With the two shrews that Daisy caught last night, she has caught 56 (that I know of) mice so far this year. That is one more than the 55 mice (that I know of) she caught last year.
Her total is helped by me letting her stay outside as long as she likes at night. Last night she was outside from 11 pm to 6 am. She slept on the back of the couch all day today and went back outside at 10 pm.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Zonked
When Tammy was here she wanted Daisy inside the house when it got dark. I'm a little more lenient. With the warm weather Daisy often spends much of the night outside and then sleeps much of the day. Now that it isn't as hot Daisy doesn't spend as much time outside at night and not as much inside during the day. That's her choice.
Being outside more at night means Daisy is catching more mice. She has caught at least 52 mice so far this year. Only a few less than she caught in all of 2013.
A downside of Daisy spending much of the night outside is that when she is hungry she comes to the door by my bedroom or the window and meows to be let inside just long enough to eat. Then she goes back outside. Often I get up a few times a night to let her in and out of the house.
The past few evenings Daisy has been following me to the pasture to accompany me while I spray weeds. Tonight Daisy may not have wanted to go spray weeds as she would grab my leg as I started walking in the yard. One time she grabbed onto my pants leg and pulled on it to stop me from walking. Eventually she gave up and followed me to the pasture since that was the only way she could spend time with me right then.
We worked until dark Saturday night and didn't have time to see the river. Tonight I sprayed close enough to the river that Daisy could wander over there while I sprayed. I took a break when she first approached the river on a high river bank. She got saucer eyes when she first saw the river. Even high on the bank she slowly and cautiously approached the edge of the river bank to look down on the river.
As I worked my way along the pasture Daisy had several opportunities to view the river. The one time the river bank was low the grass was so high she didn't find the river as the thick grass towered way above her. Daisy mainly moved along when I did and didn't stray too far from me so she never really wanted to go all the way to the river.
When I was done spraying I walked to the river bank. It was a high bank with a steep incline to the water. Daisy was content to stay up on the river bank. She never figured out that a river is made of water. I could see her studying the river but she wasn't brave enough to approach it.
On the way back to the house I checked a pocket gopher trap and found I finally caught this pocket gopher. Daisy promptly laid in the pocket gopher's hole as Daisy likes laying in holes. She then listened to an owl's screech in the next pasture.
I am in part of the pasture with less weeds so I am doing more walking. And so is Daisy.
Now that the second bedroom is no longer Tammy's office I reassembled the bed and placed it back in there. Daisy has claimed it as her bed.
Being outside more at night means Daisy is catching more mice. She has caught at least 52 mice so far this year. Only a few less than she caught in all of 2013.
A downside of Daisy spending much of the night outside is that when she is hungry she comes to the door by my bedroom or the window and meows to be let inside just long enough to eat. Then she goes back outside. Often I get up a few times a night to let her in and out of the house.
The past few evenings Daisy has been following me to the pasture to accompany me while I spray weeds. Tonight Daisy may not have wanted to go spray weeds as she would grab my leg as I started walking in the yard. One time she grabbed onto my pants leg and pulled on it to stop me from walking. Eventually she gave up and followed me to the pasture since that was the only way she could spend time with me right then.
We worked until dark Saturday night and didn't have time to see the river. Tonight I sprayed close enough to the river that Daisy could wander over there while I sprayed. I took a break when she first approached the river on a high river bank. She got saucer eyes when she first saw the river. Even high on the bank she slowly and cautiously approached the edge of the river bank to look down on the river.
As I worked my way along the pasture Daisy had several opportunities to view the river. The one time the river bank was low the grass was so high she didn't find the river as the thick grass towered way above her. Daisy mainly moved along when I did and didn't stray too far from me so she never really wanted to go all the way to the river.
When I was done spraying I walked to the river bank. It was a high bank with a steep incline to the water. Daisy was content to stay up on the river bank. She never figured out that a river is made of water. I could see her studying the river but she wasn't brave enough to approach it.
On the way back to the house I checked a pocket gopher trap and found I finally caught this pocket gopher. Daisy promptly laid in the pocket gopher's hole as Daisy likes laying in holes. She then listened to an owl's screech in the next pasture.
I am in part of the pasture with less weeds so I am doing more walking. And so is Daisy.
Now that the second bedroom is no longer Tammy's office I reassembled the bed and placed it back in there. Daisy has claimed it as her bed.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
River
One day last week Daisy wanted to be with me at all times. That time I canceled my weed spraying as Daisy followed me out into the pasture, even dodging the horses that were there. So we did something else.
