooms.  My wisteria vine has come alive and soon the large purple grape-like flowers will send their aroma out as well causing the bumble bees to go crazy.  At the end of April (right after the cold snap) I hung out my hummingbird feeders and hardly fifteen minutes later I had humming birds buzzing around. This year I have three Eastern Bluebirds building nests in my bird boxes. I also saw a couple pairs of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at my bird feeders. Along with the bright yellow of the Goldfinches all kinds of color is darting through the air.
Speaking of birds, I lost two baby chicks so am now down to five. I am having a problem of rats under my hen house so I'm putting wire over the chicks and mother hen at night so as not to lose any more lively little fur balls. They look rather bedraggled as darker feathers are coming in at different places. The chicks are starting to jump up to the top of the brooder to perch and soon will be able to fly out and explore the rest of their world in the henhouse during the day.
My guinea hens turned into quite a shocking experience. Pastor Sam and another fellow from our church came out one day and screwed all the boards that I had cut in two the day before around my enclosed garden It was quite the project- you should have seen me wrestling with 8 ft boards to saw them in half (80 all total)-, but the fence looks so nice and is sturdy. After the fellows left and I put away all the long extension cords etc, I got my fishing net and chased down six guinea hens in the chicken pen.  By the time I captured the birds that all of a sudden got quite lively dust and feathers were flying everywhere and I was out of breath. I had shut Tex up in the workshop thankfully. I put the guinea hens into a large animal carrier and wheeled it into my enclosed garden. As soon as I opened up the carrier on the ground the four males flew out and didn't stop until they were over the high fence and in the back yard. The two females behaved themselves and scuttled out and on the ground not flying anywhere like sensible hens.
I tried to shoo the fellows back into the enclosed garden, but they would have none of it. So I let Tex out thinking he could help me herd them to where they belonged, but the crazy guinea hens flew over the wire fence and into the woods behind us. I even took a can of feed and shook it around in the enclosed garden where they could see me, but do you think the fellows would fly back over the fence? Oh no! They squawked and pranced up and down outside the fence from the far end of our property and back making quite the racket. As it was getting late and I was plum wore out, I decided to forget the crazy fellows hoping when it got dark they would fly back.
 I woke up early the next morning hearing a loud racket. All I saw was one lone bird outside the fence. So wasting no time and in my PJ’s I ran outside and grabbed a ladder to rescue the one lone fellow figuring wild animals had gotten the other three. I thought the dear fellow would be grateful to be rescued, but the bird-brained guy suddenly got full of life running up and down the fence just out of my reach as I dodged trees and patches of briars. As I stopped to catch my breath, lo and behold if the other three fellows didn’t appear. I decided to use my brain instead of my waning strength, go eat breakfast, grab the net again, and capture all of them. I went to climb back up the backside of the ladder that I had positioned over the fence but one of the narrow rungs was broke so I put one foot in the wire fence and holding the top of the ladder for balance I swung my other leg over to try and reach a step on the ladder on the other side of the fence and got hung up. I had tested the electric wire before I had put the ladder over and there was nothing so I figured it was down again. But guess what? The electric fence came on full force and I got zapped big time as the metal ladder sagged against the fence. There I was struggling to get my foot free of the fence as the electric current zinged through the wire fence, the ladder, and my entire body. Realizing I was in a serious pickle, I prayed, “Lord if you’ve ever helped me before, I sure do need help now!” It was quite the shocking experience I can assure you. I was quite desperate as I struggled until I finally managed to get my foot free and my body over onto the ladder. I limped my way back into the house and sat down to gather my wits and flagging strength as unfortunately I’m not as young as I used to be. Anybody else would have given up, but I inherited a stubborn streak from my Pennsylvania Dutch father that once in awhile flares up. I wasn’t about to let those crazy birds get the best of me. So after eating, changing clothes, and resting a bit, I got my stepstool, put on heavy gloves and boots, and grabbed the fish net. As I figured all the males was still prancing outside the fence squawking away. I shuddered to think what my neighbors were making of all the racket coming from our place. This time I put the stepladder on one side and the stepstool on the other side of the fence. Then I captured one bird and with the hen rolled up in the net I climbed back over, took the fellow in the house where I had scissors and a trash can, proceeded to clip his wings, and put the hen in the enclosed garden where he belonged. It took me all morning to capture all the fellows and clip them. I spent the rest of the day sacked out in my recliner while they shook their clipped wings out and stalked indigently around.
Tex was quite enthralled with all the goings on. He kept circling the fence to try and get in to chase the guinea hens and when that wouldn’t work, he’d sit down, stick a paw in the 3 inch crack, and rattled the broken lattice that was still up in an effort to get the guinea hens racing around and squawking. Didn’t all the crazy males go flying over the fence again with their clipped wings, around the yard with Tex in pursuit, and back over the wire fence into the woods! It was then that I washed my hands of worrying about their welfare and scrawny necks. At this point in the enclosed garden there are two females and one fellow- that is missing over half his feathers that finally flew back in. So much for guinea hens eating ticks in my yard and woods.
Meanwhile in my garden the peas, lettuce, and red beets are up. I planted my beans and put out some tomatoes. I also with my grandson, Case’s, help one weekend pounded in a couple of fence posts at my cherry bush row so I could tie up and support the large cherry bushes that were falling over and breaking on me and made another archway (with two fence posts and leftover flexible and straight pipes) at my garden where I had a large grapevine on a fence that was long enough at one point to go up to eventually meet where another grapevine had sprung up opposite the path-  which gave me the brainstorm. Case would hold the fence post with one hand and the ladder I was perched on with the other while I pounded in the fence posts. He kept telling me, “Now you be careful, Grandma.” I do believe in putting my grand-kids to work. At one point Case told me that my place was the only place he would have to work and sweat at.
I stayed home with Dana on Mother’s Day. Dwight made it for lunch and brought me a lovely hanging basket of flowers. Dawn beat me to it that morning and called me on her way to church and then in the afternoon, Annette, William, Katie and even my son-in-law, Randy called to wish me Happy Mother’s Day. I must be doing something right to have my son-in- law call and wish me well too- ha!
Dwight is slowly getting stronger and continues to go to physical therapy. Dana has up and down days.  Sometimes his oxygen level is in the 80’s and he has to be on oxygen and other times it is high enough that he doesn’t need oxygen. I just have to keep a check on it. I made it to the local dentist to get my broken off tooth pulled out that I had problems with all winter. I ended up with stitches and a swollen mouth for a couple of weeks. Thankfully my mouth is back to normal again.
Well I shall close my lengthy epistle. Looking back I can’t believe all that was accomplished. What a blessing! Of course there still is lots of work to be done. Hopefully the coming month will be a lot calmer here at the Walker farm. I shall try my best to behave myself and not get into anymore shocking situations.
Take care on your end and stay cool!
Dorcas

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