Feline faux pas

April 13, 2011April 15, 20114 Comments

Yesterday out in the park, as we like to call it, I had the company of my two kitties Claus and Little Bit. I love kitty watching as much as I do chicken watching! Here is what I observed…

It is never a good idea to lick a fire ant hill. (Yes really!)

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Suddenly, for reasons only known to them, Clause ran over to Little Bit and…

Pounce!

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BITE!

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Was she was making fun of him for licking the ants? Perhaps, but she got her revenge for the attack!

“Hey, She bit back! Hard!”

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But in no time all is forgiven and they are off exploring together.

“BFF”

All my kitties are from ‘rescued’ situations. But it is Little Bit whose story I know. She had literally been thrown into a dumpster as a kitten and my veterinarian’s staff heard her cries when they were at Mac Donalds for lunch. They didn’t want to give her a name (attachment issues) so they just called her “Dumpster Kitty” on her paperwork. Her near death and starving conditions as a kitten have given her the ability to eat just about anything. Why she’ll even push aside the chickens for chicken feed and scratch!

She has become the other girl in Bob’s life.

I’m OK with that. 😉

At Last

April 2, 2011April 2, 20112 Comments

At last, the sun has come along
The coldest days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My yard is wrapped up in clovers
The sunlight feels good too…

Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For the sun will shine
At last

(With apologies to Etta James 😉 )

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The view from my window

Sadly, I think if I want a lawn this year I will have to get out there and replant it. The winter was just too harsh and not much but weeds and daffodils have survived it. Ahem, and much as I love my chickens, I will need to put up the electric poultry fence to keep them from eating all the seeds!!!

And poor Little Red Hen…

Little Red is finding the sunshine particularly comforting this morning.

She has lost about 75 percent of her feathers so far this spring and got an eye infection to boot! I took her to the vet in Tennessee yesterday and now she gets eye salve three times a day to clear it up. Gasp! But every time I pick her up more feathers fall out! Thankfully, they are growing in quickly and the weather is going to be warmer for the next few days.

Is it warming up where you are?

Photo Friday: Polly’s first egg

February 25, 2011July 1, 201112 Comments

WARNING: While I don’t find the following pictures too graphic, you may… that said I hope you enjoy seeing something you might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.
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She began building a nest around Buddy’s chew bone, sat on it and tried it out for size, and then continued building.

Much later I heard a strangely familiar sound, but it wasn’t chickens…

It was Polly laying her first egg!

Molly watches like a good Midwife.

The rest of the flock seemed to be standing guard through the process.

Cheeky and Spot: “OK, show’s over! Time for a nap.”

It is never boring here on the Farmlet!

Can Spring be so far off?

February 22, 2011February 23, 20116 Comments

The days warm to mid sixties and low seventies. I see the buds swelling on my berries and roses. The bulbs are awakening and pushing up everywhere in the lawns, along fencelines and around the house too! And the grass, though patchy, is slowly greening and this makes the Geese happy!

“GREENS!” They honk and proceed to push over the little green poultry fencing I had up to keep them in all winter. Bob shouts to me ” Hey! Your geese are out!” I round them up, put them back into the north quarter, and repair the fence line.

But what is this? What is Polly doing out there by the straw bales?

Picking up straw…