Look how friendly this looks during the day. Everything changes at night.I wonder if I am the only person who is afraid of her own property at night. Not the front yard, I can handle that, I mean way out down by the ponds. It is dead silent, and I am not familiar with all the wildlife here so I don't actually know what is out there.
Last night I took Baasha down to the ponds, cuz we have to go by to get to the pasture, and I had a headlamp on me so I could see the ground. The total blackness all around me was unnerving, but Baasha was there so I was OK. Then I saw two green glowing eyes staring at us. Big huge round forward-facing eyes. Panic. What is that!? The eyes blinked at me, but did not move. They were so incredibly bright and without being able to see anything else, I could not tell how high off the ground they were. I spoke to the creature, "I'm not afraid of you, I am coming through!" He moved a bit, but then kept watching us. After I turned Baasha loose, I had to go back alone, but the eyes were gone. What was that!
Maybe even if I did know all the potential wild creatures out here, I would still be scared at night down there.
As we lay in bed that night, I heard an owl crying eerily, and two other animals I cannot identify by sound. Creepy!
***
We worked really hard getting this place back in shape this week, because Sonja had her hands full with Baasha and could not work in the yard or mow the lawn. So with all this rain, everything is lush, and way overgrown. I spent 8 hours running the lawn mower, and I am not sure they are intended for such extended use. Even after mowing the lawn looks shaggy and uneven. We have weeds in every possible place, every flower bed, in our decorative ponds. The trout ponds, we cannot even really reach them, due to how overgrown with nettles, blackberries, and grass it is down there. Blackberries are coming over all our fencelines, one cut Sonja in the face, and the rest are leaning against our electric fence, sigh. Moss in all the brickwork on the driveway, and vegetables that make it almost impossible to enter the greenhouse. I never knew tomatoes could grow to 8 feet tall!
It was in the 80s but I had to dig out our entire manure pile, because it was full. Shovelling steaming hot, wet manure, loading up wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, I had to ask my man to make Baasha's dinner that night cuz I couldn't reach the bucket on the floor.
My man used the new weed whacker to go under the electric fence, just so I can get in there to cut the blackberries and nettles off of it now. That is still on my to-do list.
If you know me you know I have been working nonstop the past 4 days, even in horribly hot and humid weather. So finally I can go out in the yard and enjoy it and not feel overwhelmed.
I guess July was a bad month to leave this place, especially since they had so much rain here. Now my man asked me, "Did you take before and after pics?" Uh, no, I kind of want to forget how it looked.
Harvest! We have raspberries, plums falling off the tree, apples for Baasha, and more zucchini than I can shake a stick at. Also, it is fun to just go pick a carrot and feed it to my baby!
***
Today my man wants to go geocaching in Wuppertal. I think he's crazy. We found like 150 caches last month! But he deserves to spend his last few days before school starts doing what he loves most.
***
Disgusting pictures of Baasha's eyes when they were bad.
PS, he does wear a mask all day when the insects and the sun are awake. I put it on and saw that it really does cut down about half the light. 
Here is a better picture to close with. I love the way his whiskers caught the light.* - In German, when you live out in the country, they say you live "on the land"
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9 comments:
I don't like wandering around our place at night either. I've seen "those eyes" too.
We have an older horse at our barn who has a history of eye infections - and he wears a mask too in turnout no matter the weather - it has helped a lot - it keeps the flies out of his eyes and helps him not bump into things by accident.
Glad it was you and not me doing all that heavy work!
Hey! I took some time to catch up on your posts, Summer is keeping me busy and I don't get much computertime these days...
You seemed to have a great vacation, I love Oregon and it's costal line, We've been to a couple of very nice (secret) beaches ourselves many years ago.
It's nice that you got to spend some time with your old riding friends as well!
Sorry to read that your horse got such problems with his eyes. I didn't read through all your posts... what is causing those problems, do you know?
I grew up living "on the land", I am used to real darkness and silence, I was never afraid of any wild animals or "eys in the dark". When I was little I was afraid of "men" in the darkness...
