Chicken Run

2 Replies

The Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle is in full bloom. It’s an invasive medium-fast growing vine, but I have plenty of room for it and I absolutely love the smell. The double knockout roses have so many blooms that occasionally a hen will pick one, but they really don’t bother them at all. Whenever I plant anything the hens gather around in search of any worms that I dig up. I put small river boulders around the base of each plant so they won’t scratch underneath the plant. Other plants in the run are, Butterfly Bushes, Vitex (Chaste Tree, which is really not for this area zone 6-10, but I love them and it’s worth a try), Cotenester, Hollyhocks, Maple tree, Pampas grass, other various grasses, and of course numerous weed.

Faris Caves, Ellsworth County, KS

2 Replies

The caves were constructed by Charles Griffee in the Dakota sandstone bluff along the lowlands of the Smoky Hill River in the 1880’s. William and Winfield Faris purchased the land in 1893. The caves were used as a spring house, generator room, living quarters, and for a short time as a school house.

Tour of the Coop de Ville

Leave a reply

I enjoy walking out to my chicken house this time of year, a few years ago I planted honeysuckle along the north fence of the chicken run. The varieties blooming now are Mandarin and Goldflame honeysuckle. The Halls Japanese variety hasn’t started blooming yet, but it’s loaded with buds. It is my favorite, as it’s the most fragrant.

Welcome to the coop de ville!

This is my feed room. The plastic trash cans hold plenty of layer and scratch grain, also keeps any critters from getting into the feed.

I especially love my galvanized bucket chandelier. When I asked Mr. Farmer to help me put it up his reply was, “you want me to what with this bucket?”

Some photos of the pictures in the feed room of the girls and boys.

left to right – Earl, Orville and Wilt

Mr. Farmer also made this horseshoe paper towel holder!

I made the grit dispenser out of a small cake pan and PVC pipe. The girls enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror.

The little pink chicken door is great. It’s on a timer so I don’t have to go out and open it early in the morning, of course it shuts at night, keeping them safe from any varmits. I found it on the internet and no it didn’t come pink, I painted it!

I’ll post pictures of their outdoor run when it’s not so muddy and all the plants (that they don’t eat) are blooming.

Beaumont Hotel, Kansas and Flint Hills along 177

Leave a reply

The Beaumont Hotel is located in Beaumont, KS in Butler County, KS. The hotel was built in 1879 as a railroad hotel. Across the street from the hotel is a wooden 1885 Frisco water tower, once used to service steam locomotives, one of the last remaining water tower of its kind in the US. In the 1940’s business men would land their planes on Main Street to check their cattle. The hotel purchased some land on the east side of town in 1953 and put in a grass landing strip. Pilots now taxi up Main Street to park at the bent prop parking lot. Cars must yield to aircraft!

This is a day trip that I will take again. It was such a cloudy, foggy, drizzly day. Just south of Beaumont is the Elk River Wind Project. There are 150 windmills situated on 8,000 acres. I couldn’t see any of them.

I think I will take another road!!!

A couple of wild horses along the road between Rosalia and Cassoday. There is a herd of 2000 wild horses just to the south of Cassoday.

Matfield Station, Matfield Green, KS is a former railroad bunkhouse that has been converted into a lodge.

Cottonwood Falls, KS

Cottonwood Falls and Strong City, KS are only seperated by a couple of miles. When you are in this area you have to stop at the Ad Astra restaurant. Such a great place!!!!

Good Morning

Leave a reply

I’m going to be doing some site maintenance today, if you get notices of new posts while I update, I’m so sorry. I won’t be posting until later this week, check back to see where we’re off to this time:)

Have a wonderful day!!

Took the long way home

6 Replies

I went to El Dorado to visit my parents yesterday and instead driving the interstate, took the back roads.

St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church Pilsen, KS

Kansas Snow Man

Ramona, KS

Dillon, KS

Gypsum, KS

Evening Walk

2 Replies

I enjoy driving to an isolated road for our walks. Here’s what we came across yesterday.

I don’t know what type of snake this is, to me they are all anacondas!!

We have enjoyed seeing yellow headed blackbirds at our bird feeder. (Luckily the snake isn’t in our yard!)

Carlton, KS and the hills South

2 Replies

This is the kind of road that I like to explore, off the beaten path.

Prairie Flowers

I just found an app for the iphone and will hopefully be able to identify wildflowers, Wildflowers of the Great Plains.

Owl on the chimney

Old chicken coop

Castle Rock, Gove County, KS

3 Replies

Castle Rock, you have no idea what waits for you across this cattle guard and up the road. It never ceases to amaze me how diverse and varied our landscape is across Kansas. When people travel Western Kansas along I-70, most are speeding thru at 80 miles per hour, saying there isn’t anything to see or do in Western Kansas. Slow down, get off the interstate, it’s beautiful. I am posting more pictures than usual, this place really touched my soul.