Winter Wonderland

The Fourth Sunday of Advent is all about Peace... and we had peace on the hilltop at Calamity Acres 

this morning. 

It's hard to believe it, but our beautiful Lilly Ann will be seven years old next summer. 

She flew off the deck in front of me as I started to do chores... I had to do them slowly, and shovel the gates open... as I went... but she did not let 3 inches of snow stop her. 

And she took off for the bottom of the pasture to bark back at Bob, the Spehar's dog, who was following the plow up and down their driveway. 

She knows how to rest, too!

These guys did NOT like the snow, oh, no!

I stocked them up inside, and that's just where they are... 

Though they DID come out for a minute to have breakfast. 

Let me tell on myself... yesterday, knowing we were going to have sleet, I put the bowls up on the top of the hayfeeder you see here.  Last night, I walked over, got them, set them down far apart from each other.... and then forgot to pick them up again. 

Didn't I have fun this morning in the snow???

Looking out the window as I am posting this, I see Deelilah out looking around.  She has seen at least six winters in her life. 

The old henhouse shrinking flock... there are only 14 left... were so glad to get their warm water this morning.  I don't have enough power left in there to run a heater base anymore, so I carry warm water to them in the morning.  I have to dump these waterers at night, so they are always ready to get a drink. 

 They wanted out, too, but their pophole has frozen shut in the sleet yesterday, and 

I will have to take a hammer and screwdriver and try to break it open. 

Once they saw the snow, they would not have been so eager to get out, and if the pophole 

stays shut... the starlings can't get in. 

There is a feeder and a water bowl up on top of the closet you see here for the 

rafter dwellers, Roosters One, Two and Three... and the tiny bantam hen I have left in there, Black Tail. 

Oh... and Speedy Gonzalez. 

I do have a heat lamp, a chick light, in the other half of the building, the feed room side, for Butch and our old Polish hen, Buffy.  Buffy has lost the ability to perch, and she hunkers down in the straw now at night, so I moved her to Butch's side so she can at least get under the warming light. 

What's THAT stuff ?  Fluffernut wanted to know. 

She did not go out, and neither did any one else from the henspa.  

The crazy thing is, THEIR yard was free of snow in the center, and they could always peck around under the henspa.  

Gosh, there must have been moisture on my lens... imagine that!... but you get the drift, the henspa crowd was more than happy to be inside! 

I went to church last night while it was only sleeting, so Keith and I are going to sit and watch the Chiefs beat the Colts here in about an hour... and since the weather has wrecked my family weekend Christmas plans, we are going to roll with it... drive to Garnett tomorrow when the roads are opened, and to KCK to my son's on Tuesday. 

We are expecting to dive down to zero for the next two nights... hard on the old birds, so I am crossing my fingers. 

I saw this on Facebook this morning, thanks to P.Allen Smith of the Garden Home....

I am SO doing this next year, with a new one, of course!  

What a great idea for a farm with chickens!

The hard-working road crews of Leavenworth County had our road plowed up and down by 7:30 this morning!  Thanks, guys!

Have a great start to your week, everyone, despite the cold and snow, if you have it!