Category: 2025

June 8 Apparently we have been working under a false sense of security. We believed the chickens were safe enough from predators during daylight hours that they could be allowed to free range. They took full advantage and roamed over the whole place to the point of sometimes straying away from the watchful eye of King Julian the rooster. In the last couple of weeks several hens have gone missing leaving behind only scatterings of feathers. It had been the consensus that a chicken was too big for a fox of the variety we see around SA to handle, and that may be true. It seems, though, that there may be more foxes around and less food, so that the foxes have learned to work together and that two or more can in fact overwhelm and consume a chicken. The chickens are no longer allowed to free-range, which is not popular with the chickens or the humans that care for them. It remains to be seen if that is a permanent solution.

May 4 The first king bird of the season was seen perched on a telephone wire close to the shop. The next day, the first hummingbird of the season visited the feeder in front of 1911. Kari saw one in the garden a day or two before. All the trees are leafed out in their Sunday best. SA has gotten more rain this April than any April in the last 17 years, over three inches. We are being challenged to keep the place mowed and trimmed. We never turn down rain in Potter County, but…we wouldn’t mind fewer weeds.

April 8 Much like March, April started off with a little snow, enough to cover the ground good. Friday it rained and kept raining on into early Saturday morning when the rain turned to snow. That kept up until Saturday afternoon. Total we accumulated 1.8 inches of much needed moisture. Abigail and I got some good grounds keeping done early in the week but none from Thursday on. Sunday morning the thermometer stayed above freezing, barely. That was forecast to be the coldest time, so it looks like we dodged a killing freeze yet again.

March 8 It’s back to winter. Yesterday was chilly, breezy and dismal. Then the light rain gave way to snow. Last Tuesday, I think it was, it snowed briefly with some of the biggest snowflakes I’ve ever seen, but it didn’t last long. Pretty, though. Yesterday evening’s snow flakes were small but there were a lot of them and it kept it up well into the night. The skies cleared during the night and today dawned clear and bright. Most of the snow had melted by afternoon and balmy weather is forecasted for the coming week.

February 9 This month started off pleasant, then it wasn’t, then it was again. Monday afternoon was warm, officially 88 degrees, with light wind. I took advantage to spray weeds, mostly in the perimeter tree line. Don’t remember if I’ve ever sprayed this early in the year, but I’m hoping to get an early jump on the weeds and thus avoid some of the problems when warmer weather really kicks off the weed growth. Then Tuesday cold returned. The thermometer said it was 22 degrees when I got up. That was low enough to keep me inside, so I finished treating the wood floors. Abigail kept on with her tile grout project and is getting close to finishing up. Wednesday it was back to warm weather again, so I continued spraying the perimeter and Abigail kept working on the tile grout. Next day she left for Kerrville to attend a ball with Nathan.

After a semi-productive weekend, I’m relaxing in the sunroom waiting for the Super Bowl to start. Whichever team loses I won’t be too disappointed. They can’t both lose though I wish they could. May all the players avoid injury and could there please be a minimum of silliness in the end zones.