tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271701632024-03-12T20:44:26.245-04:00Letters from Schietztreun AcresA farm journal, life, love, very little about politics, 5 acres just outside a resort town in Florida. Grand ideas, small town charm...Picayune ideas, resort town claustrophobia. Life. Artist. Esposa. Mom.
Oh, and it's a fansite for anyone in that 4 sq block area of downtown that has one of my posters hanging in their kitchen bathroom or hallway. Thanks! hahahahahahaAudrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-76702421508145411142011-08-28T15:19:00.000-04:002011-08-28T15:19:41.739-04:00Owl in a Pot!<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotDBfdl6O6aLjOJ_jzWRKIJXyDUiCamJE2Z4zgWYUyFYCkqHZvtVsWhax8YjMDjW6hHKxRAXvFKSKKVy6KUEH7l4EJ1Jjtsil0295WjIGIhi7Vyyk1mm5CTvAGqYh5LWgXg15fg/s1600/IMG_2522.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotDBfdl6O6aLjOJ_jzWRKIJXyDUiCamJE2Z4zgWYUyFYCkqHZvtVsWhax8YjMDjW6hHKxRAXvFKSKKVy6KUEH7l4EJ1Jjtsil0295WjIGIhi7Vyyk1mm5CTvAGqYh5LWgXg15fg/s400/IMG_2522.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>
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<br />We did save him, and are taking him to the conservancy, poor tired thing.
<br /><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-18338715451785385772011-08-28T15:14:00.000-04:002011-08-28T15:14:08.177-04:00OOps, there's 2!<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucJp_CMzgdIHRUKCwTQgO7AmQoiwpI3Dq9eqVjanZz0UjHCJwu6ae9m3bk9jZtiQtQeohVTMdO0ODwFBuBWwKgUURVVhyphenhyphenw0hcpifoeRQcTyl9w_nN5NGjIjIkg5AQBHorPrzb0A/s1600/IMG_2310.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucJp_CMzgdIHRUKCwTQgO7AmQoiwpI3Dq9eqVjanZz0UjHCJwu6ae9m3bk9jZtiQtQeohVTMdO0ODwFBuBWwKgUURVVhyphenhyphenw0hcpifoeRQcTyl9w_nN5NGjIjIkg5AQBHorPrzb0A/s400/IMG_2310.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>
<br /><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-70138316312677117632011-08-28T15:12:00.000-04:002011-08-28T15:12:16.456-04:00Rooster in the Feed Bucket!<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJV8ovW6hdKUavbEgF9UDO5TfcpJLEj2Ige1jAutIW1aS1U_mTT1ChqZgt4FOb9UMLJMo4fIeL51227ZLhQcm1-pV_obcUOuM8kCJBFPNQhYibFaBhxuRZ5TSssw_sJ9zxAmK6Q/s1600/IMG_2309.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJV8ovW6hdKUavbEgF9UDO5TfcpJLEj2Ige1jAutIW1aS1U_mTT1ChqZgt4FOb9UMLJMo4fIeL51227ZLhQcm1-pV_obcUOuM8kCJBFPNQhYibFaBhxuRZ5TSssw_sJ9zxAmK6Q/s400/IMG_2309.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>
<br /><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-81845783687994020132011-02-16T19:26:00.002-05:002011-02-16T20:03:45.366-05:00Never Underestimate the Tendency to BoltI thought that quote was about me, I'd glanced at a book in Costco and inside it saw that quote, and bought the book. So this morning, I'm looking at it closer, and beneath the abovementioned chapter title, was the first sentence, attributing the quote to Pema Shodron, a Buddist Monk/teacher (as I understand it), and darned, if I hadn't met her one time in California years ago, courtesy of my friend Smartypants, quite by accident, when I got invited to lunch and swimming the next day at a farm she where she spends time in the summer! Flash forward 5 miutes, after I'd called my friend Chrisanne and told her of the strange coincidence.<br /><br />I went outside, the birds were making a ruckus, and the one most distraught was a female pheasant, newly widowed. We'd thought it a bright idea to throw another male in there, evidently too soon, and she was freaked. I opened the door to change her water and talk to her, and she did what. Bolted. Never happened before, and after standing out in the open, sort of dazed, when I went after her, she took off flying, maybe 25 feet in the air, to a tree wayyyyyy in the back. I calmly trekked to the back, keeping my eyes on the general area, soon seeing glimpses of her on the ground, then just weeds moving and I caught her by the back fence, after plowing thru all kinds of burrs and brambles, but I got her. She could have gone thru the holes in the back fence, but thank gosh she gave it up when she did. She's brown in a brown world back there, we'd never of found her. I returned her to the cage, put the unwanted male in his old palace, and am leaving her to mourn in her own way. alone til she gets bored.<br /><br />So the bolting thing wasn't about me. For now.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-46718729761664055322011-01-14T09:26:00.004-05:002011-01-14T09:39:16.261-05:00A load of new Baybeeeez.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GPOfGqUXnjelsYn_utp2h1bhIcMm3k-GmTJdykS5Tpx9q5LSDZv5sochM9YePeEyR73BjTTum96SZegoiMZn2VbtrSflmTTRIjA35kKuXjOWDdgHPZugNaDCVB1cz8HhWDV2zQ/s1600/chiknpenguin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GPOfGqUXnjelsYn_utp2h1bhIcMm3k-GmTJdykS5Tpx9q5LSDZv5sochM9YePeEyR73BjTTum96SZegoiMZn2VbtrSflmTTRIjA35kKuXjOWDdgHPZugNaDCVB1cz8HhWDV2zQ/s400/chiknpenguin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562049978843251938" /></a><br /><br /><br />She had so many I had to put them in a giant washtub. I put a light <br />on them because it was cold there in the guesthouse, (she'd snuck<br />in a broken door, and put em in a tin bucket) and now they're all <br />around the light, not under her, but silkies make ferocious moms,<br />and they'll be ok. Nobody will bother them in there for now, that is<br />until they decide to climb out, causing me to put them outside.<br />I think they'll go in a big cage for now, no use tempting the possums<br />and spotted skunks that cause most carnage around here.