Tag: Cats

Hiatus – September 24

Back now, from a pause in the process, as a week expecting some recovery from two weeks of horse showing, turned into a full schedule of chaos, about which I will not bother to blog.

Here at Bronze Fox Farm we have finally had some rain! The place has been parched for weeks, and almost immediately the pastures have begun to green up. I do not expect a beautiful Autumn, though. Many trees in the woods have dried up and dropped leaves to survive until Spring. The oak mites, unfortunately, are undeterred by drought. I have managed to get another case of them from spending a little time in the woods.

The anticipated upcoming event of a showing of Harry’s artwork will be opening on October 10. Apparently, invitations as not exclusive, so here is the announcement…

McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts
117 W Lockwood Ave, St. Louis 63119.
314-961-7786
Established 1840

is pleased to present a retrospective of works for sale by renowned St. Louis artist Harry Weber
October 10th, 2025 5-8 pm
Artist’s Talk 6:00
Exhibition will feature 48 bronze works spanning Weber’s career, with subject matter including historical figures and scenes, athletes, sporting, and more. Featured will be the complete set of ten artist proof bronze maquettes completed for the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. The exhibition will also include drawings beginning with early works from Weber’s time serving in Vietnam up to today.

Daniel Boone – Bronze – 20″ x 20″ x 16″
This is the maquette that won a national competition for the larger-than-life size bronze statue of the pioneer for the City of St. Charles, MO installed on the city’s historic Main Street in 2006.

HARRY WEBER
Harry Weber was born in St. Louis, MO in 1942. He earned a degree in English from Princeton University and served six years in the United States Navy, including a year tour of commanding River Patrol Boats in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star with V for valor and the Presidential Unit Commendation. As a sculptor, Weber has an international reputation. His body of work includes over 150 large, commissioned sculptures in public view in twenty-seven states, the Bahamas, China, and Africa. These include historical figures, notables in the arts, politics, and sports in thirty-one different cities across the country. Two of his sculptural groupings have been named National Lewis and Clark sites by the National Park Service. He was selected in a national competition to sculpt a statue of Dred and Harriet Scott, which now stands in front of the Old Courthouse where the infamous decision was handed down. His sculptures of famous sports figures are prominent features at fifteen different professional and amateur stadiums, including Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Choctaw Stadium (Texas Rangers) in Arlington, TX and the TD Garden in Boston, MA. In 2023, he was awarded a Star on The St. Louis Walk of Fame which honors St. Louisans who have made significant contributions to the culture of the United States. He has also been inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

We attended a talk in Washington, Missouri on Saturday with the newly formed Rivertown Arts Council. Dan Burkhardt gave a very interesting and entertaining presentation, and there were many local artists in attendance. Our spirits were uplifted.

**Dan Burkhardt (center) with local artists**

Of course, my spirits also soared when I received my pictures from the professional horse show photographer. Particularly since Brianna, one of the photographers with HLJ Images from Kansas City, rode with Kris as a child, and Jane and I met her through Kris as a young rider. She had a fabulous jumper, and though she is too busy now with work to ride, she is one of the nicest people I have met through horses. And a brilliant photographer… Here are a few, much better than a blurry picture off a video, from the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show 2025!

The birds are migrating, and I had a chance, before they departed, to see male and female tanagers and get some pictures. Beauty and drama in the bird world on the back porch!

At least the five cats are not interested in birds. If the barn cats come near the back porch, we do chase them back to the barn, but we rarely see feathers anywhere, indicating trouble. There was a Cooper’s hawk around for a few days, and I saw it get a finch, but that is the natural circle of life. Domesticated cats are not part of that!

**Skittle has never ventured far from the barn in her 16 years here**

We had a beautiful visitor on the porch a couple of days ago. I took pictures, thinking it was a corn snake, perhaps. I didn’t have the telephoto lens on the camera, so I leaned in close. The poor snake was rather stressed by our efforts to direct it away from the kitchen door. While we were doing that, Eddy came into the house, and very nearly stepped on the snake, but didn’t notice it. Well, then I looked into my iNaturalist app to identify the snake and learned that it was an Eastern Copperhead! Yikes! I did not realize they are so beautiful. I knew they were one of Missouri’s “venomous” snakes. And I did notice the plain brown head and its triangular shape, but I was entranced by it’s beauty. Luckily, this individual was not at all aggressive, and he went happily on his way after our photo session!

