Tour Diary Blog two Episode Four Stargazing with wild horses.. we say goodbye to the farm.. on the road to Taos and attacked by a rattlesnake!

Tour Diary Blog two

Episode Four

Stargazing with wild horses.. we say goodbye to the farm.. on the road to Taos and attacked by a rattlesnake!

As promised on the night before we were going to leave the farm Tom took us out to star watch.  This meant him loading up the back of the truck with every soft piece of bedding and blankets and pillows in the house and then call us to come out for the adventure.  We drove way out to the back of the land to a clearing, which they have specifically made their own for stargazing.  It seemed strange going out at night and driving through fields.  Once we had parked up we switched off the engine and just waited to experience the stillness and the amazingly clear night sky.  The Milky way was so prominent and clear and the silence was staggering.. that is until the herd of buffalo, no sorry, deer surrounded us and rustled the trees.  Tom shone his flashlight into the trees to see if we could see them, but we could only hear them and I found that very strange as we were talking and I wouldn’t have thought Deer bold enough to still move forwards towards us…  Tantalizingly we continued to hear them but there was no sight of them.  The next morning we discovered that the land abutting Tom and Candace’s had a fence down and their horses had got onto Tom’s land and so it was a number of horses we could hear and that was the reason they were not afraid of us.  We saw shooting stars and just took in the sublime ambiance of a clear night sky., impossible to find if you are a city dweller. Even under all the blankets, which made it so sumptuous, after a while we started to get cold so we headed on back to the house., to get packed up for the next stage of the journey, a two day drive to Taos New Mexico for Steve to do his talks.

The animals were all taken to their relevant carers which is a days work in itself getting them all delivered and I am sure they all knew we were going as Elvis and Steve had to have more than one goodbye and Rio laid his head on Steve’s shoulder as if to say.. “I’m sorry to see you go, strange shaven headed one, as you bring me good spare vittles”  The girls, Mama and Luna Belle said a quick hello/goodbye, but they only have eyes  for one woman and that is Candace.  However, Cowboy and Finn seemed sad to see everyone go and with their innate animal intuition they knew that the suitcase packing and clearing up of the premises meant some people were going on a holiday and it wouldn’t be them. 

I took my farewell of the beautiful and magical circle.  Every day when I was at the sink doing my share of the chores – washing up being one I was really good at,  I could look up and look straight out to the the circle and so every single time, I would tune into it and send it my energy.  It is glorious to look up from mundane chores and look straight out to a magical circle/portal on your own property. There is such a huge potential for healing from this little space on the Atira Moon farm and I look forward to seeing what is best made of it in the future.  Although I went out one day on my own to see what energies I could “pick up” from the circle and heard a quieter version of the unusual sound we all heard on our special full moon night, so far it had not returned in the startling way it did when we were all gathered there.  We have all speculated on what it could have been and maybe none of the explanations are the correct one.  Maybe it was just the energy of 13  psychic/intuitive people gathered at full moon which might have created an energy of sound. 

However, we have since talked to a land-dowser here at Taos and he states categorically that this particular sound is heard when a ‘wormhole’ is opened up over a portal, it has been documented before!!  Wow!!  Start booking tickets for the next Atira Moon Startrips to the Moon and beyond!

Steve and I drove away feeling very sad in our hearts to leave the farm and all the wonderful critters behind, it has been a truly magical 2 weeks with the most sublime company.  Steve left his work boots behind in the hopes that one day we might be asked back.  Elvis was last seen walking around with them on and doing his famous hip wiggle and singing  'Return to sender.. address unknown...'  Just kidding…

A long journey awaited us to Taos so we were going to take a break overnight so as to not be too tired.  We also  took a mid-day break in Dodge City.. I kid you not, there is a real Dodge City and I have stood in Boot Hill amongst the graves of the outlaws and lawmen and the one woman buried there.  As always things are never exactly what you expect and so we found it to be a small town and quickly driven through but we made a stop on Wyatt Earp drive at the towns museum and it was brilliant.  Instead of being in a big building there was a row of old town shops and saloons, which were just a façade with the museum being inside that façade in one long strip.  So you just walked through one door of one ‘shop’ into the next.  In the grounds was a real stagecoach and also an old outside loo – (Two bottom holes cut into a wood shelf) – which had once served the tiny church.  I tell you what, they had really small bottoms in those days.. The jail was also the size of a Restroom and I couldn’t see how the outlaw could actually lay down.  There were only two tiny rooms in it, and considering Dodge was reputed to be so lawless it must have been extremely cosy in there with more than one person incarcerated!  

The museum was full of amazing artifacts and just plain facts and I suppose I usually recount those facts, which really stick, in my mind.  Boot Hill used to look over the plains below, it’s not at all high really, but just the highest point in Dodge.  During the time of Wyatt Earp and Doc Halliday, the entire plains below were filled with Buffalo, deer, horses, cattle, I suppose, every kind of four legged animal, raccoons, possums, skunks, squirrels, and so many kinds of birds it was staggering.  Along came the hunters and the entire plains were wiped clean of all critters.  Millions and Millions of buffalo were just slaughtered.  Often for their skins with some of the meat just left to rot, but sometimes just for sport to see how many could be killed in one outing.  I would have to say that with a repeater rifle the odds were stacked against the Buffalo albeit that they are SO HUGE!  Standing next to the cabinet with the Buffalo exhibit I just couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for the Native American Indians to pitch themselves up against these hordes of stampeding mammoths, armed with only a bow and arrow or a spear – bareback riding their horses and not holding on.  Obtaining your food  source in this way is now  inconceivable to our modern way of life,  The thought of the queues at the local supermarket seemed must less stressful to me now and to think how we are  so picky about where our strawberries or beans might have come from!  Buffalo meat provided everything with no choice.  I found the exhibit room with all the Native American information, as always, so incredibly sad.  I think for a first time I could really get a sense of how confused and perplexed the indigenous people  must have been by the mentality of the white man, who came and just slaughtered and killed without any respect of any kind for the animals or especially the land.  It was so easy in a way, to take the lands, which the Indians lived on for centuries because they could not comprehend how a man could believe he could OWN land.  And of course they are right, no-one can own land we can only try to take care of it as best we can so that we can enjoy the fruits of that land.  Candace and Toms vision for their farm is that they want to protect it and keep it safe and unpolluted and as pristine as a Kansas farm could ever be.  The man who came to collect and round up his escaped horses asked if Tom and Candace allowed  hunting on their land or if they killed the coyotes and/or if they would renew the barbed wire fencing which had been knocked down and to all those questions they replied very simply “No”.  None of those things are in keeping with honouring the ground they intend to  live off.  They also add to that, their determination to grow and feed their animals only with organic products and to ensure that a genetically modified seed doesn’t come anywhere near their fences.. The strongest thing they feel is a determination to never ever use any pesticides or fertilisers.  Already this year the land has repaid such care by giving them a yield of hay which was 3 times the size of the neighbours with half the size of land..  Proof indeed that like the Native Americans if you respect your environment it will return that energy to you and take care of your needs in the process. So I was very sad to see how the Native Americans were forced off the land and moved into smaller and smaller areas until many died out through illness and starvation and also succumbing to alcohol, which their bodies cannot handle. 

