A Sleepless night

I wasn't able to sleep last night. Husband received some bad news, and we tossed and turned. I finally  gave up trying to sleep. The moon was bright, filling the holler with enough light to walk by. I ended up in the garden. I toiled, breaking up soil and putting more seeds into the ground. The dogs stood sentry, protecting me from what ever may stumble out of the shadows. 

Nothing did. And after some time, I was finally able to sleep. I am grateful that we have a clearing in the holler, and the moon to work by. I am use to it, and find comfort in it.

During the day husband and I went walking. That's tomorrow's story. But for now, here is the wildlife we stumbled upon.

Sorry, no bears yet.

KABOOM! POW! WHAM!

While we were out wondering the woods, Small yelped. 

And then giggled.

He had found a small bat resting in a tree.

Small asked if he could keep it as a pet. I don't know about here, but in Kansas you had to get a series of rabies shots to be allowed to have a bat sanctuary. I told Small, no. They fly over our heads every night, eating up those nasty misquitos. 

This and That

I drive the boys out of the holler every morning, except weekends, to wait for the bus. It's very dark. And now the sun is rising later and later. I have gotten use to the driveway. But remember how I felt the first time I saw it. And then seen it in the dark!

Looks like you have three choices here, into the hill, off a ridge or into trees. Icey conditions bother me a bit, as you have to ride your brakes on good days, and there are several good turns in it. We plan on moving some of the downed dead logs to the fall off the ridge side of the drive. So at least we will be stopped a bit sooner and lessen the chances that I will go cereening, and screaming off a cliff 75 to 100 ft down, depending on where I decide to exit the driveway. 

It's also very very damp down here. Salt even clumps up. The cracker trick doesn't work, as the saltine becomes soggy as soon as the package is opened. The dampness is making it hard on me to burn. I have now become an expert at stick pyramid building. I hope that someday I will make the olylimpic team.

The leaves I have been gathering, have come for the downed trees. It's getting rather chilly here, and I want my fall garden to have a chance since I was several weeks late on planting. I realize that soon thousands upon thousands of leaves will descend, possibly smothering to death all those that I hold dear.  I am use to the leaves changing colors just as the temperature drops. Here, most is still green, and not dropping. So I gather to tuck in my cool weather veggies. 

Everything that I have planted has come up. Hopefully the first hard, killing frost is at least a month out. Cool weather veggies can handle a light frost. It actually makes some of them taste better, sweeter. But a hard frost is indeed a killing frost. However the pervious owner left a bunch of plastic, a huge roll of it. So I can at least cover the crops if need be to keep the frost off. 

I will try not to talk about the motorcycle shop too often here. If you are curious about that part of our life, I will have a Facebook link on Oct 1st, where you can follow that progress. The shop will be a huge part of my life. If I could spend the next year, or five, doing nothing but making this homestead perfect, I would. However our money is getting low, and we have to make a living. Homesteading, writing and motorcycles is what we know, what we have done for years, and motorcycles bring in the most steady of incomes. Though I will admit opening a shop at the end of riding season terrifies me. 

Medium, Small and I made banana bread last night. I forgot the baking soda! Luckily it still turned out very good. A bit dense, but yummy. 

Ms. Buckets arthritis seems to have settled deep into her hip. The poor girl is surrounded by sticks, yet unable to play fetch. She just doesn't go outside unless she has too. I know it's the dampness, and she is healthy otherwise. We knew it was coming, she is at her life expectancy age. We just keep her as comfortable as we can. She seems content to be a lay about dog now. 

The puppies are in heaven, well in the day time. Night comes and they lose their minds. Terrified of anything that makes a noise. Took Betty a few times to realize that planes were not coming down the driveway. Sprocket has taken up guard at the wash and barks at the deer moving through the brush all night long. I have to bring her in just to get some sleep sometimes. Of course my mother telling me to beware the hillbillies when I was a kid, camping, doesn't help things. Thanks mom! 

So far the only wildlife I have seen are deer, a black snake

and a squirrel with a major "mine" attitude. Haven't seen any evidence of face eating raccoons, badgers, or bobcats. We have heard red foxes and a female coyote, but she moved on weeks ago. They roam here, unlike Kansas where they tend to have a set den. And there're in smaller packs here. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. Less to deal with, but harder to find. And yes, we have seen evidence of Sasquatch as one of my readers suggested. I will have to get pictures and show you. But I have to brave the hill again. Oh, did I not tell you? Husband and I climbed up the hill behind our house to the pecan grove. It was hard on my knee on the way up, down was just plain scary but not painful. 

The sun is up now. So I guess I will let you go, I need to go build more stick pyramids. 

My morning drive to get gas.