Many, many years ago, when we first moved to this country, I decided to make a zoo in the orchard behind the house. I had a turtle, and a toad and a skink in boxes, and I was very excited to find a snake, which I picked up with a stick and threw into a box to add to the collection. I proudly showed the “zoo” to the Priory boys playing soccer on the field by the orchard (we lived on the grounds of the Priory boys’ school). One of the boys informed my father that I had a poisonous copperhead snake in my zoo. I was very sad indeed when my father killed the snake, and that ended my zoological career. Looking back, I wonder if that “copperhead” was more likely a brown roughsnake. People are very afraid of brown snakes, presuming they are copperheads. This one definitely was a copperhead – and it wasn’t a brown snake at all. I put several pictures into the iNaturalist app and there was no question. We didn’t have that option in the early 1960s!

In other things of beauty, on this incredible planet, in the middle of the North American continent…

**A clematis reblooming in drought conditions**

Every day there is natural beauty to distract us from the news, which is a great blessing.

**Eddy leads the way to the house at the end of another day…**

Be safe, be well, be grateful, be kind. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

September 24, 2025

Another Week, Another Goodbye – July 26

The summer days melt into one another. We have had an uncommonly humid July, even by Missouri standards. When we moved here in the 1960s, the British consulate was paid tropical wages for the summer. We grew up without air conditioning, but we were surrounded by trees, which offered welcome shade, and as children, we were fed salt tablets, since we were not acclimated to such heat.

Now, I work in the heat and sweat profusely, salting my food freely to compensate. I really have developed hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating), in old age, which is far preferable to anhydrosis (failure to sweat), a terrifying condition that can occur in horses, and in humans.

So much for today’s health lesson, onward, which is to say, backward to the beginning of this busy week.

Erosion control took up considerable time and energy after a much appreciated heavy rain. It is hard work for an old lady, shoveling limestone screenings. Harlan works in all weather, and always takes time for a visit when I am around.

Harlan empties the dumpster

Haraln in the shade of the barn

The cats keep advising me to take it easy in this weather, so I did take a break to get some cat pictures.

Tom Morris

Marmalade

Rosie

Cora

Skittle

Roscoe

You know who is working harder than I am this week? Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird. They have brought 4 more bluebirds of happiness into the world and are feeding them plenty of bugs. It is hard work. Just look at poor, bedraggled Mrs. Bluebird!

New baby bluebirds

Hardworking Mrs. Bluebird

Mr. Bluebird with a big bug

Mr. Bluebird goes in to feed first

Mr. Bluebird departs in search of more bugs

Mrs. Bluebird

A fellow art teacher, Mary Beth, from Harry’s time at MICDS in 2004/2005 came for a visit. She brought a lovely pot of basil she had grown from seed and we had a delightful time with her. Some people grow bitter with misfortune. Mary Beth has had some difficult troubles (brain cancer being a big one) but she is optimistic and kind. We and the animals enjoyed the day.

Harry and Mary Beth

Mary Beth and Bart

Mary Beth and Oisin

Mary Beth and Stone

Harry shows a maquette

Artists

Weedy and Eddy enjoy visitors, but it’s hot!

“Let us into the air conditioning, please!”

I had lunch this week with our friend Jane McClaren, who lives in St. Louis. Her partner, Barry, took some incredible pictures of hawks in their back yard. I think they are broad winged hawks. Jane was concerned for them in the heat, but when she took water out, they flew away. They appear to be a pair with a juvenile.

A hawk – photo by Barry Nelson

Hawk – photo by Barry Nelson

Hawk – photo by Barry Nelson

Resting hawk – photo by Barry Nelson

A trio of hawks (a “cast” of hawks) – photo by Barry Nelson

A hot hawk – photo by Barry Nelson

Wednesday evening, I saw Eddy with a Labrador. I assumed it was Roy, but it was not. He was an older and very hot dog, with two collars on, but no tags. We put him in the pen with water to keep him safe while we tried to find his owner. Without success around here, we resorted to calling the Warren County sheriff . Deputy Justin Wade came by and took a picture. At 9:00 PM, there was a knock on the front door, and the owners of Ruger, who, it turns out is 14 years old, arrived to pick him up. They had also thought to call the sheriff! Ruger had wandered off at 1 PM, so he had been gone for over four hours when he showed up here. A happy reunion and a good night’s sleep…

Eddy meets a new friend

Ruger

The rain and the heat have produced a bumper crop of chanterelles. Nathan came out and I helped him harvest two bags. Alas, I got a terrible case of oak mites! I thought they arrived in August, so this was a nasty surprise.