We went into a properly decked out  saloon complete with saloon doors to push through to get in and you could really feel the energy of how the cowboys would come in and get their shot of whisky, which would be spun down the bar. Our actual bar keeper could also play the old piano and so whilst we had our drinks he gave us a tune, which was so lovely.  We were the only people there but I would imagine in the summer that Dodge City would get really busy.  We also got to climb up into the engine room of an old steam train and what a revelation that was.  Firstly the train was huge and the stream apparatus looked so complicated.  Coupled with how incredibly hot and smoky it must have been the whole engine was in front of the driver and the only place he could see ahead was by sitting on an outside chair and leaning well out and away from the train in order to peer ahead.  I couldn’t work out what happened when he came up to a bend, he definitely could not see.  Candace got very excited being in the drivers seat and kept making train noises.  So in the shop we bought her a train whistle and got a Sherriffs badge for Tom.

We got out of Dodge after a bite to eat.  Tom warned us that the vittles could be pretty difficult to obtain as we had been used to 2 weeks of sublime cooking with only pure organic produce.  Steve got to choose and as he made such a naff choice we all got to berate him soundly, but I got a Restroom story.

Steve had chosen a dreadful ‘Sports bar’ which ostensibly means that you cannot hear yourself think or especially talk as these massive TV’s are all over the place, I counted 6 in the one room, blaring out at 2 p.m. in the afternoon.  Once we had eaten, I popped into the ladies before we set off again.  To my appalled surprise.. to make sure I did not miss a single minute of whatever sport was being shown in the bar.. it was being relayed incredibly loudly through speakers in the loo.

Pleeeeassseee!! Give me a tiny break from the cacophony which is the American sports scene.  Watching the football or baseball game at home with Tom who patiently explained all the nuances of the game to us div brains… was something very pleasant, but having it assault your senses when you are trying to eat or do a tinkle is something else entirely.

We moved on with our journey heading towards a wonderful B & B which Tom had sourced which had every room with a different theme and it was exqusite as usual.  (The man can do no wrong in my eyes!)

 But the journey has to be noted for the fact that on the way we were just passing mile after mile of flat plain vista which in itself has it own quiet beauty, but then what’s that..  A lone camel!!  I am not joking and why it was there we will never know, then a herd of antelope.. O.k. they are kept for meat but also apparently for sport.. (Shame).. then a lone coyote and signs of, but no actual sightings of our favourite friend.. "Alan.. Alan.. Alan.. no Steve".. the gopher.

But suddenly Tom did a wheelie 3 point turn in the road avoiding all the heavy traffic of the cars coming at us over 3 miles away in the distance!.  I thought Candace had said to him “It’s a Rat” and knowing how much she loves Rats I thought it must have been struck by a car and we would be having it in the back with us giving it healing to get it back up and running again… So we turned around and came back round again to have Tom place my car door alongside a Rattlesnake.

Wow, it was beautiful but I was very distressed to see that is was in the middle of the road.  I wanted to get out and move it off the road; much to Tom’s dismay and he told me firmly to stay in the car.  On our last stopover we had popped into a fascinating old post office and Candace had bought a harness for her horse.  So with my improvisational skills which are legendary, I asked if surely two of us got out and used the rope on the harness we could move it quickly out of harms way.  Tom again emphatically said No and that I was not to get out of the car and not to wind my window down too far to film it.  As he said this the rattlesnake took a couple of strikes at the wheels.  It moved so quick that I could see that trying to help it would have only made it think we meant it harm and it would in fact then attack us.  Sadly we had to drive away and I was pretty upset to think it might soon be run over, especially as Tom said people would deliberately try to run it over.  (WHY!!!?)..

Tom explained carefully to me, like the recalcitrant child I had become, that it was not up to us to interfere in the Karmic choice made by the rattlesnake as to how it might be choosing its demise, especially if it had ideas about being able to come back as a Boa Constrictor!  I was a tiny bit placated but not much.  We all envisaged that immediately we drove away it turned and got off the road back into the grass, it could become a Boa Constrictor another day.

So we finally arrived in Taos yesterday in the sunshine then it started to pour with rain, very heavily all night, that continued today and then tonight as we had our meal in this exquisite old church whose restroom I just have to write about, it began a blizzard of snow!!  Wow. We started this journey in snow in NYC in March and here it is again, however in Austin today it is 90 degrees.  What incredible contrasts this wonderful country offers at every single turn..

We are having a wonderful time and I attended two brilliant presentations today with an Exorcist and a Native American Seer and protector of ancient wisdoms.. Steve is on the radio tomorrow and talks at mid-day about his ET experiences and then gives his presentation on the new DNA stuff on Saturday.  Taos is just like Eureka Springs... So incredibly artistic and Mexican... lovely... so lots to write about tomorrow.  At the moment I am looking up at my wonderful skylight out to the stars in this fantastic little suite we have been booked into and it is totally covered in snow.  No stars for me tonight…

much love

Annie

xx

Tour diary two-Episode 3 - The cowgirl drives a tractor and plaits the horses high Haiirrr!! and Verne gets laid

Tour diary two.. The Aliens return abroad

Episode 3

The cowgirl drives a tractor and plaits the horses high Haiirrr!! and Verne gets laid

It’s just amazing how quickly the time is passing and how many other modalities I am adding to those of my Holistic Healthcare Practitioner skills.

Plaiting horses hair, driving a tractor, picking up the chicken eggs, removing paths and making a chicken house.. such highly called for skills in the world of the Healer and Metaphysician.  My admiration for Candace is limitless now that I see how many other things she can do, as well as being such a wonderful Therapist.  On the farm there is no job she won’t tackle and do well but also her photography, cooking and art skills are just amazing.  Yesterday Elvis came into the garden.. (the real donkey Elvis, not the long dead but uber cool singer Elvis)  As I had a carrot, he treated me with great fondness, laying his head on mine and nuzzling up to my chest.  Candace captured the moment so well.

