Photo Writing Prompt – 04/13/17

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Photo Writing Prompt -02/28/17

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Early Morning Walk

I awoke this morning to the rooster’s crow.  The door between run and fenced area was closed.  The chickens wanted the door open.  My dog, Thor, wanted out, too.  Once I was dressed, I grabbed my camera before heading out the door with Thor on his leash.  He bounded out ahead of me with his leash trailing after him.  My camera was still in its case which was hanging off my shoulder.  A deep breath confirmed the biting cold.  My two sweaters did little to cut the cold, but I continued to walk anyway.  The sky was blue with shades of gray clouds.  The colors of sunrise would arrive soon.  My breath came out in a cloud.  Thor met the chicken that stayed out last night.  “Silly girl,” I said, “you really should’ve gone in last night.”  She clucked her response as she followed me down to the coop.  I opened the door on the side of the run, and she ran inside where food and water awaited her.  The problem is that the rooster is there, too.  She flew out of the fenced area each day in order to escape the attentions of the rooster.   He really needs more hens to keep him happy and busy, and to keep the hens happy, too.  With the chicken safely inside, I open the door between run and fenced area.  The rooster is the first through the door.  He immediately jumped up onto the camper top that is on blocks.  It has provided them with extra cover for many years.  Once up there, the rooster crowed to announce that it is his domain.  The chickens ran from run to under the camper.  They clucked their delight.  Once done crowing, the rooster jumped down and promptly started chasing hens, who ran from him leading him on a merry chase.  I walked away before he successfully mated with any of them.  I did notice that he was not interested in one of the reds, making me wonder if she was still laying eggs.  I made a mental note to check her vent later.  Pink and moist is good; yellow and dry is not good.

Thor and I headed toward the iron gate that stands at the wood’s threshold.  The gate was a graduation gift from my best friends.  Leaves covered the path long ago.  Thor was happy to lead the way.  I knew he was headed to the creek.  I had to keep the leash fairly short so he wouldn’t get wrapped around trees or go somewhere that I can’t follow.  He learned long ago to go backward, retracing his footsteps when he gets partially wrapped around a tree.  He’s a smart dog.  Further down the path, he started huffing with each breath telling me that he smelled some animal or strange dog.  He found the spot he wanted and peed to leave his mark.  He kept breathing deep and huffing, following the path of the unknown critter.  Bear, coyote, fox, and many others animals share our home.   Thor wondered back and forth, nose to the ground, huffing and tracing the scent.  He followed the scent to the creek where he jumped into the water without hesitation.  He wondered the creek huffing and following the scent.  I watched him with a grin on my face.  I took my camera out and started taking photos.  Sunrise colors through the trees.  The glistening water flow over rocks.  Thor drinking water.  Very cold, rolled up rhododendron leaves.  The neighbors cattle at the fence where our properties meet.  Frost on leaves.  For some I use the flash; for others, I don’t.  The difference has always amazed me.  I prefer natural light, but there are times when the flash is the only way to get the perfect photo.  Some of my favorite macro photos were taken in the dark using the flash.  I put the camera away.

Thor and I walked out of the woods and toward the driveway.  Frost crunched under foot as we went from woods to field.  The sun rose through the far trees, but no warmth reached me.  Thor didn’t care though.  He was busy sniffing the ground.  My hands were too cold to hold the camera still, and so I left it in the camera even though there were so many good photos available.  Life happened that way sometimes.  Instead of walking all the way to the driveway, I decided to head up to the goat barn instead.  Thor happily lead the way.  On the other side of the field, I could see the smoke start to rise out of the stack which told me that my son had just put wood into the stove.  I smiled with the thought of a warm woodstove to stand beside once I go inside.  Thor headed up to the house, as I followed behind.  The cats joined us, meowing their desire to go inside, too.

I opened the door.  Thor and the cats entered first.  I walked in and smelled the woodstove.  My son hugged me good morning.  Coffee perked.  Breakfast waited.  Life is very good.

