New rule:
No more adolescent chooks sitting on my chair!
Cheeky bastards. No respect!
I have let the cows out into the big summer field. They are beyond happy.
The field they are sharing with the big pigs undergoes a resow this year. Oats and grasses and maybe even sunflowers. The cows love this deep grass – it helps with their fly management. Jude and FreeBee will be shifted next.
Be careful where you mow! There might be a snake in the grass.
This might be the snake from the glasshouse – you will remember this shot from last week.
Though where there is one snake – there must be more. So I am not positive they are the same snake. Still. I gave it a wide berth. I am sure it is not poisonous or anything but I still feel nervous around them.
Whose track is this I wonder. Around the outside of the field.
I love seeing animal tracks and following them.
New note on the list: get out the old mower (or possibly the bush hog) and mow all around the outside of the fields. This is a Sitting Down job so I know who will put his name down for that one.
Wherever Tima goes, destruction follows.
The flies are biting at her ears so I sprayed them with the purple stuff. I hate these biting flies. FreeBee is in the same boat – both have pink graffiti on them now from overspray.
Frogs in the pond.
See below for: How Boo survives the thunder. I lay a big heavy blanket on top of him, covering his body and his head. He will sleep under his thunder blanket for hours. And he did. Yesterday was stormy.
It is early. 4 AM actually on this Memorial Day.
Go HERE later today for a TKG TAKE TEN (ten minutes of ambient video) of the cows discovering their new field. TKG Take Ten goes out at 5pm every week day – Central Time. (Make sure to subscribe) Share with any friend of yours who might love ten minutes with me leaning on the gate. These make a great soundtrack for yoga or list making or just sitting and thinking. And every day is different. Because. Well. Every day IS different!
And as soon as the sun rises I am getting out into this day!
So what is on your list today?
Have you planted a container of summer greens yet? I am going to sow mine today.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
38 responses to “Who has Been Sitting in My Chair!”
Poor Nanny Boo! I bet Quacker likes thunder – it brings more puddles.
Quacker has quietly stood by her puddle since I got home. I hope we can raise a few ducklings for her. I think she will brighten up when she has company again.
Snakes give me the quivers. I am not a fan and would go the other direction.
Are you afraid of mice? I have a theory that people might be either afraid of mice or snakes. I am not afraid of mice. But will go the long way around to avoid a snake!!
I am not afraid of snakes. So you can guess what I am afraid of, so afraid that I cannot even say the name.
oh my! That IS pretty afraid!
I’m not afraid of either mice or snakes. I understand what they’re here for and what they do. I think it’s just as well you gave that snake a wide berth, I’d try and get a positive ID on it, just to be safe. Be careful walking in the tall grass.
Look at all that wonderful grass for the cows! They will be very happy.
they certainly are!
snake: eastern foxsnake or eastern fox snake, is a type of rat snake. It is nonvenomous, according to iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/121099-Pantherophis-gloydi
greens: ants have eaten all my lettuces and sage seedlings. I hate ants.
I don’t think there are venomous snakes in Illinois (someone told me once) so I never really panic. Bit ants eating your greens? That is just WRONG!!
There are rattlesnakes in Illinois – https://reptile.guide/illinois-snakes/ – Timber rattlesnake, Copperhead, Cottonmouth and Massasauga. The one in the picture looks like a Hognose which is not venomous.
Maybe in the southern counties? I am
Hoping they are not up this way! 🥺
They’re all across the state, sorry. I’d wear boots whenever walking in tall grass, otherwise not really too concerned.
Lots of green growth since you left. Do you use the dumb-bells while sitting in the chair?
I think that Tima uses them for her workout regime. Jude is jealous.
Gotta keep those neck muscles strong for rooting.
I’m not at all afraid of mice or snakes but spiders make me run for the hills, especially the big hairy ones. I’ve wondered over the years where this specific fear of mine originated from. No clue. Thankfully, NH is not rife with many varieties of big honking spiders. Love how happy the cows are in the beautiful and lush fields.
I am right there with you. I actually kind of like snakes and think mice are adorable.
Spiders, insects in general are another story, anything with more than 4 legs – yuk.
I have vague memories of fever dreams when I was about 7, bugs all over my bed, perhaps that’s where the distaste comes from.
Thank you Sherry. Who knows where our fears originate from, but fever dreams with bugs would be right up there with the top ten of logical explaination!
I would probably never go in the greenhouse again if I found a snake like that there! Do you know what kind it is?
I think it’s a bull snake- we get a few of them around here. Rat snake is the other offer. Both eat mice so I don’t mind really.
my highlight is the chickens in the chair!
Aren’t they bad!!
The farm is thriving! All that luscious green everywhere with cows almost lost in the field. And Tima…and frogs…and snakes. I am so happy right now. Growing in and around me: mint, various sprouts for salads (this made me think about the trays of sprouts in the shower, remember those?), Columbine and a full bed of wildflowers out front for the pollinators.
I do remember the trays. Now I grow them in buckets! I need to get some seeds a d start a new lot.
A few jars work for me, on a constant rotation. I’m not feeding anyone but myself 😉
Snakes give me the shivers. Ugh. Love seeing all these photos. I arrived home on a non-stop flight from London last evening and so today is all about unpacking and cleaning. My dear hub did a pretty good job of upkeep while I was gone, but I’m itching to scrub things. (Which, I might add, is very unlike me. I belong to the Lazy Housewife School of Cleaning.)
I have the same feeling about the farm! Tomorrow the tiredness will come. I am tired today.
So glad you made it home safely. From the looks of things, the farm is thriving.
Summer is coming and here come the bugs as well. HA Ha
Jo
the animals are already suffering from the bugs. Poor things.
That is the absolute best shot of Tima ever! I never really get to see her cute face because she’s on the move. This photo should be framed.
Can’t wait to see the cows move into the field.
Everything and everyone looking good. But what of Wai? And can you get a replacement Mr Feather? The farmy is not complete without a peacock.
I do need to find another peacock. I am repacking the peacock palace / hopefully we find another pair of peacocks soon. Though I will have to sneak them
In. John hates the way they sit on his trucks!
We’re heading into winter, but I’ve still planted my cool weather garden: Purple heritage climbing beans, Wellington Wonder climbing beans, dwarf bush beans, snow peas, lablab beans, baby beets, zucchini, three kinds of tomato, oregano and purple basil. We’re due a rather warm winter, I believe, so I hope the legumes do ok… Poor Boo and his thunder-blanket. I’m beyond happy that Higgins doesn’t give two hoots about thunder and lightning, unlike his poor stressy predecessor.
I am glad Higgins is so chill!! I need to get to my garden. But could not find my seeds today! Where have they gone!