Memorial Day Flood 2015

One never wants to be Weather Channel famous. The wall of river water - runoff from a huge & fast 10-inch deluge of a storm further upstream - hit our area (and others downstream) like the fist of G-d.

Witnessing the effects of the destruction will catch your breath in your lungs. Driving over the bridge south of town  (which was 30 feet above the water, and still not high enough), people slow down, and sometimes swerve, viewing the damage. One witness wrote an article in The Atlantic, called "Paradise Lost: What the Texas Floods Swept Away".

Spouse and I had recently toured a neighborhood that was settled on the banks of the river, idly considering a move to that gorgeous water. After all, our geese and ducks would enjoy it. What we do for our birds... Well, all those houses are gone now. They probably won't be rebuilt.

There's a huge effort to educate landowners, recommending they let nature start to heal itself, by leaving the downed trees and brush near the creek & river banks to act as nurseries for new trees and brush to grow (pdf - see second page).

The response of people to help was amazing: there were at least three different volunteer reception centers set up to handle the influx in the first few weeks. It's now six weeks post-flood. We're past the immediate emergency, and are now the midst of long-term efforts to help people clean up the damage, and make repairs where feasible. We're "down" to one volunteer reception center, but there's still folks coming in to help, and we are most grateful.

If you're interested in photos, check out this Google Search. Personally, I just didn't have the heart to take any photos, and was more than a little irked by all the out-of-town disaster p0rn oglers. My thanks to those locals, stout of spirit, who documented the damage in photos and arial/video shots.

Us? Our place is fine, we're up on a hillside, a fair bit away from the river. Those who were on the river proper, even if up on a hillside - that's another story. One of our friends said "I will never again complain about all the stair-steps we have to take to get down to the river" - they were on a cliff, over 40 feet above, and lucky. The only inconvenience for our little neighborhood was the seasonal creek-crossing flow-pipe got clogged with debris, and water was running over the road. I had originally thought it was silted up, but one of the neighbors driving through the low water observed it was mostly debris. He hopped into the creek and started clearing. As I drove by and saw him waist-deep in the water, I couldn't help but hop in to help. Got it done, and learned a great deal from him about the history of our community and the little road we're on.

To end this post on a lighter note, here's a pic of Gerdy at the vet, getting ready for laser treatment on his feet. One of the vet techs put the goggles on his eyes as a joke. The other snapped the photo. The rest is giggle history.

Spring has arrived, and boy-howdy are we happy

Winter felt like it would never leave. I can only imagine how folks in the Northeast feel, where some just now are seeing crocus and daffodils, and trees budding.

Here, we're experiencing daytime temps in the 70's. The trees have already leafed out. Viewing the hills shows a patchwork of green canopy ranging from bright to dark. The live oaks have shed & re-leafed, and their flowers have dropped. The first wave of wildflowers are starting to fade - bluebonnets and paintbrushes - and the second wave is coming into bloom: firewheel, "indian blanket", and coreopsis. Around the farm, we also have a couple varieties of native purple sage flowers, daisies, and verbenas.

The hens are laying eggs in abundance. Spring brings the best eggs, as the hens are eating fresh young greens and loads of newly hatched bugs.

The geese have finished their egg-laying season, and are much quieter. We can sleep through the night now without bolting awake due to noisy nest fights or woo-frenzy.

The ducks are thrilled with all the Spring rains we've had, making messes of puddles wherever they find them.

The dogs are no longer napping on the porch; their preferred spots are the grass or the kitchen doorstep (I'm guessing because that's where we store treats).

There's a truckbed full of compost waiting to dress the orchard trees and the veggie beds. Suppose I better get to it!

*splutter* Winter?

I mean, what the heck happened to Fall??? Texas has been hit with wave after wave of Arctic downdrafts. The cool concrete flooring I wax so joyously about in the Summer now feels like a block of ice, and this year (like last year, and the year before) I swear to get a couple of good sized area rugs to stave off frostbite. I mean, it's so bad that when Spouse surprised me with a pair of insulated muck boots for Christmas, I almost cried - I need them for inside almost as much as outside. Of course, I could just buy the d*mn rugs already...

