Big Red has arrived…

 

We have two groups of hummingbirds that pass through. The first group arrives late April early May. They are mostly Greens, and Ruby Throats. Then about late July, early August the other group appears. Big Red is with the second group. He showed up a few years ago, one small feisty little bird who was always ready to take on all the rest of the hummingbirds. Now he’s actually a Brown Hummingbird (I think, I looked it up anyway), however depending on the reflection of the sun, he’s anywhere from red, to copper, to a brilliant bronze color. The first year it was just one, and every year thereafter there seem to be more reds. The other day for the first time I saw a minimum of three reds. I knew they were here as soon as I saw one bird not just chasing another away, but chasing him from tree to tree doing actual combat. That’s my red. I think they have a short bird complex. They are about half the size of the greens, and rubies, but they make up for it big time, thus the name Big Red. Already we have too many for me to count, and a lot of them are reds. In a week or two we will be inundated with hummingbirds. I put up three more feeders, but I don’t think it will be enough. It seems like every year I need more feeders. I’ve become one of their stopover’s on their way south.

 

We’ve had a little rain almost every day, and things are starting to green up. The girls in pasture aren’t even at the fence line when it’s feeding time. I’ve had to call them, and call them to come in at night. I see a little gleam of white, and here they came running. It’s such a beautiful sight seeing them run like that. They’re free, but not wild. Yeah I know it’s only food that brings them, but still it’s something special.

 

 

 

 

April came, and was going to spend some time at her mothers cleaning for her, and then we decided that the next day she (and Katlynn) would clean stalls, and I would mow. I also decided to clipper the little ones (inside dogs) as long as April would be at  her mothers. They needed to be done a long, long time ago. Well April got sick, and had to go home so I mowed the next day anyway, or at least I tried to.

As I mowed the sky got darker, and darker with huge thunderheads forming. The cloud formations were unusual with layers upon layers of white, and dark clouds. Finally about 2:00 it started to sprinkle. I got in, and no more than 10 minutes went by, and the sky opened up.

We had a deluge of rain that lasted well over half an hour.  After that it rained off, and on all afternoon, and into the night. When I went to feed everyone’s stalls (inside barn stalls) were wet, but Jeri’s was the worst. The rain was coming in from the south right into the stalls. The skylight above Jeri’s stall needs to be replaced so I have a feed bucket there to catch the rain. Well it overflowed, and he peed in his stall to boot. I was not pleased. Then this morning I go to feed, and he peed in his stall again. What’s the point of having a nice dry stall if you’re going to pee in it? He has a nice big paddock he doesn’t have to pee in his stall. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about that. It’s not the right time of year for wood pellets, and besides if he’s going to do this all the time, that gets mighty expensive. I’ll put a water bucket in his stall to catch the rain since we supposed to have another big storm this afternoon, but I don’t know what to do about the pee. Maybe if it gets mucky enough he’ll find another spot. Stallions, and their pee spots!

 

I have to re-do the chicken slid door. It works great when it’s dry, but guess what? Wood swells when it’s wet. Duh! I found some small hinges I can use, and a nail, and hook should serve as a latch. I’ll have to put some more Thompson’s on the door since it’s such a thin piece of wood. I don’t know why I can’t think of these things sooner, ah yes the “O” thing. I love that excuse. No one can dispute it because it’s true. I did get a load of medium sized wood while I was out feeding. It’s soaked clear through, but when it dries up I can start cutting wood. Summer’s half over, and I haven’t gotten any more wood. Everyone in town is stocking up, but I wanted to ride so I’m behind the eight ball. Days like this I can’t ride (way to wet, and slick) so gathering wood is a good thing. I’m also charging up my chain saw batteries so when it does dry up I can take the chain saw out. I’d really like to figure out a way to keep my woodpile at least semi dry. I can’t put posts in the ground (Rudy tried that already, bedrock you know) or I would make a lean-to affair. I have plenty of roofing tin that’s for sure. Which reminds me I have to bring in the damaged roofing tin from back of the arena. Sounds to me like I have a full day ahead, let’s see how much I actually get done.