ACK!!! Oak mites (and I need to shave my legs)

Less horrifying is the beauty around us, and seeing much of it from Bart, as we get legged up, just in case…

Bart’s very shaggy mane

A more presentable mane

One beautiful day lily hidden in the lilac hedge

A glorious yellow lily

A new, pink perennial hibiscus, planted at a difficult time, but beautiful

One little goldfinch

Yesterday, we drove to Columbia to attend a memorial for Deb Booker, a legendary horsewoman in Missouri. Her daughter, Sarah, is a fixture at horse shows all over the nation as a judge and announcer. We have known Sarah since she was a child. Now she is a grandmother of Deb’s great grandson, Tate, whose first birthday was recently celebrated by Mrs. Booker before she left us.

Known as Mrs. Booker to many of us, as Deb or just Booker to friends, she taught at Stephens College and at William Woods. My first encounter with her was in 1975, when she provided me a horse to ride for my U.S. Pony Club A Test. I failed, but I was grateful and in awe of Mrs. Booker from then on. I didn’t know her well, but I aspired to work as hard as she did and to be as tough and kind as she was.

There is a saying that “if you want to have a big funeral, die young”. Mrs. Booker proved that wrong. She lived and worked for 88 years and a big crowd turned up to say goodbye. Linda and Ted drove all the way from Michigan. There was a sharing of memories, in which the microphone was passed to many and various people whose lives were shaped in one way or another by Mrs. Booker. She was a horsewoman, a mother to three, a collector of rocks (!) and insulators (!!). She was interested in history, politically active and she was an irreplaceable, one of a kind character. She truly “lived until she died”.

Mrs. Booker had asked that in lieu of flowers people should register to vote and vote for their choice. Many memories shared were concerned with horses, but one woman stood up and said that Mrs. Booker taught her to be a Democrat. There were laughs and tears, and it was a special day and a good send off indeed.

Be safe, be well, cherish friends. Slava Ukraini! Peace.

July 26, 2025
Heat and Humidity – July 19

Rain is setting the stage for Extreme Heat, at least the Weather Channel App tells us that there is a Warning until Thursday. Here, the rain pushed me into the house, where my muse (Harry) has banished me to my desk. It is difficult to catch up during this hectic, hot summer, but here are a few items from the past two weeks.

The stream renovation is finally finished and the water is flowing again after a seven month hiatus. There is still plenty of work to be done with landscaping and rock tweaking, but those chores are low on the list. Eddy is delighted to be able to cool off and drink on these long, hot days.

An early start on the final day

The stream is back!

Eddy wonders if he is dreaming…

Eddy in one of his happy places

Another resident very happy about the stream’s renovation

The birds, too, appreciate the babbling brook. Here are a few recent visitors to the back porch.

I was not sure what this bird was, on the suet with a red bellied woodpecker

Research led me… to possibly an immature starling?

Red bellied woodpecker and a young starling (perhaps)

A tufted titmouse during a rain shower

Damp, tiny tufted titmouse

A less tiny, but no less damp, titmouse

A titmouse with tuft plastered down

An eastern kingbird (Tyrannous tyrannous)

Eastern kingbird in flight

Evander Squirrel (so named for the bitten ear)

A tanager on the suet, as a downy woodpecker flies past

Summer tanager in flight

The cats, as desert creatures, are not interested in the stream and are fairly tolerant of heat, but this Missouri humidity is hard on all of us.

Tom Morris and Marmalade nap in the shade of the trailer

Marmalade greets me in the morning

Skittle makes a rare morning greeting visit!

The horses are well, though Stone did pull a shoe this week. Fred came to the rescue after doing a very difficult and sad task for a neighbor, whose pony was killed by lightning during the night. He is a gifted shoer, but more importantly, a good friend.

Fred

Stone sings Fred’s praises!

Oops! I forgot to close Stone’s stall, but he had no interest in leaving

Stone and Harry on an early morning ride

Oisin appreciating the flowers

Bart rests

Oisin in full protective gear

Another fly mask lost during the night

Stone and Bart

Bart and Oisin

Oisin staying hydrated

Stone

Early morning herd

Flowers are abundant at this time of year.

A most fanciful mushroom

Zinnias!

Butterfly bush

Very delicate mushrooms

Lilies

Phlox and blue atlas cedar

Very tall day lilies

Harry against daylilies for scale

Perennial hibiscus

We had a visit from Harry’s good friend Nisi Sturgis, with whom he acted in Night of The Iguana. Her son, Owen, is growing up quickly, as children seem to do. He is a talented artist already, at 11.