The biggest event since last post has been The Flood. Our area received eleven inches of rain over a single night, ripping up the roads within AND leading out of the community. Spouse and Uncle brought in a few loads of roadbase right away to patch up our biggest ruts, but we ended up needing three more dump-truck loads to complete all the needed repairs. Our next-door neighbor was a tremendous help, loaning his time & tractor skills not only to repair our culverts and rutted road, but also assisting other neighbors, and doing what he could to temporarily shore up the community road until we all finish fundraising for a pro fix. If it weren't for him, we'd still be 4x4'ing to get anywhere. Thank you D. (and spouse T. for letting him!), more "spontaneous" smoked ribs coming your way!

pic: tangerines, satsumas & limes

In the category of "Hopes & Dreams", the first seed catalog to arrive this season was Good Seeds from Baker Creek Heirlooms, right before Christmas. Second in the mailbox was Bountiful Gardens, the gold standard for everything heirloom, untreated & open pollinated. I've put in a catalog order for Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in hopes of more varieties that will work well in our semi-arid region. Our "average" last frost is in mid-March, and if I want any Summer tomatoes at all, I'll need to start seedlings in early February.

While the garden may have been an epic FAIL in 2013, we had a nice Winter harvest of citrus. There are still some fruits ripening on the trees, but initial harvest of limes gave us enough for two ice-cube trays full of juice, which was promptly frozen & stored for future use. Other limes were used fresh for personal libations, on those few porch-sitting, warm weather days.  Spouse shored up & modified our old kit greenhouse to accommodate the taller citrus trees. The structure has done well by us: it's been a greenhouse in the Winter, and secondary duckpond structure in the Summer. We really need to get a bigger, sturdier greenhouse built in 2014, however, as this one is on its last legs. The plastic joiners can only be repaired so much, and the geese have chewed the edges of the plastic tarp cover to ribbons.

pic: yes, the geese did this

The chickens started their annual egg-laying slowdown around late August, and all but two hens went on outright strike until the other week. Our girls are getting older, but even the youngest (who are less than 2 years old) said "meh". Of course, when the light wanes the girls lay less by nature. We could put a 12-hour timed light in the henhouse, which would trick the girls into laying a few more eggs during Winter... but, nahh. Just two weeks after Solstice, however, the two youngest girls started adding to weekly egg tally, and I'm guessing by late February, we'll be back up to a decent production, enough to sell again. May get a handful of Welsummers to freshen up the flock this Spring. Had high hopes the Welsummer rooster would work out and give us a few pretty babies, as Lucky's progeny turn out too flighty for my preference, but Lucky the Leghorn rooster Did Not Want. The two roosters fought until bloody, with Lucky getting the worst of it. Lucky ultimately won the war by virtue of being a known good roo to the ladies. The Welsummer was shipped off to a new home. Perhaps I'll wait for another rooster & homegrown chicks after Lucky retires to the henhouse in the sky, so to speak.

pic: Nutmeg the Cubalaya, RIP

Speaking of chickens, we did lose one of the Pecking Order Enforcers from our first hand-raised flock, the small yet mighty Nutmeg. She'd been slowing down for a couple of months, and (what turned out to be) her last two weeks I'd bring her inside the house at night, where it was warmer. During her last week, she'd walk towards the house at dusk instead of the coop, and wait for me to bring her inside. She was the only hen that Bandit the dog would willingly share morning breakfast. She is survived by her sister Cinnamon, and two others of the original flock. We will miss her.

Now that Bandit's been mentioned, I must report that most of our savings for a garage has been spent on getting her knees repaired - yep, both back knees. One blew out late Summer, and the other right before Thanksgiving. It's a good three months of rehab (thankfully, we can do that for her ourselves), then three more months before the knee is solidly healed. Not that I know all that much about joint repair and rehab, mind you. I'm not bitter, I swear.