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Chicken’s attacked

For the second time, one of our chickens was attacked in the night.  The first one, shown in the photos below, is doing well.  She was missing feathers and had an injury to her neck.  She’s doing well.  The chicken that was attacked early this morning was injured worse.  She was having difficulty breathing and coughing up blood.  So, we harvested her.  She’ll make very good chicken soup.

Here’s what happened.  I was awakened by a ‘thump’ in the chicken coop.  I stayed quiet and listened.  A chicken started making a lot of noise as she tried to get away.  I got up and alerted my son, who came to help.  I went out to the chickens with a flashlight.  I saw the chicken up against the fence on the eastern end of their fenced in run.  I then looked for her attacker.  I saw movement of the fence toward the other end of the fenced in area.  I watched as it crawled up and over the electric fence.  It didn’t even react to the electricity.  I turned off the fence and walked toward the injured chicken.  She was no longer inside the fence.  I closed the door that allows the chickens access to the fenced in area.

My son was outside by then.  I told him I couldn’t find the chicken.  Just then there was movement in the grass not far from me.  The chicken was bedding down.  I picked her up and examined her.  She had injuries to her neck and a puncture wound at her shoulder just above the wing joint.  I put her in the greenhouse for the rest of the night.  My son and I went inside to warm up and go back to bed.

I checked on the chicken before getting breakfast.  I was surprised that she was still alive and moving around.  She was alert, but still was bleeding from her nose and mouth.  She was having difficulty breathing .  I made the decision to harvest her.

Tonight, and every night until we catch it, we will be setting the live-capture trap.  Once it’s captured, we will kill it to prevent further loss to our chicken population.  I hate having to deal with nuisance animals, but it is a necessary part of country life and farming.

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Thor and the Raccoon – Day 44

One more day to go on Thor’s confinement period.  He’s doing great!  No signs of rabies, yay!

So, this morning I took Thor for a walk on his leash, of course.  We started down the driveway before heading into the old, goat field.  He rolled in the grass and listened for deer before doing his business.  He explored the entire field.  After he was satisfied, we walked by the chickens.  Then we went to his cable behind the house.  After making breakfast, I sat where he could look in the window and see me.  He looked into the woods many times.  I’m sure he heard some deer, but I never saw them.  Callie, our female cat, came up to Thor for his grooming expertise.  She licked him while he groomed her.  When she had had enough, she walked away.  Shortly after she left, Salem came up for his grooming time.  Puff was groomed for the longest period of time.  He wanted to be groomed on both sides from head to tail tip.  Thor thoroughly enjoyed being their groomer.

Tomorrow, the Health Department will either call or come by or both to check on Thor.  A decision will be made at that time as to whether the confinement period is over or needs to continue.  I believe that it will be over tomorrow.  I’ll let you know either way.

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Butterfly Hairs

This butterfly was in our fallow field on some thistle.

 

I was walking Thor while carrying my camera.  We paused so I could take this photo.  The butterfly was busy collecting nectar from the flower.  Thistle is a host plant for some butterfly species.  We did eventually mow this one down, but we left the other two acres of fallow fields alone.  We have been increasing our butterfly population by keeping both host and food flowering plants for butterflies.  Another good example of a host plant, one that butterflies lay eggs on, is milk weed.  It’s a good idea to research host and food plants for the beneficial and pretty insects you want in your yard or garden.

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Thor and the Raccoon – Day 32

Today started off with no alarm clock, which almost made my son late for his ride to college.  Fortunately, he and I both awoke about twenty minutes before he had to leave.  Thor was on the foot of my bed.  He didn’t even look up when I called out to my son to see if he was awake.  Joshua caught his ride.  Thor and I went back to sleep.

About an hour or so later, I got up for the day.  Thor, as usual, continued to doze until I was ready to take him for a walk.  Out the door we went.  He checked out the porch before heading out to the cars.  He’s always hopeful that he’ll get to go for a ride.  This morning, like most mornings, was just a walk.

