Foovay’s Cauldron

Posts Tagged ‘hawk’

This must somehow be a very fortunate day. Standing in the kitchen I glanced out the window and thought, “Who’s dog is that?” Looked a little harder. Ah. God’s dog. The young coyote trotted casually up the long side of the property, as I silently tugged at my hubby’s sleeve to get him to look out the window. Hubby ran for his camera, then remembered that it is not working. In silent concert we dashed out the front door and peeked around the corner of the enclosed front porch as the coyote rounded the corner of the trailer and headed north.

“Boy, you are lucky the camera isn’t working.” My husband commented.

The young coyote glanced at us, startled, then ran, his full thick tail bouncing behind him.

This is why the chickens don’t get to free range on cloudy days! I think God’s dog must have been hanging around off and on all day, as our dog has been barking at the door off and on, too.

My pal, the juvenile Sharp-Shinned Hawk, has been hanging around the barnyard all day. I’ve been watching him out my window by the computer here. When I went to feed this evening he had settled on top of the carport – much to the consternation of the Eurasian Ring-necked Doves who like to use it for a courting ground. He sat right there as I talked to him on my way to the barn – teasing that before long he would be coming to my hand and letting me pet him. He just watched me without comment.

As it happens, the barn cat killed a medium sized mouse the other day and it has been laying in the barn. I usually toss them out in the field before they stink. I grabbed this one, walked back out and dropped it in plain sight of the hawk on the carport. The chickens had also killed a large kangaroo rat in their pen sometime last night. So when I fed them, I picked up that rat, and also walked it over and dropped it in plain sight of the carport. The young hawk watched, then flew up to his favorite perching tree in the yard, distainful. I didn’t take offense – I didn’t know if he would take carrion, or anything I had touched anyway. No big deal – sooner or later something here in the desert will take them away.

I didn’t know it – but the hubby was watching me through the back window. As I walked into the house my hubby was calling me, quietly but urgently.

“Hurry, hurry, you’ve got to see this.” he stage whispered.

Right as I walked into the back bedroom where I could see out the window, the young hawk soared in a graceful curve to the gatepost. Eyed the rat I had left in the drive for him. Then gracefully swooped down, delicately lifted it in his talons and without actually landing, carried it away.

Great. Now feeding time includes not just our chickens, barn cat, horses and mule – AND the wild quail, doves, and smaller birds who all seem to think the chicken and horse feed is also for them – but a certain young hawk who seems to think I have taken him to raise.

I hope he realizes that I’m not really a very good hunter – but just “steal” from others who are. The barn cat sometimes eats her catch and sometimes not. The chickens, of course, don’t usually kill many rodents and never do eat them. It seems more of a “this is OUR dinner” sort of thing with them. Hubby is kidding me that soon I will have Young Hawk eating from my hand.

It is pretty cool, isn’t it?

Indeed, spring has sprung. I offer as evidence the ground squirrel we saw on the ranch yesterday. They are so small and so fast that to get a photo to share with you I’m going to have to spend a sunny day lurking near a burrow. This is also probably true about getting a photo of one of our fascinating little rock squirrels that have begun scampering around the rocks near the lake. Certain populations of these Rock Squirrels have a genetic anomaly that, once they shed into the summer coat, causes them to be half black, and half the silvery gold agouti that is the normal color. They look as if their head and shoulders have been dipped into an inkwell! I heard a Red-winged Blackbird in town just yesterday. They don’t usually visit us at the ranch – not enough water here – but we may be treated to a fly-by visit from their cousins the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Earlier this week a huge flock of Sandhill Cranes flew over, circled a while, and left. I suspect they had hoped to stop at Jornada Lake for a snack and a rest. However, thanks to the road building and spaceport crews, this year we have no lake, even though we have had some rain and even snow.

My friend the juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk has posed for some more photos – this time sitting on top of the brush pile waiting for something small enough to eat to dash out. Now THAT’s lurking! I’ll share the full photo first so you can see how thoroughly he blends into his background when he is being still. He’s right on top of the brush pile.