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-64387566224596148962010-11-07T08:47:00.004-05:002010-11-07T09:16:14.271-05:00Peahen on the Porch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtSJ1OFxp1tuEnNbWc0JYZcNQpLIky0hDo2zp8saEKMkcUbIBdEKwWCP-IJcJlGPuCeDLqO0btZjf3ANiJKRXP3Rbn4u7y1fPl1vzBMiv4voJMb5jWNwsvSSFq0njsjNrSy9Q6A/s1600/mspeacok2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtSJ1OFxp1tuEnNbWc0JYZcNQpLIky0hDo2zp8saEKMkcUbIBdEKwWCP-IJcJlGPuCeDLqO0btZjf3ANiJKRXP3Rbn4u7y1fPl1vzBMiv4voJMb5jWNwsvSSFq0njsjNrSy9Q6A/s400/mspeacok2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536804171789687138" /></a><br />Mr. Peacock lost his wife of many years, how do you tell a grown peahen that just eating the sunflower seeds out of the food is not good for her? Well, we got babies, hoping one would be a female that could eventually be his wife. We raised them initially in the bathroom of the guesthouse, and what a mess. I brought them out when they could take some cooler air, to the back porch, giving them the attention they deserved, but the day came when I had to let them run free. They were now a match for curious cats, and bigger than the chickens. I did lose the weaker of the two I had, one day I came up to the back door, finding it wide open (damn dogs do the knob) and both peahens on the kitchen counter. My luck and theirs, I had made the perfect chocolate sauce for ice cream, it was on the counter, now all over the counter, and I do think that chocolate and bird do not mix. One got sick and shortly passed, the other one was so devoted to her friend that I had one heck of a time separating the two, I pulled a trash can over to the cage, put the deceased bird on the top of the can, and the other would sit watch next to it. When she got down to eat, I'd put a piece of newspaper on the bird, so she could still see it, and I'd wait. I put more paper on as she got up and down, and eventually I had it covered up and wrapped, and she never knew when I substituted a newpaper wrapped soda bottle. Bink handled the burial, and then in a few days, the paper blew off the bottle and Priscilla, as my friend Chrisanne has named her, didn't notice that I put the bottle and the paper in the recycle bin and life resumed. Thank gosh for short memory spans. <br /><br />She now lives on top of the dove cage by the back door, she finally followed me, one time, to the big aviary in back where future-husband lives, I don't know whether to let him out or just put her in there eventually after more meetups, but I think she'll be horrified to be in a cage, and he'd be happy to run around outside the aviary, but omg. TWO peacocks on the porch? It'll be up to my ankles trying to get in the back door! Although there is a wood panel on the top of the doves, they've been annointed by just being in the right place at the right time, poor kids. I do put basins of water in there for them to take baths, which they use efficiently, but still. Yuk. Peacocks are BIG birds!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-37626677141848526642010-09-24T00:17:00.005-04:002010-09-24T09:15:46.430-04:00Oh Good Lord, What Chaos Ensues When I Don't Post.It's been since May, and farm life goes on.<br />Grisly and stunning at the same time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxpu8akXg-145LlJ7kjnLgENT_FSzqwBP2YCdDFApypR1GzkeLS94G0LE1waZIYcrY16I8lvIxM0HELKwngbDghp_pLLQFmiNdKjf59LtbUufTMSP7n-qhk0UfsL2W7-Y3oaTwQ/s1600/macho.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxpu8akXg-145LlJ7kjnLgENT_FSzqwBP2YCdDFApypR1GzkeLS94G0LE1waZIYcrY16I8lvIxM0HELKwngbDghp_pLLQFmiNdKjf59LtbUufTMSP7n-qhk0UfsL2W7-Y3oaTwQ/s200/macho.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520451676276640722" /></a><br /><br />We lost Macho, the 33 year old horse, We had the vet come and give him what I call the "Blue Juice" and he was surrounded by the other animals, the goats parked themselvesat an appropriate distance, Precious the mini horse talked to him all the way thru it, and Chalupy the burro stood by him til the end. What a great Paso Fino he was, all casual all the time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zAWQfQbfY7BM3TAh_UIAEcYXicHCbxDn0FFyRzwQB97gBG5YbS67D8tc_JaNw25g9R5yKyBumeCoFTJ-eIEbhJs3K6VoDZKg4KxYhsQNJoYBAYtjjueaiTA5XaluEbdobZjaHg/s1600/peecocks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zAWQfQbfY7BM3TAh_UIAEcYXicHCbxDn0FFyRzwQB97gBG5YbS67D8tc_JaNw25g9R5yKyBumeCoFTJ-eIEbhJs3K6VoDZKg4KxYhsQNJoYBAYtjjueaiTA5XaluEbdobZjaHg/s200/peecocks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520452016983034434" /></a><br /><br />We acquired 2 baby peahens, of which I think one is not. One has aquired color, the other is plain. oops. We wanted two for the male we have. I'll have to go to the auction and correct this on my own. I decided to let them out of their cage, they are about 1/3-1/2 grown, and it seemed cruel to not let them experience the world of bugs they crave, so the first night,we herded them back to where their cage was and put them back up on top of it, they are spooky and don't seem to own a brain between themselves...because the second night, they decided to sleep in the bushes. I figured a cold wet night was in order, so I turned on the sprinklers, and at about 3 am, they were wishing they were back up on the cage, as they did show up the following night. And tonight. I now have to figure out what to do with them when they're huge.<br /><br />The partridges are finally back in their rebuilt aviary, I couldn't find them today, had a heart attack for a minute trying to find them in there, it's not that big! I crawled around on my hands and knees looking thru the underbrush, and there they were, King had built a nest for his wife, and he was in it, trying it out, and she was sitting quietly outside the nest, probably<br />hissing "hurry up, it's coming out!" I think they share parental responsibilities with eggs, but I've never had the opportunity to have any mate yet, well, successfully. Wish us luck.