There is a little zoo near us that has agreed to take the injured Canadian goose. It has a large fenced in pond where the poor little one winged goose can live out a good safe life. Here is a video of the goose at her new home.
I was very careful not to get too attached and never gave it a name. I will miss it. It is such a sweet creature but I couldn't give it the kind of home it needed.
Here is a photo with the white Embden goose that kept it company during recuperation.
This weekend it got quite warm, really the first warmth of the summer. I was out weeding and decided I could use a dip in the pool to cool off.
There was no one about and no real chance of being seen so I skipped the wardrobe change and went au natural. (There will be no pictures) (I have no idea why it is called "skinny" dipping).
Now, I have known for a long time that gravity is not my friend (not any of our friends really). But bobbing about naked in the pool it occurred to me that gravity is in cahoots with plastic surgeons. Now we all know that life isn't fair, but if it were gravity would have a decreased effect on us as we age.
Here is what I propose, (and yes, I know this isn't scientifically realistic). Up to the age of 30 gravity has its way with you. From the age of 30 up you get a 10% decrease in gravity with every big milestone birthday. So by the time you hit 70 you would get a 50% break in the effect gravity has on you.
Think about it. Your joints would last longer. Back pain could be a thing of the past. I'm not sure what it would do for the face but boob jobs would not be necessary. Plastic surgeons would be against it but they could devote their time to figuring out how to get affordable health care to everyone and fixing serious deformities.
Back to reality (ugh) here are pictures of my hollyhocks. They are really looking good this year thanks to the absence of the Japanese Beetles. (Who I hope have all drowned in the tremendous rains.)
I don't know what I was thinking trying to get something done in the barnyard while the goats were loose was clearly a sign of impending dementia.
I am working on a pen that will either be for the pheasants or for Peanut to finally get to be broody and hatch something. It is kinda big so I (stupidly) decided to build it in the barnyard instead of building it elsewhere and moving it TO the barnyard.
First Biscotti stole the bag of zip ties and ran off with them.
Then Amaretti managed to get inside the pen, through the door I had just cut.
If they didn't make me laugh so hard I'd really lose my mind.
It was a rare nice day here.
Here's a video of Kirby coming up from the pasture for her dinner. Normally there are rocks in the tray so she has to root around for the food.
Peanut our turkey hen has gone broody again. She has made a nest in the corner under the goats' bench.
This little wild goose was injured by possibly a snapping turtle. She is missing a wing and is staying with us for a while. She is going to live out her life at a local zoo that has a safe place for her.
This white embden goose is keeping her company. She was the runt of her group so they make a good pair.
Here's Apollo. The flash really brings out turquoise in his feathers. 
Here's a video at the barnyard. Dozer our big tom turkey would like to steal the show. Beethoven is the Polish bantam with the "hen saver" to protect her from the advances of the roosters. I must say I really like the "hen savers." My poor hens were really starting to look ragged.
And now we ride off into the sunset.
I would like to thank Mother Nature for not letting the sunshine for a few weeks so that when the sun came out today it seemed like a reason to celebrate.
Last night I took these pictures of an incoming storm. I believe I have previously established my fascination of clouds.
Do you see a big hand in this one? (above)
Like I said, days and days of rain and gloom made today seem like the first time we've ever seen the sun.
July 4th and you need a jacket to be outside watching the fireworks! Love It!
If you don't have sunshine you won't grow strawberries.
I was searching and searching for a few berries to savor when I found this
Note the bright blue sky.
Too cute. But I ate it anyway.
I have to tell you all about Dogs with Blogs. Hoover has branched off and started his own blog. He has met so many cool dogs.
Hoover had a post about how his favorite duck was (by total accident) mowed over and basically turned into confetti. In no time at all two fellow Dogs with Bloggers sent him new duckies. It was one of those warm fuzzy moments where your faith in humanity is restored.
Gryff spent a few days with us this week. Here he is during a brief sunny moment cooling off in the pool. (Note the ball in his mouth) 
I can't imagine life without animals. They are such a source of joy. If you have a dog or love dogs or love people who love dogs check out Dogs with Blogs.
Well this (thankfully) doesn't happen every day.
It was one of those "What do I do now?" moments. I saw something was on the tire and I thought it must be a clump of grass until it came around again. I stopped the tractor (duh) got off and took a good long look. I was about a quarter mile from the house so I had to decide whether to pull it out, hoping it hadn't pierced through and would stay long enough to get to the house, or choice #2 leave it in the hope that driving on it wouldn't make it worse. I went with the odds and pulled it out, jumped on the tractor and drove fast to the house.
It was the right decision as the nails had gone in the thick part of the tread and didn't pierce the tire at all.
The rainbow was a bonus after NOT getting a flat tire.
Here I attempt to put the rainbow pictures together.
Not too bad.
I don't think Mother Nature was too happy with my complaining about her.
Thursday morning I was stung by a wasp. It was very hot and humid.
