Just Pictures

I can’t get enough of the beautiful fall colors; sadly, they are about done.

2TC and Penelope

Aurora in front of the neighbor’s derecho battered corn

Hilda (in heat) and Xerxes

Poor free-range hen hasn’t gotten to free-range since the derecho.

Tilly

Myson

Trace

“Did you bring me a peanut? I don’t care if it’s unsalted.” -Chiffon

Mary

Maybeline

Moose

Myson front and center

Trying to decide if he wants to come out and face the day. I know that feeling.

Keeping the Birds Safe

The last time we had a storm that knocked out power for a couple of days, it was a massacre in the bird coop.  Chickens and peacocks can’t see in the dark. That means they don’t see raccoons to run or fly from them.  Raccoons avoid my building because there is always a light in the room to keep my birds safe.

Now I was without a light again.  While we were cleaning up the maple tree at my mom’s house and waiting to hear from the hospital, I was bugging everyone to see if they had a battery powered light.  Nobody had anything.  Finally, I decided I’d have to go simple.

When the sun went down, I put my plan into action.

The peacocks wouldn’t even go into the barn because they wanted to stay where there was more light.

I shooed them into the building.

All the chickens were already up roosting. I swear to you, those peacocks were so blind I had to shine my little flashlight to let them see where the sawhorse was to jump on.

without flash (it was getting fairly dark)

Then they went to the lower roost with the chickens.

Finally, they went up into the rafters.

It was getting pretty dark in there.

I put my flashlight in the window.

It did make quite the difference.

I trusted that it would work and shut the door for the night.

When I went out and checked in the middle of the night, the flashlight was still going strong and everyone was doing okay.  By morning, it was still good.

I really didn’t take a picture in the middle of the night. This was from when I shut them in–you can see the light is still coming in the window.

That became the new norm for putting the birds to bed.

Every night to try to keep them safe.

In a Routine

We certainly seem to have hit a routine for this late summer.

Pluto and Popcorn

After milking, I spend the rest of the day making cheese or canning.

time to grate cheese, make cheese, and put some fruit in the yogurt

onions to chop and freeze for winter’s use

salsa for my son

The goats go out to pasture pretty early and stay there until late in the evening.

Gill, Tilly, Sidney, Kate, and Edith

Dolly (and Sidney in front)

Of course, I do step out to give the chickens my left-over veggies.

My four milking does come up to get milked and go right back out.

Cutie and Ava coming up (might be Pistol behind)

I did just recently switch to only milking Cinnamon in the evening because she really doesn’t have enough to mess with, but she is my old lady.  She deserves to at least come in once a day for a while.

Cinnamon

Then it’s time to finish up chores and we all are ready to hit the roost.

peacock on the roost

After a good night’s sleep, it’s time to do it all again!