Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Friends, we are packed up and waiting and watching. It has not rained for a few hours thankfully. Next round of storms is supposed to hit in about a hour. Even if it does not rain one more drop we are in trouble, the backwater is rising. We cannot get out of the holler, have not been able to all afternoon. Our plan is if we have to go, we go up on the hill to where the cabin is and will be staying in the cars. Dad will saddle Dirt and pony Russ up there as well. My chickens, all I can do for them is to box up the silkies and bring them with me, the others that can fly they will have to fend for themselves. They have the hillside they can go to for saftey in the trees. I have no choice. Our whole subdivision is about to be underwater and all our neighbors are joining us on the hill. The barn and concession stand at the ring....Water is level with the concession porch and ready to break into the barn. I'm praying for the best, but we are all ready to run. If we run, I will not be able to get on probably for several days.

Oh good God You must be beside yourself with stress. I wish I could help you. I pray everything will turn out ok, but if the worst comes to worst I know your chooks will be fine - you are correct they will head to higher ground, they are smart. Good to take the Silkies. The horses would be fine also, but it's handy to have a strong horse available to help haul wood and stuff. Also they can go places that cars can't so that is really handy to have around.

Please take lots of WATER - you will need clean drinking water for yourself. The horses and chooks and your pets will be fine they are out and about drinking and eating stuff they have an immunity in their guts more than you.

And Rebecca - remember you and your family and pets come first - I know it's a horrible thing to say but you and they are the most important. I hate saying this but in serious situations everyone needs to all stick together yes, but your family is always first

If you are not able to get on here at all, know that we are all thinking good thoughts and prayers for you, your family and pets and all your neighbours.

(hugs to everyone)

 

[Sylvester017]

We have Annas year round

We have resident Anna's also....but we have mild winter climate but yours are living in snow country w/ little to no flowering nectar or insects to sustain Hummies? Amazing the tiny things survive

 

[TOMTE]

We have resident Anna's also....but we have mild winter climate but yours are living in snow country w/ little to no flowering nectar or insects to sustain Hummies? Amazing the tiny things survive
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We only get ruby-throated hummers in our area. I'd loooove to see an Anna's in person!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sad News for Pony Sunday

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/02/16/us/hurricane-helene-mules-struck-down-on-road

Oh how sad! That is my worse fear with my nags, and sometimes things happen. Thankfully my horses stay in at night, but during the day if somehow the fencing came down, I would hope they would just stay by the barn. I wonder why those mules wandered off?

Mules and horses are still used a lot out in remote areas here for moving equipment and supplies. Some places you can't even get a helicopter into due to fog or high winds. But horses and mules can go places were vehicles just can't get to.

Horses are also still used in some areas for logging, they are less destructive to the land than equipment, and don't get stuck in mud or roll down steep hill sides.

 

[Sylvester017]

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They're starting to stack up!!!

Like I said ~ it's QUICHE time!

or MUFFINS

or simple PINEAPPLE upside-down cake

or ANYTHING!

A store-bought pie crust for our PUMPKIN ~ I can't crimp crust this pretty!

 

[TOMTE]

Like I said ~ it's QUICHE time!
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or MUFFINS
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or simple PINEAPPLE upside-down cake
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or ANYTHING!
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A store-bought pie crust for our PUMPKIN ~ I can't crimp crust this pretty!
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Grandma made a quiche the other day. It. Was. AMAZIIINNNGGGG!!!

A while back I finally blew out Sybil's speckled egg that she laid pretty early on. It went perfectly, and then of course as I went to show my grandma I dropped it on the kitchen floor LOL but the shell was so thick that it cracked but didn't break, and I modpodged it

Not bad for my first time, I think.

 

[Sylvester017]

That's how they tackled the hornworms on the tomato plants over the summer. Some of those suckers were as big around as my thumb one of the girls (Aliss I think) nabbed the biggest one out of my hand through the snow fence in the split second that I wasn't watching her, and she tore off at top speed to the other side of the garden where she started to smack it against the ground over and over, at which point the others realized she had something good and then they were chasing her around, tearing off chunks of big, juicy caterpillar

I felt so bad for it because I was GOING TO keep it in my critter container to pupate over winter... Well, at least its death was (relatively) quick

The guts of hornworms are so dark green-black that a squashed worm will stain cement. One worm alone can destroy a single giant tomato plant & fruit if not removed early & those horny little devils blend w/ tomato leaves so well you can't see them! The tomato plants need to be bird-netted to keep the giant moth from getting to the young leaves to lay her larvae. The plants we netted were free of hornworms but the un-netted plants were found w/a hornworm in each plant. You know you have a hornworm when you find little round black turds around the base of a plant, then start searching the plant for a baby worm before it eats itself into a thumb-sized hornworm!

 

[Sylvester017]

Such horrid drama! Didn’t that worm have a family? No protection? Poor thing came to a violent end!

Good riddance!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

We only get ruby-throated hummers in our area. I'd loooove to see an Anna's in person!

Years ago we had loads of Rufous, Anna's, & Costa's but since halting Hummie feeders cuz of AI bird flu we only see Hummies in Spring when the Lavender Rosea bloom.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well I am home today. Diner is closed.

Everyone pray, please pray for just about all of Kentucky. There is going to be some major flooding happening over the next 24 hours. Our ground is saturated after pretty much 2 weeks of snow and rain. It is a monsoon out there. I'm already flooded in on both sides of the main road in and out. All I can do is watch the creek and take action if needed to save the horses. 4 to 6 inches if not more in some area's this afternoon and into tonight. We simply cannot handle that much.

My normally calm and lazy creek....
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She is not so lazy anymore and is just about to break over..
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