Where there's a will...

There's a way. Believe me, there was a will. I wanted those berries with every fiber of my being.

This is almost 4 cups of berries, that I picked in about a half an hour. I took the wire cutter to the fence, and by judiciously snipping a few wires, created windows through which my arm could fit. It was still way too slow though, and I was limited to what I could reach. It is like those berries were taunting me. What can I say, I am a greedy girl. I wanted them all!

I remembered that through another gate, not terribly far off, there was a section of fence that was only four foot. By pushing it down a little, I was able to get over it. I can almost hear my friend P yelling at me. The ankle is still puffy and bruising, so I probably shouldn't be climbing over fences and walking over rough ground through tall grasses and weeds. But the berries won't wait!

Muwahahaha! They were mine, all mine! There were birds cussing me out the whole time I was picking. I just told them that I pay the mortgage and taxes on this land, I'll pick what I want, thank you very much! There are still buckets left to pick, and more ripening. I can only do it while Mom is sleeping, so my time is limited.

Now, whatever shall I do with about 5 cups of blackberries?

Free Food

I picked this small bowl (maybe 1 1/2 cups) of blackberries this morning. The berries are just starting to ripen, but there are buckets of them. The plants are wild volunteers that started growing in a small square of my property which we fenced off so the llamas couldn't get to it. (Where my electric meter is.) To actually get in there, I would need to climb over the 5 foot tall fence, or walk all the way around. I can't really do either and still be available to keep Mom safe quickly.

This bowl is what I could reach through the fence, or over top the fence. I am contemplating snipping a few wires here and there (it would be a fenestrated fence!) so more of my arm fits through. As it is, I have a hard time even getting my hand in. It is frustrating seeing all of those berries just out of reach!

Wall of Junk Update

I've added a few things to the wall of junk this year. A sweet little garden sign I picked up in Kansas City when I was there in March. A big horseshoe I found in the pasture, along with some rusty metal doodads I have no idea what they are, also found in the pasture.

The two inside panels of this side blew down in the fierce winds we had this winter. I finally re-erected them and put stuff back. Unfortunately it crushed a ceramic wall planter that used to hang there. A volunteer hollyhock is doing well in the compost pile this wall o junk screens.

I planted some sunflower seeds in front of the wall, should have thought to plant them in back. I think I planted them too late anyway, probably won't get any flowers before the frost hits. Next year I'll start earlier, and plant them in back. That will be nice to have some sunflowers nodding over the wall from the back. I have a few short zinnias planted on this side, but still feel like it needs more color. Maybe if I paint the clay pots that are hanging on the steel posts? Any suggestions?

Color inspiration

I'm sensing a colorway coming on, but I'm still in the planning stages. To accomplish this, I'm thinking the blending will need to happen on the drum carder, not in the dyepot. If the red and green were to mix in the dyepot, I'd end up with a muddy mess.

In my mind's eye, I see a felted bag as the end result. Eh, this will take a while, too much standing involved right now.

Since I am camped out on the couch, I've been trying to do some knitting. I keep falling asleep though. Nothing much is getting accomplished around here!

More Blessed Bovine

If you're not familiar with the saga of the Blessed Bovine, click on the Blessed Bovine label over on the right to read all about it.

This is the Blessed Bovine herself. She looks fat and happy.

This is her newest calf. Pica, I think the name is.

This is Flower's (the calf featured in the BB saga)calf. Diddy. Or maybe the BB's calf is named Diddy, and Flower's calf is named Pica. I don't remember. No matter their names, they sure are cute.

The weekend was a mixed bag, but still a lot of fun. We would no sooner get the hay raked and maybe one load baled, and it would rain lightly, just enough that we couldn't bale anymore. We finally were able to finish up on Sunday, each with 180 or so bales in the barn. I say we, but really it was my friends and neighbors that did the finishing up. I managed to sprain my ankle on Sunday just as we were about to start picking up bales. The girls took me to the ER while the guys, with the help of the neighbor and her girls, stacked the hay.

I'm lucky it happened when it did, with friends still here, and Mom not. There ended up being an opening at the AD unit, so she was there for the weekend. She is able to stay there until Wednesday, then my sister will pick her up and bring her back here. My sister is trying to get Family Medical Leave for a couple of days, so she can come and take care of Mom during the day. I know I can't keep up with her right now. As difficult as it is for me to let happen, it is one of those cases where I have to let myself heal, so I can continue to take care of Mom.

Meanwhile, the neighbor is taking care of my animals. I'm doing ok on the level surfaces of the house, but the uneven ground outside is expressly forbidden. I keep thinking of all the things I could be doing outside since Mom isn't here, but I just need to stop. Easier said than done though.

Haying

Need I say more?

Probably not, but I'm going to. I have friends flying in from Philadelphia and driving up from Kansas City for the holiday weekend. There is no room at the inn (The AD unit Mom usually goes to has no beds available, and hasn't for the last two months.), so Mom will be here too. Little did my friends know that they would end up slinging hay bales for their holiday. That's what they get for going to a farm for vacation!

I'm sure we'll sneak in some fun too. My little town does it up big for the 4th. Complete with pie and ice cream social, street dance, tractor pull, bingo, Lion's Club breakfast, parade, and of course a fireworks display.

Have a fun and safe long weekend!

Update

I was out in the yard taking a few shots of the feathery grass in the bright sun, when Simba wandered over to see what I was looking at, then flopped down for a rest.

Then Puddin' had to come over too.

It wasn't long after that photo was taken that she wound up on my back, settling in for a snooze, but also head butting the back of my head and drooling. Nice.

Simba settled in for a snooze too. She has me on a rollercoaster. Her condition seems to change day by day. Sometimes I think that she's fine, not normal but not in pain and happy. The next she can't get up by herself, and hobbles around. But through it all she still seems like her happy dog self, not crying or whimpering or yelping, eating and drinking with gusto. I'm trying to decide if I am just seeing what I want to see, because I can't bear the thought of losing her, or if she is still doing ok. Am I just being selfish?