Nisi is in St. Louis for a production of Romeo and Zooliet, with the St. Louis Shakespeare Company. It is an incredible show performed outdoors at the St. Louis Zoo with huge puppets operated by the talented actors (in very hot and humid conditions, I might add).

Flowers from Owen and Nisi

Owen in the studio

Nisi, amazed, in the studio

Eddy in the studio – photo by Owen

Owen and Stone

Harry, Nisi, and Owen

Harry and Nisi follow Owen

The GLOWB, the set at the St. Louis Zoo

Harry says hello to Dr. Jeffrey Bonner

Anne, Harry and the Juliet puppet before the show

The big news is that we got a new (used) car this week! Harry took the 2015 Outback to the dealer for an oil change, and there was so much wrong with it, that he traded it in on a 2022 Outback. In one of those weird, small world coincidences, the salesman, Christopher (who had actually also sold us the 2017 Outback, which is still going strong), mentioned that he had recognized Harry from the MLB All Star Game in 2009. Harry was part of the show, sculpting a Stan Musial maquette, and Christopher helped him move some sculptures. He even produced photos from that day in 2009!! Life is full of astonishing synchronicities.

Christopher Smith, excellent Subaru salesman, and Harry, excellent sculptor, in 2009

And so, on we go, hoping for a better world and grateful for the beauty here, even in the heat of July…

Be safe, be well, be grateful. Stay strong, stay hydrated, and be kind. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

July 19, 2025
Summer Has Arrived – July 4

Picking up the blog after another long absence… When I last posted, it was still Spring, the days were lengthening toward the equinox, and now, suddenly, it’s summer and the days are shortening.

Life is hectic, with much more to do than time and energy allow. We have had a very full social schedule, too, and, as Satchel Paige said “the social ramble ain’t restful”. Today, Independence Day, is our first day without obligations of one sort or another. It is welcome calm, but we are discouraged by the political disgrace that has brought shame upon the United States.

I began regular blogging to inform people of Harry’s recovery from a broken femur in February 2020. When the Covid pandemic arrived, the blog brought pleasure to people confined in houses, as I posted pictures of our little patch of country with its variety of creatures. It was a simpler time. We have fallen into “interesting times”, which is indeed a curse. Nonetheless, the beauty of the world around us does remain.

As I write this, there is a constant barrage of explosions as our neighbors celebrate by ruining the peace and quiet that we cherish.

So, let’s go back a couple of weeks. There was rain, and lots of lush, green grass. Fred came to replace the horses’ shoes, and we had a wonderful day, as Fred brings laughter and gossip along with his anvil and forge. Harry had visitors in the studio, and they came over to the barn, fascinated to see a real farrier at work.

Oisin

Stone

Fat Bart

Fred

Jane and Derry

The long, cool, Spring spoiled us, and when the heat and humidity arrived, we all wilted along with the plants, but there is still plenty of beauty around. Particularly butterflies and birds…

Pileated woodpecker

Spicebush swallowtail butterfly

A bumblebee, welcome pollinator

A hot bluebird complains to the cowbirds

Bluebird cools off

A fritillary butterfly

Bumblebee on sunflower

Many insects visit the southern magnolia’s brief ,but magnificent blooms

A blue jay

A hawk on the pasture fence

A departing titmouse

Summer flowers – Rudbeckia

First zinnia of the summer

The dogs and cats bring us joy, of course, regardless of the news. They truly live in the moment. Eddy spills over with joy every day, while Weedy is more reserved, but brimming with sweetness for all.

Tom Morris on the porch

Eddy in a quiet moment

Eddy ready for work

Cora

Eddy romps

Roscoe and Eddy return from the monrning barn chores

Skittle, the queen of the barn

Eddy tries his new chair

Harry and Weedy on the new couch

Farewell to the old couch and chair…

Tom Morris

“Oh, no, turn off the news!”, says Weedy

The big project for this year is renovation of the stream. The work was supposed to start in February, but did not actually begin until last week! I was greatly relieved, because the catbirds had fledged, so there was less disturbance of the creatures. Once the stream is back in action, there will be many happy animals, but it is a big job and will continue into next week. Here are some pictures… clearing for the project was done by the author.

This is the stream before clearing began

Some clearing done

Removal of the big prickly bush at top of stream (4 empty birds’ nests!)

