Summer Snapshots

We've been thoroughly enjoying our 1st mountain summer. We've been blessed with numerous summer showers that often roll across the mountains in the afternoons. We've lived in the desert long enough to know that's not always the case. When the clouds roll through and the drops begin to fall, DH and I will congregate on the deck to soak in the view. That means it's been good and green and the horses are living their best life. 

As is Skeet!

That rain I mentioned has been a double blessing because I saw this as I headed to bed on the 22nd as a storm rumbled outside

That's a fire on top of Capitan Mountain. Thankfully, the rain extinguished it.

The hummingbirds are eating us out of house and home. Doc and Janie, said they'd leave us the feeders if we'd feed the hummers. I have 3 feeders out that will hold 4 qts. each. I think we've got 30-40  birds and we're filling at least 1 feeder a day. Needless to say, I buy my sugar at Sam's in 25# bags.

I'm cleaning windows...always, because there are A LOT of windows but you won't hear me complaining (even though I do not like washing windows)

And I'm still taking care of our little patient.

She's doing incredibly well! Here she is just before she dashed off to chase a butterfly

I underplayed her injury in a previous post. I don't want to post a picture because it's sure to upset some folks as it's pretty significant. It is not evident in these photos because it's on her tummy and down across her back legs, but I look at it and cannot fathom how she is acting like an uninjured kitten

I let her out of Skeet's crate 3 times a day and she follows me to the barn and visits with her littermates for 30-45 minutes

I am keeping her wound clean, continuing with the antibiotics, and applying Vetricyn 4 times a day. I imagine it'll be at least 2 or 3 months before  her skin grows back, but you'd never know it, watching her

Neither DH nor I can figure out how she was hurt, but she seems to be healing well.

A blog reader commented that they have issues with feline distemper and recommended we have Allie vaccinated. That's not an issue here. We are very rural. The closest neighbor is 5 miles away on a ranch. It can also be transmitted by fleas, but we don't have those either. We've always had barn cats on the ranch and they are always wild and have never been to a vet or been vaccinated. 

We live in a forested wildness and there are lots of predators. We have snakes, owls, hawks, coons, skunks  fox, coyotes, mountain lions, and bear. 

We've always ranched and we've always done our best to tend to the livestock and critters entrusted into our care, but it's just a fact that we will have some attrition from time to time with this lifestyle. We're not heartless. In fact, I'm probably too soft-hearted to be a ranch wife and we've all shed our share of tears over sick and injured livestock and any number of critters and heaven knows we do all we can to save our 4-legged patients. I wrote a little about it at the bottom of this post

                                                             Spring Branding with a Little TLC

I found our 1st egg from the new chickens we brought home in March. It's safe to say that with 26 laying hens, we'll soon be overrun with eggs.

The chickens like their wild lifestyle too

DH has been exploring the mountains on foot every couple of days. He's averaging 5-8 miles 

returning with a big smile on his face and tales of his encounters with the neighbors

Yesterday he logged in 8 miles on foot and gained 2000 ft in elevation. When he goes horseback, they cover 12-15 miles. 

No fences or people. Just rough, wild country.

Mountain life is good for our souls.

But I do fear that our hermit tendencies are escalating. 😂