Mayhem and More

Drive past the farm on any given day and you will most likely

see a peaceful, pastoral scene like this one.

Most of the time, the rest of the farm is just as peaceful.

Occasionally, though (not often)...

there is mayhem happening in one corner or another.

Yesterday was just one of those days,

when mayhem comes calling and hesitates to leave.

We began our day just like every other day...

chores and gardening.

I dug up our potato bed and harvested our red potatoes.

I knew it was time, as the plants had withered.

Sure enough, there were plenty of lovely red potatoes just beneath the surface.

After that, I set about to pull some of the enormous weeds that had 

grown in one of my perennial gardens.

I have to say... this is a truly rewarding activity... 

pulling huge weeds out and tidying up this flower bed.

Unfortunately, as "they" say...

"no good deed goes unpunished" 

(I'm not really sure of the origin of this saying...but yesterday it rang true.)

I saw something black in front of my face

 and in a split second felt the most searing pain in my nose which quickly spread into my face.

I was aware that the black thing that I had seen was stuck there - on the end of my nose.

A HORNET!!!

Geez, a hornet had just stung the end of my nose.

I raced home to have Hubbs take a look at it,

and put some ice on my nose...

thankful that I am not allergic.

No, the only negative affect was the fact that I looked more like

Jimmy Durante than myself!

Enough mayhem, right?

Wrong.

Later in the afternoon, when I went out to give the horses a snack of hay...

I noticed that Scarlet (pony) wouldn't eat,

but instead wanted only to lie down.

(a pretty sure sign of colic)

I texted Dr. Becky and she suggested that I walk her out into the grass

on a lead rope and hand graze her there as well as take her for a short walk.

Unfortunately, this didn't seem to help and she opted to just lay down instead of walk.

I texted Dr. Becky again and she headed down to examine Scarlet.

Her temperature was normal.

Her bowel sounds were hyperactive.

Something had upset her tummy and was causing her pain.

Two injections later... one to slow motility and one for pain...

and Scarlet began to feel a little better.

Oh, but I forgot to mention...

normally I wear work boots when dealing with the horses,

but because I was in a hurry, I just threw on a pair of sandals.

So, of course, when I took Scarlet out of the barn on the lead rope,

she stepped on my toes, as she exited the stall,

 and removed the skin from the top of my fourth toe.

Mayhem!  See?

The good news of the day was...

the younger runner ducks were given their freedom.

(They are almost full grown... they just have a little "filling out" to do.)

The gate was opened for the elders to leave in the morning,

and the gate stayed open all day.

I did catch the youngsters out in the yard outside their pen

a few times, but they never strayed more than a few feet from their door.

It's going to take a little while for them to gather enough courage

to really go out exploring like their older counterparts.

The elder ducks are very comfortable with the farm and wander about

all day.

I often find them resting in the shade beneath the grape arbor...

I'm not sure if these two groups of ducks will ever become one.

Time will tell.

Lastly, we have so many butterflies this summer!

They visit our various flower beds, floating through the air so

gracefully and delicately... landing here and there for nectar.

Many of the butterflies are Eastern Tiger Swallowtails...

but we also have Monarchs...

Diana Fritilleries...

Clouded Sulphurs...

 Skippers...

And several other breeds that I have not yet photographed.

I could spend a whole day just watching the butterflies!

Perhaps if yesterday weren't so overtaken by mayhem,

I might have found a few more.