The base of the stream before clearing

The base of stream cleared

Hard, hot work

New liner

Stream taking shape

Future waterfall

A rescued teeny, tiny frog

We went to Pike County for Holly’s birthday party this week. Pike County is one of my favorite places, maybe because I was young and at the height of my abilities when we lived there. But it is still really country, and very beautiful, populated with some of our favorite people.

Greeter of arriving guests

Zest, goat of stage and farm (she was in the Tenessee Williams Festival)

Serena, who takes guarding duties very seriously

Pike County

Harry finds a friend

Holly and her brother, Sky

A beautiful grasshopper joined the party

Evening over Rockford Farm

Yesterday, we had a visit, delivering some beautiful pine bedding, from Laura, Dorothy and Thrus.

Laura in the studio

Thrus and Dorothy

Harry

Thrus

Dorothy

Laura

And so it goes…

Be safe, be well, be kind. Laugh, stay strong, and learn the truth. Treasure friends and the natural world in all its wonders. Slava Ukraini! Peace. God save America…

July 4, 2025
Verdant June – June 18

The rains continue, and June has never been so green and lush. It is difficult to keep up with the work around here, but it has been a beautiful month so far.

Harry has turned a youthful 83, and has celebrated another Father’s Day, too. I continue to be astounded at my good luck to be with him every day. We had a quiet birthday celebration last week, with Jane and Brett and no pictures!

Harry ‘s birthday morning, watched over by Trudy and guided by Pierre Laclede

The horses have remained on the back burner, but they have no complaints about that! Bart needs his rest, whether he is working hard, or not.

Bart

Stone

Oisin would like a treat!

Bart works hard eating grass and getting fat

Oisin

Stone switches flies

Stone

Happy herd early morning

There was great excitement as we headed out to the No Kings march on Saturday, when we saw a strangely colored squirrel. It had a black front. The pictures could look like shadow, but this squirrel actually had a black face and chest. I stopped and took its picture near the neighbors’ property, and have watched for it ever since, but no further sightings…

A black fronted squirrel!

Not a trick of the light!

I did some mowing last week, and managed to break the mower, leaving it stuck on the other side of the creek. Nathan came to the rescue on Friday in pouring rain, and managed to get the drive belt back on (I had run over a stick that popped the belt off). Luckily, the belt was not broken. Unluckily, Nathan got soaking wet and had to work all day next door, while I was able to go to the house and change into dry clothes. He was incredibly nice about it. Also, luckily, the creek did not rise, despite rain, and we were able to get the mower back to the shed.

Oh, no!!!!

There have been many birds to photograph between chores…

A hummingbird

A tufted titmouse

Tufted titmouse coming in for a landing

Tufted titmouse in flight

A blue jay

Rose breasted grosbeak always wonders why I point that camera at him!

A cardinal that seems to have met with some sort of accident (note the mouth)

The cardinal seems quite recovered as he struts across the feed board

A female house finch and a male goldfinch

Blue jay

Goldfinches in flight

A pair of lovey doves

House finches!

Male house finch

Many birds love suet! (Chickadee, downy woodpeckers and red bellied woodpecker)

Red bellied woodpecker and red winged blackbird

There was a fascinating moth in the barn. I think it is a Big Poplar Sphinx moth (Pachysphinx occidentalis), but I am no expert. Whatever it is, it’s gorgeous. Life forms on this planet are astonishing. We have been very fortunate to see so many creatures here.

I had an unfortunate run in with angry bees, when I disturbed bumblebees that had nested in a dog bed in the spare stall. Yikes! I got stung yesterday, and when I made another attempt at moving the bed today, they got so enraged I had to leave the barn! Horses were already out. I feel quite intimidated, but they must move elsewhere. I will try again tomorrow…

Meanwhile, I welcome the bees as pollinators in the garden, and flowers are thriving as this unusually wet Spring approaches summer.

A bumblebee at work

Bumblebee on butterfly weed

Fritillary butterfly on butterfly weed

Oak leaf hydrangeas

Astilbe

Fritillary on echinacea

A daylily that has evaded the deer (the deer are getting more brazen, alas)

Eddy has reduced the deer destruction, but has not managed to evict them completely. He and Weedy are constant joys in our life (along with cats and Jane, of course).