In the area you live isn't really any wild animal that could or would try to "harm" you.
When camping in Montana years ago I didn't realize at first that we were in bear and wolf country...
Luckily nothing happend that nigth that we were spending in a small tent.
After talking to some locals, who confirmed the presence of bears in the area, we were more careful picking the right and safe campsites.
That's what happens when you grow up in a country where you don't have to think about bears and other potential (furry) predators.
When I was a teenager I always used to ride my thoroughbred mare in the dark. It was exciting to be able to trust her completely wandering through the forest on our way back home...
:))
yay Im glad you had fun!! Do you keep 2 liters of milk in your fridge? thats how I solved our kool aid dilema. I wash out a 2 liter milk jug and put the stuff in there. Also take 2 cups of ice cold water,one packet of kool aid,2/3 cup Sugar and 4 cups of ice cups. Stick it in a blender,whizz it for 30 seconds and you have a homemade Slushie..LOL Trust me you learn to get inventive over here.
I miss Oregon so much..it's so beautiful there and I really took it for granted. Thats so great that you were able to bring back some baking goodies. I need to ask someone from home to send me a vanilla extract bottle. I go through it like crazy now.
I feel so bad for Baasha and I am really glad he is doing better!! It's so hard getting used to living here and when something happens to your animal while you are away,well it makes it much more worse. I totally feel helpless here but was totally in control back home. It's hard sometimes..lol
Isn't it funny how used to sirens and horns, but an owl is scary?
Of course I guess an owl has evolved to have a scary sound, so it makes sense.
You might want to carry a walking stick when you go out at night - not because it's incredibly effective, but because I find it gives me a sense of comfort. I mean who wants to fight with their bare hands? Having something you can swing or throw just makes you feel safer.
I did a lot of back country back packing as a kid and we would wander around at night. It was scary at first, but after a while it was sort of like walking around your own house with the lights off. A little disconcerting but not terrifying.
Hope you have some relaxing time ahead!
Me, I like to wander around at night...at Haiku Farm, we don't have any dark and scary places (another good reason to live here!) but even when we're camping in the woods, I generally make excuses to take the dogs for a little stroll around midnight.
At a place I lived once, the horse barn was down a dark "road" from the house, with a steep drop-off on one side. The trees were huge there, and when I'd walk down in the dark, I'd turn my flashlight onto the branches and watch the raccoon eyes light up in reflection like a naughty, sentient Christmas tree....
LOL...and I know just what you mean!! At night, we definitely go from being one of the predators to just being one of the prey...
Poor Baasha!!! You know, Bo had a similar issue last year, and we finally figured out that he was/is allergic to fly sprays. As long as none of it touches his face, he is fine, but if you apply it to his face, his eyes swell up, drain, turn red...terrible to see!!!
We also had the vet out several times to check for scratches, ulcers, infections etc...but he always came back clear.
Glad to hear that you are back home. :)
Wow...I know you don't appreciate all that growth, but I wish we could have just a little bit of that here. We seem to have no monsoon season, which means no grass growth at all. We count on at least 6" of grass growth every July and August, and so far, the grass has barely grown a 1/2" high! It's been so dry here.
I'd love to a little bit of that crazy jungle growth....but not the humidity. sigh. Why is it always 'feast or famine'?
Poor Baasha. His eye looked a fright! Is it much better now? Did he seem like he missed you?
~Lisa
Oh and I forgot. I get spooked around my house, too. It is so dark here at night and there are packs of coyotes and mountains lions and bears just over the ridge line in the National Forest.
Last summer I was collecting eggs after dark and I could feel vibrations through the ground, of something thundering towards me at a fast speed. It was pitch black and I wasn't sure whether to run or just face the predator. Then all of a sudden it was upon me!
A cat. Being chased by another cat. It startled me so much that I cried out, though.
Things are always spookier at night. Hunters are out at night and I think subconciously we know that and can't help but feel wary and a little cautious.
Those eyes you saw...front facing...must be a predator, because prey usually have their eyes on the sides, while predators have their eyes facing forward.
~Lisa
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