We headed down the driveway.  He started sniffing the ground at the path that leads to the neighbors.  He looked down the path hopefully.  Once he realized I wasn’t going that way, he continued down the driveway.  He sniffed the tall grass with loud snorts.  Once back up the driveway, we turned in front of the goat barn.  The tall grass was wet with dew and my shoes became slippery.  I walked carefully while he explored the smells that appeared overnight.  He was very interested in the tall grass and pines in the lower field.  Maybe some deer were there.

We walked by the chickens as the rooster paid attention to a hen.  He crowed his delight afterward.  (He has a strange crow.)  We continued on to the tall grass and back to the house where Thor gladly stepped up to the cable.  I attached it to his collar and gave him a hug.  Breakfast and coffee.  Time on the computer.  A chat with a friend.  Now, hours later, Thor wants to walk some more.

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Freya’s Final Breath

My dog, Freya, was seventeen years old.  She was a Lab/Akita mix with the Lab’s sweet personality and the Akita’s desire to protect home and family.  Today, she took her last breath.

Freya was about eight weeks old when I came to know her.  A friend, Jeff, found her by the side of the road and gave her a home.  Later, he moved onto our land and, of course, Freya came with him.  She went into heat, as female dogs do.  She gave birth to her first and only litter in my bathroom with me by her side.  Seven puppies entered the world starting shortly after midnight.  The smallest would fit in the palm of your hand.  Each of the other six would have fit into their own shoe box.  They were that big.  How she had managed to carry and give birth to such huge puppies, I will never know.  The smallest died within days of being born.  The others were strong, healthy and rambunctious.  Freya was an excellent momma.  When the puppies were old enough, we found them really good homes.  Jeff then told us that if paid for Freya’s surgery we could keep her.  So, we did.

Freya loved to chase deer, but never caught one.  She loved to bark at bears, but refused to enter the treeline to go after one.  We could always count on her meeting us at the car, until recently.  She slept at the foot of the bed or on the floor beside it.  She loved to come up beside my computer seat to get some loving when I was supposed to be working or writing.  She put her head in my lap many a time to get my attention.  She loved bologna and ham and chicken and bread.  She hated thunderstorms and guns.  The entire time I knew her, she only growled at one person, and I did not trust him either.  He just felt wrong.

Freya loved to go on walks with me or Joshua or any other family member who was walking.  Sometimes we would walk up the road.  Other times, we would walk down to our creek where she would wade into the water.  She did not play in the water the way Thor does.  She would walk in to get a drink and walk out shortly after she was done.  Freya definitely did not inherit the Lab’s love of water.  She hated baths so much that she would rejoice at it being over.

She enjoyed being in the garden.  She loved to lie on freshly tilled soil.  She also loved to dig up moles and voles, rabbits and mice.  She never once bothered the chickens even if they got loose.  She always loved her cats.  Over the years, she shared her life with cats, Cheetah, Red, Smoke, Tips, Passion, Cinnamon, Kali, Willow, Puff, Underfoot, Salem, and Callie, along with a few at the neighbors’ houses.  In essence, Freya was an excellent dog.

Joshua was two when Freya came into our lives.  He is now nineteen.  Although we have Thor, life will not be the same without Freya.  She made me smile more times than I could ever hope to count.  My family and I will miss her.  My she be at peace now.  I love you, Freya.

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The weather report says

According to the NWS out of Blacksburg, VA, today’s weather will be obnoxious.  *Laughs*  Obnoxious weather.  In 47 years, this is the first time I’ve ever known the weather to be described that way by a meteorologist.

“.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/…
AS OF 300 PM EDT THURSDAY…

A RATHER OBNOXIOUS PATTERN SHAPING UP THROUGH THE FORECAST
PERIOD. UPPER TROF OVER THE MID WEST WILL BE OPENING UP AS BITS OF
ENERGY GET EJECTED TOWARD US. DIFFUSE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AT THE SFC WILL ALSO BE WAFFLING BACK AND FORTH WITH NO BIG KICKER TO PUSH IT CLEAR WHILE HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO WEDGE DOWN THE ERN SEABOARD.