The boys at bedtime

Marmalade greets me every morning

Weedy awaits a treat

Weedy, Anne and Eddy (photo by Harry)

Tom Morris and Marmalade nap in their favorite place in the truck bed

Jane

And greatest joy of all, Harry, who makes all of this possible…

Harry delivers scraps for the varmints

Be safe, be well, be grateful. Celebrate good luck, and endure misadventure. Pay attention to all the beauty around us. Slava Ukraini! God Save America. Peace…

June 18, 2025
Eddy Turns 3 – May 30

Eddy came into our life in November, 2023 from the Franklin County Humane Society. Unlike many shelter dogs (and unlike Weedy), Eddy’s history is known. He was found, age 6 weeks, in Branson, Missouri in 2022 at a Walgreen’s. Puppies were being sold in the parking lot., Three males had not yet been purchased, and the sellers were tired, so a visiting firefighter from Franklin County (who happens to foster dogs from the shelter) took the pups and promised they would get homes.

Puppies from Branson

Daniel Tiger was Eddy’s first name

Eddy

For his first year, Eddy lived in Kirkwood, a nice suburb of St. Louis. But he was a “bolter” and was picked up by the APA on one of his escapes. Traced by his microchip, he was then returned to Franklin County and put up for adoption again. His next adopter took even less time to become discouraged by Eddy’s “bolting” and he was returned after a week.

Then, we saw his picture. We were grieving the loss of Nettie and Cedar and we were smitten immediately.

Eddy as we first saw him

Shortly after Eddy came into our life here, we got Covid. No sooner did we recover and test negative, than Harry got pneumonia and atrial fibrillation and had to go into the hospital for five days. I went with him, and Jane stepped in to look after the dogs. Needless to say, Eddy came to adore Jane for coming to the rescue when he was lonely and new here. Weedy already loved Jane, of course.

Jane and Eddy – January 2024

Jane and Eddy – January 2025

As promised, by Eddy’s foster savior, despite his difficulties “he is a really good dog”. The SpotOn collar, which establishes a boundary by satellite, we call the “Freedom Collar”. It enables Eddy to roam freely on about 8 acres. A bonus is that the deer are chased into the woods. Many plants are now growing happily instead of being eaten! So, we celebrate Eddy’s third birthday today, and are forever grateful to Franklin County and the hero firefighter who saved Eddy, gave him a great start, and was generous enough to let us have him.

The birthday boy!

Eddy’s portrait by Anne Molaskey

Today was also made special by a visit from Tina, who has been in our life for 40 years. She has always made us laugh, and although she was here on official business for the Electric Company, we had a wonderful visit.

Out of focus on purpose

Tina

Harry holds forth

Tina receives a portrait done by her talented mother, Marcia, almost 40 years ago

Tina and Harry and Eddy on the way to check a problem tree

Skittle was out and about today.

Meanwhile, Cora might be losing her hearing. She sleeps very soundly.

The horses are fat and happy, but warmer weather will bring more flies soon.

Stone and Bart graze in the rain

Oisin opts for the shed

Happy herd

Oisin would like to come into the barn to escape bugs!

A few bird pictures, of course…

Turkeys in the south pasture.

Big bird!

Mr. Bluebird had a bath to cool off today, I was late with the camera and he was drying off.

Hardworking bluebird of happiness

Back to finding food for the nestlings!

And finally, a chance shadow on the door of the office…

A shadow thrown by the sculpture of Thrilling

Be safe, be well, laugh often. Treasure friends and celebrate birthdays. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

May 30, 2025
Marvelous May- May 28

This has been the most pleasant spell of cool weather in Missouri that I can remember. The news is too disturbing to tolerate, but here, in this little patch, the world is full of marvels. We are fortunate to have distractions from the outside troubles at every turn, which is not to say we do not care. We care, we do what we can, but we appreciate being grounded in the natural realm.

Eddy has been consorting with a coyote! The regular visitor seems to mean no harm. Having lived with a coyote for about a year back in the 1970s, I am partial to them, and this one does remind me of my Joni Coyote, who returned to the wild as she grew up. She played with my Jack Russell terrier and other dogs constantly while a youngster.

Eddy watches

Coyote!

Eddy goes to investigate

Friend or foe?

“Hello!”

The horses have been enjoying the weather, coming in for breakfast later than usual. Bart must be led into the barn, because he will run for the lawn (greener grass on the other side of the fence) at any chance he gets. Oisin and Stone are more reliable (usually) and can wander in on their own.

