Say Goodbye, Summer

This has been a really long, difficult, hot, dry summer. I usually love summer, but I am so ready to say goodbye to this one. I missed a lot of days posting because it has just been too depressing. It is difficult to find the humor, entertainment, or interest in everything that was once so beautiful dying around you.

This is one of the plants I lost--a beautiful yellow rose bush.

My cherry bushes dried up months ago, despite regular watering.

This very interesting plant didn't make it. It just got too hot.

My poor little blue spruce that my sister-in-law gave me was doing so well, even growing during the 100+ degree days, but the last few weeks, despite me bucketing water to it, it dried completely up and lost all of its needles.

Then evil terrorist dog came by and first killed my blue silkie hen.

Then he came back and killed two barred rocks and the turkey I called "Can't Get Right" (in the middle here, when he was younger). Of course he managed to make it through a failure-to-thrive episode only to be hunted down and eaten. Figures.... (so depressing)....

Then last night terrorist dog came back and killed my dear cochin bantam roos: the Mr Boucher twins :(

He killed a total of six MORE chickens, coming from his new home 25 miles away. He literally walked right past a bowl full of food (set out for the barn kitty) and killed both cochins, my buff orphington (pictured below--the blonde), an americauna hen and rooster...

...and he killed this beautiful sexlink hen here....

So...I'm down to 5 turkeys and 12 chickens now, and they're locked up until I can take care of the problem, so to speak. I feel terrible for them, having not only gone through these episodes but now they're locked up during this awful heat we're having.

Thankfully the horses are still doing well *knocking on wood* as is barn kitty, my own dogs and indoor cats. I'm keeping Milton inside at night until the terrorist is gone--I don't want to take chances, although Milton doesn't quite understand why he's grounded.

This is unfortunately a very unintentional bummer of a post, but when I look around and see everything burning up or getting eaten, I need a bit of an outlet. All I have left to say is I hope that next summer goes much better.....

"When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." ~Khalil Gibran