A little gossip... a little chat...
A little idle talk of this and that...
Sometimes it seems like "the girls" in the coop just sit (or stand) around and gossip. In reality they are probably keeping track of the pecking order.... because pecking goes on as well. They have been in the coop more than usual with the cold, wind and sometimes snow. Like Zorro, I think they are ready to go nuts from cabin fever.
Wednesday, the first day back to school after the 2 week break, I expected a yawn fest, but actually the students were rested and tentative. I spent over $200 at Wal-Mart for groceries and many other needed items. As I drove up the drive I noticed Sir Loin and Joe on the wrong side of the fence out by the railroad tracks. And Daniel was shutting a gate that Amiga was cantering toward. Uh oh...I decided to put the groceries on hold and go
help the "boys". By the time I
got on my work coat and boots and got out there, they had Sir Loin back in the paddock. I walked the whole fence line and could not see where he got out at. Is it possible he slipped on the ice and slid like a skater on his side, out under the electro-brade? It is pretty high off the ground where the ditch leaves the south side of the back pasture towards the culvert under the tracks. While in Florida, we got an inch of rain here, on top of the foot of snow, which melted then. This is the most water we have seen in our new water way since it was dug in September.
I decided to keep an eye on Sir Loin for a bit while also taking some pictures. He showed no interest in the fence. I put Amiga on the side pasture in case we needed to open gates in back to re-capture Sir Loin.
I waited until 6pm (after dark) to do chores since I had been outside messing around for quite awhile earlier. Amiga came right in off the side pasture, but sure enough, Sir Loin was missing again. So, I headed out across the paddock toward the back pasture shaking the grain bucket and calling his name. It being dark and him being black, made it hard to see him. This time I found him in the side pasture. He came up to the gate by the barn wanting in to get his supper. I shut him in the paddock for the night not knowing if he would be there in the morning.
He was there,
but I kept Amiga and him in the paddock while I was at school. Once home from school Thursday and Friday I let Amiga out into the side pasture but put Sir Loin out back. Both days he managed to get through the fence between the back and side pasture to join Amiga again.
As you can see from these pictures, we got a dusting of snow. What you can't tell is how cold and windy it got. Friday and Saturday it was in the teens or single digits, but felt below 0 degrees with the wind chill.
Bad girl Amiga....don't chew on the pine trees.
Bad boy Sir Loin....don't strip bark off the cherry tree.
Amiga and Sir Loin are good about coming in off the side pasture for their evening grain as well. In this series of pictures, Bro and Kaysha have followed be out into the side pasture. I wanted to get a picture of the house. This second video shows Amiga heading in towards the barn. While Bro was out there with me I could hear Missy crying from near the barn. She is still too shy to go too far from it. That is probably a good thing. Danger lurks beyond.
Missy follows Bro a little ways from barn.... But still worries about Kaysha.
Britney was in California Thursday-Monday and Daniel had Army Reserve all weekend, so it was pretty quiet around here. Saturday morning I went to a Horse Training Class Marj is giving for the next 6 weeks. We are studying Lessons In Lightness and viewing the Larry Whitesell DVD. After class I went out to the barn with Courtney to visit and help walk Zorro.
Sunday morning before Church I caught this series of photos. The chickens were enjoying the sun and pecking at who knows what. When I stepped out to get the first 3 photos, Bro came running over. Then Floppsie came to see what I was up to and Hercules was right behind her. Bro started rolling and being playful but Hercules wasn't quite sure what to do. Then he gave Bro the scare, and that did the trick to chase Brother off. The last 2 photos are from the kitchen window.
After late Church, I went to Marj's to walk Zorro. It did not go well at all. Once I was back here at my desk I started crying. I don't know what my problem was....but I do know that I am very worried about Zorro. He's just not his usual sweet self. When I was walking him he was horrible. I couldn't get him to relax and walk nicely. He kept spooking, would spin, rear and buck, snort and throw his head, his eyes were sometimes wild and he seemed very hostile. I tried talking nicely and soothing him....but that didn't help. I tried being firm and assertive.....but that seemed to make him worse. Nothing worked, so I gave up after about 15 minutes because he was really scaring me. This stall rest is really getting to him. It just breaks my heart to see this change in him. It makes me cry. I wish I knew what we could do for him. He is going nuts from being cooped up. I feel so bad for him, and for Courtney. I really want to help, but I am so inadequate. Thankfully, Marj has been a big help, both with housing and handling Zorro and with moral support.
Sunday afternoon, we caught Sir Loin in the act of escaping. Check out this video. Now we have yet another problem on our hands, a cow that does not respect the electro-braid fence. It is made stretchy so that animals that run into it don't get hurt, but it also allows ornery, tenacious buggers like this cow to slip through.
