Take a Look at Nature's Charm and Critters on Our Farm - January 22nd - February 4th, 2017

The Midwest weather has fluctuated these last two weeks. Warmer temps allowed the honeybees to fly outside their hive. Later temps dipped bring flurries and cold. While nature provided some beautiful photos of sunrises, sunsets, and night skies. In addition, Pippin O'Chi sat still long enough for me to get some nice pictures of her. Enjoy!

All pictures are copyrighted © to Tracey R. Simmons,

creator of Paws4Hearts Rescue, 2017.

Winter Honeybee Hive Update

The candy board the worker bees were already eating,
because of lack of food stored.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

In parts of the Midwest, unusually warm temperatures created a spring-like feel in the middle of winter for a couple of days this January. When temperatures go above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, honeybees can fly outside their hive to go to the bathroom. They also do some hive maintenance, such as carrying out dead bees.

My hive was already in trouble last fall from the chemicals sprayed by a disrespectful resident across the road, who sprayed on my land. This idiot's stupidity caused my hive population to nearly die completely off, several thousands were dead. After this incident occurred, I have done everything I could to help this queen and her workers. With the warmer temps, I wanted to change the candy board food if the worker bees were already eating it. I figured they were since they didn't have enough food store, because of a lack of worker bees to do the gathering work last fall after the die off.

Sugar mixture heating up.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

I had to make a spare candy board. With my hand/arm disabilities, I cannot make a full candy board at one time. I have to find ways to adapt, so I had to make it in two batches. Off to work I went - standing over a stove, stirring a sugar mixture. It took about two hours, but if it helps this hive to survive the rest of winter, that time and cost will be well worth it.

Hot candy poured into frame.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

Another two hours was needed for the hot candy board to cool and harden. When it was ready, I zipped up into my beesuit, and went to check the hive. Some workers were out on the landing board. I watched as one worker pulled a dead bee off and flew several inches with it before landing on the ground. Pretty amazing to watch!

I pulled off the candy board I had put on in November, and some worker bees were busy eating on it. I took one quick look between the frames, then slid the new candy board on.

I had to gently sweep the bees off the old candy board, which I will fill in with more candy, in the hopes the temps will be warm enough in February to allow me to change it again.

The worker bees filling their bellies.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

                                                                        As I carried the partially eaten candy board to the house, I found one little worker was still eating within a groove. I was able to coax her onto the hive brush, and got a great picture of her.

Please keep this hive in your prayers that they will survive the rest of winter and start thriving again in the warmer temperatures of spring. We need all the pollinators we can get, and I want to truely be considered a beekeeper!!

Stowaway being returned to hive.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

Take a Look at Nature's Charm and Critters on Our Farm - January 15th - 21st, 2017

In areas of the Midwest, rain has saturated the ground, more than I have ever seen while living at this home in the country. This means mud, glorious mud - Not. Mud creates muddy paws & paw prints, muddy shoes & boots, muddy ruts from vehicles getting stuck - mud, mud everywhere. The storms also blew down a giant beech tree, which has created a mess of its own, but thankfully nothing was damaged by it.

I have included pictures of the two inside cats - Haley, the black, mischievous cat, and Gracie, the Grey, who is quiet & shy fifteen year old kitty. Of course, I have to include some pictures of some of the chickens, and just some of nature's beauty.

All pictures are copyrighted © to Tracey R. Simmons,

creator of Paws4Hearts Rescue, 2017.

Irresistible Squeaky Dog Toys

My Beloved Koda
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2014

Dog toys – they stimulate a dog’s play drive, helps with boredom, and provides exercise. If the toys have squeakers inside, some dogs will tear apart the toy to get to the squeaker, leaving you looking at the toy’s fabric in shreds and pieces of stuffing littering the floor or couch. In addition, if you are like me, you are thinking about the money that was wasted.

For years, I prided myself on providing squeaker toys to my dogs and teaching them to enjoy them rather than ripping them to pieces. Many times I had people say, “You can’t teach a dog not to tear up squeaker toys!” I assured them I could and had with several dogs.

I have taught medium size to large size dogs to play with their toys, and not tear them apart. One might think it would be more difficult to teach bigger dogs, but I have found it to be easier to do than the dinky dogs. The Chihuahuas, or in the case of my beloved late Koda – a three quarters Chihuahua, one quarter min pin, I have been challenged greatly in my endeavors to keep the toys intact.

Koda had learned to play and not tear up his toys.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2014

What could possibly be the difference? A dog is a dog, right?!