And now cropped just to show the hawk:

He really outdid himself yesterday though. I went out to feed the chickens for the evening. My eyes were on the rooster – who is feeling rather crabby as I don’t let them out to free range on cloudy days so they haven’t been out for a day or two. So I didn’t even notice the young hawk was on top of the chicken pen until he took off from right above my head. I was about to say something to him about not eating my chickens when another visitor flew up from under my feet. A cottontop (Texas Scaled) Quail had been inside with the chickens. When I came in, the quail flushed out through the side of the pen – and the hawk was instantly in hot pursuit. Great – now not only does he think we are pals, he thinks I’m going to flush game for him! Glad to be of use

Speaking of cloudy days, which means a bit of spring rain now and then out here on the high desert – hubby got lucky and caught a picture of this magnificent double rainbow that arched over the far end of our ranch this week. It was a perfect complete arch, both ends touching the ground on the inner rainbow, right at sunset. It was so pretty when I went outside the horses and mule had even turned to look at it. Probably watching the fairies dancing around the end of the rainbow.

Of course, traditionally there should be a leprechaun and a pot of gold down there. Maybe I should have hopped on Moses and galloped down to see!We could use a pot of gold around here!

Dover sent me their sample this week and it was all about the Irish – irish folklore and fairy tales and leprechauns and celtic coloring stuff. Drool. I was so inspired I did a new Squidoo lens about Irish Fairy Tales and Folklore, and updated the St. Patricks Day Coloring Pages and Coloring Books, Leprechauns, and Fairy Tales.

I’ve been taking pictures of our beautiful storms and sunsets, trying to get a nice collection to chose from for my Squidoo lens devoted to the New Mexico Sky, and also Maxfield Parrish. Now they aren’t done, so those links probably don’t work right this minute – but try them later today, okay? LOL. Here’s one of the photos though:

The hubby had his surgery Thursday to install the fistula in his arm for dialysis. Everything went just great and we were even home early. They did tell him not to use the arm until it heals – and of course when it heals they’ll begin dialysis. So it is quite unlikely he is going to be able to return to work as a cook. Despite the fact he cannot work, Disability says he isn’t disabled, call AFTER he starts dialysis. *rolling eyes*

Luckily, I had already started job hunting and have gotten a call from one job already which would be only two days a week – the weekend. Actually, that is ideal since I have to drive hubby to Dr.s appointments and so forth and they’re all during the week. I also took the test to work for the Census and did well, so they are supposed to call me Monday. Until he begins dialysis I can work both – and will. We need every penny we can get.

Up until I am working, I will do my best to hang in there with the Get Cracking Lens a Day Challenge – so even if I don’t get here to the blog, you might want to check in on my New Lenses for the Get Cracking Challenge list.

Yesterday we had to drive to town for a errand, and did we luck out on the way home! A small herd of mule deer were grazing right next to the road. We got some great photos. Here’s my favorite:

When we got home and got them on the computer, we saw a deer BEHIND that mesquite bush that we had not even noticed while taking the photos – LOL!

You can click on any of these BTW and go to the Flickr page and see the bigger ones – this new camera takes huge photos. When I get time I’m going to mosey through, tag things better and license them for use.

It’s been a good week since I added any new coloring pages. Job hunting, Doctors, stress… but all things considered we are doing well. I will do my best to keep my little online empire going and growing, but it doesn’t earn enough to support us and I can no longer depend on the husbands income.

Oh! I was so gobsmacked – someone sent me a donation for the artist for use of my free public domain clipart! Not only did it make me jump up and down with joy, it made it possible for me to pay for another month of the downloadable digital coloring book shop. Thank you!!

I also updated my homepage/business card at Summer Fey Foovay.com and added a new binder at my Zazzle store. Don’t forget that the Pagan holiday ecards I used to have up at fre-ecards.com are now at my Zazzle store as paper greeting cards and stamps. Ostara is coming!

And I wanted to share my hubby’s idea of a day of “take it easy, don’t use that arm for anything” – he fixed the kitchen faucet, did the dishes, cooked dinner, trimmed some mesquite bushes that had grown into the driveway, and took those photos of the deer. All one-handed. He’s a pretty great guy, huh?

Thanks for hanging in with me. I have a lot I hope to get done today so I gotta go.

Summer Fey Foovay

My hubby got this fantastic photo of a juvenile Sharp Shinned Hawk who visited the barn just the other day. Isn’t he gorgeous? I was outside working on some fence, and heard all sorts of commotion in the barn. I hate to admit it – but a windstorm this year peeled back a bit of barn roof. We think of it as a skylight… the sparrows and doves think of it as a handy door to the rafters where they like to nest. This young hawk found it a handy way to get inside and hunt the smaller birds. Fish in a barrel for him, I’m sure. After much ado – he came out the front door to the barn and perched on the saw table to catch his breath. Check out those feet! Here’s a couple more photos that show all his field marks off – the white speckled back, and the striped tail. He let my hubby get within about twenty feet of him before he decided that was enough of that foolishness and took off.