As I continued on with my self appointed task of removing the horrible white stone path in the garden, which Candace hated, I stupidly asked Tom if there was any soil anywhere on the farm (only 80 acres worth) – because I needed to fill up the holes I had created.  Tom told me that indeed there was and I would need to drive the tractor to go pick it up.  Yeah right!.. The only car I have ever been comfortable with driving, was my tiny original Fiat 500 which was brilliant for parking as you just picked it up and turned it with front bumper in, facing the kerb, so it could get in a parking space as wide as itself.  I deal o.k. with our gorgeous  PT cruiser as I am used to it, but still sometimes I am not sure of its length when parking or backing in.  I do a lot of closing my eyes and silent prayers.

Not being one to show fear or extreme apprehension, I just lightly said.. “O.K.” and then proceeded to hide out in the house.

Tom however, called out for me to come and ride the tractor.  Somehow he had driven it into the back garden through a 6-foot wide fence and there it was waiting for me. However, as far as I could see the tractor was at least 9 foot wide and it had a trailer on the back!  Tom showed me the very simple instructions for driving and also instructions as to how we were going to pick up the soil once I had driven to the soil mountain.  These instructions were hand signals, which to me looked just like the signals given by Francoise Truffaut to the beautiful E.T. in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Of course this sent my brain off into a film reverie and I did not pay enough attention.  I casually asked if he would put the tractor outside for me to get on but Tom just said “No you drive it out” Oh No!!!!  I then asked Tom if he could take down the entire fence down first but he said “No, you can do it don’t worry” "Oh well, I told myself ..you can do this, don’t be such a wuss"  As I approached the gateway it seemed almost certain that I would crash the fence so I made the decision to line up as best I could, go forward and hope to slide through the tiny space.  Space – 6 foot… tractor 9 foot, at least.. not good.  So, this task I determined would be carried out easier, if I closed my eyes.  It works in my PT cruiser, ..so close my eyes I did.  But I tuned my ears in sharper, for sounds of falling timber.

The tractor moved forwards and I heard Tom say “Let me climb up and show you where the dirt is” and when I opened them up I had cleared the gate. Yippee!!   The fact that I hadn’t heard any horrendous splintering of the immaculate cedar fence was another clue! We chuntered on to the mountain of dirt pile and I had to drive at it and then stop and then using Toms hand signals I had to use the spoon-lift-thingy (technical farm terms) to impale the mountain of dirt at its base, turn the spoon inwards to secure the load and then lift it up in the air.  What an achievement.  Now to turn round- go back – through the tiny gate and do a 3-point turn in the garden to deposit the dirt where I needed it.  Phewee!!

Well, not only did I make the journey 4 times but I had such a great time, on the last trip I had turned into Louis Hamilton or (Stirling Moss for the old guys) and although I didn’t turn round to look I’m sure Tom was having to hold on for dear life.  I could have driven it all day.  Steve meanwhile was rolling around on the floor with the dogs holding his sides at even the thought of me driving a tractor, but ultimately had to come out and film me as I made such a good job of it.  I don’t want to know how to drive a combine harvester though.

My next task that day was to plait Mama Belles hair, which is so long it gets in her way.  Candace bought her to the steps and I enticed her nearer to me with delectable carrot and apple.  It sounds like an easy task to do 4 plaits but the hair is very coarse and long and at any time she could skitter off.  I had to stand on the steps to be able to reach her and put on some heavier shoes in case she stepped on my toes.  I did a passable job I think, she did not gallop off and she looked very pretty when I had finished.  It just amazes me how many and how varied the tasks are to do on a Farm.

I felt by the end of the day I had earned my keep and vittles and my relaxation time with the critters in front of the wonderful log fire.  I love being outdoors and working hard, Tom paid me a huge compliment when he said I would pass as a Farm girl any day… praise indeed.

Verne, bless him is still here on Parole.  But although he did not crow too much whilst Tom and Steve were away as soon as Tom came back he let rip.  So far we had not seen any amorous action with the girlies, although they have stopped boxing his ears and seem content to follow him around while he struts like Mick Jagger.  I think he should be renamed MJ.  Steve is convinced he is gay and that’s why the girls are not getting any afternoon delight, or morning or evening come to that.  He bases that on his incredible plumage and strutting abilities and the fact that he backs off when the girlies say.. “Out of my way big boy, that centipede is mine”  I really hope he can stay, he is so pretty and so … cocksure… excuse my pun.. and he makes a lovely addition to all the little girl chickens.  Sometimes you can just have things around for adornment, not just to be useful surely?  Candace has two older chickens that no longer lay and they are loved and just as well cared for as the ones who lay.  One of them a lovely black and white feathered chicken called Sophie is so gorgeous and has plumage, which looks just like a lampshade over her head.  I have no idea how she sees where she is going.. Along with Raven the dog who had the operation and who now has an actual lampshade over her head to stop her trying to reach her stitches, there is a lot of ‘lampshade’ headwear going on in this farm.  Makes my cowboy two-step hat look pretty ordinary.

Anyway as Candace had her camera out to snap myself and Elvis and she also managed to capture the one single second when gay/parolee Verne did his splendid duty on an unsuspecting chicken.  As he was strutting Candace thought to capture him in all his glory, but suddenly he was up and at ‘em.  The chicken had no idea what was about to occur and from the way she shook her head and walked away I don’t think she had much idea about what had occurred afterwards either.  If you had blinked you would have missed it. But they then shared a worm together and seemed to be in a very intimate huddle, much to the chagrin of Gertrude.  Gertie is still boss as far as I can see. I would love to see him overcome her feisty attitude.

He is still crowing before the dawn even comes over the horizon, so unless they move the coop about a mile away each night, (which would really interest the coyote clan who still come to the house every night and serenade us all)..  it does not look good for the little guy.  I love him and hope he manages to win over Tom’s heart.

Building the new chicken house was quite a task too.  My job here was to bang nails in.  Tom asked me if I wanted to do the sawing on the gigantic circular saw and I gave it one go, but that really was beyond my remit as I was nervous about accidently destroying a good piece of wood.  So nail banging proved to be my success story of the day.  The finished product looked so good that it would make a nice little hobbit house for a small person such as myself. The two older chickens now have a new house and Verne might be put in with them at night to see if their lack of chicken hormones might keep him quiet.

