Botanicals by Buck

There were so many beautiful flowers blooming at the zoo! The landscaping is really stunning. Here are a few blooms from Buck's pictorial bouquet.

Animal Antics

Caelan is so determined to get these birds to like her . . . that she's baking special treats for them!! With baked goodies in hand, she sat still and patient, waiting for one or both birds to alight on her finger (you can tell what her brother thinks of her plan ;) We actually should be able to tame the birds some . . . most of the time they are pleasant, but sometimes they get into this shrieking ACK-ACK-ACK-ACK mode that is shockingly loud for such small creatures. We haven't quite figured out what sets this behavior off, but it seems to happen a lot when the dog walks by. Poor Chauncey, getting scolded by the birds now :)




Can you see this ridiculous guinea pig? We bought them an edible tunnel (it looks like a reddish log with holes at either end and one in the middle) to keep them from chewing on the cage itself (escape artists in the making). But the fluffy one, Nutterbutter, who is HUGE compared to petite little Oreo likes to "hide" under the log. Lol, dude! We can totally see you :) 

Summer Camp Out

Hello everyone, guest blogger Gabby here, to blog our epic journey into the wild!...of our backyard:)

Mom and Dad had a great idea to take us camping in the backyard; we'd never gone before, and they wanted us to experience it. We enthusiastically agreed, and preparations began. 



Dad wanted us to know how to start a fire without a lighter, so we took fire-starting 101...let's just say, Dad had the most success with the kit. We consistently got a spark, but it stubbornly refused to ignite the grass, bark, and wood fuel. Yeesh, fire! ;)




Since the fire starters didn't start, we used a lighter! I mean, how are you supposed to roast marshmallows without a fire?? 

Dad got a nice fire going and the marshmallows turned a nice...soot grey. We still do not know why, but whenever we went to toast the 'mallows, they were smoked, not the golden brown expected. Oh well, they still tasted good covered in chocolate!  





After giving the s'mores time to digest, (certain individuals might of had four or five, but we won't name any names:) we cooked hotdogs! Oh man, those hotdogs were goooooood! They were precooked, and we only had to warm them up and put them in a bun...so good!!





We went to our neighbor's property to catch fireflies, (which there were a bunch of) as Mom and Dad cleaned up the campsite of our food stuffs. They sat and watched us run around until the sun set. 

Once it got dark, Mom headed down the hill, and we headed into our tent! We kiddos had sleeping bags, and Dad got an air mattress, but did we go to bed right away? Oh, no we didn't! We had games to play! 



...starting with Telestrations! One of my personal favorites, Telestrations is a game where you pass drawings and guesses to the player next to you, for them to draw or guess. It's a very fun game, and it gets pretty hilarious. The above dragon was one of the pictures I drew for the game...Dad thought it was super cute, and sent a picture to Mom. One of the nice things about Telestrations is that there are no winners; it's just a fun game!


But we always need a competitive game, so after we finished Telestrations, we played The Game of Life. It was super fun until I lost my job. Then Brennen lost his job. Then Brennen lost his job again. Then Graysen lost his job. There was a whole lot of losing jobs in that game. Of course Dad, (being the doctor) won and Graysen (who had the lowest paying job in the whole game) came in second. How even...? :)

Eventually, it was time for bed. We were all ready, snuggled into our sleeping bags, when Dad says, "The dog is driving Mom crazy." So, we had an additional camper that night. Chauncey decided the perfect place to sleep was right between Caelan and me. I, however, did not approve of this plan, and he eventually moved on.  







Wow, those pictures are super cool! My parents are so artistic;)

All in all, it was a whole lot of fun! There were some minor incidents (coyotes, screaming chickens, trains, hacking dog etc.), but that was greatly offset by the fun we had! Camping was really cool, and maybe next time, we can go a little further into the wilds:)  

Karate Kids

Quadruple honor--karate students of the month! It's funny that we were originally going to miss the entire month of July and that's the month they get selected for :) 

One of their instructors approached our crew to do  mini-questionnaires about the kids' interests, hobbies, favorites, etc. It was kind of hilarious how long and complicated this process was--she looked entirely befuddled throughout (we have some unusual answers . . . chicken farming, soap-making, cardboard-sculpting). Gabby finally just wrote her own; I'm not sure what all she included, but we'll see the final results when we get back to karate next week.

We also discovered the kids have been receiving really cool certificates of completion every time they tested as first degree and second degree black belts. Somehow we never were told these existed, and so when I went to check the file folder--we had a whole stack compiled! Into their school folders, these shall go :)

This week, the karate school is closed because the owner/main teacher is at World's. He is only one black belt degree away from topping out . . . I don't know how many years that takes, but I know that previous eight degrees took him more than 30 years of continuous hard work, whoa! We were able to watch the degree advancement ceremony through facebook earlier this week. It was a big deal for their teacher (huge!) and we were glad the kids could experience his experience from afar.

Garden Cuties

See!! I told you that tiny baby watermelons are the cutest things in the garden! I just hope the deer let them be, since I found tracks in that part of the garden this morning. The little melons grow surprisingly fast. We have some that are as big as a softball already!