Monday kind of dragged. I was still feeling bummed about life. The school day went fine, but Shopping at Wal-Mart was a fiasco. Snow was predicted....so I guess everyone thought they needed to stock up. It didn't help my disposition any. I got home with out offending anyone, but there were some close calls. Then I prepared two dishes to take to our evening Growth Group Pot Luck. The food was great and fellowship even better. So I came home feeling much happier about life. Daniel arrived a little later with Britney whom he had brought home from O'Hare airport. Life felt good.
I was kind of hoping for a snow day this morning, but no....there was just enough snow to slow down the drive into work. I went to Marj's on the way home to walk Zorro and save Courtney a trip out in the crummy weather. Zorro did great. I was so re-leaved to see him behaving like his old self. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he was so much better.
Joe had installed a back up electrical power box in place of the solar on the fence yesterday, and reported that when Sir Loin went to escape as usual, he jumped back when his nose touched the fence. It was good news that the solar power was just not enough to give him a good zap, but this new electrical one is.
Today when I got home and opened the gate to the back pasture, Amiga and Sir Loin went trotting out through the falling snow. Sir Loin eyed his escape spot and then turned to look at me. He didn't even get close to the fence this time.
It stopped snowing at dusk, leaving us with about 4 inches, but then the wind started to blow. Andy plowed our drive earlier in the day, but I suspect it will need it again come morning. Life is good, even when it gets tough, it's just hard to realize it at those times. As always, I am so thankful for all my blessings, even though some of them come disguised in tough lessons.
Missy follows Bro a little ways from barn.... But still worries about Kaysha.
Britney was in California Thursday-Monday and Daniel had Army Reserve all weekend, so it was pretty quiet around here. Saturday morning I went to a Horse Training Class Marj is giving for the next 6 weeks. We are studying Lessons In Lightness and viewing the Larry Whitesell DVD. After class I went out to the barn with Courtney to visit and help walk Zorro.
Sunday morning before Church I caught this series of photos. The chickens were enjoying the sun and pecking at who knows what. When I stepped out to get the first 3 photos, Bro came running over. Then Floppsie came to see what I was up to and Hercules was right behind her. Bro started rolling and being playful but Hercules wasn't quite sure what to do. Then he gave Bro the scare, and that did the trick to chase Brother off. The last 2 photos are from the kitchen window.
After late Church, I went to Marj's to walk Zorro. It did not go well at all. Once I was back here at my desk I started crying. I don't know what my problem was....but I do know that I am very worried about Zorro. He's just not his usual sweet self. When I was walking him he was horrible. I couldn't get him to relax and walk nicely. He kept spooking, would spin, rear and buck, snort and throw his head, his eyes were sometimes wild and he seemed very hostile. I tried talking nicely and soothing him....but that didn't help. I tried being firm and assertive.....but that seemed to make him worse. Nothing worked, so I gave up after about 15 minutes because he was really scaring me. This stall rest is really getting to him. It just breaks my heart to see this change in him. It makes me cry. I wish I knew what we could do for him. He is going nuts from being cooped up. I feel so bad for him, and for Courtney. I really want to help, but I am so inadequate. Thankfully, Marj has been a big help, both with housing and handling Zorro and with moral support.
Sunday afternoon, we caught Sir Loin in the act of escaping. Check out this video. Now we have yet another problem on our hands, a cow that does not respect the electro-braid fence. It is made stretchy so that animals that run into it don't get hurt, but it also allows ornery, tenacious buggers like this cow to slip through.
Monday kind of dragged. I was still feeling bummed about life. The school day went fine, but Shopping at Wal-Mart was a fiasco. Snow was predicted....so I guess everyone thought they needed to stock up. It didn't help my disposition any. I got home with out offending anyone, but there were some close calls. Then I prepared two dishes to take to our evening Growth Group Pot Luck. The food was great and fellowship even better. So I came home feeling much happier about life. Daniel arrived a little later with Britney whom he had brought home from O'Hare airport. Life felt good.
I was kind of hoping for a snow day this morning, but no....there was just enough snow to slow down the drive into work. I went to Marj's on the way home to walk Zorro and save Courtney a trip out in the crummy weather. Zorro did great. I was so re-leaved to see him behaving like his old self. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he was so much better.
Joe had installed a back up electrical power box in place of the solar on the fence yesterday, and reported that when Sir Loin went to escape as usual, he jumped back when his nose touched the fence. It was good news that the solar power was just not enough to give him a good zap, but this new electrical one is. 
Today when I got home and opened the gate to the back pasture, Amiga and Sir Loin went trotting out through the falling snow. Sir Loin eyed his escape spot and then turned to look at me. He didn't even get close to the fence this time.
It stopped snowing at dusk, leaving us with about 4 inches, but then the wind started to blow. Andy plowed our drive earlier in the day, but I suspect it will need it again come morning. Life is good, even when it gets tough, it's just hard to realize it at those times. As always, I am so thankful for all my blessings, even though some of them come disguised in tough lessons.
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