Don't forget....

Time to change the clocks!

Happy Halloween... You Poor Doggies!

I guess I understand why dogs don't get excited about Halloween...

Jack-o-lanterns for Dog Lovers

Happy Halloween from Sadie

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Cris, you wanted to know if they provided an answer...

Could it be that they were 'egged on' by their feathered friends?

Perhaps a better question is...

...why didn't the chickens cross the road?

Should I tell them the car is parked?

Do we need a chicken crossing light?

Sadie doesn't seem to care about the hens running loose.  They're starting to ignore her, too.  And yes, DJan, these are the same chickens that wouldn't go out the door!

As for who cut the hole in the fence?  Mr J himself.  (Lille, he says the J stands for Jenius,too!)  The chickens have scratched their area so much that a lot of the grass is gone.  Even though they walk around in their own poop, it seems chickens do not like mud!  We let them out to give them plenty of roaming space.  They return to their coop at night, like always.

Mr J was worried about Sadie and the cats...  What would they do to his chickens?  I laughed!  "Don't you mean, what will the chickens do to Sadie and the cats?"   Sadie does occasionally leap just to make them scatter.  She does that to the cats sometimes too.  She thinks it's funny.

The cats...  Well, the chickens aren't small anymore.  Benji is our best hunter.  She's responsible for the headless bunnies that show up in the barn.  We watched her sneak up on a couple of the hens yesterday.  She got within three feet of them...  They let out a squawk and flapped their wings at her.  She shot off into the woods!  I have a video of Squeaky walking up the lane as a hen is walking down.  They passed each other without turning their heads! 

I guess there's enough room for all.  Maybe we should all learn a lesson from them.  And the lion shall lie down with the lamb.

Cold Hands - Warm Heart

I found a new blog to follow.  The subject is near and dear to me...  the plight of the homeless.  I think it's such a tragedy, especially in these times of boarded up homes, to have people living in cardboard boxes, or even less.  It breaks my heart to think of someone trying to sleep while they are freezing, wondering what danger may lurk just beyond the shadows.

Sandy blogs at the Bridge and Beyond Project. Here is the mission statement posted on her blog:

Our goal is to warm homeless by knitting and

  crocheting hats, mittens, and scarves for men

living under a bridge here in Central Ohio. 

We will also make hats, mittens, scarves 

appropriate for women and children who 

are cared for in 2 free clinics in the area.

Please check out her blog.  I know many of you knit and crochet.  What a wonderful gift to be able to give someone... the gift of warmth through the bitter winter weather. 

While I'm on the subject...  there is an organization near me that I would like to tell you about.  Target: Dayton! Ministries is a church located in downtown Dayton. The primary focus of the ministry is to reach the poor and homeless of Dayton, Ohio for Christ.

I first became aware of their ministry when the Target Choir performed at our church.  It was a very moving service.  Most of the choir members are the city's homeless, either currently or formerly.  It is quite humbling to hear a homeless person speak of the loving grace of God.

Our church is one of many that help support their ministry.  Many area churches take their turn at serving the meals provided there.  Each of Pastor Mark's services are followed by a meal.  The volunteers man the kitchen and serve the food, as well as clean up afterward.  Once the food and trash are cleared away, the volunteers are assigned cleaning task for the building.  It is amazing to watch Cindi organize the volunteer staff.

The Christmas season is right around the corner.  It is the time of year that people think strongly of charity.  If you're not already involved in some type of volunteer work, I urge you to do just one thing, one time.  It doesn't have to be grand.  Dip up some food at a soup kitchen.  Mail Sandy a knit hat.  Drop off a blanket to a shelter.  I've got a feeling you won't stop at one deed.  Once you realize that one person really can make a difference, I hope you share the knowledge with others.

Escape from the Pen

Wait a minute!  Where are all the chickens?  There's only a few in there...

Hey!  There's a hole in the fence!  Looks like someone cut it.

Look Dad!  The chickens are out!

They're headed for the woods!

They're even in the horses' round pen!

They're running down the driveway!

No wonder they want out here...  There's some neat stuff in this dirt!

A Beautiful Day on the Farm

What a difference a day makes!  This was a beautiful day for enjoying the fall color.  The cold, biting winds of yesterday were gone.  The temperature was up a bit and activity was high.  Even my cast-kids were playing in the sun!

This weeping cherry looks beautiful all year 'round.  I love how the orange-yellow leaves contrast with the red grass and sedum.

Oh, look!  Is that D-Jan dropping in for a visit?

Whoever it is has a bird's eye view of the colorful foliage.

Where'd he come from?

There's a small airport nearby that is home to Sky Dive Green County.

Mr J took advantage of the weather, deciding to cut some more logs.  Can you believe he's sitting pretty on the tractor, and 85-yr-old FIL is doing the manual labor?

My FIL likes to stay busy.  He loves it when Mr J actually lets him do something!

The goats were enjoying the weather, too.

 

All that work...  ah, rest!

Wonder what they are thinking about?  They're actually watching...  Oh, wait...  I can't tell you yet.  You'll find out in tomorrow's post.  (It's a surprise for the bird lovers.)

Sadie loves to help Mr J chop wood.  She makes her logs small enough, even a baby can lift them!

You have to enlarge this one.  I didn't see it at first...

Until tomorrow...