More rooster drama

The neighbor who took our roosters stopped by yesterday with an armful of homemade fabric grocery sacks and said, "I'm here to barter."

Apparently a raccoon got into the rooster pen the previous night, and tore up one of the roosters. She needed some muscle to help move some panels around to secure the pen. I saw the hurt rooster and suggested we let them out. I felt sorry for them and was sure they would stick around now it had been a few more days.

It started to rain, so we sat in her screen house chatting. Then I felt guilty and thought I should help her fix the pen just in case she needed it, since that had been the original plan. We got the pen altogether, and then couldn't find the roosters. I sent the Firebird home to check it out, since I could hear crowing coming from our house.

He came back with the report that one rooster had returned-the hurt one was no where to be found. So I went home and we spent some time chasing the rooster, trying to get him into the chicken house. He was trying to fight our old rooster through the fence, so I shut the coop to lock everyone else in the pen, and tried to get him in the chickenhouse.

Well, chickens are not too dumb, I guess. That plan worked before, but there was no way we were getting that guy cornered yesterday. Finally I gave up and went in to start dinner. Then the neighbor showed up and I told her I would call her when we caught him.

Today it poured like mad. We ended up with three inches of rain. I reversed the plan, and locked the flock in the chicken house and left the pen open. The rooster huddled by the chicken house door crowing pathetically, but running whenever he saw us. Big drowned rats are scary. ;)

This afternoon I looked out and Whitey, the little white leghorn hen, had escaped the house and was in the yard with the rooster. Sure enough, she showed him the pen was open, and in a little while I went out and locked them in. I left a place open for them to get in the house but be in a separate cage so they could get out of the rain but not in with the flock.

Nope, they stayed in the rain. Finally I decided I should catch him and take him to the neighbor, so I called her and told her I would be bringing him by. I felt he would be better off over there even if I had to chase him around the flooded pen. I had chicken feathers stuck to my mud boots by the time I caught him.

I arrived next door and saw the hurt rooster in the pen was as soaked and muddy as the one I was returning. The tarp she had thrown over the pen was leaking like a sieve. She said she was going to get a plastic tarp and put over it, so I left her to it.

I have to feel badly for taking those poor guys away from their home. It's really not bad running free at the neighbors', and if they had stayed put like their two brothers, they wouldn't be locked in the pen and nearly eaten by a raccoon.

Chicks and Swimming

I bought a half-dozen chicks a couple days ago. Three white leghorn and three black Austrolops, all supposedly pullets, so they should all grow up to be hens.




We had a broody hen, but one of the white roosters got in with her and then all the eggs were gone! Those roosters caused me no end to aggravation. The neighbor has since returned and re-claimed then, with promises to keep them locked up so they don't come tear up my garden and cause general mayhem.

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After Willow's successful fishing expedition yesterday, the Firebird opted to join us fishing around high noon. The fish weren't biting too well-Willow did land a big pumpkinseed (she calls them "sunseeds"), but the Firebird didn't get a nibble.

I told them to go home and change into their suits and bring the dog back with them. When the fish aren't biting, go swimming!

Frolic Follow-Up

As promised in the previous post, here are a few Frolic photos:

Alpacas



Tree609

Dave Kennard and one of his border collies, Brit.




Tree609

Quitting time: sheep in the shade, Brit in the water tub



Tree609

Sticky lens cover again but I liked the effect. :D

Frolic and Gardening

Happy full Moon!

We had a lot of fun at the Fiber Frolic!

The Firebird ditched the boring girls early on and roamed about spending his cash on a falafel, two lemonades, two ice creams, and a soda. He also got a wicked sunburn on his face and forearms.

Willow and I didn't get sunburns, most likely because we have been out in the sun quite a bit already, and also because we spent most of our time in the shade. We spent some time in the children's area, where Willow made a pink felt ball and we spent some time learning to felt designs onto a felt mat. She was a natural at it, like any craft she undertakes. Myself, I kept sticking my finger with the felting needle.

We also spent a lot of time in the barns and display areas. The young bucks were so surprised to see us! Boss seemed surprised when I told her the bucks were in a daze when we went up, and then when we spoke their names we could see recognition in their eyes.

