A Little of This, A Little of That

What a beautiful spring day in our little corner of Michigan.  Just perfect.

The donkeys enjoyed a little walkabout.

Ditto for the hens.

 Although their heightened sense of danger in every corner is still evident.

The sky chair was put up for a little Sunday reading and relaxing.

Which meant I felt compelled to make some iced tea.

Yes, I "cheated" and used my years-old brewer.  It's just too darned easy.  Along with some decaf leaf tea from Simpson and Vail.  Yes, I highly recommend this family-owned business.  They have a wonderful selection of just about any tea imaginable, including organic teas.  And their customer service is just what you'd want.  I've called and described (in my non-fancy terms) the kind of green tea I like; they made suggestions which hit the mark.  

Now it's time to start some asparagus soup for tonight's repast.

We'll talk again soon.

Traumatized Chickens

The girls are acting pretty kooky.

Peggy Sue died on Easter, that's 10 days ago.  And the girls are still displaying traumatized behavior.  They rarely come out into their pen (see below) which faces north bordering the pasture),

but will come out of their coop, through the donkey barn and out into the donkey yard (facing south).  While someone is there.






Today was spring clean-up of the coop, well partially at least.  The cobweb vacuuming will wait until its a tad warmer. 

Normally the girls will wander around outside the coop while I'm cleaning, occasionally inspecting my work.  Not today.  They preferred to poke around in the barn until I enticed them out into the sunshine with treats.










Last year we lost Dottie to a hawk.  In March, same spot in the pasture.  That "coincidence" has me grasping for a connection  Took the girls less than a week and they were back to normal behavior.  Things are very different this time.

Damn the Hawks

We lost Peggy Sue this afternoon between 1:30 and 3:00.

Rick and I were doing some "vet work" (and I use that term loosely) on Ruby Dee in the donkey yard around 1:00, leaving the area with chickens running loose roughly a half an hour later.  I went out at 3:00 to corral everyone and I knew immediately something was wrong.  The neighbor's guinea hens were squawking like crazy in a bush next to the donkey pasture.

No, it can't be.  Deja vu with the scene from last year and Dottie.  Same place. 
Her body there with feathers strewn.  Had to be a hawk.  Damn it!

Lily and Lulu (Peggy Sue's chick mates) were wandering a bit looking dazed.  Calling the rest of the girls, I peered into the far pasture, checked the coop, my stomach turning with each minute of no girls.  I found them huddled in the donkey shed, Ruby Dee with her head under a hay pallet.

I'm sure I posed the same question last year when we lost Dottie.
Free range (even for a short time) vs safety.
Safest times for free range.  I moved their free time up to early afternoon to try and avoid foxes.  There just doesn't seem to be any safe zone.

Damn it!

Peggy Sue on top with Lulu.
She could not be kept away from the hay aisle.

Lily on the left
Peggy Sue in the middle
Lulu on the right

Back at SASHA Farm

Wednesday of last week was a good day.  I mean a good day.
It was the first time since surgery that I gave the new knee a test run at SASHA Farm Sanctuary.  For  newcomers to the blog - a friend and I volunteer twice monthly to feed, water and clean.  Its a gift of love to the many rescued residents at the Farm.

And I made it through the whole shift.  That in itself was a reason to celebrate.
Of course, I also got to see my human buddies and all my non-human favorites.
Yes, it was a good day.

Let me introduce you to some of those who allowed a quick pic.

   

I am partial to the equines and in the middle of this threesome is Walker the mule.  

At my first visit to the Farm as a guest, I donated to help support this gorgeous boy.  

He has remained one of my favorites. 

His counterpart, Angel

Also a beauty, but a little more aloof

Daisy Belle, the belle of the ball

We cannot forget the Jersey Five who preceded Daisy

My, how they've grown since I was there last

The regal Dave Ramsey

And two cuties I cannot introduce by name - oh dear

Last we have little Puck, who clearly had enjoyed the proverbial roll in the hay

It's impossible not to love them all.

It's March, It's Michigan, It's Madness

All of us are sick of the white stuff -- the donkeys, the chickens... and me.

The donkeys are tired of single path roadways (no, we do not like to walk in the snow).

And those roadways are now mud.  Boot-sucking, slop-onto-the-bottom-of-your-pants mud.

Chickens are sick of limited exploring room.  (no, we do not like to walk in the snow)

For a few hours in the afternoon I fling open the coop door (which opens into the donkey shed) and close the donkey shed gate.  Chickens can roam as far as they wish on muddy pathways, hop back through the gate and get into the coop. 

But donks are blocked from the shed and coop. (if allowed in the coop, they are apt to go on a chicken feed gorging destructive rampage)  We only do this on sunny, fairly warm days when the four hooligans don't need the protection of the shed.

And I am oh so tired of those single lane pathways as well.  They are easily and frequently (no read that always) blocked by donkeys who just stand in the way.  I explain if they don't move and let me through there will be no hay on the menu.  They turn a deaf ear and stand.   I, not the model of patience, explain more forcefully and loudly.  And then there are the times I get caught in the middle of a pushing war and remind the culprits I am in the middle of this and to STOP IT. 

Ah yes, it's idyllic.  Sigh.

If the weatherman is forecasting with some semblance of competency, we'll be warming up into the 40's in a couple of days and (fingers crossed) lose a lot of this dadblasted snow.  Of course, we'll be back to lots of mud, but as long as I know we're moving forward, I can stand it.


And finally, to close on a pleasant note, I leave you with a new possession.

It makes me smile.

Faith aka Fay aka Fayray

A number of unusual events gobsmacked us this week.

For starters we went from balmy weather without ice, without snow, without too much mud to this... in a day.  And then we got dumped on again. 

The sweetness of a new spring is out of our grasp again.

So exciting for me, but most likely ho-hum for you -  for the first time since knee surgery, I was able to take a much-missed steamy hot bath.  And get out of the tub.  It takes a big bend of the knees and weight bearing to get up and out and I did it!  Glorioski, it's downright fabulous.

Lastly, and quite significant, a new little girl came to live with us.

About a month off the track and with a foster mom for three weeks, Faith was ready to launch into her new adventure.  She has been with us for less than a week; hardly time to get a full picture of her personality, but we do know she is playful, inquisitive, gentle and has some handy training under her belt.

Is a goofball

   

And clearly likes to snuggle.

 Gunner is pretty OK with the whole arrangement

Crime Investigation

We discovered a couple of days ago that hooligans had vandalized the "yellow door" to the chicken coop.  Yes, it literally happened overnight.

We contacted the local authorities and they detained two groups of suspects for questioning.

Suspect Group #1

Suspect Group #2

If you have any information about this incident, please contact the authorities.  We intend to prosecute!