We still have the full flock of ducks: nine hens, and one drake. The ducks experienced a major egg slowdown like the chickens this season, then egg production rose these past few weeks as well. I'm on the lookout for paperboard duck-egg cartons, so if you happen to see any in your 'net wanderings, drop us a line in the comments? Gracias!

pic: Queen Moe,
in dressing room sans costume

Queen Moe had a moment of stardom this Fall when she won Second Place (in the "exotics" category) at a Pet Costume fundraiser for a local convalescent center. I whipped up a pumpkin cape for her back, and prayed no-one would judge for quality stitching. She beat out a horse painted like Nemo the clown-fish, but lost to two small children who painted up their hermit-crab aquarium so their crabs looked like they lived in an undersea world. [One friend mock-huffed "ageism!" Never compete against small children with pets*, or something like that.] Moe was a right trooper, letting herself be carried to, and petted by, all the seated patients in attendance. Her Majesty let me know she was ready to go home by tugging on my shirt towards the end of the event. Not sure where the video of her doing the shirt-tug is hiding, so the pic with ribbon award will have to do.

Last, but not least, we're now preparing for the arrival  of Extreme Goose Crabbiness, also known as Goose Egg-Laying Season. There have been signs, such as heightened annoyance (versus regular annoyance) when anything non-goose gets near, and some of the ladies have been seen checking out the undersides of bushes and other likely laying spots. No synchronized head-bobbing in the Pool o' Woo yet, nor any gander battles either, thank goodness. We wait with bated breath, chewed fingernails, and protective gear at ready.

*"Never work with animals or children." - W.C. Fields

Two Shelters, One Day

The winds can blow pretty hard up here in the Hill Country:

Both of these shelters - the first pic is the shade structure, the second, a temporary shed - were trashed in one single cold-front moving into the area yesterday. The shade structure got blown so hard it pulled metal fencing stakes - to which the shelter was anchored - right up out of the ground. I was able to put the shelter back together, but it took some duct tape on the pole joinings to keep the poles from twisting about. I'll have to drill holes through the joints and thread bolts through them if I want to continue using this structure for any length of time.

The temporary shed's roof split its entire length. Don't think duct tape is gonna fix that one! I had already purchased a big tarp to go over the shed to act as a secondary roof, as I'd seen some of the edges getting worn. Guess I'll be putting that tarp up sooner than anticipated...

[The entirety of my day was pretty much like those structures - twisty and blown about. Hope a good night's sleep will reboot Wednesday into a much better day.]

Too Danged Hot: New Chicks & Link Edition

It's been too danged hot. The animals fur & feather colors have all been bleaching out due to the sun. Black has bleached to brown, brown to tan, tan to blonde, and blonde to white. If Maggie or the white chickens aren't careful, they'll just fade into "clear"...

The recent experiment with ordering fertile Penedesenca eggs (with Welsummer egg bonus) was a bit of a wash. It may simply have been too hot: the broody hens would nest hop, and then forget their original clutch. Eventually, two eggs DID hatch: both Welsummers. Molly the Jersey Giant hatched one, and Cinnamon the Cubalaya hatched one. I had to transfer Cinnamon's chick to Molly, as Cinnamon wasn't "getting" that the new chick was hers to care for. She kept pecking the heck out of it, and the chick was starting to limp. Molly accepted the new chick, and she's being an excellent mother to both (pic on right). Cinnamon continued to be broody for almost two weeks after the hatching.

In the meantime, just so you know the blog is still alive, here's some link love until we all recover from the heat:

Make your own nose pore strips: youtube video. I haven't used pore strips in years, but this looks super easy to make. Might have to try it again!

A frugal dinner meal plan from Green, Blue, Brown. Thinking about trying this as well. Makes fantastic use of a whole chicken and rotating ingredients.

A quick guide on how to make herbal tinctures with both fresh and dry plant matter. I've the beginnings of a medicinal herb garden, and will definitely use this technique. Never been one much for herbal teas - just give me a few drops of tincture, thank you very much.

