November Hill farm journal, 19

Things have calmed down a little here on November Hill. Signs of autumn are everywhere now, but we continue to have temps into the 90s at least a few days a week. The nights have dipped into the 50s several times but are mostly in the mid-60s right now. The mornings when the air is cooler are special treats.

We've hit a rhythm with chores, trying to keep up with everything that needs doing on a daily basis. With daughter in university now we considered hiring someone to help out a few hours a week. I had one candidate whose experience with horses sounded good but references were vague and since the applicant was a minor I have decided to keep looking. 

This is the time of year when the fields seem to need more attention. Right now a few early leaves are falling and along with mucking I'm trying to rake things into a little order. There are many fallen limbs and twigs that need raking too. Before long acorns will start coming down. It can feel like an endless task or it can be a time to celebrate the season - I just have to remember to make that distinction in my own head!

The garden is done with the exception of a few tomatoes and the sweet potatoes, planted late but trying valiantly to catch up. The fig tree's spring growth was knocked back by a late hard frost, but as is the way of nature, it's had a huge growth spurt as a result. It is so tall its leaves are nearly touching the lower limbs of the oak tree nearby.

Yesterday I had time to rub in tung oil coat number 2 on the front door and clean/paint one more porch screen. I'm in the final stretch with that particular chore so am torn between enjoying the journey and completing the task! What you see is all that remains of the unpainted area. I love the finished look but I have also enjoyed the golden glow of the bare wood. Mainly I'm thrilled, still, with the way this turned out and how happy all the cats are to have their front porch available for 24/7 use. 

Once I finish these last screens and support beam I'll move on to the cat tunnel. We've decided to go with French Gray after living with the sample colors I painted early in the summer. I keep changing my mind but reminded myself I can always change the color later when it's time to repaint. So French Gray it is.

This weekend Cody let us know for sure that he has a hoof abscess. I'm not happy about it but there's nothing to do but treat and wait and hope that when it bursts it doesn't make too much of an exit hole. When one horse has an issue I start obsessing about all of them. Keil Bay looks gaunt to me, Little Man did one of those loud barking cough things and I instantly thought lung disease, and the donkeys, sweet boys, assured me they are both just fine. 

Kyra Corgi recently developed a weeping mammary gland and we feared the worst. At age 16 she has some arthritis in her hips, cataracts, and some hearing loss, but for the most part she looks amazing for her age. She runs around, barks, bosses, and eats like always. I gave a homeopathic remedy and consulted with our homeopathic vet, and she's now on a daily homeopathic regime. The weeping stopped, the redness completely abated, and she's stable for now.

Mystic goes back to his cardiologist the end of this month. He is completely normal as far as behavior and we are eager to see how things look when they take a more in-depth look at him. He too is on homeopathic remedies, in addition to his medications. It would be terrific to see improvement that would allow his meds to be decreased some. 

Crazily, in the midst of all this, the same friend from high school who put Pixie and Pippin in our lives has sent a photo of a 3-week old kitten who looks uncannily like Dickens E. Wickens, our beloved tuxedo cat who disappeared last year. It's not a done deal yet but we are seriously considering bringing this little guy to live with us. 

Every time one of our beloveds leaves us I tell myself we need to put a halt to bringing new animals into the fold. And then one appears and there's a feeling that it's supposed to happen, and our numbers rise again. 

We are animal people and November Hill seems happy to host all of us here.