“A day in the country is worth a month in town”Christina Rossetti

Monday, March 15, 2010

Updates and Names

The twins are the new stars and getting along quite well. I have been trying to get them to follow their mother out to the field in the mornings. Its getting quicker, but don't let them get distracted by a cat or dog!
The hens, in all their boredom, are back to laying eggs full tilt. Then, they spend the rest of their daylight hours taking dirt baths, or picking in the mud.
VIDEO OF HENS HAVING A DUST BATH

When they are done, I have to fill in their holes for fear of twisting an ankle.Perhaps these are things you don't want to know about the animals who lay your eggs, but what's a bird to do? Create dust storms? OK. Jock is thrilled to find so many of his toys that were buried for weeks under the snow. This is his basketball that has been reconfigured by the brush hog. He loves his balls shredded.The mystery bird was identified for me by at least four people as a turkey vulture indeed. I guess I'd never seen one so white winged, but I go with the unanimous decision. The ones above are starting to come in large flocks again. Not a purty one amongst these guys!The heavy snows created some extra work with the fences. We had two spots snap, and many saggy wires to be tightened. Also, Saturday morning, we found one of the goat sheds flipped over from the wind, and a metal gate off its hinges and laying in the corral. No one forecasted the winds.A 500 year flood event has been avoided. This flooding looked like the regular old 100 year flood type. We have been here 6 1/2 years and this is our seventh major flood.
I think the math is wrong somehow.
VIDEO OF SPRINGS FROM SNOW MELT INTO POND

Our pond is still filled above our flood stage, so to speak. This video shows the same spot I had the clip from a few days ago. Moving much faster than the peaceful dribble it was.This is the pond at the overflow pipe, and the water is much higher than the pipe, and draining as fast as it can. See little me? The reflection?The bluebirds are very active and we have two new boxes to put up for them. I hope we haven't started too late.The two week old doe twins finally have names, thanks to Mary and the African English translator. We have Ella(right in both pictures), and Tisa (second from right, or with darker head). They are bouncy and funny, as all kids this age are. Tisa means "ninth", as she was in our doe birth order, here on the farm. And for such little things, they eat their share of grain. I think the damp weather and the mud makes them extra hungry.

2 comments:

Kitchen Sinks said...

Showing very good images of pet lover and nature lover. Thanks for sharing

Carla jacobs said...

So Snickers finally got of the eggs. I bet you have some meowing chickens :-)