We checked out Alpacas (I did get a pic but it's not downloaded yet) and some really cute little baby goats-both cashmere competition and angora crosses. We also looked at lots of angora bunnies and saw two getting shaved.

All of us enjoyed watching Dave Kennard and his border collies. He was having a bit of a rough go with them this year, but they are still a big crowd pleaser.

Early afternoon we went home briefly to check on Peko-who had done very well home alone for four hours. The Firebird opted to stay home-good thing afterI saw the sunburn that rose by the time Willow and I came home.

When Willow and I returned to the frolic, we came across Boss in the show ring with Uureka and her buckling. I asked Boss if she wanted me to go watch her table for her, and instead she handed over Uureka and the buckling for us to finish. Uureka was not impressed!!! For some reason she is not one of the friendlier farm goats, and it didn't help that Willow and I never combed her this year. She has gotten especially jumpy with the arrival of her first kid, the little buck out of Monarch.

There was quite a large audience, and every cashmere goat exihibitor seemed to be present with goats, as well. Here we were front and center with Uureka and her boy as far from us as they could get, occasionally throttling themselves at the end of their leashes in an attempt to get even further. Good thing I don't have stage fright at these things- I just made the best of it.

The buckling had already been evaluated and he won first place for the kid division! Willow was so excited she had to run back and tell Boss. We clipped his blue ribbon to his collar until he tried to eat it.

Then the does were judged-six of them, and I was glad Uureka was called last, as she had adjusted to us a bit better by the time she was called, and I managed to lead her forward without her bolting (cashmere goat shows are much more casual than a dairy goat show where they all parade around so lovely)and Willow brought the buckling forward without event.

Uureka placed second for conformation!! Boss didn't bring her fiber so she wasn't in the class ribbons. So we excused ourselves from the ring and returned the two to their pen. Then Mr. Boss showed up with Uureka's fiber!!! I offerred to run it over to the judge, but Boss said it was ok. The judge had already evaluated all the fiber before the class to speed things up.

Well, then we had a little break before the bucks were called, and I had Boss check out some of our goats fiber. I had brought samples from home. She really liked Nic's fiber! So that was nice. :)

I asked her for a brush and Willow and I cleaned the boys up before their show. Then it was our turn, and of course I asked if Willow could take Bibbles. Boss said yes, and then we had a discussion about the others. I suggested the woman who was volunteering to help should take Rue, since I thought he would be easy for her, and then suggested Boss take Bonnie's Boy, Clyde, since he is skittish. I thought he might be better behaved for Boss than myself after the Uureka incident.

In retrospect, I think Uureka might have been giving Boss a hard time, which is why she handed her over in the middle of the class! Well, I guess I got even by having her take Clyde! He was fine in the ring, but Boss had to drag him there and back, and he would occasionally try to bolt, nearly taking her down.

As we were heading over to the ring, I told Boss the judge would place Clyde first in conformation, and she asked why. I said because he was nice and blocky and the judge was favoring that type.

First the fiber awards for the four were announced. Rue took first, Bibbles took second, Ursula's Boy (now Yul) took third. Then the conformation.

Clyde took first! Boss looked over at me with raised eyebrows and a nod. :D

Willow handled Bibbles so wonderfully! The judge asked if she could walk him, and Willow said, "C'mon Bibbles!" They were the cutest team! I looked at Boss and said I wanted their picture!!! I had my cam in a day sack on my back and didn't want to root around for it in the middle of the class. Plus I wasn't sure if I would spook Yul taking it off. ( oh, I was handling Yul) Yul kept maaing throughout the class. He does have a mouth on him.

Bibbles and Yul tied for second for conformation; that left Rue with third.

Then I thought it was over and Willow and I took the lead out, but then I thought I heard the judge say something, and we had to go back for the class totals. Poor Boss had managed to drag Clyde just out of the ring and had to turn him around and go back. No biggie for Willow and I. :D

Bibbles took best in class!! Willow was sooo happy! Clyde took second, Rue took third. I just realized that left Yul last of the four, and he is my favorite. So I hope that won't cause Boss to eat him. :(

On the way out I had a great long chat with my friends at the gyro stand, prepping for the next day since the fair was closed by then. My girlfriend had run off for supplies, but she and I had exchanged whispers while I was in the ring with Uureka, and she was on the sidelines admiring.