EXPECT CONVECTION THAT FIRES TOMORROW WILL LINGER INTO THE
EVENING BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE
WEDGES DOWN THE EAST COAST. EXPECTING ENHANCED POPS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE AS E/SELY FLOW SETS UP. AFTER A BRIEF LULL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING…EXPECT MORE CONVECTION TO DEVELOP WITH DIFFUSE FRONT IN THE AREA AND WEAK LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.”

Obnoxious in this case means intermittent, hit & miss showers and thunderstorms.  It should make for a fun and interesting day.  I’ll be going out to the greenhouse to work for a while soon.  I can easily work out there when it’s raining.  I’m not about to when there’s a thunderstorm.  I’ve already been struck by lightning once.  Although it was an incredible experience, it’s not something I want to repeat.

The current weather

As I look out my window, the sun is shining.  The clouds are pretty.  The world looks pretty.  I plan to take some photos.  Then, I have tomatoes and flowers to work with today.  The chickens and the chicks need tending.  I want to pick some greens for lunch.  I’m hoping to get some photos of deer, rabbits, or various birds.  I want to create the outline for my new herb garden.  After all that, I want to come in and wash up before I start writing Friday fiction and my novel.  Today will be busy.So, enough typing, I’m going outside to enjoy the sun before the ‘obnoxious’ weather arrives.

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A morning of photos

As I do on most mornings, I took my camera for a walk at dawn this morning.  I walked out of the house where my family sleeps.  The air was chilly, and there was a slight breeze.  I could not see the sun only its affects on the slowly brightening sky.  The clouds from East to West were various shades of orange ranging from peach to rust.  I started taking photos in the East before I ever left my screened-in porch.  Then I walked beside the woodpile.  I paused now and then to photograph an interesting cloud or a bird.  I walked behind my son’s truck which is appropriately named Rusty.  It’s proper because the truck and the sky are both rusty in color.

The dog runs by on his way to his favorite spot in the yard.  He rolls onto his back, feet in the air.  He wriggles from side to side and makes sounds that leave no doubt that he is in doggy heaven.  I smile and turn to the South.  I raise my camera and take photos over the top of the greenhouse.  I keep walking toward the stairs that lead to the chickens and the garden.  Once past the greenhouse, I stand at the top of the stairs.  This allows unobstructed photos of the southern skyline.  The darkness of the trees is a stark contrast to the brilliant colors of the clouds many of which can be seen through the uppermost branches of the hardwood trees.

I breath deep the morning air closing my eyes briefly to enjoy the sensation.  The chill of air passes through my nose and down into my lungs taking a moment to warm.  I shiver and smile.

I turn and walk back toward the house, but only a few steps.  I turn beside the greenhouse and walk toward the West.  The tire swing is waiting for me to snap today’s photo.  It was going to be a 365 project, but I’ve missed a few days.  Oh well.  It can still be one of my photo projects.

I pause to take photos of the western skyline.  The clouds are richer in color here.  The sky and trees are darker in contrast.  The chickens come out of their coop.  They talk with each other as they look for bugs, worms, or whatever else interests them.  I take their photo as I often do.

I walk out past the new chicks in their smaller home.  The white ones are getting fur-like pinfeathers on their legs, which is normal for that breed.  I take their photo, too.  I pause and look to the tire swing.  It hangs waiting for someone to actually swing in it for once, just as it has since it was first put up.  I’m not sure my boys ever played with it.  It’s still a good memory of their childhood.  I take its photo and pause.  I hear the deer in the woods.  I can’t seen them, but they’re there.  Thor takes off running past me toward them.  I hear them react and run.  Thor won’t get anywhere near them, but that’s not the point.  He must guard his home and the garden from these creatures.  It’s his job, you know.

I turn to the North.  The tall pines behind the house stand guard duty, too.  Their job is to guard us from heavy winds.  Like Thor, they are good at what they do.  I take photos of their tops and the clouds behind.  I look at the photo in the window on my camera.  It’s blurry.  I realize I’m shivering a little.  Time to go inside to the warmth of the house and to breakfast.

I breath deep again and smile.  My life is truly blessed by living in this place.

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