An Even Dozen (12)

Two new litters of baby bunnies have arrived here at the ole homestead on 5/15. Each litter has (6) babies - 12 total, WOW! As you can see from the pictures below, both litters look similar in color and markings.

We noticed yesterday that Salt & Pepper's babies are now half the size of Honey's. After a closer inspection her babies are all skin and bones. It appears that she has stopped nursing them. This may have occurred after I moved them to a different cage about a week ago. So last night we stepped in and forced the mothers (both) to nurse. I held each doe (mother) on their backs while JoAnne and Emilie placed the babies on the tummy so they could nurse. It's amazing to watch how the babies come to life and immediately search for and latch onto a nipple and begin to feed. We're not sure how this is going end but hopefully our efforts will pay off and save them.

Honey's litter -


Salt & Peppers litter -


In case you've not been following along, Salt & Pepper is the mother of Honey who was one of the babies we kept from last spring\summers litters. The two were kept together in the same cage until they were breed and then separated.

Scram. Take Off. Beat It. Silly Monkey.

Well, can you? If you can't beat the monkey, might I suggest spanking the monkey...

Someone at MSN posted a faux pas, in reference to their "Need a Break? Play a Game" posting.

Of course if you have a dirty mind like I do it can certainly be taken out of context.

As you can see below, they realized their error and quickly modified the posting -

Find the Critter IX

Can you find the critters in the above picture?

Menagerie Addition - Spring 2009 - UPDATE

Oreo's babies are 5.5 weeks old this weekend - (3) males and (1) female. All four have been sold and placed in their new homes. Their mother has been relocated outside, finally, with the other rabbits...actually that's not entirely true. Salt & Pepper and her baby from last summer, Honey, are currently in the garage raising their litters. Each had (6), so we're up to our eye balls in bunnies! These new babies are just over a week old and not yet mobile but their colors look interesting already.

The baby chicks are also getting big and have been moved outside, again finally! We're going to keep (4) two of each kind, so I'll be advertising the others soon.

Too many babies = too much work...

Columbine Sawfly Larvae Infestation

We have our first insect critter problem of the season. We’ll actually the second; the first was an Eastern tent caterpillar nest and associated caterpillars that took up residence in our peach tree. The nest and occupants (most) have since been destroyed :-)

This second insect critter problem involves our Columbine plants. We have an abundance of these plants all over our yard, I’d say well over 20+, and in a variety of cool and unique colors. With that said this critter problem has huge, damaging implications.

I noticed one plant in particular, that resides next to the back gate, which was missing 90% of its leaves – it was a virtual Charlie Brown Christmas tree. After a closer inspection, one that required me to get on my hands and knees, I found the culprits responsible – the Columbine sawfly larvae - worm or caterpillar.

Pristophora aquiligae

This is the first year that we’ve had this specific issue. The plant was covered with these little green eating machines. I picked a handful off and fed to the chickens, which they gobbled up. I’ve inspected the other Columbine plants throughout the ole homestead and frustratingly they’re affected also. However, the damage is not as bad as on the initial plant but I suspect it won’t take these pests long to defoliate these plants too.

I’m sure there are chemicals that could be sprayed to kill these critters but instead Emilie and I have decided to take the hunt and kill approach. I use a pair of long nosed, sharp scissors to cut the little fuckers in half; Emilie has chosen to squish them between her fingers. There are simply too many and they’re too small to try picking them off to feed to the chickens at this point. We’ve killed over 200+ in just two days! The goal is to kill as many as possible to minimize their damage. Perhaps, I will look into a safe insecticidal soap that I can use to ensure a higher kill rate.

Find the Critter VIII

Can you find the critters in the above picture?

A Pair of Sox's

It was Stephanie's birthday on Saturday and we took her out for an early diner at Bertucci's. Afterwards, we stopped at Bird Park in Walpole to take some pictures and check out the ponds wildlife. It was a beautiful spring day, and except for having to navigate the incredible amounts of Canadian Goose landmines (poop) littered throughout the grass, we had a nice time.

Here is a picture of Boston Red Sox players #46 Jacoby Ellsbury and #34 David Ortiz, who just happened to be out and about taking in the wildlife also - what are the odds?! I just wish we got their autographs...

And We're Off II...

We got out in the yard yesterday and did some gardening, among other things. We transplanted (18) sunflower seedlings outside; (23) to go, where these will be planted I don't yet know. Emilie and I started these in the house on 4/5, along with some some white pumpkin seeds, which have since been dropped of at my dad's for planting.

We planted the following veggies yesterday:

• A row (package) of Kentucky Wonder pole beans - 65 days to maturity.
• A row of Silver Queen corn (30 seeds) - 88 days to maturity.

I took a ride at lunch on Friday to my favorite nursery and picked up the following plants:

• Two six-packs (12 plants) of Roma VF tomatoes - 76 days to maturity.
• Five six-packs (30 plants) of Better Boy tomatoes - 70 days to maturity.
• One six-pack (6 plants) of California Wonder sweet pepper - 75 days to maturity.
• Two six-packs (12 plants) of Inpatients.

