Big Mama has Fourteen Baby Chicks

Big Mama & Her 14 Baby Chicks

Big Mama just had to outdo Pearl! 

Pearl hatched 8 baby chicks a few weeks ago. Then we noticed Big Mama was missing. I looked everywhere for her. When I realized I had not seen her in over a week, I feared that something (like a coyote, for instance) had gotten her.

For a couple of weeks we wondered where Big Mama was hiding. Then  finally we found her, hiding under the shed behind the ladder--sitting on about 18 eggs. 

Then one morning a week or so later, she showed up with 14 baby chicks.  Very soon, she began taking them all over the yard, teaching them how to scratch up the ground looking for bugs. 

They sure do go to bed early. She takes them around front and hides them beneath the fatsia bush. The other day, two of the baby chicks got left behind in the back yard. I chased all over the place until I finally caught one of them. When I took it around to the front to give it to her, she bit me! So when I finally caught the other one, I took it through the house and put it out the window nearby their nest, so I could shut the window quickly. She ran to the window and almost got inside to bite me before I got the window closed. I hope the babies will stay with her from now on. I don't want to get bit.

Pearl has Eight Baby Chicks

Pearl and her 8 Baby Chicks

Easy Tick Removal Post is False

Uh-Oh! The easy tick removal technique previously posted is False, according to Snopes.com. However, they do tell the proper method for tick removal on their site: Snopes.

I wish the liquid soap trick would work. That would be so easy.

Easy Tick Removal

I can't tell you how many times I have needed to remove a tick from an area of my body that I could not reach. Since I've always been very self-conscious and modest, I will not ask for help when I should. Therefore, I was glad today when a friend sent me an email which included this helpful tip I am about to share. If I get any ticks on me during my morning walk, I'll try it out.

A School Nurse has written the information below, and it really works!

Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.  This technique has worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.
"Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

Tiny Tot is Tasty to Ticks

This method will certainly come in handy very soon, since ticks seem to congregate around the behind area of one of our sweet little kitties.

Beagles Are Cute, But...

Lady "Killer"

Beagles are cute, but there are some things you should know before bringing a beagle into your home. 

They love to destroy things. In other words, know matter what you name your little beagle pup, trouble will be her middle name, and destruction will be her game. It won't matter what it is or how important it is to you, if the beagle pup gets it, then it's history. That's just a fact. 

Don't place too much value on your shoes. 

Don't underestimate the importance of closed doors. It helps a great deal that the beagle is short. If valuables are placed on a high shelf, the pup cannot get to them. However, beagle pups can jump surprisingly high, so do not leave items on the edge of the table or counter.

Lady "killed" every toy we brought home for her. She ate books, shoes, baskets, balls, and even socks and other clothing. Not even a blanket was safe. My son had a nice glow in the dark basketball. Lady peeled it. When I brought home a big ball from the grocery store for her to play with, it lasted less than one hour.

Lady Kills a Floatie

Training your beagle won't be easy, but it is necessary. I don't mean to imply that we know how to train a beagle. But I do know it must be done. 

If you don't have a fence around your property, you'll need to get one. We installed an underground fence which works great as long as she's wearing her collar.

End of Year Tax Deductible Gift: Rescue K911

If you are looking for an end of the year tax-deductible gift, please consider Rescue K911. A non-profit, no-kill animal shelter, Rescue K911 is dedicated to the reduction of overpopulation, abuse, and neglect of domestic animals. Run entirely by volunteers, they can certainly use your help. 


For more information and to learn how you can help, please visit their site: Rescue K911.

Muffin: Kitty Apprentice to Crisco

The following is a reprint of a post written a few years ago for our other blog. I thought I'd share it again.

I've never really used the word melancholy in a sentence before, but I think that describes my feelings right now. Sort of sad, but with a little soft feeling deep inside. Crisco has been gone to 'Kitty Heaven' for only about a month now. And we miss him terribly. But God had already provided us with another love. Not a replacement, for sure, but we do have much love to give. And at our house, there's always room for one more little animal. 

Please bear with me as I tell the story of Muffin...

A few months ago in the middle of the night I was awakened by the sound of crying--very loudly--right outside my bedroom window. 

Believing one of the kittens recently thrown out in front of our house had been accidentally left outside, I tore off outside to get the little baby. Once out there, I realized it was not one of 'our' kittens, but another! Terrified, the little thing ran and hid in the woodpile where it was camouflaged! Yes, the tiny little kitten was about the same color as the firewood. I'd never seen a kitty this color. Brown, beige, and tan, just kind of mottled together, causing the kitten to blend in with leaves, dirt, and sticks. And the baby sure was tiny. 

I couldn't catch it.  I tried and tried, but just couldn't. Since I couldn't do much in the darkness, I went back to bed.

The next day, the little thing ventured into the garage, hiding behind lumber and other supplies being used to remodel our home. No matter how hard I tried, I could not catch this baby! All I could do is put out a little food, water, and milk for the tiny kitten. I'd always find the bowls empty later on.

For two solid weeks this went on just the same. This little kitten had a huge appetite, but would not come to me. 

One day after picking up my children from school as normal--about 20 miles away!!--we stopped at the grocery store, again, as usual, and I'm embarrassed to tell you why, but we drove around behind the store because my 7 year old little fellow had to Pee. As we sat there in the car, we heard crying that sounded just like the kitten crying at home. 

I thought to myself, 'Man...someone has thrown out a little kitten back here!' And my thoughts went to all those ^$$#*!@$ who all too frequently drop off animals on the side of the road.

My little man soon finished the necessary activity, so we started the car and drove on around toward the front of the shopping center. The further we drove, the louder the crying became! Finally, I realized that sound was coming from somewhere inside the car!! 

I stopped, of course, and ran around to the hood. As soon as I raised the hood, there nestled right there in an empty spot in the motor (for lack of knowing all the car part names--forgive me!) was the little brown kitten!

I could not believe my eyes. She had ridden about 20 miles from our house to the school, waited while I sat in that ever long pick up line, drove about 7 miles to the grocery store, went inside and bought groceries, and then drove around back for my little boy to water the bushes. I guess then, she woke up! Wow! 

Anyway, I knew if I didn't act fast, she'd run as she'd done so many times before. But that was at home, and she couldn't get hurt. Now we were in a grocery store parking lot. I still can't believe I was able to think that fast, but I grabbed her quickly, put her underneath my shirt, and hopped in the car. My little boy emptied out his lunchbox and we put her in there for the ride home. 

Upon our arrival home, we were able to deposit her safely in the woodshop, where she could learn to trust us gradually and on her own. Of course, she had left a small undesirable gift in the lunchbox, so we were forced to discard it.

We probably should have named her Lucky, but our children wanted to name her Muffin, because she actually is the color of a tasty homemade muffin.

To make a long story short, as if it isn't already too late for that, Muffin is the best mouse catcher we have. It makes sense to us that she will try to fill the shoes that Crisco's passing has left empty. 

Not only is Muffin a very busy kitty, but she is full of love. Even as she rests, she tries to groom us, always working to gain our affection. She doesn't realize it, but she earned our love long ago.

If you have suffered the loss of a beloved pet as we have, I know you understand, and I hope that you will remember us in your prayers as we try to recover and continue on with our animal-loving lives.