Lake Middle of the Lawn

Home to wandering geese and ducks.

Make that, she geese and ducks.  They're pretty funny to watch through the window, but the moment I go out to take pictures, they head back to the coop.

 Nope, nope.  We're not swimming if you're watching.

 Home!  Everybody run!

But the proof is in the feathers.

 Back at the coop.

Three white geese.  One yellow ducky.  So happy, just to be bathing again!

The snow has sunken at least a foot already.  The weather has been above freezing for a week already, with another week in the forecast, and even a high of 20°C predicted for Wednesday.

While I'm not apt to believe winter is over just yet, I am enjoying this lovely break.

We butchered 4 roosters.  9 others have vanished, leaving us with two. 

We lost another turkey hen- to the dog who kills for fun and will soon be living elsewhere.

The kids are doing great.

Casper is staying on his side of the fence!

The boys' room is painted.

The chickens are laying!

A lovely week!

That's Just the Kind of Day It's Been

It was a beautiful +10°C the other day!!! Yes, that's a PLUS sign! What could possibly go wrong on a gorgeous day like this?

Well...

Dad was over with the tractor in the morning, so I got him to clean up around the gate. There was so much snow in the way that the chain we use to fasten it was on it's last link, leaving a wide enough gap for goats and Toothless to squeeze through. All nice and tight now.

The snow slid off the roof of the barn. We knew it was going to happen, but we weren't sure how it would fare. I was outside. I heard it. I saw it. I ducked and ran for cover. Success at last! It's still standing! There is some damage to the beam on the top corner, but by golly, on the fourth attempt, it didn't go kersplat!

I sent the Littles up top to shovel snow off, to reduce the weight. It's still not enough of an angle/not slippery enough to slide right off onto the ground.  They had a blast riding huge snow chunks off the edge.

Casper has continued his escapades since the plowing was done. I went walk about in the beautiful sunshine, following the fence line. The fence around the back of the barn yard all looks good and solid.

In the afternoon Casper was out again. I went out to put him away, and found him back in the pasture. Nelly was out instead.

Not good. It wouldn't be long til everyone else was getting out too.  I let her help herself to the hay lean-to while I tossed more hay over the fence. Then I went to look at the worst parts of the fence around the barn to find the escape route.

I think I found it. Casper must have been squeezing through the gate. And he must have tried it again with the gate chain tight. Because this is what I found.

The wooden gate meets in the middle with the metal gate (left side)(I should have taken a better picture). The wooden gate doesn't get used through the winter, and is quite solidly buried in snow. And the top board had been snapped!  So I figure he must have met resistance when he was squeezing through this time, and just kept pushing.  There's a new temporary 2X4 nailed in across the top now, and overlapping and nailed into the corner post as well.  The gate hinges are pulled out of the corner post at the top, and who knows what it looks like under the snow.  So this is a temporary fix until spring.  Or until the next great escape.

Back in the lean-to, I had a nice chat with Nelly about milking.  I petted her and loved her, and played with her udders.

She's pretty agreeable (or basically ignoring me while she stuffs her face). She doesn't seem to be bagging up, just pleasantly plump.

Maybe a bit of a bulge. She might be pregnant.

Wait a minute...

What was that?

I think my baby's gonna have a baby!

It Just Keeps on Snowing

And snowing, and snowing. Another foot overnight. Snowing and blowing all day. It's hard to say how much has actually accumulated.

Walking towards the barn.  It's really hard to see the paths.  You know when you miss though. 

I don't even know what this is. 

This was about an hour after Husband and #1 plowed.  If you squint you can make out the ledge of snow on the side of the drive.  The drive itself is drifted back in.

They also pulled the snow back from the fence inside the pasture.  It's drifted in, but soft now, so the beasties can't stand on it.

The beasties who pretend they're innocent, just hangin' at the hay bale.

The front gate & fence.  They straightened out a weak spot, and added another line of barbed wire across the top of the posts.

That should keep them in, for now.  Do you think an 8 foot fence would be sufficient?  Or maybe 12?  We'll be replacing fence posts around the winter zone this summer.  Much higher.  Much, much, higher.

Yesterday we chased the beasts back in 3 times.  Mindy hopped the fence again about three seconds after we got her in last night.  She was missing this morning.  I'm not sure where she spent the night, but she was back in the hay lean-to around 11am, acting like that was perfectly normal.  Damn cow.

Damn snow.

Pepper Transplants

Transplanted the rest of the tomatoes and all of the first set of peppers the other day. I think I have a few more peppers than I might need, lol. The salsa and jalapenos had excellent germination. The California wonders- two. Go figure.

Paper Towel Gardening

I read about this on Chickens in the Road yesterday morning. I did a google search and some more reading, then had to try it out.

Instead of trying to divide all of those squares in the garden, you preglue the seeds to paper towels in the comfort of your home, on a winter day. I didn't have any Elmer's school glue, so I tried some with a glue stick (it says washable, not water soluble), some with egg whites (thanks to this post by PP), and some with wood glue. They all worked, but the wood glue was easiest to work with. I'll do some more after I get some school glue, then wait and see if it makes any difference when it's time to grow.

Kid Report

They're starting to look more like a family.

Shaq is still fascinated with the goat in the glass.

And Sheila is on her feet. She's still a little shaky at times, and tires easier than her brother, but coming around. We haven't had to pick her up to nurse at all today.

She even went outside with Mama and Shaq for a little while today.

They're all sleeping in the house for a couple more days. The weather's much milder now, but I want to be sure the kids aren't going to suffer any big set backs before they move back to the coop.

Kid Pics

So here are some pics of Mama and the little ones.

I'm not sure what's up with Sheila. She constantly slides to the floor in this position, and then can't get up on her own. We pick her up and put her on her feet when Shaq is nursing, and she can stand long enough to nurse. Then she slides back down with her legs splayed out behind her.

Sometimes she starts or keeps nursing from this position, if Mama's standing close enough. But then Mama steps on her, because she can't get out of the way.

She's a hungry little thing, and we're taking that as a good sign. Hopefully she'll catch up to her brother soon.

Shaq is getting more playful every minute.  He's started climbing on the hay bale, the step, and the ledge beside the wood stove.  We haven't been lighting the sunroom stove, because we don't want Mama getting over heated.  Shaq likes to stand right in front of it, just like Bullwinkle did last year.  I think I've got it figured out.  He was head butting his reflection yesterday.  He thinks there's another goat in there!

Shaq has also started wandering off of the hay pile, onto the slippery tile floor.   He does the cutest little dance and maas at his mother.  He went kersplat this morning, into the same splayed out pose as Sheila, and bawled until I put him back on his feet.

With Sheila not doing so well, we're only going to keep her inside all day, and let Mama and Shaq outside for an hour or two to stretch their legs.