After months of rain, it quit. We got the hay in before the end of May with no rain. Then it rained for a couple of days. And now it's hot and dry again. Anyone who thinks the climate is not changing is not a farmer... at least not an old farmer. We "always" put up hay on the 4th of July. Not any more. The grass has long since headed out and dried up by then.
We have been pretty overwhelmed trying to get neighbor Irv's house ready for him to come home to. His therapist came out last week with him and approved Johnny's ramp but gave lots of other things that needed doing: raising a chair so Irv doesn't bend more than 90 degrees to sit down (until his hip heals), installing all sorts of helpful equipment in the bathroom, fixing every possible tripping hazard in the house. On top of that the rain exposed a leak in the roof and a totally plugged gutter running water into the carport. Johnny fixed them. Meanwhile several of us have been cleaning and washing and throwing away garbage. And trying to get the doggy smell out of everything. It's quite a project but we're making progress.
In between I work at weeding my flowerbeds, watering the veggie garden, and doing my once weekly Black Oystercatcher survey on the beautiful Oregon coast. Eagles are a common sight.
And so is lovely scenery and beautiful weather...
And, of course, Black Oystercatchers...
This one standing guard near the nest site...
And here is a third bird about to be chased off by the pair. They are very territorial when nesting.
As I sit writing this blog post at 11 p.m., I'm hearing "our" fledgling Barn Owls outside my window begging. This is the first time they have been vocal. Usually we hear this sound for weeks on end before they fly but not this year. I suspect the Barred Owl that was calling nightly is the reason. Barred Owls will prey on Barn Owl youngsters. Perhaps it has moved on. These fledglings return to the barn most days to roost. I guess it feels like the safest place.
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