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zok1KSa3p3OS8bkfIruQdJoVb5H9l-BBqDLNVNg7ipQtCp2LC8AqeVjs62A-jlg53bgzktMur4J1wQhd8xrGKlJFJP1Ojzjaj1aWC4PfQvGPfW8p30v3O_C89duDOqCDIFftTw/s1600/Monagurn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zok1KSa3p3OS8bkfIruQdJoVb5H9l-BBqDLNVNg7ipQtCp2LC8AqeVjs62A-jlg53bgzktMur4J1wQhd8xrGKlJFJP1Ojzjaj1aWC4PfQvGPfW8p30v3O_C89duDOqCDIFftTw/s320/Monagurn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520467078093883570" /></a><br /><br />Then, a couple of weeks ago, Mona the poodle lost her battle with a bum mitral valve. At age 11, he had a heart attack, and died. She ran around, played, was just normal as pie, with a heart that went "squoosh squoosh" rather than a normal heartbeat. We knew this was coming, but as she was happy and running around, we didn't know it would be this soon. I"ve spent this week making a Mona Zone near the front gate where she used to wait for me patiently. I planted her there, with a mango tree on top, and am putting flowers in all around, it seems fitting, as she deserves it. She was underappreciated in that you don't miss your shadow til it's gone, you realize you look where you're walking to step over her and she's not in her usual place, you miss that head in your hand whenever you walk anywhere, you notice that she's not out the door in front of you when you hear a wierd noise at night, she used to do that without me saying a word, because she already knew why we were going out. <br /><br />I always compared her to my former dog, Pooka, who was a legend. Pooka had more personality, but Mona had more loyalty. Pooka was vindictive. Like running away the minute she saw me pull out a suitcase. Mona just heaved a sigh. How lucky I was to have 2 great dogs. I see so many dogs that never tune in. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis7mLFO0l9vLXgnwkmXYKyVDJK2W6AtcMIszFAhps1WaP2D-WW90I7f82k_fGF8QtKNKLRbFrOcxojHOMx7VBrk0PluvnUtaGlPtj9ljTEiJwXZWcZpHhYoYBO3ZZKlgk1tDT-A/s1600/picklets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis7mLFO0l9vLXgnwkmXYKyVDJK2W6AtcMIszFAhps1WaP2D-WW90I7f82k_fGF8QtKNKLRbFrOcxojHOMx7VBrk0PluvnUtaGlPtj9ljTEiJwXZWcZpHhYoYBO3ZZKlgk1tDT-A/s200/picklets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520456288388505602" /></a><br /><br />Somebody gave us an excellent dog a few months back, and other than jumping on the cats for no reason outside, and bullying the passive peahens, she's wonderful. She's Nico's dog, Squinks the Peruvian Hairless is Bink's. Her name is Pebbles, which i keep trying to change to Pickles, but she really only hears "Pebbles" ... I don't know why she's being inflexible about this. She's a Schnauzer-Poodle like Pooka was, but more Schnauz than Poo.<br /><br /><br />It all goes by too fast. Thats why no post since May, just eeking out a living in times like this takes so much effort. Effort that is not necessarily directed towards the farm or even my artwork. I'd post what art I did do during this time, but it's not anything done of my own free will, it's stuff I had to do, but I do have stuff coming up I'm excited about doing, and I'm also trying really hard to free up more space here at the farm to do it. Cleaning House, so to speak, and its all good. Onwards and upwards.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-90715994352115804122010-05-03T00:13:00.002-04:002010-05-03T00:24:41.459-04:00They Stayed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLd_luinOyYVJirh1IDl08JmJpGvlnFC0Zjdm56R7rOTrehIazM7lcQYSONpzaXMiaJ_AomDn5iqUm65l3WSmFNdH5fEyCyUJ7JliFbQ-f0-easicY14lt8avvcysmr0SYOekNw/s1600/travpic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLd_luinOyYVJirh1IDl08JmJpGvlnFC0Zjdm56R7rOTrehIazM7lcQYSONpzaXMiaJ_AomDn5iqUm65l3WSmFNdH5fEyCyUJ7JliFbQ-f0-easicY14lt8avvcysmr0SYOekNw/s400/travpic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466892431387052370" /></a><br /><br><br />Am I the only one who gets spay and neuter certificates for Christmas? So finally they're all done, YudaKitty, Goofy, Crabby, Pootie and Tummydot. I went to give one away, and my sis says, OH, you can't give THAT one away, that one's the puppy's cat. HUH? She showed me, Pootie sits still, and her two puppies bounce off of it, I saw the only cat on the planet to stay still for that kind of abuse, and the most emotion it showed was to turn its head, while they chewed on its ears, well, that one can't go. SO, Yudakitty was the one who crawled up her pajama legs every morning, so thats my favorite too, so it can't go. Crab is good with the chickens and birds, its ok, Tummy Dot is my husband's other dog, it can't go. Goofy is just that, amusing, and so thats that. Summer is here, they're all out and about, almost invisible cats, as opposed to the winter pic above. Mama Arcadia is neutered, and we got Hello Kitty back from the first litter, he's neutered too, but looks just like his dad, Richard, who we lost July 5th. SO. We had Pike, Brotherinlaw John's cat, she's fine, but we lost Bolie the other day, ancient and decrepit, she just wandered off into the sunset, but not before saying goodbye, meeting me at the gate when I brought Bink back from the school bus. That was like 4:30, I went in to make dinner and she was gone. She was a nice cat.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-48416864189910677702009-11-24T12:17:00.004-05:002009-11-24T12:21:58.340-05:00Wads of Kittens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9z2tdZpJGtrBG8a0dviqFofyrej3ixbPhhKi-9dR2ZA8dbJuDP6NHktrM5-QNJm3AJvBZ70f2gfMeA9ictH7rDx-KZPmQlef_soKWfxVhXTj1hyRsaf1ND1f4wMzytjSwoLoVg/s1600/100_1147~.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9z2tdZpJGtrBG8a0dviqFofyrej3ixbPhhKi-9dR2ZA8dbJuDP6NHktrM5-QNJm3AJvBZ70f2gfMeA9ictH7rDx-KZPmQlef_soKWfxVhXTj1hyRsaf1ND1f4wMzytjSwoLoVg/s200/100_1147~.