Queen of the Barnyard

Cedar Hill Lacey, Sprocket, Rosie, Helen and Jake in happier days.

The Friends

Last night, as husband and I were catching up on the news of our respective days and doing chores in the big henhouse, we heard a noise outside. Husband had already turned the light off and the chickens had hunkered down on their roosts, going to sleep. We heard the noise again, and decided we had better go around through the gate and see what was making it. There, at the water fortex in the henyard, were Beau the pony and Sammy the goose. Not another goose or duck was anywhere near, just the two friends. We marveled again at the interspecies friendship as they ate out of the chicken feed bowl side by side, taking turns (yes the pony LOVES chicken feed).

Lacey the white mini is still not right... despite three days of actually going down in the pasture, she is now staying in her pen, where she can get to feed and water with no problem. We are still medicating her daily, though only once, while we see how she is getting around. The up side is that she is up more. We had a plunge into single digits again last night, and this morning is a ripe old 5 degrees, and we are tired of the ubiquitous buckets. Tomorrow, 66 degrees is predicted. Hallelujah!

New Best Friends

New Best Friends
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

The temps went from teens at the beginning of the week to 67 today, Saturday, the last day of January. The horses had a great day, and the ducks/geese/chickens were all happy to be out in the sun.

Sammy gets straw off Beau

Sammy gets straw off Beau
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

Here is the remarkable symbiosis between pony and gander - Beau spent fifteen minutes picking straw, etc. off Beau's coat.

Sammy protects Beau and Lacey

Sammy protects Beau and Lacey
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

Lacey and the Waterfowl

Lacey and the Waterfowl
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

Lacey on her feet at last, and surrounded by her feathered friends!

Bluebird of Spring

On the way home tonight, feeling very low and sick, I saw a bluebird winging it's way along a country fenceline, to my right. Just the sight of it's little blue body flying along brought my spirits up, along with 40 degree temps and sun! Got home to find the geese and ducks with no water, but the pond is beginning to thaw. Tomorrow is expected to be in the 60s, so maybe they can finally clean themselves all over. We are forecast to have several days of good temps, followed by two days of low twenties, and then back up into the 50s and 60s, so relief is on the way. Tomorrow we will bucket out the big heated horse trough.. we are not gullible enough to believe it will thaw enough that we won't have to use it for another two months, but at least we can empty it and then use the hose to refill it. I used the hose tonight to fill the goose waterers and to run water for the white mare. She slowly walked out of the pen to follow her friend Beau. I watched her go down into the pasture and walk around, but he has come back up and she is now down on the crest of the small hill. I will go down and check her right now, we were hoping not to have to bute her today, but it appears we may have to. I won't get worried unless we can't get her up to the pen, then we'll be hauling water. She was eager to get out for a while, though, after weeks of barely moving. Husband is gone to the high school basketball game, so I will put a coat on and walk down there, bute in the pocket, and see how she is doing. I may be able to get her up and have her walk slowly back up to the pen.

Tomorrow is errand day... German shepherd to the vet, back home to get the truck and then to the feed stores, then to the commissary for groceries. I'll get the laundry done and the house picked up, and we are now resting after church on Sunday, so it will be nice to get it all done after sleeping a bit later tomorrow.

I'm looking for more signs of spring!

Best Friends

Yes, he's thin... he's over 30! He's in good health, though, and the biggest character you would ever want to meet!

A Long Day at work

It was a long day at the office today for your blogger. There was a round of layoffs, and good friends were released from their jobs. You can preach "business decision" all you want, but when it comes to close friends, the hurt is real and throbbing. My heart hurts for all of them. There were indications that the economy was getting "real" to us, as several friend's husbands were laid off recently, but this was close to home and painful. Your blogger is still employed, but faces the loss of good friends and cheery faces at the workplace. My prayers are with all of them tonight.

Lacey, the mini, is still up and down with her bad feet. The vet will get called tomorrow again, and more medicine gotten. In fact, at this point, the vet needs to come herself and see what is really going on. Though dollar signs are dancing in the breeze here, we are not going to let the old lady suffer and will get her some medical relief. The trim the other day should have relieved things for her, so something else must be going on, and the vet can ascertain what it is. Then we will proceed with fixing the problem as best as possible.

The naughty minx Lilly Ann ran out the gate tonight when I got home... it took more than half an hour to get her home. Traffic on the gravel road and the loss of an earlier dear dog make us worry when she gets loose. Ranger, on the other hand, never leaves the yard, and won't go out the gate. He is happy here in his kingdom and safe in his yard.

The weather is still cold but not biting or windy. It's a pleasure to get up in the early morning and go out and sing to the birds when I wake them up. I just don't feel much like singing tonight.

Friends in the farmyard

Friends in the farmyard
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

Beau and Lacey were not thrilled about the zero degree temps.