So, I had a chance to chat up her hubby and two of her "boys" ; now big young men that I have watched grow up from tiny tots.

I found out when their next show is and I might have to plan that one into our summer schedule. A music festival. :)

Oh, this is supposed to be about gardening too, but I have gone on too long already. Let's just say we have already had fresh salad greens, the beans and squashes are finally up , and the basil and chard is up-which went in a week later. Bigger seed takes longer to germinate, or warmer weather a week later? Or maybe the moon...;)

Still weeding.

Oh Tonia, if you made it this far, the fort is open to visitors. We didn't go in since it was getting late and we had the dog with us -who likes to eat seatbelts if left unattended in the car. :(

Another Beach day

We found ourselves with a free day and decided to make another pre-season run to the beach. We were greeted with a new sign at our favortie beach, "NO PETS ALLOWED!!!!" in big giant letters right by the entrance. OOps, busted.

Not to worry, I knew of another beach just down the road. I usually call it "Baby Beach" so of course the kids have refused to go the last few years. At high tide, there is no beach at all, the ocean right up to the retaining wall, but today we were in luck. Low tide and still going out.





I took this pic of one fo the rocks as we clambered down to the beach:



First some jumping jacks to warm up. Actually, you know how when you tell kids you want to take their pictures and they just stand there like soldiers? So I said, "How about some jumping jacks?" LOL



Here we are cavorting, courtesy of the ten second timer:




Peko is over his water phobia, or maybe because there were no waves here:



This was pretty funny when he stole Willow's sand shovel:




Everyone's wet here-the water was bone chilling cold. I couldn't make it over knee deep without my ankles going numb.



This is a wild sweet pea growing on the rocks:




On the way out, we took a cruise by Fort William Henry. The coast is full of these old forts dating to colonial times:

Tuesday

I received word from Boss-combing is finished. But she is looking forward to having assistance with the young bucks at the fiber frolic Saturday. I know she is at least taking Bibbles and Rue. She took four yearling bucks last year. Willow had watched from the bench last year, but she was very excited to hear the news-she wants to show Bibbles for Boss if possible.

My friends run a falafel/Gyro stand. Mouse had inquired about Gyros, perhaps I have misspelled them. The way I understand it, the Gyro is greek in origin. It is customarily ground goat meat packed and then cooked on a spindle, and then sliced in long bits as it is cooked. Sometimes my friends use lamb and sometimes mix it with beef. My friends then serve it on wood-stove cooked mid-eastern flatbread. That is an adventure in itself, they haul two woodcookstoves to fairs and the make doughballs, which get rolled like a pizza crust and then are cooked over the open flame til they puff up.

This bread is then filled with the sliced gyro meat, or falafel (fried ground soybean balls) and lettuce and a variety of toppings tomato, etc., and sauces, dang I forgot the name of them all, at least salsa, and the one with yogurt and dill..(long pause, still forget...)

If we pass on that feast, there is still the ice cream stand or hand cut french fries (chips).

On the homefront, another busy day. Dropped some more trees in the goat pen. Yesterday we took the goats for a long pig out in the marsh-for them eating the alders, etc, and the mozzies eating us...

Today I undid a big section of fencing and rebuilt the old outhouse pen for the returned rooster. That took all afternoon. :(

Weeding the garden this am-a never ending chore. So glad I can do it this year since last year I was in screaming agonies with piriformis syndrome. So far so good this year, *knock on wood* The back is a little twangy on uneven ground and occasionally when I sneeze, but all things considered I am enjoying this early summer IMMENSELY! Ya-hoo. Be glad for your health and life!

I took one look at the pics Boss took of us holding pelts and started chopping my hair. I looked like a wild witch in the pix! Just too thick. Layering helps for the time being, but when it grows out I am wild again! We'll see what happens when I wash and condition later-I might be kicking myself in the arse over the chop job. Curly hair, anyone?

Ganders

Here are our two ganders-Loosey the white Pilgrim in the front, and Pluto our new farmyard Toulouse in the back. Lou was not too happy about me taking a pic of his new friend!