Saturday, May 24, 2014

Morning Meander

First stop: the big tractor shed. I talk to the kittens (even if I don't see them) in my little "kitty cat" voice so they get used to hearing me. Wild mama Ginger showed up with 4 little ones about two weeks ago, and I got my hands on her two "yellow" ones this morning.
The 2 dark ones are females, the 2 yellow ones are males.
Couldn't get all 4 of them in one photo. Better luck next time?
Next stop: the old granary to feed Ginger's sister Freddie. Freddie has babies, too, but she hasn't brought them out for public display yet. Then on to the hay barn. Indira was out and about, so Pat and I took the opportunity to love on her babies.
Two males. This is definitely the year of the tom cat!
Pat put fresh hay in their cage and mom & babies snuggled in.
This has been a crazy year for cats "stealing" babies, families moving in together, and mothers dragging their youngsters from one locale to another. That's why Indira and her little ones are caged for now.

Marmalade's four are growing and doing well. They started out in the lumber shed, but now hang out under the hay barn.
Yup, four little toms.
After a stop at the milk barn to visit with friends (both human and feline), I finally started my slow stroll down the farm road to the highway.
The obligatory photo of Pilot Mountain.
Weldon has started cutting the wheat.
The wheat is chopped as silage to feed the cows until the corn silage is ready this fall.

Heading home. Notice the Sauratown Mountains behind/above the trees, center right.
A stop at the "poopy pond" to see the ducks.
The mom in the above photo has older babies following her. If you look up and to the right of the mother's head, in the first band of green grass, you'll see a little black spot. That's Hansel (a cat, of course), silently hoping for some dessert. He finally gave up and headed to the shade of our front yard to "catnap" the morning away. 
Here's another mom with "babier" ducklings in her wake.
I wasn't home long before Mom Edith came by with strawberries. She had hulled and cut up three flats for me, so I simply had to add sugar and put them in freezer boxes. The other flat of fresh berries went straight to the fridge for our enjoyment over the next few days.
Mmmm. Berries.
If every morning were as sweet and slow and serene as this one, I could totally live on a farm!