Interesting Pictures

First, I need to make an announcement about my 

right wrist/hand. 

You all know I broke the wrist on December 9, in a fall. 

Not on ice... clumsy. 

My brothers called me "Grace" while I was growing up. 

Anyway.... tomorrow I go for my first therapy 

assessment.  I have had the cast off a week, but a brace on, 

except for a bit four times a day.  I sleep in it, it feels better

with support.  I was stunned to know that the hand was very weak, and 

the wrist even weaker, and I still have some swelling. 

So, therapy next week and the following two, it appears.  

All of this is by way of explanation for the lack of 

posts and the lack of pictures.  I can't hold the big camera up 

for any length of time.  That will come back with time. 

Here are some pictures from the game camera.  I have always enjoyed using a game 

camera, whether in our pasture, or now, at the Ag. 

These were taken two nights ago, and last night. 

I had just had a conversation with the education director 

yesterday, and told him I never saw deer, even when I came early or late. 

Cracks me up, because I found this on the camera when I got 

home that day.  What I do is leave the camera there, and change 

out cards.  Then I reset the camera, moving it around from day to day. 

I had seen their tracks, but had never actually seen one. 

The beautiful fox came soon on her tail. 

Then a raccoon. 

A possum, running fast somewhere. 

A skunk. 

And then the fox again. 

This was early this morning. 

He checked out the woodchuck's holes very carefully, 

and I could tell this morning that he had dug at those holes, there 

was fresh earth outside.  Maybe it's a vixen, looking for a den. 

PLEASE DON'T PICK THERE. 

This bunny is EVERYWHERE.  I see it almost every night. 

It's no longer afraid of the camera eye going off. 

We have had clouds for days, I am thoroughly tired of them. 

This juvenile eagle was at Wyandotte County Lake 

yesterday.  I could not get a good picture of him, but he 

was dive-bombing the ducks bobbing on the choppy water. 

This little flock of coots was rocking and rolling. 

You know I love my geese. 

A Lovely Story

Okay, I was going to embed this video, but, frankly, I don't think I know HOW!

Here is the link to it, if I can't get it to embed. 

http://www.wimp.com/gooseman/ 

 It is about a 3 minute video with a remarkable story about a goose who has befriended a retired man in Los Angeles.  It is truly incredible. 

The thing is, Keith and I have seen this same thing happen here at Calamity Acres, so believe every bit of it. 

Here are some pictures that show the partnership we had here between pony and goose about five years ago... the pony is Beau, and the goose, Samantha. 

That was our tiny little pond that was filled in two years ago. 

She would groom him constantly when he stopped, whether eating or just laying in the pasture. 

Somewhere I have a picture of her picking straw from his mane while he was taking a siesta one day. 

They even ate together. 

Beau was about 32 in this picture. 

Sadly, we lost Samantha and her companion Tim to a predator.  Tim went first, then Samantha bonded with Beau.  I noticed Samantha walking oddly one morning, but over the course of the next few days, she valiantly followed her Beau around.  Then I found her dead one morning, picked her up to look at her more closely, and found she had been injured under her wing and it had become infected... I could not see the injury from the outside of her.  It was very sad to lose her, and we had marveled for weeks at this friendship. 

I hope you have time to watch the short film above.. it is truly worth it.  Animals are amazing! 

That's it for today from the snowbound Calamity Acres, where Mary Ann cannot get up her own driveway because it is such a mess! 

Spoiler Alert - Don't Read This Post If Gross Stuff Bothers You!

Grandson Nathan came to help me today while his mom did a little Christmas shopping.  I was glad to see him, as I had told him we would see a movie this weekend, but after yesterday's trip, was just too behind in chores to be able to get away for hours.  He helped me a lot while he was here, and not only carried many water buckets, but also took some pictures which I will feature this week.  He's becoming a very good photographer!

As we went down the road to take him home to Lawrence, I told him that this morning on the way to church I had seen a dead goose in the road.  Going back a few days, Keith called me on his way home one night to tell me there were two dead geese in the road outside the goat dairy, which is about 3/4 of a mile south of us. He speculated that the goat lady's coonhounds had possibly gotten loose and gotten two of her geese (they had done this once before).  He loves geese like I do, and lamented the fact that they were laying in the road, dead. 

Back to this morning, I got out of the car and looked at the goose's body.  It was perfectly intact, as if the goose had just laid down, legs under her, for a rest, but... there was NO HEAD.

It was clean, dry, and no blood.

In my opinion, this looked like an opposum kill.  I have had possums get ducks several times, but never a bird as big as a goose, a big healthy one like this.  When fowl are asleep, though, you can do almost anything to them.

This was to the left of the goose.

It looks like a dog someone hit, stuffed in a bag, and dumped on our road.  I thought it was a coyote at first, but we don't think so. 