She's SAFE!

#4

Here's Emilie laying down a perfect bunt and heading for first...

Donate Today!

I gave blood today at work - 1 pint. It's now your turn! Consider yourself officially asked.

One blood donation can help save up to 3 lives. Only 5% of eligible Americans give blood. Every 2 seconds someone in America needs blood. Less than 30% of the people who give blood once will ever give blood again. Donated blood only lasts for 42 days. You can donate blood as many as 6 times a year. There is a 97% chance that someone you know will need a blood transfusion.

Click here to go to The American Red Cross and learn more.

Christopher Lacrosse

#13

Mr. Lacrosse, a.k.a tough guy!

Whut yu look'in at? Yu wanna piece of me?!

Notice the 6' defensive stick he's wielding. It's taller than he is!

Insect Fornication 2009

Love is in the air here at the ole homestead...

Daffodil or Narcissus (plant)

The pictures below show the variety of daffodils that we have growing in our yard. They look fantastic when in full bloom but don't last long enough. Sadly, the flowers have already passed but they're being replaced by our dogwood tree, which is beginning to flower now.







Daffodil Fun Facts:

• The earliest record mentioned about Daffodils was around two or three hundred years BC.
• Daffodils were brought to Britain by the Romans who thought that the sap from Daffodils had healing powers. Actually the sap contains crystals that can irritate the skin.
  

Daffodils - a poem by by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils

Find the Critter VII

Can you find the critters in the above picture?

A Pair of BaltiOriolePears

I was leaning towards posting this as a "Find the Critter" but thought it too easy. My reader are simply too intelligent to be patronized that way!

Here is a pair of Baltimore Orioles that found something to eat in our beautiful, bloom'n Bradford pear trees.

They were there for some time busy as a bee. Hopefully, they'll nest someplace close so we can continue to enjoy their visits.

I'm Not Talking About Cereal Here

SNAP, crackle and pop, but without the crackle and pop! You know it's entirely possible that there was some crackl'n and pop'n taking place just moment following the SNAP...

Been working on the problem and as you can see I'm making progress.

You can refer to this particular field mouse as, "Marty Feldman".

May they both rest in peace!

Menagerie Addition - Spring 2009

Here are a couple pictures of the new additions to the Lincoln Street menagerie:

This is a picture of Oreo's litter of (4) baby bunnies that we're born on 4/14. They're twelve days old in this photo and their eyes are just beginning to open. We had them out for the first time, and although they're behaving for this picture, they had been bouncing and crawling all over the place, as well as piddling.

Here is a picture of (10) baby chicks that I picked up yesterday from a local feed store. There are (5) Black Sexlink and (5) Amberlink - can you tell which is which?!?! They are a couple days old now and still require a heat lamp. We haven't decided yet but leaning towards keeping 4, maybe 6 and selling the rest. This also means that the three old hens we currently have today; Lucy, Ethel and New Honey (the egg eaters), will also be going. We just need to sell Emilie on this idea.

More cages to clean and maintain - oh, happy happy, joy joy!!

Siberian Squill

Scilla siberica

Visited to our local town library, the Franklin Public Library the other evening. The Franklin Public Library is considered America's first public library and is also a member of the Minuteman Library Network.

Unlike the night putting that Ty Webb (Caddyshack) was caught doing, we did a little bit of night putting of our own and "checked out" some Siberian Squill plants.

Scilla siberica bulb plants brighten yards with spring flowers like tulips, snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, daffodils, etc.

They've been rehomed along side our Lily of the Valley. Hopefully they'll take and begin spreading and offer up some nice flowers come spring 2010.

Need New Apartment Sale

BIG sale - Need money for another apartment.

The following items are available:

1. Porch swing made from old couch
2. Commode planters
3. Bathtub planters
4. Used bib overalls

Oh, almost forgot, and one 5-month old infant child at half price...

West Virginia has produced some "unique" folk!

Eggstructions

Above are the Easy to Grow instructions for a product called "Egg Plants". Egg Plants is a cool idea - it's a ceramic type egg that comes pre-filled with soil (growing medium) and flower seeds already sown. According to the instruction all you need to do is crack off the top of the egg , as you wood with a soft boiled egg, water and in 7 - 10 days your sporting a blooming (no pun intended) butterfly desired flower garden. Of course this remains to be seen. It's been 10 days today and nada, bubkis...

Step 1 reads, "Place plastic wrapped egg on a plate. Using a spoon, gently crack the top of the wrapped egg. Remove the plastic wrapping and broken pieces of egg." Pretty straight forward wouldn't you agree?

I've underlined and highlighted in red above the flaw in their instructions. You see in order to obtain said instructions one must remove the plastic wrapping!

Here's your sign...