A tool to blow out eggs, so you can use the intact empty eggshells for crafts.  The tool also lets you blow out the egg with only one hole, so there's more continuous shell to paint. I've done everything from using a bicycle pump to lung power, and let me tell you, none have worked all that great. Goose eggs are big, strong, and great for crafts, sometimes going for $2.00 an egg. Nice way to re-purpose shells for those eggs that are past their freshness prime.

Geese in Pool and Mother Nature

Not the greatest quality photo, as this was a taken a distance away with the cell phone, but here's the geese enjoying the new pool. Before the week of Noah & the Flood.

When I (or was it Spouse? Can I blame Spouse? No?) got the bright idea to put the pool on the side of the hill, neither of us took into account rain runoff. This week, we've had about 8 inches (or more) of that wet goodness, and the pool received about the same in quantity of muddy runoff from the hill. Oops. The filter just couldn't keep up. Spouse had to pump out the water twice: once to empty the pool so he could shovel out the mud, and once again after re-filling, as the mud hiding under the floor pavers came swirling out.

It looks like we've come to the end of this particular weather system, but we're all hoping for more rain in the weeks to come. Think I might need to invest in some sandbags to place a few feet in front of the pool to prevent more mud collection during the next bout of rain. It's either that or Spouse just might make me shovel next time.

Laying Low

It's been unseasonably warm for June, but now we're sliding towards July where these sort of temperatures are more the norm. Seasonable or not, the warmer weather means making sure the animals are kept cool and hydrated.

In the past, we put up shade tents in the goose & chicken pen. The shady grove on the other side of the house, however, is doing a much better job of cooling down the animals, and much less expensively. Every shade tent we put up last year got torn to shreds by the high winds. The oaks and cedars have no such problems with the breezes.

The animals all gather, and share the cool space with very little squabbling. They only leave the area if they get hungry, and once fed, head straight back to the grove. The geese stand in the pools, letting the water cool them down via the bare skin of their legs. The chickens keep a respectable distance from the geese, but will often lay close to wherever the dogs are. The dogs - heavily furred - have a knack for finding the coolest patches of soil. The Southwest wind blows hot, but the shaded area is a moderating force, along with the misting hoses. Everyone sleeps during the hottest part of the day, including myself.

Summer here could be considered, energy-wise, more like Winter up North. Everything slows down. Grass and gardens start going dormant due to the weather. Any outdoor work, voluntarily done, is rushed through. Now that the Northern Solstice has passed, however, the days will begin getting short once more, with a return to cooler weather and increased activity not too far away. Until then, we're all laying low.

[Pics: top: geese in the pools - the shade covers the area more fully after morning passes. Bottom: Frau sleeping with Bandit.]

Dang it's hot!

From NOAA: Today: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 105 [emphasis mine]. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

I try going without the air-conditioner for as long as I can during Summer. Spouse is more uncomfortable with high temperatures, so had the A/C on over the weekend. I could not muster the will to turn it off after he left on Monday. I try to justify the A/C usage by keeping the thermometer at 81°F, but still feel like I've wimped out. @virgotex - who lives just down the road (hey, we gotta do coffee sometime) - is still managing to do without. She has my slack-jawed admiration.

We're taking care of the animals as best we can. There's kiddie pools and tubs full of water in the pen and under the shady oaks on the other side of the house. Also under the shady oaks are two misting hoses to bring the temps down a bit more. Dogs, chickens and geese unite in their desire to stay cool, and all hang out together under the shade.

Okay, Mom Nature, we get it - it's Summertime, and it's HOT!

[pic: Maggie getting her cool on, all 80-some pounds of her. Bandit now weighs slightly over 100 pounds. Thems some big dawgs right there!]

