To The Moon And Back

It will be a surprise to no one that she didn't go down without a fight.  She'd started having trouble getting up and needed help a couple of times.  She didn't like that, but once she was up, she cheered back up and trucked on like normal.  Not normal Maisie, but normal for these last few months.

She wasn't able to walk around very much and no one was any longer in any real danger of being taken out in a side attack, but she'd still swing her head around to remind us and her teeth still worked just fine if she thought you were not scratching her back enough or being stingy with the cookies.

I had started watching her pretty closely on the barn cameras and noticed Saturday morning she was struggling to get up so I went out and helped her up.  It was 6:00 in the morning.  She didn't lay back down until 1:00 Sunday afternoon.  31 hours on her feet.  Not. Giving. Up.

I couldn't figure out if she was just scared to lay down or if her arthritis was just so bad that it hurt too much to lay down.  I let her decide what she wanted to do and even though I really wanted her to just  please take a nap, I didn't force it.  I'd have helped her get back up forever.

In the end I think she believed if she went down that it was all over.  And I think she was as disappointed as the rest of us that she didn't live forever.  When she finally laid down, she instantly fell asleep for good while and that brought me some peace watching her...like I'd watched her for so many years.

I sat down next to her and then leaned over and put my head next to hers and we laid there nose to nose, both afraid we'd never be able to get up again.  She snuggled into my hands and I'm not sure if she was looking for comfort or trying to comfort me.  She heard the vet pull in and I knew she knew and I could tell she was upset.  I'm not sure if she was scared or sad.  

The vet and I talked about how tough she had been her whole life while she gave her the first shot.  She was chewing on a mouthful of hay and then closed her eyes and went to sleep for the last time.  I held her head in my hands, stroking her face telling her how much she was loved while she got the second shot.  I hope when she woke up, there was a big white dog sniffing her, wagging his tail in greeting.  I hope she's not as gutted as I am.

This morning I walked outside in the pre-dawn to a brilliant rainbow around the full moon.  All the colors were there and so bright.  I went back inside for my camera, but couldn't capture it.  I'll  keep the colors in my memory.  My heart wants to believe it was a gift from over the rainbow bridge.

To end this on a more cheerful note, here's maybe my favorite Maisie memory.  There are so many great ones.  I'm not sure I ever wrote about it and I sure wish I'd taken some videos.  We can curse these crazy cell phones these days, but I'd give anything to have had a smart phone back in her baby days.

She lived in the house for months that first winter.  Once we got her eating issues straightened up and her legs growing in the right direction, she loved to run.  There's only so much some towels on a slick kitchen floor would help, so she was allowed to run all over the carpeted house to play and exercise.

Tim would sit on the couch with his arm hanging over the side and she'd come over and sniff his fingers.  Right when she'd almost touch them he'd make a buzz sound and she'd scream with lamb laughter and race away with her tail spinning...and come right back to do it again and again.  She loved that game.

At a neighborhood gathering once I admitted that "I've never loved anything as much as her...and I'm pretty fond of Tim."  The comment of course got back to him and he quickly replied that he already knew where he stood.  

We all loved her to the moon and back.  

Maisie

November 25, 2012 - September 7, 2025

We buried her on the hill next to Hank.  I thought about adding her angel costume, but ended up just making her a new pretty halo.  I told her she didn't have to wear it, but maybe should take it with her...just in case she needed it.  

Golden Hour

The light this evening was truly golden.  The grass is too, even though it looks lush and green in these pictures.  We could sure use some rain.

 A golden new puzzle :-).

Meanwhile, Back In Nashville

Wait, what?  Nashville?

Last year I heard that the purple martins in this part of the country gather in Nashville to prepare for their fall migration.  The video clips were amazing.  The amount of birds, staggering.  I talked all year about going down...and then didn't go.

I hate to disappoint myself.  I had really wanted to go...but it's hard to leave the farm, especially in a hot summer.  It's easy to talk myself out of taking trips.  Maybe next year.

