May Homesteading Notes

Click on the above image of the Trumpet Vine blossoms to see new photos of the Trumpet Vines, the Daylilies and the Desert Willow blooms. They are both starting and blooming at the same time and oh so pretty. 

The pony written about below has not been back. Hopefully he will soon have his big pasture to run in. The neighbors are moving in a new double wide mobile home. They've taken out their front fence line and made their own entryway. I explained that it was the same when we had to make our own entrance, to not share with the folks behind us. Things like that just never work out well. 

The new neighbors do seem to gather in great numbers for holidays such as Memorial day. There are dozens of visitors and the volume on the music is at full blast. Not a good day to work outside. Even the doggies are sick of it. Turns out it was a live band. What was funny though was when they were doing rap in English. I am sure a good part of the high volume was for the irritation of the neighbor behind us. That made us laugh. 

We gathered the first tomatoes yesterday and today. I picked the ripest and then this morning told Randy to see if he found any other ready enough to pluck. He brought in 3 large ones that are almost ready for eating. I will have photos in the Gardening Section. Lots of cuke blooms and the baby green beans were 1 to 3 inches long. A meal very soon. 

That silly Pony!

06-18-06

The photo above is not the pony in question but it was the only picture I could find. I was having a nice nap this morning and wasn't too happy with the puppies for barking me awake after only an hour of sleep. I look out the kitchen window to see two pups playing except that they were on Sammy's side of the A-Frame. That should not be. So I hurried to get my glasses (necessary) and look to see a pony playing with Sammy. I knew the neighbors had one but had never seen it. Beau and Sammy wouldn't hurt a stupid rooster when they were hungry and couldn't even bark serious enough to make this silly pony go away.

So I go out to try and sho him away. No such luck. I grabbed one of the nylon lines Randy uses to take the dogs for a walk. The little horse actually minded better and was easier to walk than any of the pups. But that's not saying a lot. He also liked to bite my clothes, bare his teeth and untie my shoe laces. I get him to follow the little pathway through the heavy woods and get to the neighbor's house. No one home.

I picked a spot in the shade, hooked the line to a post and the pony was grazing on the grass while I went home and got a longer line. By the time I got back, the neighbors had arrived and took in their little fellow. They were sure glad I had brought him home and related a story about how the neighbor behind us had shot their two dogs for eating his dog's food. Then he bragged to them that he would not tolerate such an invasion of his space and don't do it again. Since I'd mentioned that pony was eating dog food, they offered to pay for it. I don't think so. And I'd never shoot a pony or a dog unless I was in fear of my life. Everyone's dogs have at one time or another been through our place and I've had no trouble convincing them to move on, go on home. Except for the pony. The folks even offered to pay for my pants which silly pony had managed to bite. They are old pants and now they have an honor of distinction.

The pony was sure strong though and did irritate the shoulder that Max had hurt about 3 weeks ago. But that, too, will heal with time. I don't take the puppies for walks anymore and I doubt that I will need to take pony home again.

I did something today that I'd not done in a long time. Hung the laundry on the clothes line. Leonie had written her notes about the topic and I was reminded of the days when I did that on a regular basis. The dryer quit last night as I went to use it and my line measures about 20 foot. That goes over Lady's house so only small items could use that space. I have the second batch out now and those should be dry by evening. We'll take the dryer out this weekend and see if we can fix it. I am so spoiled to doing a load every night. The allergy doctor's #1 rule was no drying on the clothes line.