This afternoon Daisy insisted on following me everywhere. This time I continued out to the middle pasture to spray weeds. Daisy followed meowing almost constantly.
I have a pattern where I spray the weeds and walk back and forth. The distance, while not long, was just long enough that Daisy would follow me end to end. She avoided the spray and the sprayed weeds. Finally halfway though spraying she finally decided to sit at one end and watch. When I finished one pattern and started another then she would move closer. She also got distracted a few times by something in the grass, maybe a mouse. She also stopped meowing at me.
I told her if she behaved I would reward her with a surprise.
When I finished spraying weeds I walked - and Daisy followed - to the river. When I got new yearling cattle each year I enjoyed watching the cattle the very first time they saw the river. They would stop suddenly and their eyes got big when they first saw the river.
Since she is smaller and the grass taller Daisy didn't see the river until we got to the river bank. I got a similar reaction. I wish I had my camera along. Daisy didn't know what to make of the river. I had picked a spot with a gravel bar that led out from the river bank. However Daisy remained on the river bank and would not follow me onto the gravel bar. She laid down and watched the river. She would look upstream, then mid stream then downstream. Over and over. She watched leaves and stuff float by. She watched the birds that flew about. To get a better/different look she moved around a few times among the wood debris along the bank the water had left when it receded. She couldn't figure out what the river was. The smell was even different from the smells she knew. She never approached the water even when I called for her. I was surprised knowing how much she loves water that is not in her water dish.
Eventually we left and made the long walk home. She has much to dream about tonight.
This afternoon Daisy insisted on following me everywhere. This time I continued out to the middle pasture to spray weeds. Daisy followed meowing almost constantly.
I have a pattern where I spray the weeds and walk back and forth. The distance, while not long, was just long enough that Daisy would follow me end to end. She avoided the spray and the sprayed weeds. Finally halfway though spraying she finally decided to sit at one end and watch. When I finished one pattern and started another then she would move closer. She also got distracted a few times by something in the grass, maybe a mouse. She also stopped meowing at me.
I told her if she behaved I would reward her with a surprise.
When I finished spraying weeds I walked - and Daisy followed - to the river. When I got new yearling cattle each year I enjoyed watching the cattle the very first time they saw the river. They would stop suddenly and their eyes got big when they first saw the river.
Since she is smaller and the grass taller Daisy didn't see the river until we got to the river bank. I got a similar reaction. I wish I had my camera along. Daisy didn't know what to make of the river. I had picked a spot with a gravel bar that led out from the river bank. However Daisy remained on the river bank and would not follow me onto the gravel bar. She laid down and watched the river. She would look upstream, then mid stream then downstream. Over and over. She watched leaves and stuff float by. She watched the birds that flew about. To get a better/different look she moved around a few times among the wood debris along the bank the water had left when it receded. She couldn't figure out what the river was. The smell was even different from the smells she knew. She never approached the water even when I called for her. I was surprised knowing how much she loves water that is not in her water dish.
Eventually we left and made the long walk home. She has much to dream about tonight.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Different bed laying
Daisy likes it up high. This evening I was placing boards on top of the round bales in preparation of covering them with tarps. I turned around and there was Daisy sitting and grooming herself like nothing special was going on. How she got up on top of the tall bales....? Guess she just wanted to be with me.
This afternoon she laid on the standing bed mattress instead of the box spring laying down. I have the mattress standing for now to air it out. The bed sat in the basement while Tammy used the bedroom as an office. The other day I drug it out of the basement as I have company coming next week.
A cool quiet place to sleep on a hot day.
This afternoon she laid on the standing bed mattress instead of the box spring laying down. I have the mattress standing for now to air it out. The bed sat in the basement while Tammy used the bedroom as an office. The other day I drug it out of the basement as I have company coming next week.
A cool quiet place to sleep on a hot day.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Scratched nose
A few days ago Daisy showed up with a mark on her nose. Well, it is not dirt. I tried to clean it off and found it is a scab. She scratched her nose somehow and somewhere.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Catnip, etc
To protect Daisy's catnip plants from the horses stepping on them I put a wire fence around them.
Daisy likes to 'hide' in her catnip patch.
Daisy is happy the horses are out in the pasture and no longer in the yard.
Daisy likes to 'hide' in her catnip patch.
Daisy is happy the horses are out in the pasture and no longer in the yard.
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