A busy fall

Once again I find myself apologizing for the long time between postings. I guess the main thing that I can blame for my tardiness is that since late August I have been scrambling to learn a new job (which is really fun, by the way) and it is taking up quite a bit of what used to be extra time. I'm feeling fairly confident now and can focus on silly stuff like this blog!


Frank was out early one morning feeding apples to the horses and donkeys and saw this beautiful spider web covered with dew. I'm particularly curious about this one, as 1/2 of it is attached to the electic fence which is quite hot. Are spider webs not conductive? Or maybe they are and the spider is employing a little extra help? And what about that spider? Can't he feel the surge every second or so?


Then I saw this picture and the way Frank took it and thought of that spider thinking..."hmmmm, maybe I'll catch the BIG one!"


It is starting to feel a little bit like fall, especially with the chilly mornings. You can see here our inside pets doing what they do best on mornings like this. I swear they wait until Frank and I get up and they take over. With Sandy getting so old now, this is usually where she can be found most of the day after her walk with Frank in the morning.


How many new baby chickens can you fit in a nest box? Apparently only 4 with one cranky one stuck outside! It is hard to talk about, but we have had an illness going through our flock that is still really bringing some hens down, but we haven't lost anyone (yet). They are on some antibiotics in their water and hopefully we've turned the corner. The good news is that none of these new babies have been seriously affected. We're not getting any eggs now, and with the days getting shorter, we don't have much hope for eggs this winter until these new girls start laying in the spring. Good thing we have a new neighbor with 50 hens who is selling eggs. I just don't think I could ever buy store eggs again.

Well, I'm off for my annual trip to Grass Valley, California for a draft horse show. I have rented an RV so I can stay on the grounds and I am taking my new truck on its first road trip to Sacramento with all the stuff I need to have camping for almost a week. The forecast is for HOT, so I'm packing for that! I'm also taking my camera, so I should have lots of fodder for new blogs when I get home!