One of the hens has been hunkered in the nesting box for two days. K says she's trying to hatch eggs.
Overcast and much cooler today, thunderstorms forecast for later this week. Bats. Renald snuggled up and kneading pinpricks into my thigh.
The paintings are stacked against the window and the light shining through them makes them beautiful... one blue one is propped in front of a red one and the reflection adds a dimension of color that I wish I could replicate. Like layers of stained glass.
Paralyzed by anxiety (the free floating variety, yay) for most of today but managed the minimum adulting, yoga, and eating. Saved by Star Trek: Beyond, and texting with home planet. Ending the day with big smiles and laughter.
Pretty sure that was a great blue heron that just took off from the pond but it was bigger than any I've seen before! Wow.
Started 30-day yoga challenge and remember why I miss it... already feeling better in body and calmer in mind.
Realized there are fewer than 30 days until I'm home.
Went for a walk and explored the east pasture 'til I overheated, which wasn't long, but long enough to listen to part 2 of the Freakonomics podcast "Why Hate the Koch Brothers?" which made my brain hurt in a good way. Highly recommend it. Continued my lesson about the importance of critically questioning media input.
Fed the horses and the goats. Got jumped by large muddy dogs. Dispensed affection and pets to all the above.
Bumped into Chuck and Clea (she got a bath last night) and made plans to grill down here tomorrow night. Saturday night date! Chuck said he's going to his sister's house tonight but someone... her brother-in-law maybe?... had a heart attack recently so they might need to go to the hospital. I said "Hope he recovers soon" and Chuck responded "Well, he's 90, they put in a stent and he got through the surgery okay, he'll be fine."
Fed the chickens chilled cucumber and strawberries in their yard. Began to suspect that they're intentionally coming to the porch to poop.
Yesterday at the HEB I overheard the man in line behind me respond to the cashier's "How are you?" with "Having the time of my life, as usual, how 'bout you?"
Having the time of my life, as usual. Is there any other time?
Took my sketchbook and a bag of carrots up to where the horses were grazing in the shade but this time as soon as they saw me they ran down to the feed shed instead of sticking their heads through the window for treats and investigating the truck bed. JJ cantering and Clover dancing patterns in front of and around him all the way down the hill, kicking and tossing her head.
Stopped on the way back to feed carrots to Molly the burro, who Chuck thinks he's had for 40 years.
Also today, found the old rut-road in the pasture and had a lovely shady walk through the oak trees. And painted.
Pensive postscript alert:
Some growing pains the past couple of days but feel like I'm learning something important about translating new language and identifying legacy issues vs. legitimate ones. Language is important but communication matters, if that makes any sense.
Fed goats. Appreciate Ottmer cousin's husband's suggestion that I keep the tubs close to the fence so I can pour feed over, because goats lack boundaries when there's food involved.
Avoided scratches all over by giving the dogs love through the fence, too. They are mostly very large, and prone to full-body hugs. Except for Smiley, who is small enough to wriggle under the fence and get his affection close up. Sweet pea.
Stopped to say hi to Chuck (first in-person exchange I've had in maybe 3 days) and talk about putting up electric wire around the perimeter of the porch so the chickens won't poop all over it. The chickens are good company, but man, the poop.
Later Chuck came up to get a tool and a dozen eggs, and looked at some paintings. Good feedback. He saw peonies, and horses, and horses, and horses. "That one's my favorite" he said of my favorite. "Course it looks like its neck is broke, but I think it's a good one." I appreciate Chuck's sense of humor.
I also truly appreciate his perspective. There is nothing like being a 5th-generation "libtard" Californian spending a summer on a ranch in Texas for opening a mind.
Typical high of mid-90s here at the house today, and am thinking that I'm going to freeze to death when I come home.
Other highlights of the day: wasp sting between my toes (and the wasps STICK, it's not easy to brush them off), nice long walk after my toe stopped stinging (wasn't really so bad), shirked some responsibilities because it's Sunday.
Also pics of last night's toad. Which sounds suggestive but is actually literal.
* * *
Nothing new, really
A toad on the porch
A deer grazing on the lawn
Listening to rain approaching across the pasture
A tiny dead bird on the porch sofa this morning
(Why aren't there more bats? And why only one deer?)
The chickens have pegged me as not-scary and bringer-of-delicacies so they've taken to the porch, where they give me chicken-eye and, unfortunately, poop. I've told them to poop in the grass and not on the porch, but my powers only go so far. On the plus side they are keeping the bugs down, but watching them kill and eat a walking stick was discomfiting. And one of them got into the geranium and tipped the pot, trapping herself against the wall, and had to be rescued.
All nine remaining chickens are tucked in for the night but It is once again hard to make myself go to bed.
** Update: The dogs are barking, I think I just heard coyotes, the deer is lying down on the lawn, and I've got at least a half-dozen more mosquito bites.
