Everyone is enjoying the weather this weekend. I was going to try to post pictures of some really cool carrion beetles I saw the other night, but they repeatedly ran from the light, and you can only flip a dead sparrow so many times before it starts to seem like something you shouldn’t be doing with your time. So. Instead here is a picture of cute, sleepy sheepiness.
I have no theme today, more of a round-up of pictures for you. I don’t have any more tadpole pictures for you; one day they were there, growing in their legs and the next time I looked, they were gone. Either they hopped away and on to froggy life without notifying me first, or the diving beetles they shared the fire pit with got really aggressive. There are still amphibians about, though. One morning, while I was sitting with my tea, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and looked over to see this:
This ridiculously tiny frog was crawling up the side of the house. Looking back at the pictures, I can’t believe I noticed him in the first place.
Of course there are also the fledglings this time of year. I walked past the side of the house and a fledging wren popped out of the bushes. It flew spaztically around and then asked to be fed again while still clinging to the wall. Fledglings make some toddlers I know look like they’ve got it all together.
Speaking of whiny babies, I put the goat kids in the chicken run the other day to eat down the weeds and grass. Did you know a goat can cry and complain while eating? while drinking? Lois got sick of them and stopped answering them after a while, but even that didn’t stop them. They are such mamas boys. Here they are peeking out from under the chicken coop, hoping I’ll take them home.
We’ve started soccer season again, and it’s just me on the sideline because Jeff and Maria are coaching Adam’s team. This was not planned, really. The team had no coach. Jeff reluctantly agreed so that Adam could play. Yep, Jeff’s awesome.
Adam is continuing his scoring streak. He has scored at least once in every game he has played for the last several seasons, including the flag football season. It is fun to watch him play. He tries new stuff all the time. Occasionally he’ll be watching soccer on TV and disappear outside to go try something he just saw that inspired him. (You can click on the picture to make it bigger; clicking again zooms in. He looks pretty intense.) The Green team played very well and won 6-0 against Orange, who looked disorganized. Must be the superior coaching. 🙂
As if wrangling young boys wasn’t enough, Jeff’s also been working on an equally ambitious project, designed during his morning showers and built modularly in the garage for assembly outside. This is his Shantee. At least, that’s what the clerk wrote on the ‘project name’ line of the lumber order. It’s fancy. Or fancee.
Lastly, there’s Yan. I put Big Yan up for sale and within three hours he was driving away. Wow! He never did get over his goat obsession, and it was becoming a bit problematic as he reached maturity. If you see what I mean. Anyway, I figured that we already have a flock of three instead of the minimum of four that their breeder recommended, so the simplest solution was to just send the weirdo on. I never expected such a quick reaction. Maybe it’s because he’s so photogenic.
Happy Trails!
It was a beautiful day on Saturday, and an eventful one for Brutus and Rush. They got a job at Amy’s place clearing brush on her overgrown hillsides. There is a lot of work for them to do, and they set right to it. As soon as we put them in their pen, they started munching. They have a fully fenced pen for when they’re not at work on the hills, and a pretty purple pavilion to shelter in. The schoolhouse keeps giving: Arthur made the shelter and finished the pen entirely with bits and bobs he found hanging around. They’re close to the house, so it’s easy to keep an eye on them. It’s also easy to hear them. But, reports state that they were quiet by nightfall, unlike some sheep I could name. Eunice also did well with the situation. One big BAAA! in Jeff’s face that afternoon was the biggest objection. I guess we timed this one just right.
EICIE 