We got to go out for the evening to attend a talk and ‘activation’ demonstration by Marcia who had conducted the evening in the Atira Moon circle for the full moon event.  It was lovely to be out at night and also to be able to attend a spiritual event as I rarely get to anything like this nowadays.  Marcia for 33 years went round the world building stone temples and circles in sacred places but then she suffered a brain aneurism.  She had a Near Death Experience and she then had what she describes as the most incredible experience, where she met up with the energy source of all life throughout the universe (s)..  She was told she could go back and continue to do her work and she agreed to this, but only if when she went back she was completely healed.  Meanwhile her body was in a coma for 5 days with all the scans showing devastating damage in her brain.  On the 5^th day she woke up - to the shock of the doctors - who quickly did a new brain scan, which Marcia knew would show up as completely healed and it did.  They of course could not make any sense out of this, as they knew she should have been brain damaged.  She was able to leave the hospital and just continue with her energy work.

Her talk was very interesting and she made a couple of good points, which I loved.  One was about someone she spoke with who kept saying (somewhat pompously, I thought) “I talk with God all the time” to which Marcia replied .. “Ah, but.. do you ever listen?”  The other one was that we all create pictures based on our sense of reality.  Then we argue with people that they have events wrong because they have created different pictures to ours in order to make their own sense of their reality.

Marcia said that she rarely gives images or information of anything she sees when she is doing energy work as this can lead to confusion and conflict as the other person might say that they did not actually see the same thing, but something different.  As she so rightly says, all the information is relevant.  We all have other pieces of the same jigsaw.  It was a lovely night out.  We have lots of treats still to come.  Tom has promised us a night out under the stars complete with blankets and mattresses on the back of the truck.. sounds like great fun especially as we can use the I Pad to point at the stars and get to actually know what we are looking at.  I just hope the coyotes don't want to come and take a look at us!

Lots of love

Annie

xx

This is Candace’s entry on her Blog.

Her Blog has been running for a while now and covers many different subjects which are dear to her heart, animals, Atira Moon and especially how to look after the land and food issues.

Steven Jones and Visitors to Atira Moon by newearthjourney

Steven Jones and his lovely wife Anne Ashley-Jones are in America once again in 2011 on Book Tour number 2.


Last night at the dinner table Steven was an invited guest on the Jerry Pippin Show Inceptionradio.com. Jerry had various ET Experiencers on his show including Travis Walton.  Notably, most of the guests focused upon fear and negative perceptions. The message Steven is here to give is the complete and utter opposite!

Its been interesting having Steven here. We've done lots of farm things and just visiting and enjoying the animals and we also had a small dinner party last week where we spent some time in the Sacred Site Circle with a group of friends on the full moon.

Something very strange happened that evening and I have been gathering individual descriptions of a very odd and rather unworldly noise all but one of the attendees heard appear right inside the circle.  I will write about that in my next blog article when time permits.

There have been other communications happening for Steven on other nights as well. I am waiting for him to process and share these when he is ready.

Steve is warming up to be the keynote speaker in the Paranormal Conference in Taos later on this month.

Pictures of me on the sawmill..
Candaces vision of the circle at Atira Moon
Marcias drawings of the temples and portals
And the gorgeous main man!!  Tom... pretending not to notice the crazy tractor driver lady zooming up large!

Life continues down on the funny farm.. deep in the heart of Kansas. Verne arrives.. Raven has an op and the gals do some serious farm work…

Blog two.. Tour two.. October 15^th – World occupy day…

Meanwhile..

Life continues down on the funny farm.. deep in the heart of Kansas.

Verne arrives.. Raven has an op and the gals do some serious farm work…

Before we came on our trip, Candace had written to us saying she was going to offer some work to a guy who had been on death row but had now been reprieved.  She also said he would be living on the premises as he needed a home now because whilst he has been on parole, he kept fighting with his room-mates.  She said she felt he could do some jobs around the farm and help out and she wanted to give him a chance.

I kept remembering it wrong and kept saying that it was very kind of them to offer work to a serial killer, but she corrected me patiently and said ‘No, he had just been on death row, but now was free and looking for employment.’ She asked if we would meet Verne – (as he is called) - and give her a true intuitive response as to whether he would work out and would fit in with the Ethos of the farm and it’s wonderful serene energy.   Steve’s reaction as always, being so protective, said that he would never allow a serial killer… no…sorry .. death-row escapee anywhere near his beloved wife and I think he was quite worried.  So we spent a long time talking about the value of giving people a chance to prove themselves, and practicing non-judgementalism.  I said Verne might not have even done what he was accused of, if he was now released that mighten that  be because he had been innocent all along and deserved a chance?  Anyway, with Tom and Steve around I felt sure we would not be in any danger from this short-stocky-bow-legged–big-hatted-silent -Mexican. 

I am always amazed at my intuitive psychic abilities, and I felt I had conjured up a very accurate mental picture of Verne.

(I am going to create a new one of those little asides which we now all write on our e-mails.. Not LOL but TIC.. tongue-in-cheek as I am sure some people might read me literally!!)

So TIC to my image of Verne..

He was supposed to come with the workers who are putting in the new fences around the property, on Monday but didn’t make it.. not a good sign and then also not again on Tuesday.  Candace said if he didn’t turn up again on Wednesday then she might re-think the whole thing, as he obviously was not going to be the reliable little worker she was looking for.

Thursday morning with the boys well ensconced in Austin doing their fun boy things Verne arrived with the workers.

Being the very polite guy he is, he waited outside the yard gate while Candace came and got me, took me by the hand and said “Verne is here, come and meet him”

As I approached the gate I thought “My goodness this Mexican is even smaller than me as I cannot even see him through the gate, must be a midget”

She opened the gate and there in a cage was a magnificent specimen of Rooster, trying to strut his stuff in a little cage, not very successfully I might add.

What plumage.. oranges.. blacks and exquisite turquoise green feathers, a very cocky look in his eye topped by  a wonderful red headdress.

“Like what you see?”  I heard him say.. and yes, I had to reply I was very, very impressed, a magnificent specimen.

We bought him into the yard where the 7 young chicken fillies were doing their stuff, walking around gently clucking and giving hell to any tiny worm who dared to move the surface of the earth and chasing the poor crickets around.  They immediately gathered into a huddle and surrounded him.  Verne was very pleased at the attention and started to round them up like a herd of cattle or maybe a posse.   My sense of it was that he thought he might line them up in order of attractiveness and then give them his attentions from the prettiest down to the lowliest but being a reprieved character, I felt he would not miss anyone out.  Now, …..the leader of the girlie posse is Gertrude, who is my nemesis like little Paisley in North Carolina and it is her goal in life to eat my flip flops taking up the baton where Paisley left off.  She is big boss lady.  As I now cover my toes in work shoes, very sensibly, as I am doing a major chore in the yard of removing a stone path to pay for my keep, she shows how irked she is with me, by pecking my bum every time I bend down.  We are in constant dispute, she determines to peck my bum until I go in and put back on my flip-flops so she can eat them and I keep telling her that this is not going to happen.

