Changing Weather

Yesterday was nice and sunny. The critters enjoyed the bright sunshine and warmth. The llamas, goat, and dogs stretched out on piles of hay while the chickens scratched around in other piles looking for seeds.

The llamas are getting absolutely decadent about having breakfast (or whatever meal) in bed.

Cinnamon, our little doe goat, stretched out in her pile of hay to enjoy a nap after she was full.

Keira evidently agreed with Cinnamon, because she decided to stretch out in the hay and enjoy the sunshine, too.

The wild birds, on the other hand, were a little more active and flying back and forth to the feeders.

Meanwhile, a Red-bellied Woodpecker peeked through some tree limbs to see if the way was clear to the suet feeder.

 But today is a different story, weather-wise.  It’s gray and gloomy again.  And if the weather predictions are correct, another winter storm is moving in.

I took advantage of the warmer weather this morning to refill all the heated water buckets, and pools of water.  If I’m lucky, it will get warm enough to use the hoses again before everything needs topped off once more.

Well golly, here it is March 1st, and I’m still looking for spring!

Rooster Fight

Most of our roosters are penned up by themselves and in need of a new home. (Anybody want some?) Some younger ones have grown up and need to go in the rooster pen, leaving just the old Polish Silver Laced Rooster and a white mutt rooster.

Every once in a while, they decide to have a little fight. It usually doesn’t last long.

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But as you can hear, the guineas egg them on, hoping for a bigger fight!

Then before you know it, they’re done and just scratching on the ground, looking around for something else to eat.

Boys will be boys, and roosters will be roosters.

Florida Sunshine

I’m in Florida right now getting to visit with Ellie and her mom and dad. It’s not as warm as I’d hoped, but it’s still warmer than where we live, so I’ll have to be content with that.  There’s NO snow anyway!

The wind is pretty fierce at times. There’s a pond by the condo with a big fountain, and a lot of the time the water is blowing sideways. This morning it wasn’t too bad, however.

I was standing on the bacony outside my second floor bedroom enjoying the fountain and watching a heron wading around in the pond looking for breakfast.

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Somebody must have stocked the pantry.

Watching the heron was a nice way to start the day anyway!

Sleeping through grazing guineas. . .

I guess when you’re tired, and it’s time for ewe to take a nap… a few guineas going by and pecking in the grass around ewe doesn’t make much difference.

At any rate, the old matriach of our little flock didn’t seem to notice when she had guineas all around her. And they can be LOUD.

I guess if ewe need a nap, ewe need a nap.

Toby The Tough

Toby is one tough dog.  He makes a pretty good guard dog, big and stocky and weighing in at over 80 pounds.  Usually he’s pretty easy going, but this is deceptive.  Just threaten his mama and see what happens!

A couple of years ago we had one of those rotten roosters that likes to spur you.  Or more precisely, he liked to spur ME.  He was smart enough to steer clear of The Farmer, who probably would have wrung his neck after a time or two.

But me, oh yeah, I was fair game.  I mean, this monster would actually hide around the corner of a building, so when the unsuspecting person (me) walked around the corner, he’d jump out and nab me.

One day Toby saw him do it, and this is the result:

See, you don’t mess with mama or you answer to Toby.

So I’ve always wondered what he would do if I walked in the house and a burglar or someone was there.  Well, last week, I sort of got my answer.  No, there wasn’t a burglar, but…

It’s like this.  I’d finished evening chores, and just fed Toby and ready to go in the back door.  Unbeknownst to me, The Cave Geek was getting ready to run the vacuum in the den and heard me come up on the back porch.

What is it with sons thinking it’s positively hysterical to scare their mother out of her wits?  (No comments like “What wits?” allowed!)

I opened the door, and there was this over 6′ tall hulk looming over me shouting.  I think it was something innocuous like “Hi Mom”, but that didn’t register until I’d already jumped out of my skin and screamed.

THAT bought Toby right into the fray.  Fortunately for the smart-aleck Geek person, Toby immediately recognized him and went “Oh, it’s you.  Wanna pet me?”

I was impressed. Toby was eating.  Toby is SERIOUS about his food.  Woe unto any other critter that comes close when he is eating!  Yet he came running when I screamed.

What a good dog.