Bart wanders up to the paddock

Oisin

Stone

Bart waits for a lead

Oisin and Stone take themselves to their stalls

Bart reaches under the fence for the proverbial greener grass

I paid a visit to Jane for a chat and a cup of tea, which is always better at Jane’s house. Jane has many squirrels, since her dogs are elderly. Here, Eddy keeps the squirrels away in the woods. He would have loved to chase some of Jane’s rodents, but was not allowed. One of Jane’s squirrel visitors has Olympic long jump capability. I got a picture of it leaping to the birdseed feeder from the porch. Jane thinks that only one individual of the many squirrels visiting her house is capable of that leap. It was impressive!

Polly is now quite deaf

Hazel says hello to her “grandson”, Eddy

Long jumping squirrel

Airborne!

Jane”s Bobby

Bobby at the window (photo by Jane)

Jane’s cat, Bobby, is a diabetic, and he is a credit to her care. He is healthy and happy and very personable. My benign neglect program of care suits elderly (16 years old), very deaf and very beloved Skittle. If I needed to give her insulin, life would become intolerable. As it is, even getting a picture of her is an accomplishment.

Skittle

Lynda and Brett have adopted a tiny little kitten who crossed their path while they were in Wisconsin recently. Keifr was a 1 pound, sickly runt and is a very lucky kitten indeed. They drove him seven and a half hours to Missouri and straight to a veterinarian on a Sunday afternoon. He has traveled from the brink of death to Lynda’s shoulder.

Keifr (photo from Lynda)

Roscoe remains the Maltese King of Cats around here, and he rests easily, knowing he will not be dethroned in this house.

Roscoe

Big excitement watching the bluebirds by the barn! Their eggs have hatched and the 5 nestlings are growing apace. I left them in peace until yesterday, and snapped a quick picture (8 days old). It is astonishing how quickly they grow, and I watched Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird today, hard at work feeding their babies. The internet tells me they could fledge at 16 to 22 days, most likely 18 to 19 days.

Baby bluebirds

Male bluebird with food for babies

Dinner!

Male bluebird leaves the house

Off to get more food!

Female bluebird with a bug

Female bluebird flies to the house

“Grub’s up, kids!”

Other birds of interest are the Canada geese on nearby Barker’s lake. They have successfully raised five goslings, which Jane saw just after they left the nest. I have only yesterday managed a picture of the goose family, from a long distance, and they seem very happy. Cowbirds here follow the horses in lieu of bison. The horses accept them happily.

Geese gamboling

Stone and a cowbird

Cowbird

The plants are enjoying this clement weather, too.

Smokebush outside the porch

Native rough leaf dogwood at the edge of the woods

Lilac tree by the barn

Spiderwort (Tradescantia)in the woods

And so it goes around here, as May meanders to June.

Harry and Eddy relax

Harry

Weedy

Stay well, stay safe, stay grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

May 28, 2025
Rainy Sunday – May 25

A rainy day can be a blessing for catching up on “indoor” activities. We were sad to forego an early morning ride, but I intended instead to work at my desk.

A plan to set jumps for Crumlin and Brett mid morning was not derailed, as there is an indoor arena at Rocking Horse Ranch. Jane, Eddy and I had a rather stressful drive through the rain with a low tire, which we stopped to air up. The trip was well worth the effort, though, as Brett and Crumlin were brilliant. Alas, I failed to take ANY pictures, but here is one of my favorite gray Warmblood from last month.

Crumlin

We returned home with high expectations for Crumlin’s adventures ahead, and when we were almost home, I stopped to take a picture of some geese. Curses! I had left my camera and bag of riding equipment in St. Clair. So much for a productive day… Still, Harry and the dogs and I enjoyed a road trip there and back in the other car, with reliable tire pressure, listening to a new Carl Hiaasen book, and laughing a lot.

I continue to see coyotes on an almost daily basis. Here are a few pictures. The horses seem unperturbed by them. Tonight, the coyote spent a long time watching me, and then went into the woods and barked like a dog. I had never heard that from a coyote before!

Meanwhile, the cats are all accounted for, though I haven’t taken a picture of Skittle recently. The others love the camera.

Cora

Rosie

A rare moment of détente between Roscoe and Tom Morris

Rosie and Marmalade

Marmalade

Birds continue to delight us, and some are nesting, which is very exciting. I have been watching the bluebird nest near the barn, and to my delight, a week ago, the eggs hatched. I have left them in peace for a week, but plan on a peek into the house tomorrow.

Bluebird eggs

Babies!!

A blue jay

A pair of doves

Red winged blackbird

Female summer tanager

Male summer tanager

Barn swallow

A turkey buzzard cleaning up carrion in the road

The horses are happy and enjoying this exceptionally cool month of May.