Rain and Superstition

I understand a little better why farmers from the dawn of agriculture were/are superstitious about rain and what prevents or brings it. Austin and the outlaying area where I live is going through a tremendous period of drought. Here at the farm, we're doing our best here to reduce and reuse what we've got:

• the soiled goose pool water irrigates our fruit trees and food gardens,
• stale water bowls are dumped onto the compost piles to keep them moist,
• used dishwater takes care of the ornamentals (planted by a previous owner),
• and the "warm up" water from our shower is stored in a bucket and waters whatever else is in need.

When I see potential rain clouds overhead, my mind starts spinning. I start thinking about the things I did that might have "encouraged" rain in times before. Did I have the car washed? Did I leave the car or house windows open? Did I leave a project outside that would be ruined by a good rain? I'm tempted to do any and all of these things in the hopes that some of that precious moisture will come down from the skies to relieve the oaks and grasses, and refill our wells. But of course, the rain will not be propitiated. It will rain when the conditions are right. Or when I want a couple of sunny days, like now when my Mom is coming out to visit.

Ah well. I quietly give thanks anyway, and hope the rain doesn't hear it and go away out of spite. Superstition is a persistent habit, isn't it?

[pic: the rain gauge reading from the past 24 hours - 2 inches!]

Storm Report

The howling wind took us by surprise last night. A rip-snorting storm front had come upon us, bringing high winds, pounding rain, and pea-sized hail. The wind was so fierce it was blowing the roof's rain run-off sideways. Spouse put on his rain gear, ran outside and turned off the electric poultry netting. The light showed the geese all standing at attention, facing into the wind and letting the rain run down their backs. Bandit was soaked to the skin, and scoured up some good sense in that doggie skull to hang out and guard from the covered porch. Maggie was nowhere to be found, and calls to her went unheard. I fretted about the chickens roosting high in the cedar trees, and hoped there'd be no injuries.

Almost as quickly as it came upon us, the storm was finished. The radar on the local weather web page showed a front that looked like a long, red gash sweeping its way across our area, almost 200 miles long. As usual, satellite television got knocked out, but we were able to keep track of storm progress via local chatter on Twitter and various weather web sites.

This morning found the chickens hale and hearty, mostly dry and with no visible injuries. The geese were fine as usual, and Maggie was waiting along with Bandit for her morning treat. The dogs' fur was soft from the rainwater soaking.

The fowl & poultry feed was wet despite its weather covering, but there's not much you can do about sideways rain. The newly transplated berry canes were fine, and probably loved the additional soaking. Same with the trees and pomegranate bushes. We received about an inch of rain, total.

The grass seed and soil cover we laid down yesterday? Totally trashed. We had put down a mix of clovers, bermuda, and native grass seeds, and they all washed down hill. It's not a complete failure - the seeds will grow wherever they've settled, forming mini terraces and rain breaks - but it does mean that Spouse and I will need to re-do all that work. Between his shoulder recovery and my stitches, it will be slow going, but it needs to be done before the next rain event moves through at the beginning of next week.

So, today's tasks (slow and steady, as I'm still recovering): transplant the six lavender plants into the front flower bed, and re-seed/soil the front and side yards.

Despite the challenges, I love this place and the work we do here.

Our Property Looks Like a Glazed Donut

As I type, the morning sun is melting the glaze of ice off the metal roof of our house, and the water is coming down like a Spring rain. When I found out yesterday that the Hill Country was supposed to get a light coating of ice overnight, I told work I'd have to forgo the overnight shift and the 45 minute drive on icy roads. I'm glad I did.

The dustpan atop the goose kennel:



One of the bushes:



And something near & dear to Spouse's heart: the smoker/barbecue.



Stay warm, y'all.

Hill Country Snow

I replied to Chance in the previous post that snow in the Austin area is a once-in-a-decade event... a person more familiar with the area says that it's more like a once-every-30-years type of event. So, an even more rare and fine happening, and I'm just happy to be here, folks! I love the way the snow sets off some of the native grass colors:



The live oaks stay relatively green, however, only losing their leaves come Spring when the new leaves push out the old:



And the dogs, per usual, remain oblivious.

*facepalm*

Last night I installed a new replacement awning and repaired another... and as of this morning, both are blown to shreds.