So Verne saunters up to her,  with a “Like what you see baby?.. you want some of this don’t you” (Well, it worked so well with me he thought it would be a good modus operandi.. little did he know I am a push-over for a well turned out peacock of a male!)

Gertrude   responded to his charms by flying up in the air in order to facilitate a huge boxing of his ears!!!  The other ‘gals’ followed suit and in seconds the strutting peacock was running for his life.  They were chasing him yes.. but only to box his ears and make sure he understood the pecking order on this farm,  might not be what he expected and he needed to know that he was bottom of the ladder…

Poor Verne.  Released from jail and certain death, just for being a rooster in a world that only values egg-laying hens, this was not what he had in mind.  So many thrills to impart to so many ladies and not enough hours in the day to show them all his tricks and here it looked like they were not going to let him near them.  Not without first giving him a bit of foreplay which to me looked distinctly painful.

Candace decided to leave them all to it and see how it went, but I had visions of my stocky little Mexican, he of the wonderful ornate plumage hat ending up on his back, not from delightful carnal experiences but from sheer exhaustion of having his head re-arranged by 7 feisty ladies who wanted to be wooed in their own time.

However, when we came to finally take a look, with a flashlight, to see if they had accepted him into their fold, he was up on the roost with all 7 ladies, right in the middle, very squashed and very cosy.  His last words to me were, “I will be alright as long as I stay up here and they all stay up here with me, as there is absolutely no room for them to take off airborne and box my ears.. I might stay here forever!”

Now… if he is to stay off death row, we just have to convince him not to crow.  Tom is not enamoured of a rooster crowing… so every time he let rip to try to convince the ladies that if they let him have his way, he would sing them love songs all day.. Candace told him.. “Verne please don’t do that.. Tom will send you back to death row” Death row might be just putting him out to try to impress the coyotes and we all know who will win that confrontation.

I’m writing this at 5 a.m. as I can’t sleep and the sun is just coming up, so far no song from Verne.  Perhaps he is one clever Rooster who realises Nirvana when he sees it and maybe he will keep stumm until Tom can be won over by his lovely personality and charisma as Candace and I have been..

Now he just has to win over the ladies.

Little Raven had to go in for an operation, which just showed me how incredibly worrying and time consuming it is to take care of all these wonderful animals.  She is such a stoic being, quite an old gal now and Candace dropped her off early morning.  We worried about her all day, but the vet rang and said she did well and could be picked up early evening.

Another huge part of the responsibility of living with animals is vets bills.  I think they probably compare equally to the vets in England so that a small injection will set you back about £100.00.  (I presume it must be colloidal gold they are injecting).. so to have an operation, get your teeth cleaned and take some drugs cost the same as a small run around car in England or even in some very rural areas probably the same as a small holding and cottage.

The Vet was really nice though and did not look like a crook.  Candace was so relieved that Raven had pulled through and in fact Raven looked feisty and was trying to jump around which was very difficult with her Elizabethan collar on which restricted her view to about 1” past her nose.  Candace gave the Vet a huge hug to say thankyou and he started to regale us with animal stories about Rabies and Airports and quarantines procedures.

I was able to top that with my Zsa Zsa Gabor story.

When I worked at Playboy one of the Inspectors came into gaming to get away from his stressful job working in customs at Heathrow airport.  (This was over 40 years ago when people sailed through customs, but in England we were very strict on animal importation because of a fear of Rabies)

Zsa Zsa wafted through, complete with entourage, high heels and a  huge fur coat even though it was summer.

Tony, being very polite said..

“Good day Miss Gabor, welcome to England .. do you have anything to declare?”

Miss Gabor.. “Only that I am extremely beautiful dear boy, and haf already had 3 very rich husbands but I like the look of you and if you play your cards right, darlink, we could maybe tink of making you number 4”

Tony.. “Thank you Miss Gabor, but are you sure you have nothing to declare?”

(Quick change of pace here from Miss Gabor being playful kittenish, “you can have me if you play your cards right” , to shrieking harridan!)

Miss Gabor..”Vat is ronk viv you, stupid boy, did I not say I did not?!”

Tony.. “Miss Gabor I think you have a small dog under your fur coat?”

Miss Gabor.. “Of course, stupid, stupid boy, ver else vould my beautiful little bunnykins liff, but under my coat, dat is ver all tiny little doggies off mine liff”

Tony.. “Well Miss Gabor, I am afraid we have very strict quarantine rules here and you will not be allowed to bring your dog through like that and he will have to go into quarantine”

Miss Gabor.. Shrieking now.. “ Are you crazy, you stupid, stupid, stupid boy, Vat are you sayink, touch my dog and I kill you” 

With that to emphasis how serious she meant what she said she took a huge swing with her very heavy handbag and whacked Tony right round the head and knocked him out!!

I think they arrested her for a while for that little escapade and I like to think that the Paris Hiltons who believe they set trends by carrying around these tiny little pooches have no idea that it has all been done before with such better panache and style.

You cannot beat the incredible egos and gall of those old American movie stars, although I have to say I don’t actually ever remember seeing her in any movie!

On our way to pick up Raven, Candace took me on a short ride downtown Augusta.  One of those wonderful American towns which still tries valiantly to hang on to it’s individuality and charm and not succumb to the pestilence which is the American Motorway line-up of the fast food eateries – all identical in nature and offerings and the mind numbing boring Motels…

There was a cute little blacksmiths shop about 6 foot square and a tiny little original house now kept as a museum and the most wonderful art deco film house complete with the glass booth ticket office at the front.  It was showing the original 30’s film of the Phantom of the Opera last night, what a treat.

