Lotsa stuff. Arguably this is the busiest time of the year. The guys are finishing up planting corn and are chopping hay for the cows and have baled one small load for the calves in the barn. Got the tomatoes mostly all in yesterday. Sheared a little on the old sheep....she loved it too. Lay there turning her neck this way and that so I could reach the itchy spots better.
Alan is progressing quite rapidly on replacing the piston in the Case 930. Hoping real hard that it will run when he gets done.
There are some odd doings as well. For example I was roundly and soundly cussed out on my own front porch yesterday morning. I went out to get a container to pot up a tomato for my mom. As soon as I got out there it started. Chatter, chatter, chatter. Rattle, rattle, rattle. The house wrens have decided to nest in the little ornamental bird house my lovely sister-in-law gave me for my birthday a few years ago. They are more than a little territorial. As soon as I went back inside the male returned to swing on the camel bells and sing me away. The diminutive female pounced back into her abode and nestled into her nest of feathers, fluff and sticks, bill tip tilted toward the door, covering her tiny eggs. They are going to have to share though....
Then there is that whole bartering thing. Becky's dear little Buff Orpington hen, Chick Pea, finally passed away, the last of her year's group. In the chicken world she was ancient. Her remains were left in the lane by the bridge between the house and barn for disposal in the morning. However, when we crossed to milk yesterday morning, her poor old body was gone. In its place was a fat (deceased) baby cottontail. Guess our resident fox decided a bird in the hand was worth more than a rabbit in the paws or something.
Anyhow, we had a good laugh about it. I still wonder why the fox didn't come back for the bunny...and what I wouldn't have given to have witnessed the exchange.
I wonder how long it stood there pondering....tender, but small bunny? Huge, but very old and tough as heck hen?
Feathers or fur?
Not exactly surf or turf, but maybe meadow or hen house? Grass or grain fed?
Did it try to carry them both?
I wonder, I wonder....
You folks are always busy!! I'm glad the weather has cooperated so you could bale up some hay.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to Alan and the Case 930. It will run - no doubt about it :)
Your bird house is sweet - those house wrens sounds more like shrews...and the fox - that's a real puzzle. Obviously there's plenty to eat around your place :)
That is so cool that Al is doing the tractor. You will have to let us know how he did. I like the picture of the birdhouse.
ReplyDeletevery interesting regarding the fox...maybe a vixen needing to feed her pups and the larger the better.
ReplyDeleteY'all are such a hard working, good bunch of people!
ReplyDeletethat's a funny story about the bunny/chicken...nice writing!
ReplyDeleteBusy as usual! That is pretty funny about the fox bartering. I'd take chicken over just about anything, but maybe not ancient chicken.
ReplyDeleteAh nature...I too, would have loved to witness the pondering of the fox. Wonder if he tried to fit both in his mouth and had to give up?
ReplyDeleteChuckle! I wonder also. Maybe the fact it was a 'farm' animal won out...the forbidden you know. Then he/she got it home and...whew! Soft little bunny would have been better.
ReplyDeleteI've done that...something looks good in the grocery store, costs lots more than if I made it myself, but hummmm Okay I'll buy it.
Ugh! I'll make it myself next time. It was the packaging that got me.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Fred Hope Alan makes out on the tractor. If he needs any help let me know!
ReplyDeleteLove ya
Mappy
Deb, tis the season! lol
ReplyDeleteToday is the day on the Case. Hoping real hard.....something killed a big hen turkey right on the lawn last night. We were just photographing her yesterday. It is crazy!
lisa, I have loved that little bird house since you folks gave it to me years ago. One year chickadees nested in it!
KK, you could be right. Or maybe it was even a coyote. Something killed a turkey right on the lawn last night!
Dani...and you are a very kind person. Thank you
anon, thanks! This is never a boring place for sure. lol
FC, she was pretty old....and pretty raggedy...
Teri, I wondered the same thing! I think he may have come back for the bunny the next night.
Linda, you have that exactly right and I think we all do it now and then....although these days we are trying to make more and more at home. Between cost and contamination...
Matt, thanks kiddo. You are such a good guy. Mark Hayes of the Supernatural fame came down and adjusted the valves last night. What a great guy! It isn't every ancient farm tractor that gets attention from one of the top tractor pullers in the state. That old Case has quite a history!!
Man! I can just picture that por fox having to stnad there and make a decision. "eenie, meenie, meini..." HA!
ReplyDeleteJoated, we had quite a laugh about it too. It was such a shock to see that fat little rabbit neatly laid in the path where the hen had been the night before! What is your vote on who dun it? Grey fox, which has a den under one of the out buildings (and which beats us to all the black raspberries)? Or coyote, of which we really have a lot this year and they seem to have lost much of their natural fear and come right into the house yard?
ReplyDelete