Bart naps

Oisin begs for a treat

Stone is ready to go out to the pasture

Oisin escapes flies in the shed

The Pearl Brothers trade scratches

Happy herd

I have been fortunate to see two beautiful black snakes in two days – one quite small youngster and a magnificent three foot adult.

We are surrounded by beautiful forms of life, most of which are fascinating and uplifting (except for ticks!!).

Here is a hornet’s nest just starting to be established on the fence. I will be avoiding that, but appreciate any pollinators!

A fungus

Native honeysuckle

Coreopsis

Indian pinks

Anne mowing

Harry takes out the trash

Be safe, be well, be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

May 25, 2025
Old Ladies Back In The Saddle – May 12

Almost the middle of May, and yesterday Jane finally got back in the saddle, after an 8 month hiatus. It was great fun, picking up where we left off, and it felt familiar and comfortable to be riding together again. We rode two horses each,and on our second ride Marilyn happened by on Trigger. Harry was kind enough to record the trio of old ladies astride.

Marilyn & Trigger, Anne & Stone, Jane & Oisin (Harry Weber photo)

We were somewhat inspired by visiting the Prime Time Horse Show at nearby Happenstance Farm early Sunday morning to see Susan on her new Santa Fee, and JoJo on Breezy showing in the MOHJO Classic. It was a glorious day. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so just imagine what fun it was, cool and sunny, our friends jumping double clear rounds and earning ribbons. Harry and Weedy even attended, though in their own car, as their tolerance for spectating is limited. It is a joy to watch Susan’s new relationship with her beautiful, elegant chestnut mare developing. And fun to see JoJo’s powerful , young chestnut mare, Breezy, growing into herself and playing the game easily.

So, on Sunday afternoon, Jane and I rode our chestnut horses and had so much fun, we had to ride again. I asked Harry to hold off until I had ridden his horse , just once, in case Stone was wild. Harry is even older than we old ladies!

Jane arrives on her chestnut mare, Derry

Following Jane up the trail

Bart and Derry compare notes

Harry on his chestnut horse , Thomas Equinas, a few years ago

After riding and bathing, the horses were turned out for the night. Stone had a brief roll, but Oisin really enjoyed getting dirty after his bath. Jane and I watched Oisin roll completely over three times. This was partly his athleticism, and partly his beach ball body shape. When we were kids, they said a horse was worth $100 for every roll over. With inflation and tariffs, we figure it’s about $10,000 today, making Oisin worth at least $30,000. Bart did not participate in the pasture rolling competition. He stayed in the shed because there was a fly in the vicinity.

Stone

Oisin upside down

The big white spot we don’t see most of the time

An excellent roll over!

Jane and Eddy

It’s fun seeing the birds pairing up at this time of year. As it got quite warm, the bluebirds took a bath together, providing fun pictures.

Male and female house finches

Male and female cardinals

An eastern kingbird! A type of flycatcher

Female bluebird

Bluebirds bathing

Female bluebird departs

Exuberant male bluebird

Male bluebird gets out of the bath

The cats are enjoying the sunny days. Roscoe, who often helps me outside in the garden, was absent today. I didn’t pay much attention, until it was time for his evening snuggle, and I still hadn’t seen him. Of course, I immediately worried about coyotes, which was silly. I reviewed the day, went upstairs, where I had traded the winter comforter for the summer one, and heard plaintive cries from the closet. There he was, and instead of blaming me for shutting him in the closet, he was grateful for the rescue. What a magnanimous cat!

Rosie greets me on the path to the barn

Marmalade and Tom Morris asleep in the bed of the truck

Roscoe resolves to stay out of closets

I saw an apparently dead beetle floating in the automatic waterer in the shed. I dumped the bowl, and to my relief, the beetle was alive. It was a green tiger beetle, considered the “cheetah of beetles” for its speed. I can vouch for that, as I chased it, trying to get a picture with my phone camera.

The May flowers continue to delight us. The fringe tree is both beautiful and fragrant, as is the mock orange outside the studio.

Fringe tree

Mock Orange

An iris at the edge of the woods

Iris at the edge of the field

Early coreopsis on Daisy’s grave

Hanging fuchsia

Not a flower, but a beautiful fungus in the woods

Eddy’s vigilance has discouraged deer from visiting. While I do love to see them, I do not miss their insatiable appetite for many of the plants in the garden.

Eddy on guard

Be safe, be well, be kind and be grateful. Laugh and cry. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

May 12, 2025