Steve meanwhile was back in the fabulous Austin Movie house where we had enjoyed such a fantastic time with Tom and Candace when we were last here, with the recliner seats, blankets and waiter service to your seat and table.  We were sent little clips of their activities during the day and we saw that they had taken the segway mobile units for a jaunt around downtown Austin.  Steve did not however, look at all comfortable.  I thought it was because he is so comfortable driving any kind of vehicle, but one you stand on like a scooter did not seem to please him.  Then I thought it might be because he did not like wearing a helmet, although he doesn’t have to worry about it messing up his hair, but no, it was because he felt the clip of him driving downtown on his segway, made him look chubby and now he is fixated on trying to lose weight.  Which could be quite difficult with Tom determined to show him the very best restaurants.  He said that after lunch he and Tom were going to a lap-dancing club and I said I hoped they had a nice time.. He then added that the attraction was that these were Japanese Sumo wrestler lap dancers who had to be lifted down onto your lap in a harness as the weight might break the chair you sat on, so then I had to believe that this visit might have been one of Steve’s imaginary journeys!  I am not sure which of us has the more creative flair..

On the night of the ceremony in the circle, Tom told us he was going to put the alarm on in the house when we went to bed, just in case we thought we might to go and take a look outside if we got up in the night, it would trigger it off.

I immediately thought .. ”Ah, I expect the ET’s might be coming for a visit and Tom intuitively knows that.”  I said nothing.

In the morning Steve asked us all if we remembered anything happening in the night and we didn’t although we all realised we had slept particularly deeply.

He then said he was woken up by a “woman” who told him to come into the lounge to talk..  At some point Tom came out and said “Is everything O.K.?” and then Candace came out behind him and said “Come away Tom, this is not for you” and led him back into the bedroom.  We begged Steve to tell us all she told him, but he said he has to write it all down as that way all the information can pour through uninterrupted.  Then he went off to Austin, - the little b… - without telling us anything!.  So I am looking forward to his return on Sunday where hopefully he will fill us in on everything she shared with him.

Marcia who had conducted the ceremony on Tuesday was all in white, but one of the other people here said they saw/sensed a ‘woman all in white’ in the circle who was obviously not Marcia and I wondered if the ‘woman’ who turned up to speak with Steve could have been her, as I did not sense the usual ET presence.  My feeling was that she is someone linked here to the Farm and the wonderful energy of the circle.  I really hope he can remember all she shared with him. 

Candace’s dad is going to lend us his other car tomorrow.  A wonderful old 1960 red Chrysler convertible.  Us gals will be putting on our Thelma and Louise personas and doing some cruising.  Yesterday at the traffic lights a Sherriff’s car waved us out, I thought he was being courteous to us .. but then I realised he just wanted to feast his eyes on the fabulous old Cadillac we were in,  as we pulled out.  What a car…

Tom had sent me a book to read before I got here called the ‘Worst Hard Times’ about the tragedies of the Dust bowl era when terrible farming practices of the first-time settlers ruined this land.  Prairie grasses which have been here for thousands of years feeding the buffalo and keeping the Native Americans very happy, were systematically ploughed under and wheat, wheat and more wheat grown.  In a matter of a few years millions and millions of acres and the same numbers of buffalo were gone, destroyed.  This created a lack of topsoil holding foliage and so the dust storms were created which are unfathomable to our minds to try to even begin to contemplate.  They blinded people and were huge, black ferocious winds, thousands of feet high and wide and with particles so small that hundreds of particles could fit onto a full stop and so consequently they got into absolutely everything.  There was no way to keep it out.  The Homesteaders would come out to find the landscape completely changed, buildings buried and livestock killed. On top of all this there was no rain, as has been the case here in Kansas this year and the temperature in one test with a thermometer inserted into the sand read a staggering 153 degrees.  Above 100 degrees daily was the norm.

This went on for years and they held on until the banks kicked them off their lands for not paying taxes.  Yea right, that makes sense doesn’t it just like today, when people have lost their jobs and their businesses and can’t make payments, Banks and mortgage companies keep claiming taxes and interest on house mortgages until they are so broke they have to be put out of their houses.  (Nothing changes does it!)

In one of the bleakest of the years for these homesteaders one family had managed to finally grow a few meager crops and their fruit trees had some little sign of a crop and then just when they should have harvested, a plague of crickets descended and ate the lot!  It was a heartbreaking read.

When Candace and I drove around yesterday she showed me the different kinds of fields and grasses and we came across a field of Corn, which had not survived the extreme drought they have had here.  It was very sobering to see this blackened and blasted crop, which never came to fruition.  What a lot of hard work for no reward..  Very sobering and makes me realise we take so much for granted without thinking about what hard work someone carries out to supply our food on our tables.

Today we have been doing some farm chores and it is very physical which I like, but really hard work.  Candace has a photo shoot to do and I am going to be the dog/cat/horse/donkey/hen/Verne sitter to keep those coyotes and skunks at bay and to make sure Raven continues her great recovery.

Much love

Annie

The pictures are of Verne arriving

The ladies in pursuit

Verne doing the two – step with huge panache and

The farm hand doing the jobs…

The Aliens return Abroad…. Augusta Kansas 13th October 2011

Down on the Farm. A tale of two hounds, a sedate lady and a very, very naughty skunk…

 

 

The two English Aliens have returned abroad and back to their beloved USA.  It seems so long since we were last here, which is of course ridiculous being only a month or two.

 

The plan is for Steve to do more talks and for us to be able to share in, what is ..“Life on a Kansas farm” for a while, with dear friends who are taking such good care of us.

 

We left home at 8 o’clock a.m. on Sunday and arrived here about 24 hours later by our time.  Travelling is so gruelling at times and we again did one of those hub things where although the second plane took off and then appeared to land straight back down again as the trip was so short, we had to in fact hang around in Dallas airport for 4 hours for the interconnection.

 

This wait was mitigated by the arrival of our friend Tom who had linked up his return to his farm where we are staying,  from Austin where he was working and co-incided it to travel with us for the last part of the journey.  We didn’t know he was doing this and so I had gone on a walk–about to pass time and read the wonderful National Enquirer in the shop and see what is really going on in the world.  Big tongue in cheek here.   (I am not allowed to buy it as Steve refuses to hand over his dollars for such rubbish.  I can’t understand why he feels this way as these reporters know everything about everything including apparently the most intimate thoughts and behaviours of our new royalty member – Kate.  I swear one of the reporters must be living alongside the two newly weds, such is in breadth of his awareness of their life)  Anyway, after I had read all the newspapers and magazines in the shop and was becoming aware of the stares of the cashier, I returned to Steve and was accosted in an amazing bear hug by a man..  I had just been about to plant a kiss on the top of Steve’s head from behind..so this threw me completely!!

It’s one of those situations where if you are not expecting to see someone for a few seconds your brain does not compute and I had no idea who was hugging me in this way, but he seemed very pleased to see me, so I thought “well that’s good!”

