What Happened to JUNE?

Ok, I know that I am getting OLD, and I have been BUSY, But did they shorten this month and not tell me? Now that I am RETIRED, time is just flying by. I cannot keep tract of what day it is, I know, but somehow it seems that someone has been stealing days off of the calendar.

I know that I have spent a few days butchering chickens and re-designing the interior of the chicken coop. A few more gardening and lumbering. And wasted a few at the Dr.s and shopping.

And then there was Father's Day and my Birthday. And some time helping my son remodel a room, and then Owen's birth. But surely there had to be less than 30 days used up.

And what happened to all of the fishing I had planned???

Yes, there were rainy days and too hot and too HUMID days, and days that you didn't DARE go outside because of mosquitoes and other biting bugs, but somehow it doesn't seem possible that this month is GONE.

My canoe hasn't seen any water but rain and dew, and my fishing poles have been moved from the car to the shed and have cobwebs and dust all over them.

My Grandson Ethan has been having fits because we haven't gone fishing yet! And I PROMISED him we would go!!!

Well that tear's it...Grandpa had better get his sh--stuff together!

The next nice day we get if the conditions are right, I have GOT to get him fishing. Everything else will have to wait.

Grandpa WILL NOT go back on his promise.

My New Grandson

Meet my new Grandson.....Owen Ryan.

He has a firm grip on Wifey's finger.

He was born yesterday, three weeks early.

He weighted 6 pounds 11 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long.

Grandma was overjoyed!!!

Grandpa was in awe.

The tired but happy family is doing well.

Three generations of Dillon's.

My Dad would have been so happy if he could have been there too.

He was really looking forward to seeing his heir to the Dillon name.

He missed by exactly 2 months.

But I am sure that there was much celebration in Heaven yesterday.

Yup, Dad is probably still bouncing from cloud to cloud!!!

Thanks for the photo's Ang.

A Series of Events

Don't try to adjust your monitor....

or re-focus your eyes.

These photos were taken with my ruined camera.

It was a series of unfortunate events that caused the problem. First was my failure to put away the camera from the night before. Next was the dogs waking me up very early.

After letting them out for their morning constitutional, I proceeded to crank up the computer. While it was doing it's thing, I got me a glass of water and set it in the computer desk (something I don't normally do) and sat down. Immediately our 16+ year old cat Grace jumped into my lap for her morning caresses. As I reached to pat her the phone rang, startling us both. Unfortunately she jumped from my lap to the computer desk, landing on the mouse and sending it flying. This startled her more and as she jumped to the floor, she hit my glass of water tipping it over.

All 16 ounces poured right on to the camera, the force of the water tipped it in it's side. I immediately grabbed the camera and tried shaking the water out of it and removed the batteries.

I set the camera in the windowsill to let the sunlight and gravity get rid of the moisture left inside. I waited 3 days before trying it out. The two photos above are the results.

I wanted to cry! Especially when I had to tell Wifey that HER camera was shot.

So from now on I will have to use our OLD camera. And from the quality of the photo's I think you will agree, I have to buy her a new camera.

Believe it or not, these are flowers!

Saturday the grandkids came to visit and spent the night.

They wanted to build a tent.

They gathered poles, but I had a better idea.

A tarp over the loosened clothes line worked just fine.

They put on some leaf hats and totally agreed that the tent was just fine.

Monday we started butchering our Vantress Cross "meat blob" chickens at the ripe old age of exactly 7 weeks old. We were surprised to discover that they dressed out over 6 pounds. We did 4 Monday, 4 Tuesday and 7 today. Yesterday it rained all day, so I worked with my farm log and discovered that they were some very expensive birds and cost over $2.45 per pound just for feed.

I oven fried a half of one for supper last night (without using any spices not even salt and pepper, to test the true flavor, just flour and a little Pam spray) and I was very surprised that it was very tender and tasty. I can't wait to stuff and roast one of these mini turkeys.

Wifey finishing off one. And no the water wasn't that dirty looking. But in order to see the photo better I had to darken it. This old camera HATES sunlight!

Just look at the size of that monster "meat blob."

BTW that IS another one in the sink too!

I am not sure we will try raising these again.

Only 7 more to do...(unless we decide to TRY to raise one to maturity)...YIPPEE

R is for Recycling & Rabbit Pens

Todays job was to construct an outdoor rabbit pen for the Easter bunnies and their mother.
Room is running short in the chicken coop and I still haven't started on the addition yet.
But the weather is getting warmer and the bunnies need more room, plus mama rabbit is getting tired of sharing her small pen. So today was dedicated to moving the rest of the rabbits outside.
I got the chance to recycle some cabinet hinges and door pulls, hardware cloth and chicken wire and wifey dismantled the chick brooder to recycle somee of the wood for the covers. The frame was made from splitting 2x4's and held together with some drywall screws I recycled from my sons bedroom remodeling job.

After we finished the build, Wifey thought it would be good blog material and went and got the camera. Of course I had to ham it up for Warren.....



No splinters, but a nasty pine aftertaste...



Hey, it's all good.....


And bunnies and mom all enjoying the new rooms.
Then wifey just had to clean out the chicken coop so she could rearrange things.



While she was occupied, I grabbed the camera.



You can see her through the window shoveling rabbit sh...."smartening pills".



In her favorite John Deere tee shirt no less.
"Have you seen my sunglasses? I had them earlier and now I can't find them anywhere."

"Yes Dear, I can see them from here. And you should be wearing a dust mask in there."


Tomorrow it's shopping and yard sales in the morning. And planting more garden in the afternoon, hopefully before the rains hit.

And for all of you "RED GREEN" fan's out there, you'll notice that I didn't have to use any Handy Man's Helper "duct tape" at all on this project. So it can be done. And just remember, "I'm pulling for ya guys, .....we're all in this together!"

For Danni and Warren

Danni pay attention, this part is for you.

These guys were born 38 days ago and today they were weighed.

a Buff Orphington

thats 14 1/8 oz.

an Isa Brown

thats 15 1/8 oz.

this Americana is 1 lb. 2 3/8 oz.

It was so traumatized at being outside for the fist time that it never moved from this spot. Or maybe it was hearing it's weight that traumatized it.

And finally a Vantress Cross or "Meat Blob", this is the smallest one, the scale maxed out on the first one we tried, so it weighed more than 5 1/2 pounds!! This one only weighs 4 lb. 7 1/2 oz.




Now Warren, you said that you wanted photos from the Dillon's Day Fish Fry. So here you go.

My sister.

My cousin. He is working on the "LOOK".

My OLDER brother and cook for the day.

My son.

Oh, wait....did you want pictures of all of the food?

Sorry, my bad.

I was too busy filling my face to even THINK about photos.

But I do have something for ya.

The day before Memorial Day, we were invited to meet at a park in downtown Unionville for a dedication service for my nephew Chuck. Well we were told the wrong day, however here is a photo of the memorial in the park.

The pathway to the marker is paved with stones engraved with the names of local servicemen.

Due to privacy matters I deliberatly made this photo out of focus.

Also in the park is this bell in it's own little pavillion. I wish I had some history of it for you, I have no idea whether it was a school, church or firebell.

But it was inscribed with this.

So if you ever get in the neighborhood, here is a bell for the licking!!!