Farm day

HI! Twice in one week to blog! A record for me!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weather. Here in Az. we are having upper 60's. It is unusually warm for this time of the year. Other parts of the US are going through usually cold. I am very grateful for where I live. 

This morning started out fast paced with a early run out in the mountains with the puppy I am training. She did very well until a huge jack rabbit took her attention. No amount of hollering could call her back. I just had to wait it out. Afterward we came back to the house and got ready for an egg pick up. 

The farm is a busy place with the chickens and all the predators that visit. My other two dogs help keep the coyotes and Cooper's Hawks from attacking the chickens the best they can. When the Hawks attack the chickens they cause the hens to become stressed and we have what I call, 'wonky' eggs. I have a standard poodle who I call the farm foreman. He is fearless behind the fenced in area against the coyotes and birds. Once we came across a badger while checking the fence line! He looked at me as if to ask, is that a short legged coyote!? We don't see many of those around here. We just watched it wiggle off into the brush. I was relived he didn't challenge it.  He knows enough to back off from a snake and when mountain lions are in the area, I don't get any rest. He is absolutely crazy with concern! He paces, barks and goes outside and comes in side. He can't sit still, yet he knows he needs to be careful but he tries his best to protect his territory. One summer night, we had the windows open. I heard him barking wildly, and then I could smell the fragrant smell of a 'stinky kitty'. I just knew he was telling that skunk who was boss. Soon I could hear him running down the hall, to announce his victory. I closed the bedroom door before he could pounce on the bed sharing in the victory. Skunks will eat the heads off the chickens in the dark of night. It was a very busy day cleaning his thick coat.

Today was a good day with cleaning and getting caught back up with the laundry. But mostly I wanted to post the flip sided sign I painted.  

A couple of pointers for the Gabion cages. I uses galvanized fencing and wire. They don't rust, so I read. Also attach a bottom to the basket cage. I know it sound silly to point that out, but if you don't have a bottom to it, your cage shape can be easily distorted. I tried to cut that corner. Didn't work. I do hope you get a chance to look up the Gabion walls on Google. There are some fun shapes out there. 

Until another time. Everyone stay safe!

Gabion wall.

It has been awhile since I have visited my own blog page. I have had company and they came with a puppy that needed training...or I should say the owner needed training! Anyone who knows me, knows I have a natural communication with animals. This puppy was smart and learned faster than the owner did! This company guy visited me six years ago and stayed for two months. He traveled around in his motor home back then. He was traveling past this area so he stopped by to say hi, and to see how things were going! He stayed for two weeks, and just left yesterday. I was happy to have him here as we got a lot of things done here on the farm with his help. I have another friend that says...company is like fish, after a couple of days they start to smell! She has her point. I was happy to see him come by as I wondered what has happened to him over the years. And yes I was happy to get my routine back when he left. This time he didn't have a motor home. He had a truck and stayed inside our little home bunked out on the couch with us. His puppy was in a huge kennel that over took our tiny living room. His puppy didn't need the kennel, he was so well behaved. 

A lot has changed in the last six years for us, and him and it was fun to catch up on his adventures and our farm growth. We now have phone numbers and emails address and modern technology updated ways to keep in touch. I hope his adventures continue to grow more family friends!

So what have I been doing since the last blog? LOTS! 
However, my most recent adventure and interests is those Gabion rock walls! I was walking out to feed the chickens one morning and twisted my ankle, on a rock, again. Here at this location, I seem to grow rocks effortlessly! So I took out a chicken cage that I had stored in the coop area and tossed a few rocks into it, thinking it would keep them out of my path. After a few levels of rock, I thought I should put the cage somewhere it would look nice. Next thing I know, I was out there, collecting rocks and my focus was filling the cage to the top with rocks. This is my first cage, ...after it has been moved twice! It isn't very big, about 10 inches tall by about 36 inches long and about 10 inches wide. 

Well after that one, I got hooked, and looked around for more wired cages and fencing and made my own shapes. I was in a mode of don't mess with me I am on a mission! Tame those rocks! It took a couple of days to gather more rocks for the next bigger basket.  

And it grew from there! 
I learned after the first basket, that it takes a lot of rocks, which I have, I just have to go collect them, which is better to do in the cool weather. 
I learned it takes a lot of time to stack those rocks so that they look somewhat decent. To which I am still practicing. 
It was about the fourth day that something clicked in my process. And I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I had to unload a huge basket twice before I liked it. It was leaning crooked the first time. The second time it was bulging outward like a mushroom at the top. I learned to not push the effort at dark thinking I would get it done and I'd feel good about my project in the morning. Didn't happen. I was not as happy with it in the day light as I was in my pushed night time effort. YES! Every time I did that, I had to undo it the next day. I also learned to stand back to look at the stacking as I go up with a layer of rocks. Looking for holes and weird movement of the cage. 

Needless to say, I am having fun! When I am no longer on this planet, the next person can easily remove the wall, in the meanwhile I am taming those rocks and for some reason can hardly wait to grow more rocks! 

Oh, I need to mention another friend of mine. I emailed  a picture of my craftiness to her to show her what I did when I copped an attitude over a rock. She sent me an idea! Put out a sign that says...

Ring Bell...

If no answer...

Stack Rocks! 

Yup! I did make that sign! I am not happy with it just yet but this is one side of it for now. I have another side of it to practice on.

I will start to work on the other side tonight.

For now, time to go gather the eggs!

Until my next blog! Stay safe!