Unwanted company & Ticks

Hello to all, 

Wow, this summer is bad for heat, humidity and lots of rain. Just don't want to go out for much of anything this summer.  Also "ticks" are very bad this summer, I let the dogs out to run and play, they come back with one flea and one huge tick on top of her head, needless to say I went into panic mode, bath for both with flea and tick shampoo, then while sitting by them at the computer, I found one HUGE tick on my arm, needless to say I then sprayed with home defense all over and outside also. Then the next day (pets are being kept inside at this point) went out to feed chickens and found one on my boot that I wore when out. Needless to say boots got sprayed very good also. Now I will not let the dogs out anymore this summer, they are house trained so there is no problem there. These are huge ticks and I am not kidding when I say "huge". In the last 3 years we have lived here, there have been NO ticks and only a flea now and then. I have never seen it this bad here before. It is dangerous around here this summer. Even my neighbor down the street said she has taken ticks off her and her husband and pets this summer.

Just an update about what we are doing. Nothing much, working on getting the upper deck of the house redone. But the people doing it are working in between other jobs, and then when it is clear for them to come to home to work it is raining. So it is slow progress. But, it is getting done a little bit at a time. Can't wait until it is done, the old deck had holes and wood was rotting away. They are using yellow pine that is pressure treated. What they have got done so far looks really nice. 

I do enjoy so much feeding the birds, little hummers are so much fun to watch. There are enough this summer to put up two feeders for hummers. Two small feeders for the regular birds that come by.

Did get new glasses this year and WOW how much detail I was missing, everything looks so much better now. Getting use to wearing them "all the time" now though is something else for me. Was only using them at the computer or sewing machine. I think the eye doctor made me realize just how much I was missing "in between" as she put it. So glad I listened to what she said. Now I can see all around me in sharp clean vision which is something new for me. 😋

 Here is the unwanted company, another raccoon, on man are they mean acting and trying to bit you also. He has been dispatched now as of yesterday.  I sure don't want them around my chickens. This one was on my back porch. UGH! Needless to say, they stink so bad, had to scrub the cage and back porch with soap to kill the smell and make clean for the next one.

Bad Raccoon

The night before this there was a "cat" in the cage. It was released, seems quite wild and not even half grown. Don't know what people think when they dump their unwanted cats and dogs on other people. It is not always a good out come for them.

 We are always protecting our pets and we always keep our pets on our own property. They do not run loose to bother someone else. I sure wish other people would do the same. We also had fence put around the property to keep the loose dogs from getting to our pets when outside in yard.

Love and Prayers, 

Margo