Buck has been bringing in the tomatoes like crazy! Last night he made salsa and it was delicious! We even gave a tomato away to our music teacher . . . you know your produce is doing alright if you have enough to share :) 



We also have moles--sometimes we can keep them away and sometimes they make very distinct tracks through the hard-packed weird dirt . . . can you follow the path?






And we think that this is a pumpkin. The crazy thing is, something must have done some replanting for us. This is growing in the middle of the watermelon patch. There are sunflowers growing in the bean patch, and two random vines growing from the prairie along the hillside. Corn popping up in weird places . . . our little critter gardener is certainly creative with re-planting strategies :) 



We're noticing though, that our potatoes went from beautiful to sickly overnight. There's tons of black something on the leaves that is killing them super quickly. Buck dug one plant up that looked done for already and there were no potatoes beneath it. We're not sure what the deal is, but super bummed that our awesome-looking start has fizzled overnight. Our peas are looking burnt at the roots too, so they may not produce much longer. I don't know; we're keeping some natural-ish bug stuff out there, trying to water, chasing away critters we see, putting out mole deterrent, keeping up (mostly) with the weeds . . . this gardening stuff still doesn't go the way you want it to, despite all the hard work. I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere :)

Who's a Pretty Birdie?

Lest you have forgotten the tale of this little bird, I shall remind you . . . my friend Mrs. E became weary of reminding her young son to care for his parakeet pair. She tried selling the birds on facebook, but they would remove her post because she doesn't have a live animal selling permit (who knew?) The birds were sometimes forgotten while the family took various week-long trips to visit relatives, but somehow managed to survive without food or water. 


Buck heard of the birds' plight. Remembered how much he enjoyed the parakeets he had as a kiddo (I think that's how half of this menagerie started; animals Buck remembered having as a kid--our poor future sons and daughters-in-law :) Thought of how relaxing bird song would be during his surgery recovery period. So, I offered to take these birds off my friend's hands as a gift to Buck and a relief to Mrs. E.

During VBS week, we chatted with the young owner about taking these birds into our collection of pets. He was ready to send them our way. He even cleaned the cage for us, putting the birds into a Tupperware bowl (that had plenty of air, his dad later told me, but not a lot of space) . . . and then forgot to put the birds back in the cage. Only one survived, and Mrs. E said the other wasn't looking good. However, a month later she texted, "Still want the bird?"

So, on Thursday, Mrs. E delivered "Neon" to our door. We took the bird inside, observed it for an hour or so, and then Buck said, "He doesn't trust us. He's not singing. Do you think he needs a friend?" Oh, you know what's about to happen!! :)

I found a youtube video of parakeets (a.k.a. Budgies) singing. The second I played it, "Neon" started squawking and hopefully looking around for other parakeets.

I tell you . . . you could have heard the hearts breaking in our living room and kitchen. "He needs a friend," dramatic, tear-filled whisper. Nodding tear-filled heads, all those eyes looking pleadingly at me (well, at least that's how I remember it ;)

So, the kids pooled their money and off to the pet store we went; they practically greeted us at the door with a cardboard box complete with breathing holes. It's like when the guy on Cheers walks into the bar and they all say, "Norm!" We walk into the pet store and they all say, "Cha-ching!" Animal carries lifted high. Lol :)

Of course, we had to debate names for our budgie buddies. We learned online that two boys are best, because females get very territorial. You can tell if they are boys or girls by looking at the area around their nostrils, above their beaks. If it is purple or blue--it's a boy! If it is pink or beige--it's a girl! Usually. "Neon" is about three years old, so we know he's a he. The new bird is probably only a few months old and the colors are still coming in. We're 90% sure he is a he, but I guess we'll see as he gets a little older. These birds live for 16 years, gasp!!! And will be going with the children to their homes as they grow up and move out of ours ;)


So what names will stand the test of time--we're out of Lord of the Rings characters, we thought about NFL players but the soft pastel colors of our birds ruled that out, candy?, cookies like the guinea pigs? I was thinking something more tropical--Bermuda and Bahama :) But budgies are from Australia, so that didn't really work either. Finally, we settled on names from the books series the kids bought me for Mother's Day . . . Taliesin and Merlin!

This series, written by Lawhead, takes the King Arthur legend from a Christian perspective. Taliesin is Merlin's father (hence, the older bird "Neon" is now the father character). Merlin is a king himself, and not so wizardy as in most legend. He's a noble teacher, follower of Christ, trained in traditional (druid) methods that God uses to help him help the British aisles. Kind of an interesting take on things. So, Merlin is the pretty blue, black, and white bird--half his tail is teal and half white, it's very unique.

We skipped all the introductory stuff and just plopped them in the same cage together. They seem to be buddies, so that's a win! At about 7:30 a.m. they start "singing" a.k.a. squawking, and it's usually at Chauncey. Poor Chauncey, he never asked for any of this :) They are fun to watch, and they make music with the bell that is in their cage. Of course this led to the It's a Wonderful Life quote, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." Look at that, two days in the house and already our birds are making angels (ha ha, just joking, we know that's not how the angel-thing works :)

So, there you have it--two more additions to the petting zoo; only so far these two are not fans of being petted. Feathers and fur is a-flyin!

