Some Days

Between showers, of which there were plenty

Just fall together in unexpected but good ways. Yesterday started with the chicken massacre, which was pretty awful, but it just got better from there.

The Farm Side was one thing that fell together quickly. Nothing like quotes from a real, honest-to-gosh college professor to beef up your material.

Then after chores we went up to see the boss's aunt. You may remember not too long ago she had a brush with very serious illness. Now she is bright and perky as a chickadee and full of fun, and funny, and clever, and we love her. She sent home a couple of trumpet vines, which have volunteered all over her lawn. I've got to get those puppies planted today, but I am not quite sure where to put them. I have always wanted one.

Lookin' south at dusk during the great chicken rescue

Then after the main midday round of work I froze that monster zucchetta. It made three whole quarts of pieces for soup this winter....not to mention all the ones I ate while doing the work of it. Darned stuff tastes just like butter.

Speaking of butter, Liz stopped at the Country Creamery in Canastota and brought us both home some. Best butter I have ever tasted. 

Chicken being rescued

Then the boss came over with the skid steer to scrape some weedy junk away from the house. It has just gotten away from me this wet, wet year and was higher than my head in a lot of places. I have a malignant case of tick terror...a real phobia...and it is hard for me to get out in that brushy growth to work.

I asked him before he left if he would take one bush of sumac out along the long lawn. It has been a couple of years since I could see Grandma Peggy's old concrete seahorse bird bath, because the darned sumacs seem to be bent on taking over the world one lawn at a time....starting with mine

Sunset...I love shooting those two power towers. They look like crosses to me

He didn't just take out the bush, he took out almost the whole darned forest. It is great! There is much more light in the living room, I can see the sun come up, and the whole area to the east is brighter and prettier.

Tiny acrobat

My new view

Sure ticked off one hummer though. There was a dead sumac next to the porch that I have been cutting on for years trying to get rid of it. He liked to perch there if I was on the porch and he didn't want to come too close. He went to land on it yesterday and was mad as a snapping turtle when his butt landed in empty air.

Oh, well, he will just have to find another perch.

Then as icing on the good-day-for-a-change cake, Jade came down and mowed the lawns. Now they are all as smooth and soft and velvety as kitten fur. Sure made a lot of robins happy.

The only thorn in an otherwise smooth day, besides the chickens of course, was that it rained every single time the boss went out to try and mow hay. Sure has been a frustrating summer for that occupation.