 

Steve had jumped up as he thought I was under attack and then Tom said “Where did you get to, I saw you come out and I waiting to greet you and you disappeared?!”  He must have thought that Steve had been abducted on arrival!

However, we had been shunted to a different security system by an official who told us the queue was not so long ‘round the corner’.  All lies, it was a long walk and there was just as big a queue, but of course Tom could not see where we went.  He then tracked us down in the departure lounge.

 

Tom whisked us into the special airport lounge for people who know how to travel.  An oasis in the frantic world of airports.  Us normal people don’t even know these little oasis’s are there at the back of airports.  No noise, nice food if you are hungry and great seats.. such bliss after such a long trip. Apparently there were showers and a gym if we were so inclined.  We were not.

Candace picked us up in her Dads Cadillac.. another great treat, as I love old American cars and as promised, we had bought the sorely needed rain.  I had spent the last few months, once we knew we were coming here, asking for rain to accompany us and it was pouring.  Great stuff.  They were very pleased. And a good soaking was just the last pleasure to add to the many, of our journey.

 

The farm is about a half hour drive from Wichita and we arrived in the dark, so we couldn’t the see the size of it but knowing that farms in England generally are a few acres I was not prepared for how big it actually is.  More like half a county to our little city minds!!

 

We got to meet some of the farm occupants that night. There are 3 dogs altogether but only two were at home at that moment.  Cowboy, is a beautiful Labrador who soon succumbed to Steve’s charm and enticements, but Finn an exquisite Viszla – (a Hungarian bird-hunting dog) would have none of it.  He is a rescue dog who just turned up here, knowing that he would find kindness and care and love, love, love. All it would appear, he had known before, was pain and terror.  He is slender and gorgeous but we are told he is now twice the size he was when they took him in, being so thin you could see his heart beating through his chest.  He stays well away running round the house trying to make sure you don’t get near enough to pet him and so we have yet to win him over, although Steve has managed to stroke him whilst Candace stayed next to him.  Cowboy takes such good care of him that Tom and Candace say that Finn is Cowboys dog and tell him to go get his dog and he does.. so lovely to see.

Poet is the Cat who is o.k. with us, but the other  cat Nicky, who is so very beautiful…. is also  very wary, as again this cat was rescued.  Once again we have come across this strange dichotomy here in the States of meeting so many people who have rescue dogs and cats and so there are people with such big hearts who open their homes to these damaged little beings, but I wonder about the other side of that coin of the people who damaged them so badly. 

 

In the morning I went out to the Paddock with Tom to see the horses.. Rio a male, or a used to be male.. poor thing!!, then Mama Belle and Luna Belle. 

I am a little wary of horses since one bit Steve a while ago, so of course they sense this immediately and kept a little distance until they could feel that I felt safe and then they came forward to check me out.  They are so beautiful and Rio has pale blue eyes, which look so unusual in a horse.  In the enclosure next to them is a wonderfully feisty little donkey called Elvis.  It is Elvis who has won Steve’s heart and he adores him.  He is “guard-donkey” as he will keep the coyotes at bay and will in fact kick and kill one if it tried to get near to the horses.  The coyotes gave us full song on our first night and it was lovely to hear them.  However, the skunk also turned up and did a turn, which in skunk terms means he gave us a little puff of his fetching odour into the air filtering into our bedroom.  So kind…

We got to hear the horrors of Skunk oil.  My mind boggled at how invasive it is, how the longevity of the smell lasts for months.. not days or weeks and how it cannot be washed off or out of clothes, skin or especially inquisitive dogs.  Even being in the proximity of where the smell has been without it actually getting on you, is enough to make you have to throw objects away.  I determined that if I saw him, I would give him great respect and not do anything which might alarm him into showing off his aromatherapy skills to this English aromatherapist..

 

Tom took me out the next morning on a little kind of go-cart, called a Gator, to go over the whole plot and to our little suburban minds .. it is VAST.  I would get lost once I went past the first fence but Tom knows his land like the back of his hand and his paths created by his hard work with the tractor are obviously his pride and joy.  The dogs chased the cart all the way and obviously love every minute of being alongside this man they adore.  I was petrified they would go under the wheels and they remind me of the Irish dogs who chase cars and try to bite the tyres.. but that’s the Irish for you, always being more creative in everything they do!

 

Steve got the tour after me as the Gator only seats two at a time.  He too was so surprised at how much land is here.  He got to drive the Gator and then he got to drive a tractor, which he took to like a duck to water and took some hay out to the horses and then out to a pasture.  The horses instantly loved him so all his daily walks to feed the horses over on Harlow common where we live, paid off big time.  Tom had bought us our own farm tee shirts and gloves and a fetching cowboy kerchief.  They will match the amazing Two Step cowboy hats which we packed and bought with us, again a lovely gift from Tom.

 

The rain had made a big difference, as already the grass was greener than the day before.  It has been very hard here with continual high temperatures and no rain.  Candace and Tom are treating this land with such reverence and care and doing everything organic and I think the land is responding to that, so that the native grass they planted - without any pesticides or fertilizers - is doing better than the neighbours and it would appear that it is the morning dew which is keeping it all going.  Nature is so wonderful if you let her be.

 

Candace has found a little circle of land here, which appears to have a very interesting quality.  She looked out to the field one day and had what could only be described as a ‘vision’ although it appeared so real to her that she attempted to capture what she was seeing on her phone camera.  A huge column of light was over the field and inside it seemed to be laser lights zipping back and forth.   She couldn’t tell if it was coming up or coming down but as it appeared to be coming down she thought it must be from a craft of some sort but there was nothing in the air.  It did not record on her phone much to her chagrin.

 

In the next few days life moved her in a certain direction to come in contact with an amazing lady who is going all over the world and energizing ‘Portals’ or energetic stone circles.  Candace ended up going to see her and when she saw the artwork which Marsha does, it was exactly a replica of what is being sensed in this circle on this land.  Tom and Candace have now outlined this circle in the land with 13 large tree stumps so it looks like a wonderful mini Rollright Stones (which can be found in Oxford, England) and they have had gatherings here with ceremonies in the circle and it is just wonderful.  I had bought a special crystal, which I had been energizing at home to be buried here and we had a gathering on Tuesday night of friends of Candace’s and Marsha. Marsha was to conduct a ceremony and make the most of an incredibly full moon energy.  One of the party did some amazing sound work with a huge gong and it was really quite special to be able to experience how this works, as it a modality which I have never explored… Sound vibrational work.