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407721207801301826" /></a></br><br />and I put my etsy stuff on here, its a good thing.<br /><br />The kittens are asking if they can stay.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-65323595993224299772009-11-16T01:11:00.002-05:002009-11-16T01:15:49.934-05:00Good Lord, its been since August? It flew. So did our oak tree in the back yard, it flew right into my aviary for the partridges. My son took a movie of the collateral damage, and I did one of the cleanup, I doubt I'll be able to maintain this reporterly discipline when it comes to rebuilding the thing, as it'll doubtlessly be done in dribs and drabs, or whenever the partridges get militant about having their house back.<br /><br />Bink's version:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r5YmkJq5CIU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r5YmkJq5CIU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Mine:<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/1149647305218" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/1149647305218" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-73130875701640854352009-08-03T01:41:00.003-04:002009-08-03T01:51:06.668-04:00Dog Days of August.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZEsHbvG0m43_YyHdJT-DNLVan2lXRsFhpqZPRHpV63fHz92PYU0bFEiTjb37Y2W4gyty4DzV1hJgx-4lfK1QMt-Ur1cuDtRWT5aqq6G5XTLWQLHMEgp6a03SvAaQFG9514Epcw/s1600-h/bink.squinkly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 324px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZEsHbvG0m43_YyHdJT-DNLVan2lXRsFhpqZPRHpV63fHz92PYU0bFEiTjb37Y2W4gyty4DzV1hJgx-4lfK1QMt-Ur1cuDtRWT5aqq6G5XTLWQLHMEgp6a03SvAaQFG9514Epcw/s400/bink.squinkly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365608821035264786" /></a><br /><br />Mona the standard poodle is almost 11. My son wanted a dog of his own, and I saw on Craigslist, somebody had a Peruvian Hairless dog. Now, my husband is Mexican, and he told me stories about an ancient breed called a Xolosquintle, but he just called it a Squinkly. There's yer name, dawg. Actually, dogette, as she's 10 weeks, has a little unbilical hernia and some fuzz on the ears which of course, in dogdom, disqualifies her as Squinkly champ of the planet, but just flawed enough to fit in. She slept all the way home on her back on my son's lap, cept for the romp at the rest area on I-75, and she did well, not straying too far, and coming back to us when we called, she loved running with the Bink, and hopefully, now that we've had her a few days, she'll start listening to the cluephone about the peepees and the poopies outside. What. What. What was I thinking? (i was thinking it'd be neat to have one)<br /><br />We shall see. I'll be able to put my full attn on it when Bink starts school soon. Til then, she'll be livin the life of Riley, along with Bink. For now.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-75862409045392102582009-04-02T21:17:00.002-04:002009-04-02T21:20:33.139-04:00Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, April 2009<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8odIwRtyt0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8odIwRtyt0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This is a day trip we took last weekend, with my childhood friend Keith, Bink and his friend Travis to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a few miles from here. Drought has concentrated all the wildlife! From the tiny feeder fish, to the protected wood stork, they are all are in the only areas left with water. It cost $10 each and $4 for the kids, I'd say it was well worth our while, we saw a hawk sail over our heads and take out a rat, in the grass, we didn't have a chance to film that. The amount of wildlife we saw that day was amazing. April is a great month for the parks here, but bad in that there has been little or no rain for months, and this is supposed to be the tropics! Pretty arid here in April, it didn't used to be,... its all changing constantly.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-805307996556449342009-02-20T15:22:00.003-05:002009-02-20T22:18:46.688-05:00Pregnant Goats, Spring has Sprung.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWlOt32jh8vADOLsf80EpKTUvzG1LwSb7CfaXoHRdUdYERL8CBxMtF8suLMtJql__iSR0lfH3bYOWJ7sCvZeXr8bPVlv6RpnxFQqYBSeLgW25UjMK9P3agdaIevVyKvoKTL6IGA/s1600-h/goaties2.1508.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWlOt32jh8vADOLsf80EpKTUvzG1LwSb7CfaXoHRdUdYERL8CBxMtF8suLMtJql__iSR0lfH3bYOWJ7sCvZeXr8bPVlv6RpnxFQqYBSeLgW25UjMK9P3agdaIevVyKvoKTL6IGA/s400/goaties2.1508.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071314353520098" /></a><br /><br />Bonita had two babies, a boy and a girl right before Christmas. She was a terrible first time mother, not the worst I've seen, but we did have to take that colostrum by force, and keep the babies in the house at times, lucky for us, they didn't care if it were mothers milk or cow milk, they took whatever was available. She ignored the boy, as he must have come first, way out in the back, and she had the girl in the hog shed. My son found her and the baby, and while I was sitting with them, I heard that plaintive wail I'd heard before, baby lost in the woods. It's chilling. I ran got him, and showed him to her, and she ran off. !!! She eventually got it that it was hers, but never did nurse either of them much. Next time. <br /><br />The pics above are Chloe's new babies, Lorraine and her brother, he is the camel colored one with white spots, almost identical to Bonita's boy. They both look like their dad, Al. As soon as I knew they were all pregnant, I sold Al to a friend, because I didn't want him re-doing them all the instant they gave birth. (not that fast but fast) Chloe's had babies before, and is a great mom.