*facepalm* *headdesk* *thud-thud-thud*

Off to spec materials & costs for building a wooden pergola.

Since I don't have a picture of the downed awnings (spouse cleaned things up before I got home), here's a pic of the geese applying their destructive powers on one of the folding chairs:

Hurricane Ike... eep!

From Twitter member TrackingIke: "What a warning: 'Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one or two story homes will face certain death.' http://is.gd/2w8E "

The link goes to a National Weather Service warning. Scroll about halfway down. The rest of the paragraph reads:

WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE. VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES CLOSER TO THE COAST. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.

Spouse's flight to Houston (and then home) from Canada has been canceled, and there's nothing available through the weekend to any airport near home. Although I'm bummed he won't be home, I'm glad he'll be safe. Another gratitude: tonight is my last shift for the week, so I have all day Friday (or at least, for as long as I can stay awake) to get the property prepared for the onslaught of rain.

May all in Ike's path be safe.

[pic: apropros of nothing, Godzilla on the porch.]

"with localized heavy downpours"

"...no sh*t, Sherlock?"

I was getting some pre-shift sleep when around 5:00 PM the pups started going nuts. They have a deep, loud bark when they sense something's wrong, or there's an intruder, or they just want to impress themselves (like last night at 2:00 AM). I stumbled out to the living room and discovered that I could barely see to the animal pens as it was raining so hard. Yikes!

Threw on the rain gear, and headed outdoors... aww, crap. The two goose pen shade awnings were torn to shreds, not much more than ripped poly canvas and twisted heaps of metal at that point. Thankfully, the geese were not in the pen. Nope, they were doing their usual: standing on the side of the hill, facing into the wind, and letting the rain roll off their backs.

Almost two inches of rain in probably 30 minutes time. Wow.

[pic: much lighter rain from a few months back.]

Eduoard flushes instead of gushes

Very little rain up in this part of Texas. Enough to tamp down the dust for a few hours, but that's about it. "Better than a kick in the head", as my grandmother would say, but I'm still disappointed. Hope those who did get dumped on are all okay.

In other news, finally saw a rheumatologist, who may have figured out the type of arthritis I have. Awaiting confirmation from specialized tests. He gave me drugs for the meantime. Meh.

[pic: Hausfrau 2. She has pecked her way to the top of the flock. Respect the Frau!]

"eyebrow raising" goose behavior

Tropical Storm Eduoard is making a bee-line towards Austin. There are tornado watches starting after 1:00 PM, and rain estimates ranging from 1-to-3 inches, to 3-to-6 inches. Of course, nobody really knows what's gonna happen.

The geese have been traipsing in-and-out of their goose kennel, en mass, this morning. This is unusual, as the only goose I've ever seen use the kennel in the past is Godzilla. In rainstorms, the geese usually head out into the open and stand with their beaks facing the wind, letting the rain roll down their backs. With the strange kennel activity, however, I think I'm gonna double-check the preps already made. Be well, all.

Not Amused [pic]

Over an inch and a half of rain so far.
The wet chickens are not amused.

[the roos will be picked up by another family on Saturday]

Quick Update

So far, all's well. The geese are digging the rain, the chickens are hiding under the cedars, and the pups are oblivious. The winds and rain from Hurricane Dolly have been gentle up here. Thanks for the good wishes, on and off blog - much appreciated.

Gotta get ready for a job interview. On my way!

[pic: where angels fear to tread - "Princess" looking to chomp on Bandit's butt while Bandit's wrestling with Maggie. No casualties or injuries reported.]

battening down the hatches

South-Central Texas is expecting heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and possible flash-flooding of creeks and roads due to Hurricane Dolly blowing in. I've got all the critters, shelters, and other outdoor things taken care of. It's bloody humid and 96-degrees F at the moment, but I can see the bands of clouds rolling in. Keep good thoughts in mind for those further south where the defecation is hitting the rotary oscillator with a vengeance. Will keep you posted.

[pic: The Hausfraus, on my lap]