 

The ceremony itself was quiet, meditative and we were really waiting for Marsha to lead us but she conducts the ceremony in silent contemplation. Suddenly an incredible noise went past the circle.  I can only describe it like a boomerang going.. Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, .. it only seemed to ‘switch on’ as it got the parameter of the circle, we did not hear it coming and neither did we hear it disappear into the distance.  There was nothing to see, but everyone said.. “What was that!!!”  Steve had an understanding that it was a UFO and was able to describe to us what it was. Meanwhile I was watching a UFO, which was off in the distance but stayed around Marsha’s head, in my line of vision. It went up, along, stopped, went back, up again, got bright then diffused, then after about 10 or 15 minutes it just went straight up in the air.  After quite a while we then disbanded and talked about what we had felt or seen.  For me, apart from the noise, the Ufo’s, the lovely people and the gong!!, my favourite experience was watching the cloud bank over the circle.  The clouds formed a perfect circle over our heads, very much like the clouds in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when the Craft is coming on in over the mountaintop.   It was beautiful and as soon as we started to break up the energy and talk, the cloud circle started to dissipate, quite extraordinary.  There were 13 of us altogether (although Candace did not in the end know how many would turn up), and that was perfect too, as there are 13 tree stumps, one for each of us to sit on. The full moon was spectacular and made everyone visible to each other.

 

I picked up lots of really interesting energetic anomalies, more than I have ever experienced before in any Stone circle and some of it was confirmed by Marsha or Candace as having been experienced by other people.  I still need to sit down and try to draw what I saw and we will spend more time going out there and doing some meditations.  At one point Steve was holding on to my arm as my body  was being swayed so hard from side to side by the energies! Such a drama queen!

 

Raven the female dog has now joined us, she was taking a holiday with Candace’s parents and the menagerie in the house is now complete.  3 dogs – 2 cats and oh I forgot.. 9 chickens, which come and sit with us on the porch and give us the most amazing fresh eggs.  It’s my job to go collect and I love it…  I have to cover up my toenails and my pretty flip flops as they believe both could be strawberries and they peck at them, failing that they will have a munch on Toms ankles.  One landed on his lap as he was reading his newspaper on his I pad and was very disgruntled to be dumped back down on the deck.  Country life!!

 

Last night a quick squall came on in and with the power of the internet, Tom was able to say it was coming and how long it would last.  Amazing.  I went into the bedroom and it was lashing down outside the bedroom window and yet the front porch was still sunny.  As predicted it did not last long, about one fifth of an inch, but because the sun came out quickly we were treated to a wonderful double rainbow.

 

So Steve got up from his nap and took himself off for his jaunt around the fields as he seems to have adopted the land and all who live on it, as his own.  The dogs took off with him, as Finn will not allow Cowboy to go and have fun without him, but the sedate lady Raven sat with us and watched.  Elvis and the girls and Rio got some attention, but Steve was into a long walk.  On his way back however, Tom yelled out to watch out as Cowboy was trying to roll, a sure sign that he could have encountered Mr Fragrant Skunk out for a jaunt too.  Finn had been barking and rushing off so Steve had felt something was amiss but did not know what.

 

He came back with the dogs and all heck broke loose.  Cowboy had apparently encountered the fragrant black and white one and got some attention from said creature.  Candace and Tom became as lively as I have ever seen anyone be from a very laid back - enjoying the sunset- on my porch - position and all the doors were quickly shut off to Steve and dogs especially Cowboy who had no idea what he had done, but knew it was something….. terrible…..  head down … tail down.. poor thing.

 

Steve had to strip off, pass the Candace nose test, (wish I had filmed this bit, Steve is so unused to having someone sniff him).. and had to change his clothes and put them in a bag which was sealed.  Finn meanwhile was trying to get in and he knew something really …. terrible… was going on and he wanted to get in under the table and out of it all.. However, in the sniffing contest.. Candace ascertained that Finn won hands down.. Go Finn!!  Poor thing apparently had got the full attention of Mr Skunk.. Cowboy apparently, might have only passed through the vapour …

 

Steve sat with me saying he should be in the doghouse with the dogs, he  felt awful.  As if he knew the skunk was there, or that the dogs would go and interact to see who could dodge the noxious vapour cloud, the quickest.

 

Poor Candace and Tom, who are veterans to this situation, knew that they had to somehow clean up the dogs, as they could not possibly come back into the house.  They found a recipe for a mix on the Internet and luckily they had all the ingredients.  It then became like a scene out of a virus attack war zone. Both had to put on really old clothes, old shoes and big industrial gloves.  The dogs can not be washed initially as it is Skunk oil and if you add water, it then carries the oil onto the dogs skin.. Disastrous!  So this concoction made up into a paste has to lathered onto them and rubbed off.  Candace had to keep taking time out just to breathe as it is all so overpowering and also she could not keep up her potent sniffing abilities to know where to work next, as her nose was so full of the smell.

 

Steve and I made ourselves very small on the sofa and kept saying.. ‘Can we help?’  Telepathically I heard.. ‘I think you’ve done enough thanks" but the wonderful duo swear this was not their thoughts and Candace seemed to be genuinely delighted that I would have a good story to tell on my first blog account.  I think Skunks might take over from American Bathrooms and wandering suitcases.

 

(Our new suitcases, by the way, stayed with us..all the way.. most impressive)

 

The new Internet advice worked a treat apparently and Cowboy was let back in although Finn has to stay out for a while.  He keeps looking in the window saying.. ”But what did I do?!!”  and Cowboy keeps hanging his head and says…”I’m not sure what we did.. but it was bad… real bad….  Bless them.  It’s very lucky that Finn will not let me touch him anyway, as I would feel so guilty not being able to pet him.

 

Raven stayed sedately watching it all and wondering what the fuss was all about.  Poet the cat stayed under the table, I think because anything, which is black and white, which she is, and is a little critter probably should keep out of the way for a while.

 

Finally after ages, Tom and Candace came on it and seemed so relieved that the paste had worked.  First time they had ever seen a solution to skunk oil.

 

Steve and I went to bed and just for good measure I think Skunky boy came and gave a little triumphant whiff outside our window, just in case we felt left out.  The coyotes howled – I actually could detect laughter in their song – and we finally all got to bed.

 

6 a.m. Tom and Steve were up and out for their 9 hour trip to Austin and some time together doing ‘boy stuff’.. football matches and suchlike and so Candace and I are having a great time just catching up….and putting the world to rights…and sitting in the circle with the sun going down.. magic...

Much love

 

Annie