It’s been so long since I wrote a gallimaufry post that I had to look up my old entries to see what my usual format for the title was. But I was making my bed yesterday when little bits of necessary updates starting flitting and forming together in my mind so clearly that it was quite obvious a jumbled-medley post was going to be needed.

Here’s a bit of what’s been happening around here.

traveling sons

A week ago Ephraim and Clive took off with their maternal grandparents on some of their 18th C. living history travels. They’ve been in Pennsylvania helping Grandfather and GrandMaggie set up their tent/displays, haul wood, light fires, help other people set up their tents, take tents/displays down, lead museum tours (so I understand), etc. This is the first time they’ve been away from home for more than a couple of days. They’re nearing the halfway point of their 18-day trip.

I understand from the updates I’ve gotten that they’re having a great time. It has also been commented that they’re intelligent, hard working, and generally fun to have around. This is one of the reasons why we’re missing having them home! It is fun, though, to see all they’re experiencing and learning.

Rats and Jackrats

We’ve apparently been the target of a massive rat infestation. That is, the infestation is massive. The rats are normal size, which is still too big. (The ideal size being nonexistent.) We know they’ve burrowed under our front porch, are out in a shipping container, have moved into an old well that was filled in several years ago, and have started coming into the house. A couple of weeks ago I started talking to Jeremy about getting a dog to help with the problem–a terrier, maybe a Jack Russell, good at ratting– particularly to be indoors at night and catch any that might be prowling around. But I talked myself out of it, thinking it would be a lot of work to worry with a puppy and that I particularly didn’t want a dog that was going to wander off and kill the neighbor’s chickens, probably.

Then a week or so later, after finding another rat in the basement and discussing with Jeremy that I have no memories of rats on this farm when I was growing up, but of course we had a lot of dogs and cats…We decided to get a dog anyway.

So…I got three.

(Technically I got one, my mom bought me one, and the owner threw in the third because he liked the kids.)

Jeremy was graciously not visibly angry that my one dog turned into three, particularly since I got them while he was on a business trip.

They’re Jackrats, mutts with a name, but a very unofficial breed. Mom and dad were both Jack Russell/Rat Terrier crosses. I am hoping the Rat Terrier side will temper the Jack Russell side as far as the children are concerned–so far that hope has not been disappointed, as they’re very good with the kids. After some deliberation over names that were short (hunting dogs needs names that are easy to say quickly), not too hoity-toity, rather country (they’re mutts after all), went together as a trio, and had some kind of element of humor (the rejected names probably deserve their own post), I named them Johnny, June, and Loretta. These names came with the bonus of all being connected to our state in one form or another.

tomatoes

We’ve skipped a big garden this year–perhaps a mistake, since I’m not pregnant or postpartum this summer–as we’re building raised beds out in the garden area (which will hopefully be ready next year.) We’ve planted tomatoes in the raised beds by the patio, however, and this is the first time since I planted tomatoes in the front flower beds in 2016 that we’ve had the plants thrive.

It’s great to be excited about tomatoes this year! It’s just about worth skipping the big garden.

hair nests

This year we’ve found three little cup nests lined with my bleached blonde hair. They’re all made the same way and are about 2.5-3.5″ in diameter. I’m guessing it’s a chipping sparrow nest, based on the size and the hair lining, but of course that’s just conjecture–I’m hardly a bird nest expert.