What About Them Chiefs!!!!

Here is a reminder that raccoons are scary little critters if you keep chickens... or cats.  I notice the cats give them a wide berth. 

There's another Disney creature that will kill your chickens in a flash if it has a chance. 

That being said, I try to live in harmony with all of the creatures here, including the skunks. 

It finally happened.  

I went out on Sunday morning, the 12th, and found Susie gone.  My gosh, she was a beautiful hen, a Speckled Sussex.  She was very old though, and I had a suspicion that even though she kept going through the bitter cold nights we had had, it was weakening the older birds.  My oldest rooster, Ferdie, father of Singleton and Buddy, is not going to make it much longer, I fear, and has quit trying to go out. 

However, on Friday, a good day, I went out to the hen house about 2 PM, and could not find Susie inside and really got scared, because my fear is that she would weaken and hide outside. 

Lo and behold, she was out with the other girls in the sunlight, pecking around. 

She had the most beautiful coloring and musical trill, and I miss her "talking" to me whenever I was around her.  

There was still some icy snow in between the hen houses yesterday, and you can clearly see the footprints of the possums and raccoons that passed through.  There is a heated bowl of water there. 

This came up in my memories today, nine years ago.  Let me just say that this was among the best memories Keith and I could have had here.  These four little goats brought us so much pleasure.  That's Delilah by the door, Winny and Windy in the middle, and Kelly at the back.  It broke my heart to give them up when we moved into the big house, when Keith got sick. Delilah bonked the front door until I came to it to see what they wanted. 

I wish... I wish I were stronger and younger, and I would have goats again! 

We had three inches of miserable wet snow on Thursday.  It had already started to melt by the time I got Bullseye, who had jumped up on the big walnut stump. 

It is 58 right now, and we are supposed to get rain and wind tomorrow.  I can take the rain, it's the doggone wind that gets me. 

This is Alien.  He is the newest.... he has been lurking around the corners for the last three months.  I honestly think he belongs to someone because he disappeared during the bitterest of the cold. 

He hangs around in the late afternoons and evenings. 

This is my girl Teenie.  Imagine trying to tell them apart across the yard.  Luckily, Teenie sleeps mostly on the porch now. 

Teenie and all the other cats here are neutered. 

I walked out the front door to see this weird scene last night.  

That's Mama, and Bullseye, on one corner, and Alien across the door opening facing them.  They are at the big hen house.  I have no clue what was going on, I think they were all trying to intimidate each other.  Mama and Bully are allies, though. 

For six weeks, there have been no coyotes in my pasture, though I have heard a great pack of them twice, and last night there was another chorus.  

I literally have not seen one on my property. 

Imagine my surprise when I went outside at dusk last night to do something, and caught movement. 

I grabbed the big camera. 

It quickly turned and trotted away. 

The rotisserie carcasses and any dead birds (and there have been several lately) are being put elsewhere for the scavengers to get.  

My big foster boy, Buddy, laps over so I got another bed for him.  He has really stopped eating as much as he was, and is sleeping a LOT.  I think age is catching up with him and it will be months. 

He has just been the best old boy ever. 

That's my other foster fail, adopted... Zoey. She has appointed herself guardian of the farm,  and she does a good job.  She does chores with me almost every night. 

My road, February 12th, 2023.  

That's my henhouse on the left, the big one and the little, and my shop/barn left of them. 

Won't be long before we start greening up. 

Chiefs gear modeled by my great grandson, Wyatt. 

He's a big fan! 

It was a good game, and a nail biter to the end.  This city has gone crazy! 

  Thursday