<br /><br />Earline should blow any day now, Wheezy, her mother is next, Carmela and Zoey are both pregnant.....that a total of 12 possible new goatie babies. AAAAAAAAAAAA!<br /><br />And the pregnant ones are crabby!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-70629325725773849622009-02-11T08:45:00.005-05:002009-02-11T08:55:40.250-05:00Where I Live<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.audreyheffner.net/4frogW.copyright.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 435px; height: 704px;" src="http://www.audreyheffner.net/4frogW.copyright.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It's jungly here, and tree frogs abound. I had one jump and land on my face one time, screaming was NOT an option, as its feet were there, and its body on my nose, and its little hands were grasping my glasses and forehead. The strangest feeling on the planet, I'll tell you. But I digress.<br /><br />Some jungle I planted, some was here, some are pure fantasy, it works!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-14860581099463677992009-01-26T14:29:00.003-05:002009-01-26T14:32:44.219-05:00If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy.That's what the sign says on my chikn coop:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB7UP9853-WPjXo_bBZRivwUxs60heJmveFaIcGWYTLNvkZ7sr97SlRYY5tUSCRE6ZaQ24eDZ5Xb3Hso9HuUM52zlUkjfUihj6NugPVgobFYo7BFrYxbVfucD9DGe0Vy9jZqkWQ/s1600-h/chikncoop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB7UP9853-WPjXo_bBZRivwUxs60heJmveFaIcGWYTLNvkZ7sr97SlRYY5tUSCRE6ZaQ24eDZ5Xb3Hso9HuUM52zlUkjfUihj6NugPVgobFYo7BFrYxbVfucD9DGe0Vy9jZqkWQ/s400/chikncoop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295687049155285986" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-35055833132581204552009-01-08T12:46:00.003-05:002009-01-08T12:50:38.290-05:00When Pigs Flylast week at the auction a pig got loose and rampaged thru the crowd, <br />sorry i missed it. The pigs get VERY loud and HATE any sort of change <br />to their routine, and they can jump a 4' fence if they feel like it, <br />or just crash thru like that one did. I made the guys a new sign.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATqvNFw5phwSLhERMmhSIVK2dM0rY1GubqsMZoVwv9XhEeyCW8BwJ34QrFy6Mbz0XHDt1aj_mN6wWPlGfqCJRbX_NAL20ZL4cZTc-lWKyvDYEbvzyUDDCpw3s5sjfxF-mg3o4Kg/s1600-h/agitatigW.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATqvNFw5phwSLhERMmhSIVK2dM0rY1GubqsMZoVwv9XhEeyCW8BwJ34QrFy6Mbz0XHDt1aj_mN6wWPlGfqCJRbX_NAL20ZL4cZTc-lWKyvDYEbvzyUDDCpw3s5sjfxF-mg3o4Kg/s400/agitatigW.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288980868168484146" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-64274203335066708042008-12-04T11:19:00.006-05:002008-12-04T12:30:21.301-05:00December's List for January and a PRINT!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK40yC9hoefkTobw33hnNDk0QZNCNiL7xSLRG-9uA7NgQxYAl7g8FkhEfvBYmXYxWYpJQiYaKeqHHDrzpadB83dbkpVI7p1HTExxgHnLDFbEp5O7ddbY3KL2pIgAKN5CvScJoBw/s1600-h/cowflowrW.copyrite.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK40yC9hoefkTobw33hnNDk0QZNCNiL7xSLRG-9uA7NgQxYAl7g8FkhEfvBYmXYxWYpJQiYaKeqHHDrzpadB83dbkpVI7p1HTExxgHnLDFbEp5O7ddbY3KL2pIgAKN5CvScJoBw/s400/cowflowrW.copyrite.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275986473365795346" /></a><br /><br />This Print's for sale! It's 6.5 x 9.5, give or take, and it's <br />a signed, limited edition of 250, of Bueller, the baby steer.<br />Everybody calls it Bueller, but I call it Cow. It looks like<br />a cow to me. I am totally uneducated as to the correct terminology,<br />so I get away with a lot. It's $45. plus $5. ship, cool beans!<br /><br />Anyone who buys one that is a friend gets <br />the Schietztreun Discount. Whatever that is.<br /><br />AND thank you Jenny, (she bought the original)!<br />----<br /><br />Ok, this blog has been a poquito sporadic, sometimes things go on that just apall me, sometimes I get busy, and most times, I'm just a TAD scattered, but there are still so many stories going on around me here. I'd like to make a list of stuff that I'd like to talk about and/or draw, for 2009.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lefty the Parakeet<br />The Partrige Family in my backyard<br />Building Aviaries!<br />Lorraine and her crusty ol husband the Peacock<br />The Red Golden Pheasants, Max and Joanne<br />Richard the Volunteer Cat<br />How to sure-fire give away a Kitten<br /></span><br /><br />Wish me luck!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-5258669762986103652008-11-12T20:38:00.007-05:002008-11-13T01:30:03.934-05:00The King of Schietztreun Acres<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik56YyYKLK-YA9ENfy7T4gHXGAYFdJT2IesCqSFH6oodPQ_xukBQsgV-7iyUNez0Hhio_6zlsKKu3OEPZSb436KfozdAZ898ZlVIs-joFLWUreCVG2i3MiYITRvYCkmCcS4rvgag/s1600-h/bunnificent.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 397px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik56YyYKLK-YA9ENfy7T4gHXGAYFdJT2IesCqSFH6oodPQ_xukBQsgV-7iyUNez0Hhio_6zlsKKu3OEPZSb436KfozdAZ898ZlVIs-joFLWUreCVG2i3MiYITRvYCkmCcS4rvgag/s400/bunnificent.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267950896532214706" /></a><br /><br />This is no ordinary rabbit. <br /><br />He has singlehandedly saved over 10 chickens and 5 baby rabbits, twice. <br /><br />I'm totally serious.<br /><br />Months ago, a woman gave me some rabbits to sell. A bunch of colored dwarfs, cute, and one giganto white momma. New Zealand White. The night before we were to sell the rabbits, all of a sudden big momma makes a nest, pulls her own hair out to do it, and by morning, had several tiny white baby rabbits. Some didn't make it, I was anxious, so I read up on babies, I was considering messing around with them, as she didn't look like she was feeding them! Turns out rabbits don't feed them but once or so a day!!! Not the most attentive moms, as they don't go chase them and gather them back, either, much.