We were working on Saturday morning, normal farm chores and helping load up fence posts for a friend.  I stopped to get some lunch and, of course, picked up my phone to see what was happening on Instagram.

Sheep, painting, knitting, cats, rabbits, squirrels, wool...and a post by Margaret Renkl.  

"They'll be on their way soon.  If you're anywhere near Middle Tennessee, you don't want to miss this.  This sight will get you through whatever hardships the next year brings."

Summer is hard for me, especially the heat of this past (I hope it's passed) summer.  I've spent almost an hour trying to think of anything besides these birds that I like about summer and have come up with nothing.

Sure, flowers are beautiful, fresh tomatoes are sweet, butterflies and bees, the bats, but I'd trade all that to not have to try to make it through the rest of it.  The martins moving in is a good day.  The quiet when they fly out is deafening.  

I found Tim and asked if he'd like to go to Nashville for the day, the rest of the day.    

20 is always up for a road trip.  Pip, too :-).

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A post shared by Margaret Renkl (@margaret.renkl)

Nashville on a Saturday night was not for the faint of heart and if we hadn't driven four hours to get there, I'd have probably said some grown up words, given up and hightailed it back north.  Tim handled everything like he always does, but I'm sure he wasn't having a great time either.

We found where we needed to set up at dusk, gave up trying to find someplace to eat downtown and headed to the outskirts and had a good dinner, found our way back downtown (holy $%&#). 

I had been quiet panicking to myself that we were a day too late and they would have moved on.  The tips online had been to get there by the 22nd (it was now the 23rd) around 7:30.  It was 7:15 and we didn't see any birds.

And then there were four.  And a group of six.  And some flying into some small trees along a sidewalk.  

And then there were birds everywhere!

The trees got heavier and heavier as thousands of purple martins settled in for the night.  And this is about all the people who were there to watch.  There were thousands of people two blocks away and they missed the best show they'd see all year.

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A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady)

These two videos are short.  The next video was while I was filming "live".

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A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady)

Some answers from questions from that IG post:

Yes, I believe they gather here every year.  

No, it doesn't seem like enough trees.  They were all bent low by the time everyone found a place.

They gather here each August.  If you follow @birdsafenashville or @nashvilleurbanbird they apparently post the details each summer and give best dates to see them.  

Do not go on Friday or Saturday if you can help it.  Watch for downtown events like football games...and avoid those as well.

We did not get pooped on, but the truck got a couple hits.  It wasn't bad and I even walked up under the trees near the end.

Even Tim enjoyed seeing them, but would probably have rather stayed the night than pull back into the farm at nearly 1:00 a.m.

It was absolutely worth the drive.

Blooms, Butterflies, Bugs And Bats

The best news I have is how many butterflies I've seen this summer.  I have had years where I could count on one hand the number of monarchs and swallowtails I've seen.  A few years now where I could probably count them on two hands.  This year I've lost count!

I've seen monarchs (sometimes as many as four) almost every day for a month or so and I'm finding multiple caterpillars out on the milkweed plants.  I haven't seen a chrysalis yet, but maybe if I put that in writing I'll see one on my way to the house this evening ;-).

Not only are the monarch visits up, I've had more swallowtails than I've ever had here.  Stella used to get pretty ones on the butterfly bushes at her house, but I'd never seen a zebra down here and I've seen two this summer.  

We've also had many, many smaller butterflies of all shapes and sizes, several hummingbird moths and more hummingbirds than normal as well.  I put in some salvias this year and they love those big blue blooms.

The bats have been happy this summer too.  We've been overrun by mosquitos, so the bats have been busy.  

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Today has had just a hint of fall in the air so maybe the end of this horrible summer is in sight.  In the meantime, here's a new fun and easy puzzle for you.  

Speaking of puzzles, I'd LOVE to know who works all the puzzles at 300 pieces :-D.  If you don't want to use your name online, shoot me an email if you'd like to raise your hand.