Then that night we had some of the most incredible lightning. I was standing outside trying to catch some the the lightning on my camera when it occurred to me that it wasn't the wisest thing to be doing. But I did catch this. The good stuff is at the very end.
Whiny Wednesday was inevitable.
Deep down I'm a whiner.
Always have been.
While I have complained that there has been relentless rain,
that was basic complaining. Now, Mother Nature is planing to turn on the heat.
Some of my least favorite words (OK I HATE these words).
Hazy
Hot
Humid
For most of June we've barely had temperatures in the 70's and rarely seen the sun. Tomorrow it is going to be 88 degrees and we have water standing around everywhere so I'm sure it is going to be plenty humid.
It's like a giant birthday party for mosquitoes! 
Let the whining begin!
We have had over 10 inches of rain since Monday afternoon. The ground is spongy and rain is in the forecast every day through Wednesday.
This little frog was clinging to the window. I think he was looking for a place to dry off.
Kirby likes that all sorts of puddles have sprung up for her bathing pleasure.
Everything is lush and green, but the strawberries need sunshine to ripen. Right now they're just rotting.
We had over 6 inches of rain this week. The goats took advantage of every tiny dry spell.
Nutter Butter is lounging on the rock while Mallomar grazes.
It has rained so much that they have even gone out in the rain to graze. These are goats who NEVER go out in the rain. Now I know that it makes their fur curly.
Oh, Hoover. I do love him so. But he is forever a challenge.
He tested positive for erlichiosis last year but never displayed any symptoms until recently.
Hoover has always been a picky eater. We jokingly call him to dinner saying it's "time for a beating." 
We give him a bowl of food and he just hangs his head like we're yelling at him. Then he lays down and we have to beg him to eat.
I have tried 5 different kinds of premium dry dog food hoping to find something he would like. We give it to him dry, wet with nice warm water. No luck.
Now that he need to be on a strong antibiotic it is important that he has food in his belly when I slip him the pills. So we have moved on to the big nasty, canned dog food.
Nasty to me heaven to Hoover. All this time poor Hoover just wanted canned dog food. And I feel terrible for not thinking to try it sooner.
I think he thinks he's getting people food. I let him lick the fork clean. Then he cleans his bowl.
For Hoover it is all good.
And if Hoover is happy and well, then I'm happy.
I want to thank Jennifer for this nice award.
Here's the rules:
Rules:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered.
Oh my 15 is a lot but I will do my best.
I would like to send this award to:
Hannah at Chicken News
Shannon at Pigtopia Studio
Delphine at From a Caravan to a Chateau
Sandy at Birds, Bees, Bugs, and Blossoms
Charlie the Big Dog
Emma at Emma's Dilemmas
Clare at Normanby Nature
Mooky's Hood
GA Farmwoman at Life on a Southern Farm
I highly recommend all of the above blogs.
I reserve the right to send off this award to other blogs as I find them!
It rained everyday last week. And we had some big storms last night. It was dreary looking this morning but after breakfast (mmmm oatmeal) the sun came out. So I asked Hoover if he wanted to go for a walk with me.
There is a lot going and growing after all that rain but I couldn't take my eyes off the sky.
I am fascinated by clouds. I always have been. It is cloud paradise out there today.
Hoover was off smelling everything. He is a great dog to walk with because he does his own thing and requires nothing from you. I was free to just take in the sights.
You really appreciate the blue sky when you haven't seen it for a while.
Hoover and Gryff.
Chased what looked to be a very new born fawn into the barnyard.
The poor thing was exhausted and probably thought it was safe inside the fence of the barnyard. It was safe from the dogs but Cleo
doesn't like strangers in her barnyard.
Luckily my husband heard the commotion and came to the rescue.
Baby was reunited with mom and everyone is safe.
These Diantus
plants
came up
out of nowhere.
They aren't really in a great place.
But I can't bear to pull them out.I love the different patterns on the petals.
When the heat of summer comes they will fizzle and go to seed. And maybe next year there will be more of them.
These lilacs are on the north side of the house so they bloom much later than most other lilacs
A peony.
I finally had one of my hens go broody. I picked some eggs and put them under her. I marked the day on the calendar and marked the day they should hatch. Well, of course, the hatched early. While we rushed to prepare a safe place for her to finish hatching and raising her brood the other hens killed two of the chicks. I don't know why they do that. It is so sad.
We finally moved her and she was all out of sorts. I have never had to move a broody hen before and maybe it was the wrong thing to do. I just couldn't bear to see all the chicks slaughtered.
She has one chick and is still sitting on eggs. Nature can be so heart breaking.
It has been one year since Hoover's big pacemaker operation.
There isn't a day that I don't think about that little battery pack in his neck that keeps his heart beating properly.
He is such a sweet animal. Today I was weeding and he came up and just sat beside me. When I took a break I started petting him he was so happy for the attention. He's the type of dog that you feel happier when you pet him. He just has a way about him that you have to experience to understand. He loves being around people even if they aren't paying attention to him.
I can't even begin to express how much I love Hoover. He is so much more than a dog or a pet.
