Easter Monday

My friends, Keith and I are down with spring colds that have hit with a 

vengeance.  Keith has more upper respitory... my voice is gone, and 

I'm sneezing to beat the band.  We had a very quiet Easter, and we hope you did, too. 

Except for going to church in the morning, I spent the day inside, cooking and visiting and

then running out to close the birds up. 

Look whom we got to see for Easter... my brother Pete.  He was sprung from the nursing home by my sister in law, and they came out to see the new house and have some dessert with us.  He has slipped a little farther away... but when I told him we were eating at our family table, he perked up, and he easily recognized our mother, our brother Mike, and himself, in an old picture.  

He's still in there, somewhere. 

And yes, as you can see... we have NO FURNITURE IN THE LIVING ROOM.  Yet.  

One thing at a time. 

This very unlikely sight greeted me last night in the old henhouse.  Those are the porcelains, up on the closet! 

I looked around and realized the old Japanese birds were OUTSIDE!

All three roosters and the little hen were out... and wanted out in the pasture very badly.  Unfortunately, I was flagging and it was late in the day.  I decided, finally, to leave the pophole open for them, and went home. 

I find this so interesting... grass, and weeds, are now taking over the little red henhouse yard, called the "little henyard".  I'll actually have to mow in there in a while. 

It's because there are no longer any birds on this yard... the seven left have access to it, but rarely go over there. 

This morning I opened the gate to the pasture so that everyone could go out if they want. 

After showing you how Fluffernut and April were laying on the floor on Saturday....

I found their eggs in the nestbox yesterday. 

And the three chickens who are left in the henspa... were let out into the yard this morning, so they could eat some green stuff.  See the moss trying to grow in there? 

This beautiful tree... is it a weeping cherry?... is just outside our back door at the new house. 

As I was on my way to the old place, I saw these guys sitting in a tree by the road. 

Underneath them was ONE dead skunk. 

On the way back, this guy had won out, and the others were all gone.  The skunk was almost gone too.  What a wonderful system to use to clean up dead animals... the ecosystem just works great, doesn't it?  I love these birds, even the ones who got my chickens last summer! 

I'm going to stop now and take a little nap, and try to get over this stuff we have.  Keith has had to take a day off too, and is already asleep.  We are trying not to talk, since my voice is almost gone. 

I hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Oh... and a short Abby update... 

We are stunned and thankful that she is so much better in a short time.  I have learned to give the shots... and she is feeling a LOT better, the frenetic behavior has stopped and we know now she must have been in pain for months.  We are not over the hump, but we are on a new road to good health for our little girl. 

Thanks for all your kind thoughts for her!