<br /><br />We sold all the brothers and sisters, and most of the colored rabbits, eventually, but felt that this one was special. He escaped his pen, when he was a teenager-in-rabbit-years, but was easily picked up, as he had no fear of either the dogs or the cats or us. He has the run of the yard now, any time I go out during the day, I have absolutely no idea where he is. He might be under the woodpile, he might have burrowed himself half to China under the Bougainvillea, the one with the thorns that prevent anyone from going there. I don't know. He was impossible to keep in, other than lock him up in a hutch, and he generally stuck around, so we set him free.<br /><br />At night tho, that's a different story. We had to put a plank up next to his girlfriend, as he likes to sleep next to her, she's in a hutch, so we had to elevate his perch. We did have her on a stand, and there was a board sticking out, and he probably fell off many times while we weren't looking, as it was too small for him to lay on and chat her up comfortably.<br /><br />I often work late, as I am nocturnally challenged, always have been, and sometimes I hear noises, and go out and check, and sometime I don't, and go out in the morning to utter devastation, if a raccoon has visited silently. Things happen here, more things than I would ever care to talk about, as its a bummer. Life is like this, there are horror shows with farm animals that force the more tender hearted into their condominiums with no pet rules, they close the door and lock it and the life and death process is effectively hidden from them for awhile. Here it's more in your face.<br /><br />Like when the raccoon took our beloved Polish Rooster only 20 feet where Nico was working on something in his shop. Snatched it right out of the hen house. From a perch! Nico ran to the house for a flashlight, but could only hear it now, in the far distance, and we never did find it. Then one morning a raccoon did some massive damage to some really cute young quail, causing Nico such consternation, arriving upon the carnage, that he tore off into the woods in his underwear, granted it was 6 in the morning, but if he'd seen the raccoon, he was of a firm mindset to pick up a rock, and he was so mad that if he had, he could have taken it out of a tree a hundred feet away and 20 foot up, I have no doubt. His anger makes him damn accurate. Mine makes me nothing but incoherent.<br /><br />So, back to the bunny. We've had attacks that caused no noise, as I said. It was 2 am on a lovely quiet night. I stepped out on to the patio from my studio, and Bunnificent is coming at me fast. He screeches to a stop in front of me, on the sidewalk. He sits straight up like a rod is through his whole body, ears straight up, wild eyed. In an instant he took off running towards my husband's workshop, 30 feet away. I actually, i kid you not, said out loud "Whatsa matter, Lassie, did Timmy fall down the well again?" Turns out he had.<br /><br />I walked after the rabbit, and within 10 feet noticed that there was a bucket full of eggs that a chicken had been nesting on for the last almost 3 weeks, and she wasn't on it. !!!!?<br /><br />That right there was worrisome, as they never leave the nest at night. I walked over and felt the eggs. They were absolutely hot, like she had JUST left. I walked further, and the rabbit was no where to be seen, but there, in front of the closed chicken coop door, 20 feet ahead of me, was the chicken. In shock, she was bleeding out one ear, and one eye was starting to swell shut. Something had attacked her, and I didn't hear or see one thing. At this point she never would have returned to the nest, she was in one of those zones where they just go into some fugue state, while they decide whether they will live or die. I had just had another Silkie chicken this happened to days before, she'd decided not to finish her eggs, (only 2, but i felt bad anyway) after she'd been attacked and cut very badly. I bandaged the newly-injured white chicken like I did the Silkie, and knew that she would do what the Silkie had done, pumped full of Neosporin and all bandaged up, she'd just stand there deciding. In one place for days. Luckily I'd started our incubator just a few days before, regulating the temp, so all the eggs were saved. I just stuck them in the incubator. <br /><br />I now had 2 shocky chickens, and one marvelously talented rabbit. He had come to get me, I was wondering if I should call him Lassie, but he was even better than that.<br />He needed no praise, he just wanted outdoor food and water, the run of the place and carrots. We see him all over, like he has some circuit that he runs, 5 pm, he's by the gate, waiting for us all to come home from work, at 11 he's with the girlfriend. <br /><br />The babies hatched, and I had these 2 wounded chickenmoms, each had lost their will to set on their eggs, and both seemed totally shell shocked. (is there a pun there?) So, when the babies were in the brooder, I thought to myself, hell, maybe both of em could regain their will to live if I put them in the brooder with all these babies. Maybe they'll share em. <br /><br />They did. Slowly the Silkie started moving around, showing them how to eat and scratch, but they crawled under the stoic white chicken to sleep. In a few months, they were all outside, the Silkie kept the mother thing going the longest, and they both recovered just fine. They've both since had more babies, and stayed with it for the course.