Laundry!!

 Ok, another load of laundry--this time the furry blanket the dogs use for cover--in the washer. This is just unbelievable! Stripped the sheets off the bed early this morning and started doing laundry, and here it is 4:30 and the washer is still going--as is the dryer. Such fun! But next project will be these nasty floors. The dogs have a muddy spot right next to their water dispenser. Sloppy tongues, ya know. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be a good day for cleaning floors. Had to defend myself when the bed was moved out to have the sheets changed. Dust bunnies are very sneaky, ya know. The one that accumulated out of the bedroom could have been knitted into a sweater!!

The trash truck ran today and emptied the feed sacks and plastic sheeting from my bin. It doesn't take long to fill up a bin when large things like that go in. The bin also contained the dead bodies of several birds that died in the storm. Sad, but also yucky. At least it was not cats and rabbits or other small creatures. Which reminds me that a rather large rat greeted me when the feed bins were being moved around getting things ready for the boys to unload the feed. He--or she--looked up at me as if to complain about having to leave its cozy nest. Good thing it did not have young ones! But it left for the time being. 

Saw Jerry's "partner in crime" unloading things over in his yard. Then this afternoon two police cruisers came by and stopped over there. Guess he is in trouble again. Knew he had been gone for a couple of days, but he does that sort of thing. He is really a very sad person all things considered. Losing his daughter Laura to some idiot who murdered her and her friend was really bad, but he can't deal with reality anyway. He is always having delusions of grandeur--having "crews" working for him. He really needed mental help a long time ago. But then, maybe that is true of most of the people in prisons. Who knows.

Four fewer hens does not really feel any different today except that the Barred Rocks usually got right under my feet. And with Edith and Harriet gone, no more green eggs will be in the nests. Ah well. Chocolate eggs make me pretty happy, and the Black-laced Wyandottes are just about as friendly as a person could ask for. The two red hens really stand out when they are surrounded by Wyandottes and Marans. It is just going to take longer to collect enough eggs to supply my doctor or the kids whenever they plan to pick up eggs.

Thinking about why my girls look and act so healthy and happy. Well, the happy is just a matter of being loved on, maybe. But keeping diatomaceous earth for them to fluff their wings in and then giving them a few drops of VetRx in their water may be one of the reasons they stay pretty healthy. If the energy shows up one day this next week, the big metal coop has to be cleaned completely. That means taking down the roosts, moving the ladders, and cleaning all the chicken poo out to the east lot as fertilizer. Just one coop at a time is a major job for an old woman. At least after Michelle comes for the two Buff Orpingtons, only three hens will be roosting in the metal coop: Isa, Rhoady, and Athena. Even the nests need to be cleaned out and fresh hay put in there. So that means a fresh bale of alfalfa or calling Mary Rhoads to see if she has any loose hay she can spare. The feed store only has wheat straw and alfalfa, so it is the green stuff that is best.

Years ago my granddaughter Rachel helped me paint flowers on the bathroom window that faces the west. The flowers were pretty and just pleased me. Think she liked them, too. Anyway, the paint was beginning to peel off and fall on the floor, so today the window got sprayed, scraped, and cleaned. Have more paint to mess with them as the notion hits me, so may wait and see if Rachel wants to paint something in a few of the panes. Have to have a few sunflowers and some blue bachelor buttons in a couple of panes. Flowers just make me happy.

It's 80 degrees right now, so it makes me wonder what this summer will be like. My nephew joked about getting prepared for tornadoes and droughts, but honestly, it is not that funny considering how extreme things have been this year so far. May God bless us with rain in due season and calmer weather than what could happen in hurricanes and other storms! This entire country needs help--in more ways than just the weather.

It was so nice to have a phone call from Connie this morning and listen to her talking to her cats. They really missed her. Figures. She loves them and spoils them the way my dogs are spoiled--with unmeasured love.

When Nikki Smith's boys were over here the other day, Thompson stopped one of the boys and smelled up one side of his leg and all the way to his foot. They have three dogs at their house! Thompson had to pass his approval or something. If my dogs were ever to meet up with their cows, donkeys, horses, and a couple of cats--well, except for the cats, they would probably be on scent heaven! 

Yesterday's birds were the Blue-footed Boobies. We NEEDED a blue-footed boobie, didn't we! But today's birds is the Noisy Pitta. The videos of the Noisy Pitta had absolutely NO sounds coming from THAT bird, but plenty from birds around it. Go figure. And the boobie just did this really intense walk about showing off its feet. Maybe that is to avoid any red-footed creatures or plaid feet. Who knows. Around here the purple finch--which actually has a red head--has been around asking for handouts. But the sparrows or some other birds have already eaten all the berries on the Nandinas. Found a couple of sunflower kernels left on the front porch, but otherwise, the wild birds have cleaned up all the extra feed out there. Time for worms!

Put out the micro-clover this morning. Really hope it sprouts and does well out front. If it does ok, will do some in the east lots next time. It is not supposed to get tall at all, so that would meet the requirements of the City. And the hens should enjoy it hopefully. Meanwhile, the Bluebonnets are doing a great job of covering the walkway and a few places in the front yard. Maybe we will have Bluebonnet paradise out here this year. With dandelions and petunias, who could ask for more!

Really don't know much today. My body is tired, and my mind is like Jello without the mold--kinda flubbery. Maybe tomorrow will be another good day and the night will provide good rest. 

Pray for those who are still having problems from this horrible storm. Covid pretty well took a backseat when we were all just trying to survive, but that problem has not gone away as well. Prayers are about the best thing we can do unless we can help individuals that are known to us. At least it looks like FEMA is supposed to help with the cost of the electricity everyone had to use. We live in hope.

May you all rest well tonight and awake with joy. You are loved.