Small Town Connections

Usually on the Fourth of July, we go to breakfast at our former Bible study leaders' house and enjoy visiting with the dozens of guests who also go to brunch. This year, our neighbors invited us to a parade in a small town about half an hour away, and Buck wanted to pursue this option for celebratory fun. Away we went in a caravan . . . totally forgetting our parade roots. We used to be pros! We brought chairs and a blanket--but totally spaced things like candy bags and sunblock. As it turned out, a very nice lady let us set up camp under the shade of her massive tree--with about 4,000 of our closest friends, lol!

I remember the near-constant stream of parades that used to march past our last abode, and I remember how I felt a little miffed when people would just plop down on our lawn or in our driveway to watch. Not that I minded them being there, but it is nice to be asked--especially since we usually expected a large crowd of family and friends to join our prime location for parade viewing. So, we made sure to seek out the owner, and she seemed tickled pink to have so many visitors at her front door :)

One thing we did NOT do, was ask to use her bathroom. I thought it was so weird when total strangers would ask that of us. Um, no, you can't come into my house!! Only once did I say yes, and that was to a very pregnant woman who wasn't going to make it anywhere else :)

Unlike the parades that we had grown accustomed to, this was mostly a machinery parade--advertising local towing businesses, drilling businesses, farming businesses, etc. They still threw loads of candy, but those giant wheels and those heedless children diving for dum-dums!! Not ours, so much. They did remember that side of parade safety :) 

There were some neat old fire trucks, a few classic cars and trucks, a handful of horses, and one marching band. My favorite was the wee little red-headed lad with two suckers stuck crosswise in his mouth, cheeks filled with candy like a four-year-old chipmunk, doing his best to throw candy over the window ledge that was at his chin level. The kids' favorite was the older kid who would scoop up huge piles of candy then yell, "JACKPOT!!" as he showered them over the waiting crowd :) 



We came home to eat lunch (Buck grilled hot dogs!), and then headed half an hour in a different direction to see a car show. Again . . . we used to go ALL the time, but it has probably been as many years as we've been here, since we've sought out the classics. This was a fun venue--a shady park with live music and a super sketchy swingset (the sideless steel slide 15 feet in the air brought back elementary school memories of gasping for breath on the hard, hard ground after falling off such a slide). 



Buck and I have decided that if we should ever own a classic car for the specific purpose of cruisin' we would get a Bel Aire. They are our official favorite :) Now, not HIS official favorite (I'm sure he'd have other ideas if he were dreaming just for himself), but for us BOTH--Bel Aire :)





Back at home . . . I suggested we roast marshmallows on our rarely used firepit. Just marshmallows, I never remember to get chocolate, and we ate all the graham crackers a couple weeks ago :) Buck decided to do so, we needed additional seating. So, he gave Brennen a list of tools to gather from the garage, and then the boys scoured the scrap pile for pieces to make benches. They turned out really cute--just need a coat of paint (you know, to protect them from the weather ;)




Cozy little setting we have up on the first hill!



I was trying to be artistic with my marshmallow picture, but it didn't quite focus. Still . . . yummy :)


Caelan had the idea that if we could get to the top of the second hill, we would be able to see fireworks all along the horizon line. The only problem is, the second hill is covered with prairie grasses, bugs, and those plagues--ticks!! Buck used a bug fogger to clear some of the area, but then they all decided a pathway would be better. How cute is my manicured nature?! It reminds me of the paths through the forest my dad would cut for us when we were little. You can't even see it from the house; it is very cleverly disguised. Here's Gabby on the section that goes through the trees.





Quite a view from the crown of the hill! We could see fireworks all around--and isn't it funny how they burst like a star at the top of this little tree? Christmas in July :)





A few minutes after this a CRAZY wind came up!!! The little trees around us were about bending in half. The grasses were whipping, and I declared it was time to head down the mountain--and fast! We left the little benches, but gathered up all the other gear that had made the trek. 

Back on the lower level, Buck and I watched as the wind tried to pick up our swing (the one Buck was sitting on earlier in the pictures). We took the top "sail" off, but the metal corkscrew holders (that we have twisted into the ground to brace the swing from tipping over in the wind) bent the cross bars into 'V' shapes!! It was insane! I secured the chickens, and we hustled into the house before the rain hit. The storm knocked over our tomatoes during the night, but we think we got them settled back into the dirt. They're starting to turn red, so we don't want to lose them now!

So, that was our Independence day--food (Buck grilled for supper too, hamburgers with guacamole, sweet corn, watermelon, yummy!!), friends (at the parade, we also saw loads of people, in the random spot we chose, from the little church--LOADS! plus familiar faces from the big church), and fun (car show, building project, prairie path, fireworks and fireflies :) The only one who didn't have fun was the dog--this is his least favorite week of the year by far. You wouldn't think that such a big beast could turn into a fussy puddle of jelly so quickly, but he is so afraid of the fireworks that he would be most comfortable in one of those baby wraps moms carry newborns in . . . doesn't that paint a funny picture? :)