Keith has a theory... that it was  someone's dog that killed the goose, and the owners killed the dog and dumped both.

Keith said the goose had a head when he saw it originally, so I stand by my possum theory. (only it got the head AFTER the fact). The other thing is, there isn't a mark on the goose. 

A mystery on a country road.

We sure wish people wouldn't dump their animals here.

. 

Samantha, the Beautiful Goose

She was truly a beautiful goose. Probably not a purebred African since she came from the home of a person who does not separate her geese, but runs them all together, but to us she was a beautiful girl, and very tame. She loved her pony, Beau, and would often follow him around when the other goose (Timmy) and the ducks were busy at the pond or feeding in the pasture grass. She preferred to eat with Beau at his bowl, and they could often be found laying together.

When she was a little gosling, Donald, our demented call duck drake, chased her hard one day and ran her into the henyard fence, hurting her head and making it bleed. I despaired then, and thought we had lost our little gosling, but she held on and regained her strength. She and Timmy throve on the chicken feed and pasture grasses. They were overjoyed to find the little pond and began swimming on it with the ducks, and Tim began to look out for little Donald and his girls.

In time, we lost Tim to the coyotes, but Sammy went onto her nest and protected her eggs against all comers. We could not see how they could be fertile, but she believed it in her heart. We think, we guess, that that is how she became grievously injured two weeks ago, by some creature that came upon her in the high pasture grass and slashed at her. A raccoon? We have not seen any and don't know. Her wounds were too much, though, and last Sunday before church I found her, gone in the horseyard where she spent so many happy hours with Beau and Lacey.

On Saturday we had to put down a small chick of Dovey's, and have watched it's two siblings closely. They seem healthy, but are also both cockerels, so must be found homes for because we have too many as it is. We must keep Baby Rambo, who grows strong and brave in his dog pen with his mama and his two sisters. It is too early to determine what the five Silkie babies are.... but we cannot keep any more roosters than Rambo's last son. Someone here around us will get a ready-made farmer's yard package of cockerels and pullets to start them out on chicken-keeping in a few months.

In the meantime, we miss Sammy, and her honk. She spoke to me daily when I did chores, and I miss her conversations, honks to my comments to her. The Toulouse are nice geese, but Sammy had personality and was a pet, who is much mourned.

Don't Tread on Me!

Sally, the Toulouse Goose, has been laying on eggs in the little pasture fort now for three weeks. Last night she got off for a few minutes, and was greeted with a cacophony from the other three Toulouse as she went for food and water. Taking advantage of her momentary excercise, I walked over to take a look at the nest. Lucky I looked up because a Goose Missile was barreling towards me ninety miles an hour, neck outstretched and beak open, hissing! I rapidly vacated the straw fort and left Sally to her motherly ministrations!

A Worry for the Weekend

Four days ago, I noticed Samantha, our beautiful African goose that we brought here a tiny gosling, standing quietly in one of the doghouses in the henyard. She didn't honk as she always does to me, but stood there oddly, bent over. Hurrying through chores before work, I spoke to her as I went by, but did not bend to look at her. It was not until the next day that I realized there was a nasty place on her right front breast. The feathers were hanging oddly, and she was still silent. I watched her walk under the little henhouse and hold her neck very, very still. I realized there was a wound there. Another day went by, and husband was out of town. I did not want to stress her out by chasing her, but realized something bad was going on. Last night he came home and kindly came out before changing to see what was going on with our lovely girl. As he picked her up he made a low-voiced comment.... look..... she had maggots in a wound that something had caused across her breast. I know she has not (maybe cannot) laid down in 4 days now, but she seems able to walk a little and also to drink a little and keep her bill clean. We soaked the wound with iodine and this morning, checking it, found all the maggots gone. There is a bad smell.... it scares me.... but we did not put her down because we want to give her a fighting chance. I see her now out in the horseyard with the other geese... and see that she is still holding her head oddly. My heart goes out to her... we will not let her suffer long, but we want to see if she can heal this terrible wound that we think a raccoon or possum made on her. Living in the country is sometimes not easy, we have had to put down injured birds and animals numerous times since moving here, but Sammy, if it happens, will get an honorable burial by Rambo and my bench at the pond, where she and Timmy and the ducks were so happy.