I have pondered this dilemma greatly. My conclusion is this: bigger dogs are right there in the way for you to step or trip over, so you notice them being too rough on a toy, snatch it away, ultimately saving the toy, leaving the bigger dog bewildered, as you go about your chores with the toy safely out of reach.

When it comes to the dinky dogs, they are, obviously, quite small, and that smallness is a breeding ground for sneakiness. For example, dinky dogs can look to be innocently snuggled up against the arm of the couch with a brand new squeaky toy. They are so small; they are nearly out of your view. They appear to be ready to fall asleep. Then, as you go about your chores, your dinky dog makes quick work at opening the squeaky toy. Their little teeth cut through the threads along the seam, just like scissors on paper. A small hole has been created. And poof, there’s the all magical, all wonderful stuffing. Meticulous that sneaky, dinky dog begins to pull bits of stuffing out.

Spritzen Nala O'Chi with new toy.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons
December 2016

Alas, you walk back into the room to find snippets of stuffing on the floor and couch. You grab the toy, looking for the hole and find none, as I did. I gave the toy back and sat down on the couch to watch a movie. Meanwhile, that dinky dog pulls the toy to the floor, just outside your view, and begins to work on that hole even more, opening it up further, exposing the irresistible stuffing. All of a sudden, you realize there is a large pile of stuffing lying there, looking like a white fluffy cloud. Subsequently, you look at your Chihuahua, who looks up at you with innocent eyes that say, “I really didn’t do anything wrong. White stuff? What white stuff? It must be a figment of your imagination!”

The Guilty Spritzen Nala O'Chi!!
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons
January 2017

Take a Look at Nature's Charm and Critters on Our Farm - January 1st - 7th, 2017

 Happy New Year! The week started out with warmer temperatures, in the low 50's. This allowed me to add a few things to the chicken run, things to allow chickens to climb on or explore around. I recycled/reused climbing steps from a playground set, and added a log with limbs stick up. And you will have to indulge me with my fascination with feathers, especially the Wyandotte chickens' feathers. Once they are all done molting, I won't have the opportunity to photograph the different feathers.

All photos by Tracey R. Simmons 2016 & 2017

Deaf Dog Hope, A.K.A. Egg Thief

My egg basket with eggs from organically feed chickens.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons December 2016

Sometimes you get into auto pilot when doing things, not thinking about what consequences may occur because of your lack of attention to details. This happened recently after I gathered chicken eggs. I put the egg basket with six eggs on top of the chickens' feed bin, which sits on the porch. Then, I went in to let Hope out to run and play. I got sidetracked and forgot to bring the eggs in. I was not thinking about the eggs being at Hope's level, or that Hope is guilty of counter-surfing, always looking for food to steal after her bout with being sick and underweight for three months before being diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency.

(The EPI diagnoses is treatable. It means Hope has to have enzymes put on her food. The food has to soak for at least twenty minutes before she can eat it. The enzymes, which are ground up pig pancreases, helps Hope's body digest the food, rather than going through her undigested and coming out in the form of smelly diarrhea.)

A short time later, I realized I needed to bring the eggs inside and get them into the refrigerator. I stepped outside to see an empty egg basket. There wasn't an egg or any tiny bits of egg shell left. These eggs were from my organically feed chicken, and that organic food cost more, about three times more than conventionally food.

Aarrrrgghh!!!! There was no enzymes on those eggs to help Hope digest them. Heaven for bid, my mind began to spin and relive those three months of none stop diarrhea and extremely foul gas which affected Hope, but which I had to clean up and smell.

First, I sent out an urgent text messages to friends, who I knew would pray for Hope. Then, I quickly got Hope's dog food ready, with enzymes soaking on them. I thought that if she ate her food with the enzymes, that maybe it would help her digest the eggs and shells.

Deaf Dog Hope with her sign of shame.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons December 2016

After twenty minutes, Hope ate her food. Then, I let her stay outside longer, since the weather was decent. When the diarrhea came, and I knew it would, I wanted her to be outside. My plan worked out, no diarrhea inside the house.

The problem came later that night, while I was trying, repeat trying to sleep. Hope slept fine in her create beside the bed, but I lay awake as she let off SBDs, silent but deadly gas. At about 2am, I let Hope outside to do her duty, just in case she had anymore diarrhea. When I let her inside, as she was going up the stairs in front of me, the SBDs were no more. It was gag a maggot, blow your hair back, in your face, eyes watering, loud toots all the way up the stairs.

Did I surivive? Yes! The moral of this story is: I will keep the chicken eggs out of Hope's reach.