I am without Internet – but definatley not without entertainment! I’m also getting some much needed ranch repairs and chores taken care of, and of course I can certainly write and draw without any Internet. I’m working on my second novel in the Hunter series for Nanowrimo. It is up to about 13000 words and with any luck will be done in the next week or so.

I have much I hope to get done today – and limited time to do it. TTYL

Summer Fey Foovay

The last two days we have had a very sick cow dog having seizures every few hours. Totally scary. As of this morning, Klyde seems to be just fine. It’s been quite an experience – and no sleep for me or Third for two days. (We think he’s been poisoned)

I will say, I paid a big $5 from Paypal to  ask the vet a question here and Dr. Marie was very nice, very helpful, very kind and did not do any of the guilt tripping over us not being able to take him to a vet. I can’t say enough good about her. She replied within half an hour, too. So – if you ever have a question you really need a veterinarian for – she’s the one. She’s on Twitter, too. @AskAVetQuestion.

That said – I had to share a typical sleepless morning on the ranch. Klyde was pacing and whining and whining and pacing and pacing and whining. Then Thirds phone rings. And rings. And rings. He mumbles something about “I am not going to town today.” It stops. It starts again. Klyde paces and whines and paces and whines.

So although it was early (I try to keep morning feed at 10 am here, but since I was up the last two days it’s been 7 am) I went out to feed. Both dogs go with me which is great because Klyde has not felt up to going out to feed for a couple of days. I’m tired but trying very very hard to be patient.

First thing I notice is the mule is gone. GONE. Nowhere to be seen. The mare is hung up in the fence. The old cowpony is upset and pacing and whinnying.

I go on into the barn to get their hay (the mare has a tendency to extricate herself when food is in the offing without any help) and notice I am down to one upset barn cat (I have two..). Klyde, whose seperation anxiety is now off the scale after his illness, tries to follow me into the barn and I raise my voice and tell him “no”. He vanishes.

I get the hay and go toss it. By the time I’ve walked down the fence to drop the second pile, I hear my other cat. I walk around trying to find her. She is up a power pole, standing on the transformer of a power line. There is nothing, NOTHING on this ranch that will reach that high.

I turn to go back to the barn and the mule has traded off his invisibility cloak – he is now in my back pocket (Klyde took the cloak, more on that in a minute). Follows me to the first gate. This mooseheaded mule bashes gates with his head to knock them down and he’s got this one so bent up I cannot get it open to let him in. I go to the second gate – same thing. I cuss him. Told him he’ll have to wait, I’m going to go get the mare out of the fence.

I step over the fence in a spot I usually go through and dipshit mule tries to follow.

I am 5 feet tall and weight about 130. The mule is about 18 hands high (six feet at the shoulder) and weights about a half ton. He doesn’t fit through where I do. He gets caught. He tears the entire section of fence down behind me. The good news is he is now in the pen.

Meanwhile, I’ve discovered the mare has literally woven one hind leg through the field wire and is well and truly caught. I mash and push the wire down to her ankle and she lifts her foot and starts jerking. I take the foot to try and help her unweave herself and she twists around and crushes my hand and damn near kicks me in the head. I get my hand loose and back up a step and cuss her.

Well! She says. Then casually unweaves herself and walks over to eat…

So I go back to the barn, get the chickens breakfast and thank goodness they, at least, are all present, accounted for, and doing what chickens do.

I walk back up to the house and – no dogs. I call and call and here comes Harry full tilt boogie and goes in the house – but no Klyde. I walk around the barns and house looking for him. I’m afraid now he flopped over and had a seizure and I cannot see him because he is down.

So I go in, tell hubby my tale of woe. He gets dressed, gets his boots on, I get my boots on as I now expect to be walking knee deep in brush in snake country searching for a down dog.

Open the door.

Klyde is on the porch.

But runs off because he is now 3x more spooky than he has been for a year. Both of us eventually have to get off the porch and leave the door open and herd the herding dog inside.

I am having a beer for breakfast, anyone else want one?

I love living on the ranch. I love our animals. Really.

The cat is still on the pole.

Update at Noon:

I’m on my second beer.

Hubby looks out the window and the cat is not on the pole.

THIS is on the pole:

Hubby goes out to get some good photos of this Very Large Hawk.

Fortunately:

The pole sitting cat is in the barn.

I check the number of beers left in the refrigerator.

“My sister is an idiot”