Spring is in the Air

Life in the Big Henhouse has been more exciting lately. Three hens were setting at once, sisters Dovey and Rosewitha, from the summer hatch two years ago, and black Lady, the frizzle cochin with straight feathers. Rosewitha chose to set on the roof of the closet in the henhouse, but after ten days, Husband and I got her down and put her in the old rabbit hutch. Lady was on the floor of the closet where the big hens bothered her constantly, and Three the Rooster tried to guard her. Every day I lifted her to take out the newly-laid eggs after marking her setting eggs with an "X" to identify them. Her sister Dovey the Fierce was in the nursing cage, gamely setting 11 bantam eggs. 28 days in, Rosewitha hatched a tiny bantam chick, no bigger than an inch and a half, but yellow like all of Rambo's get. Over the next few days, Lady hatched three chicks in the closet, all standards, all yellow. One died, pecked by the big hens, and I pulled the other two and put them under Rosewitha, where they would be safe. Sure enough, Lady's remaining four eggs disappeared one by one, as Mr. T. has made his spring appearance in the henhouse. The large black rat snake is hungry after his winter sleep, and this morning, Lady's last egg had disappeared and Lady was back out with the other birds.

Nothing is hatching under Dovey, and we are beginning to think that her eggs will not. Tomorrow we will lift her - no, HUSBAND will lift her and endure her wicked bites while I check each egg and see if they feel viable. Any light eggs will be pulled as unlikely to have a chance. You would think after 15 years I would buy an egg candler!

Out in the Little Henhouse, there are two silkies on eggs. One has six under her, and her sister is too far away to reach and check. If we open the hatch door on that side, a chorus of squeals comes forth, warning us to keep away. Living with them (and staying near them) is the little red hen that has suffered an injury and is now crippled. She has stopped coming outside, very wise on her part, as she was unable to get up and down the ramp. She is living happily in the little henhouse, and has plenty of clean food and water and will soon have some surrogate babies to keep her company.

After the brouhaha of a family wedding over the weekend, last night was spent quietly catching up on chores. We finally ended up in the adirondacks by the porch, joined by the four dogs, the outside cat, and finally, Beau the Pony. It was so nice to slow down and visit, and watch the animals with each other. We are constantly stunned by the relationships between the animals here at Calamity Acres, and the way pony and dog and cat and llama and goose and chicken can get along. Maybe not all with each other, but enough that we know that kindness to the animals produces kindness back.

Yes, She DOES get Under the Pony!

Besides walking back and forth under Beau's belly,
Sammy also grooms his mane for him!

A Beautiful Goose

Okay, I'm prejudiced. Samantha came here as a
tiny gosling with Timmy, and we raised them. Sammy
hurt her head and we thought we had lost her at one point,
but she has grown to be a healthy goose with a penchant for
a pony!

Four Big Gray Geese - and they can FLY

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!

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

Sammy cleans Beau

Sammy cleans Beau
Originally uploaded by ksredhead

Sammy and Beau

The pasture pals

Beau and Sammy

Signs of Spring

Brrr! 14 degrees of hand-numbing ear freezing cold out there this morning! Yesterday's sunny skies have disappeared behind a slate gray cloudy mass that reminded us that winter still has a grip. But wait! There are signs that winter's hold is almost over!

This morning's cacophony of sound at the wild bird feeders gave evidence that we are almost to the end... a red-winged blackbird sat in lone splendor as I approached to fill the feeders, lording it over the flat feeder and choosing his bit carefully. He flew off as I approached, but he is a Portent of Spring! And a welcome one!

The trees have begun to swell... it started several weeks ago, but the buds continue, and now they are very evident when you look up into the tree branches. If we can just hold on for a few more weeks, the days that have been tantalizing us... 50's, 60's.... will come in quicker succession. But for now, we are locked in the freezer again, for at least five days.

Our mare is down as I write this. We have had so many opinions given us that we are going with the flow now. She spends more than half her time off her feet, and we are worried now about skin sores, since she has a particularly heavy coat due to her endocrine imbalance. She is stilling getting her daily medication, and is still eating and drinking and pooping, so we are not unduly concerned. It seems our biggest gander, Timmy, has adopted her companion Beau, so we are no longer afraid that he may not have a buddy in the future. Timmy can't fit through the fencing with his friends Sammy, Mattie, Mary and Maggie, so stands sentinal alone outside the horsepen. Now he follows Beau around when he is loose, and the two boys stand together, goose and pony, laxing away.

After church I checked on the henhouse, and found all the chickens but one inside, eating, drinking and sleeping. Most of the Little Bunch was up in the rafters, trying to stay warm, and the bigger chickens were on the floor. I sprinkled some sunflower seeds and scratch down to keep them busy, and wondered where Curley, the frizzle Cochin rooster was. I found him in the horse barn, huddled in the straw, the only bird besides ducks and geese brave enough to go out in the cold this morning.

The wild birds drink from the heated horse trough, so we try to keep it full in this weather. I see them now, by the score, coming down to drink the warm water. I know it needs a bucket, so will go out there soon to fill it to the brim again, so they can reach it. This is the time the wildings need the most feed, all their natural food is gone and they are waiting for spring as eagerly as we.