Weather

It's stormed here recently, in case you didn't know. Ted calls them "Whoopee-bangers." Usually I roll my eyes, but in this case, I agree.

We lost our kennel building, though the outdoor, fenced-in runs weren't harmed at all. A large maple limb came down perfectly in our barnyard, and because it didn't take down any fence, and wasn't endangering anything, we decided to leave it for a bit. The llamas are having a ball eating the leaves, and the chickens have decided it makes the perfect roost. There's another branch down atop a couple of the outdoor monkey cages, and every once in a while I catch them throwing leaves at each other. The day after the "big storm" another smaller storm came through and knocked a tree down over the driveway.

Clockwise from top left: The tree in the side of the kennel; the outside of the kennel; inside one of the dog runs in the kennel; llamas enjoying the maple limb; and Topaz "hiding" where she thinks I can't see her.

Other people got it worse than us. One of the neighbors had her electrical torn from the side of her house, but she still had power. She was scared to death and called Ted in a panic. He called CL&P for her, and they took care of her. Three houses down the street had two trees over both their cars and live wires in their yard- all while they were in Vermont. Their neighbors received a "natural skylight" in their living room.

Somewhere across town, someones chicken coop lost fencing...

Ted called me up yesterday afternoon, asking if I was coming over. He said he got me something. (A PUPPY?) I hate surprises. (Unless they're puppies.) I headed over. (Maybe a puppy!)

When he told me it was on the kitchen counter I was disappointed. (No puppy.) Apparently, someone brought a chicken to the local vet, claiming that their dog caught it in their yard, but they got it loose from the dog before any damage was done.

What should a vet office do with a frightened little hen with a bruised leg and nowhere to go? Of course, they call Ted.

She has an almost hawk-ish look to her. When I first walked in she was laying down in a rabbit cage, and all I saw was her head. My first thought from across the kitchen was, "He must be insane- I don't do raptors!" But she's a sweet little hen. Soft as can be, and the most beautiful slate gray. Ted and I debate on breed. I think she's an araucana, and Ted thinks she must be something else. (My response? "Well, wait till she lays an egg.") She's rumpless and tiny. She can't possibly weigh more than our cockatoos.

Our cockatoos who are keeping her company in the extra outdoor monkey cage on the porch till her leg gets better...

Time to play

"Guess The Chicken Breed"

Rain

Rain… is a good thing.

There’s a song out now by Luke Bryan that says just that. He’s right.

When the hay needs water, when the cornfields are parched, and when the pond can barely sustain the frogs, let alone the fish, rain is a good thing.

We don’t grow plants on the farm- another good thing, since I have the complete opposite of a “green thumb”- but we still take advantage of dreary days. Ted bunkers down inside, making pots of soup, mending saddles, and catching up on Fox News. He and Mary bicker. I run errands.

When it’s nice outside I have cleaning to do. There are stalls to be cleaned, ponies to be groomed, and llamas to work with. I’m constantly adding to the ever-expanding manure pile. Ted moves fencing around, and plays on the tractor. I try to bring Billie-Jo out every couple weeks and cross-tie her in the barn, with the hope that when it comes time to have her feet done she’ll stand still long enough… and NOT kick anyone in the head. Crias need to be halter-broken, goat feet ALWAYS need to be done, and whenever I think I’ve almost caught up Ted pulls into the yard with a truck full of hay to unload.

Rainy days mean I can lounge around. The barn stays full and crowded with animals that don’t want their hair to get wet. I get to run to the feed store to pick up shavings, or to Tractor Supply to re-fill our “cookie jar,” or to the laundromat to get the horse blankets washed before the next job.

Today, it was to Mackey’s for a 50lb. bag of lime (we’ve been out for ages) and a new halter for Emerald. For the life of me, I still don’t understand why they don’t make llama halters in green. They make pony halters, horse halters, sheep halters, and even ALPACA halters in beautiful forest green, but my llama named EMERALD has to go out wearing blue.
Well, he’ll survive. Even if he is a little cranky because it’s rainy.