Sights from around Crooked Acres.
The weather here has turned beautifully warm – if not sunny enough to suit me – and so yesterday I went out to do a few things I’d been putting off. One of those things was to plant our two PawPaw trees in planters.
PawPaws, in case you’ve never heard of them, apparently look something like mangos and taste like bananas. I read about them at Chickens in the Road. I ordered the two trees online, and when they arrived they were, basically, sticks with roots attached. For now we’re going to keep them in pots; when they get bigger, we’ll find a place to plant them. I’d kind of like to plant them in the back forty eventually, but we’ll see about that.
Anyway, my point is that I went out to plant the PawPaw trees, and my intention was to use two empty pots that were sitting near the garage. When I picked them up, though, I realized they were filled with ants (you can’t leave anything on the ground for more than two minutes around here without an ant colony appearing as if by magic; I always forget that). So I found two pots to use instead. Then I decided to pull the ant-filled pots apart and dump the ants onto the ground because I HATE ANTS and anything I can do to make their lives a little more difficult, I’ll do. I’m just that evil.
Only the bottom pot wasn’t just filled with ants. There were also grubs present, and a very special, very angry, very evil-looking friend.
I’ve made the pictures smallish ’cause I know how some of you are, but click on them to see larger versions over at Flickr if you want.
That’s a black widow. She was NOT happy with the likes of me, and she fixed me with an angry gaze(s), and there might have been a little screaming and dancing backward on my part. She was BIG, her body was probably an inch across. And yes – I stomped her flat after I took pictures.
(PS: If you’re on Twitter, you should totally follow Hi! We Are Spiders because they’re really funny. But be warned, there are lots of spider pics posted.)
In cuter and fuzzier news…
The Cuckoo Marans are coming along nicely.
They’re such pretty little birds.
They do not approve of anything. Look at them, judging me.
They do have fabulous eye makeup.
This is a Nuthatch.
The Daffodils – my favorite flower, though I prefer the ones that are all one color – are blooming like crazy. This one had a little visitor on board…
A wee juvenile assassin bug. They’re so adorable when tiny, and so ugly when grown.
By all means, Robin, hang out in the back yard where all the cats are.
Another Daffodil.
I can’t recall what these are called.
The catnip, despite being ignored all winter and despite desperately needing a trim, is looking pretty happy.
ACHOO.
Out in the back forty, BOTH female ducks have gotten themselves in the maternity yard (where better to lay ones eggs?), and the boy ducks are beside themselves.
As soon as I set the girls free, they all headed out to the pond.
If I had to guess, I’d say we’ve got a hen on the left and a rooster on the right.
The Cornish crosses have gotten huge.
They don’t do much but sit in the sun and eat.
There’s wee Arnold in the back.
Hen and rooster Brahmas.
Toasty the rooster and his fabulous tail feathers.
I hate it when the hens are inside and it’s warm and sunny outside. I’m like “Go outside! Get some fresh air!” and they’re all “No, we’re good. There’s a Real Househens of Beverly Hills marathon on!”
“You has snack for us?”
“No, srsly. Where snack?”
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Aslan, needing a smooch.
Charming, looking smug (and portly).
Buttercup has this expression on her face an awful lot.
Buttercup in the sun.
Buttercup and Jareth.
Left to right: Charming, Aslan, Jareth, Buttercup. Just hangin’ out in the sun.
Jareth would like to know just what I think I’m doing.
Charming (with Aslan in the background). I love his upturned whiskers.
Aslan. Such a happy little face.
It’s possible he was having his bottom washed by his mama when I took this picture (as well as the previous one).
Showing Jareth who the boss is.
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Sugarbutt: A boy on his Ham-mick with his favorite toy (a catnip banana, of course!)
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Previously
2012: And Razzie’s all “Hey, I’m tiny TOO! Tell her!”
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: Wild thang!
2008: No entry.
2007: It was, and it squawked and flapped when the light from the flashlight hit it, and again I screamed and levitated across the room, followed by an amazing number of cats.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.