I miss Madonna

OK, I know I'm behind the crowd here since I JUST NOW watched the Lady Gaga Alejandro video on youtube. (Since she is so popular and since I am the mother of teenagers, I felt it necessary to check it out.) Apparently she has picked up where Madonna left off. She sings, dances, and smuts just like Madonna with a homo/orgy twist. She oozes Madonna right down to the Catholic overtones. I mean, really, BOOB GUNS? I remember the good old days of the 1980's when Madonna shocked America with her metal pointy Viking bra. Lady Gaga makes Madonna look like a virgin. In short, Lady Gaga makes me gag.

What is this??

We discovered this odd plant growing behind our shed. We can't figure out what it is. We've searched the web to no avail. If you have an idea, please share it here.

(The single non-woody stem has three flowers at the top that resemble black-eye-susan blooms with an extended center. Before you tell me this is a coneflower, look closely at the large leaves attached in a wrap-around fashion about a foot apart.)

New Puppy

Isn't he adorable! We're calling him Jack. He is a 6 week-old Great Pyrenees male. We've had him for 2 days, and he has already won our hearts with his intelligence and gentle temperament.
This is Cam feeding the one and only duck.
After our broody hen failed to hatch her nest, we picked up a few chicks at a nearby farm for her. She did not like them even though we snuck them under her at night. So we will have to raise them ourselves. Well, at least one of the cats likes them.

With no tractor of our own, we had been looking for someone to cut our 10 acres of pasture. Not so much for hay (there's a little), but for weed control. So yesterday this Amish boy comes over with a team of two horses and a generator powered mower and does an excellent job.

Llamas for sale

In an effort to raise some much-needed funds, we have decided to sell our two llamas. Charlie and Bunny are a male/female pair about 3 years old. They have not yet had a baby. Bunny (on the right) was bottle fed and is very friendly. She especially loves little children. Charlie is shy, but will eat from your hand.And no, they don't spit at people, but they will spit at each other if angry. We are asking $1200 for the pair, but will sell them separately if needed. Please comment on this blog if you are interested. They both make beautiful wool.