<br /><br />Back to Bunnificent. We mated the girlfriend dwarf bunny to another small bunny, I guess he didn't care, as he liked the boyfriend. The boyfriend was given to a friend after that, as I thought maybe Bunnificent would take a shine to the babies. He did.<br /><br />He must have considered them his own, with no actual contact, except for twice by accident. Our learning curve at times is a flat line, I am sure of it. Not always, as we do have some talent at keeping things alive, but this time we did have massive brain failure. <br /><br />I can't remember who found this scenario. The babies when they were born were all so tiny, we forgot, that they might fall out the holes in the bottom of the cage. I forgot how much they move around!!! The huge part of this story is that usually if baby bunnies that small fall out, there are any number of chickens that see this, and they are omnivores, that is, that they eat ANYTHING. We'd lost rabbits to them before, and just plain forgot. Well, they did fall out of the bottom of the cage. All 5. Who came to their rescue? Bunnificent. When we found him, he'd made a nest for them out of his own hair. He was determined that the chickens weren't getting these. How strange is that? A MALE? pulling his own chest hair out. We were amazed.<br /><br />Then we did something really stupid. We piled hay around the outside of the cage, and more on the bottom, and the next day, the same thing happened. Flatline. Again, Bunnificent to the rescue. Dug a hole, fur lined, ready to defend babies and keep them warm. I've never noticed even the mother rabbit retrieving a baby, if they wander off, thats it. but this rabbit of ours has earned a place of respect I don't think that even the dogs have reached yet. I watch him sometimes playing with our cat, and think, how cool is that. He is one of all of us. He's always putting himself out there, engaged. There is something totally charming about seeing him out of the corner of your eye, an Alice in Wonderland fantasy, he knows you see him. He's everywhere. I also thank him for being a New Zealand White! When he is full grown, he's going to be huge. He's definitely big now, but probably will be twice the size he is now, and there is no hawk around, nor owl who'd want to mess with that. I've seen foxes and reports of coyotes, but he seems to know how to disappear into the woodwork, literally, and his brain is no average rabbit brain. <br /><br />He will have the life he wants, and as many carrots as he wants, he's earned it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-75958851473975410172008-05-12T00:59:00.004-04:002008-05-12T01:16:05.350-04:00Cow down, cow up.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQAJnwKUNx3aGI71EDQJketUYdnqGCwYM0DuXtqCGBj3nozaEoRrzSgui-cLwMgI1Sw3xTGeXM_qYwVvypybY7NyVksW5mGunwuScOxeg1E62H3Kws1GPciVMX-SXRnLy0sfnXw/s1600-h/cownose.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQAJnwKUNx3aGI71EDQJketUYdnqGCwYM0DuXtqCGBj3nozaEoRrzSgui-cLwMgI1Sw3xTGeXM_qYwVvypybY7NyVksW5mGunwuScOxeg1E62H3Kws1GPciVMX-SXRnLy0sfnXw/s400/cownose.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199351646191701282" /></a><br /><br />He's not a cow. He's a steer. I found that out. We had him fixed immediately, rambunctious devil that he is. My sis took this pic with her phone, when he's hungr he's insistent.<br /><br />Lots going on, someone gave me ANOTHER pot bellied pig, and a friend took him to another friend who had a girl or two for him to try on. ha. Pics of Mr.Smiley when he gets back from Club Med.<br /><br />Aviaries to be built! We have a huge pool cage of aluminum that someone gave us, and that augmented with PT that we have, and even some of the cypress that fell in hurricane Wilma will ensure a sturdy structure. There has to be the main structure and an anteroom, called a "mancatcher"...so that if one gets out when you open the door, it'll still be inside. <br /><br />I've already built a large holding pen for husband's Red Golden Pheasants, they're happy altho a tad bored, seems. I have a pair of Coturnix quail in there with them as companions, but they seem invisible to each other. That beats the opposite, some breeds don't get along. I think finches and small flighty birds would be fine with the Partridges, I don't want anyone bigger and mean. I don't even think I'd put the quail in with them, the species is too close, and they'd compete for floor space. I think the partridges perch up at night, so there will be small trees and bushes planted for that. More Later.<br /><br />Cow got very sick last week, scours. I think we switched him too fast on bad advice and replacement milk....a night spent up with him down was awful. I gave him any fluids i could, electrolytes and about 5 am, his nose was wet again. I went to bed and he was up and running around the next day. He had a bad 24 hrs or so. I even had to shoot him up with antibiotics, he didn't care for that, but was too weak to protest. I had to drag him out of the poo by his front feet to the clean stray, and I was glad he was only a month old. There will be no draggin him anywhere in a month.<br /><br />Mothers Day was great. The honeydo list was out and I was command central. Oh it was great.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-36131114850410910622008-05-07T13:48:00.001-04:002008-05-07T13:50:23.090-04:00New Arrivals!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-VS83xJ6KvGLXitt7VvF9PPpBPYf2TFpQMsVe4RiSKUfkvYvulBPP026rqbL3EsWDcrzufUHcS5NAMliMmSkloiwxJ5Pw9VhKVM0D_UaKZQeXw1HcMJ7Bio9hyphenhyphenNCPi6JoDtjJw/s1600-h/partridgeWW.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-VS83xJ6KvGLXitt7VvF9PPpBPYf2TFpQMsVe4RiSKUfkvYvulBPP026rqbL3EsWDcrzufUHcS5NAMliMmSkloiwxJ5Pw9VhKVM0D_UaKZQeXw1HcMJ7Bio9hyphenhyphenNCPi6JoDtjJw/s400/partridgeWW.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197694545880139090" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-5550304891340587372008-04-24T09:59:00.003-04:002008-04-24T10:55:20.499-04:00Redefining the Word Cowboy<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2NbJY2NXi6k"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2NbJY2NXi6k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object><br /><br /><br />I can't believe its been so long since I've posted. I am remiss.<br /><br />We've done a lot here in this time, aviaries, selling and buying, <br />profits, losses. Christmas came and went along with new years, <br />the only constant here is change. <br /><br />Well, isn't that true anyway?<br /><br />As complex as the quandry is, it sure makes for fun drawing and even<br />more fun movies. Especially with our new calf, I hesitate to name him,<br />as DO NOT GET ATTATCHED is not a good name.<br /><br />He's 2 weeks old today!<br /><br />I don't know if the procedure that our Dairy Industry uses to get rid<br />of their male cows born to their milk cows is right or what. We went<br />to a local auction to sell some excess roosters. There in a cage to<br />be sold, we saw baby baby cows. HUH? Where's their moms? Still at the<br />dairy making MILK! I was horrified, and these babies were auctioned off<br />for next to nothing. BUT. Better the babies are sold rapidly, as <br />they were, and they were very healthy. (altho hungry) Better that they<br />are sold than the chance of being immediate dog food. Better that I <br />give this little dorky thing the chance for a little bit of life, some<br />joy, for as long as he has, than none at all, thats my rationalization<br />for all of this. <br /><br />I am over my head here, as I have no IDEA whether<br />I can afford to keep him, its ok now, its just milk, but in the future<br />when he's 800 lbs, I don't know. I will have to see if he's still as<br />gentle (I doubt he will be) I will have to see if he eats a bale a day<br />as bales of hay here are costly, we have no good grass for cows, they<br />need supplement. Plus grain. More Ethanol, pls, mr BUSH DAMMIT. NOT!<br />The feed prices have gone up like 20% in the last month!<br /><br /><br />All in all, the future is all unknowns. The art biz is ok, we're scrappin<br />just like everybody else, but I don't feel particularly bleak. For now<br />we're fine, alls well at schietztreun acres.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-10847118569205286092007-09-27T20:51:00.000-04:002007-09-27T21:16:39.179-04:00Married/NoKids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.audreyheffner.net/piglet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.audreyheffner.net/piglet.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Yes, thats how it is. 24/7, always together. She never goes in with<br />the other chickens at night. She stays with him. She defends him, <br />she scares away even the horses, if somebody tries to take some food<br />away. I think he loves the company,and the fact that she has really<br />sharp toenails.<br /><br />I was posessed to draw this the other night, and altho he looks a bit<br />grisly, I think its how he looks. He is very happy. I drew it on a<br />crane envelope. At least its nice paper. I liked the <br />color of the envelope.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-69495621129200419472007-09-10T10:35:00.000-04:002007-09-10T10:42:30.503-04:00Ebola Zaire Blum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_q4stYwIm1TpeuI8bTl_IlyjBwp9oAsaKd9Qf8gltDtpolVxDieewHR7xXyuh_WekK8IfatsPW2clqpT9UA3YH6mJjwyyJ0Zd3UfKHrmChdY7VCtg-5DizJNsqGUQrOOuejeEQ/s1600-h/bolielol.b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_q4stYwIm1TpeuI8bTl_IlyjBwp9oAsaKd9Qf8gltDtpolVxDieewHR7xXyuh_WekK8IfatsPW2clqpT9UA3YH6mJjwyyJ0Zd3UfKHrmChdY7VCtg-5DizJNsqGUQrOOuejeEQ/s400/bolielol.b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108584942330935362" /></a><br /><br />In the last 2 mo. I've added 2 cats to my repertoire, along with Pike the owl-catcher. Bolie, as seen above, is a very nice shy cat that lives in my guesthouse, til she gets more aquainted with the wildlife and understands the rules. She's venturing outside more, and is actually conversing with Pike on a regular basis. Pike is counfounded more by the new baby than she is with Bolie. More pics to follow. later. when i remember.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-43246110920437050162007-09-04T23:56:00.000-04:002007-09-05T00:04:27.499-04:00I made a slideshow!I want more people to know about my calligraphy, I have<br />a good time doing it, and it comes easily to me, as long<br />as someone adores the style, and doesn't try to make me<br />conform to some rigid thing they've already seen. I will<br />hook up some links tomarrow to my site, and then I'll have<br />something to refer people to. The last job I did was for<br />Hermes, they opened a store here. Happy for the opportunity!<br /><br /><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/slideshare/ssplayer.swf?id=103285&doc=calligraphy4648" width="380" height="275"><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/slideshare/ssplayer.swf?id=103285&doc=calligraphy4648" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27170163.post-31718597285963695782007-08-28T00:04:00.000-04:002007-08-28T00:18:25.415-04:00Night Blooming Cereus<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='280' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwrbqSUSL4E9DLv3YZanAq0w7TymSq2ocSDCxfyEjZAUasd_m_jhc7jxQrl0diowIRGvjKmLW2yiLc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><dc:creator>Audrey Heffner</dc:creator></div>Audrey Heffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087380957791189595noreply@blogger.com0