Yesterday, my son, Mustachio, called just to see how I was and to catch up on our lives. He told me that Sheepie had come home with a kitten that looks like it is part Calico, part Tiger and part raccoon. Very unique looking. He said he would send me a picture of it but I haven't gotten it yet. When I do, I'll share it. But, he said that Sheepie pulled a *Puss in boots* face on him (you will know the face I mean if you have seen the movie, Shrek) and begged him to let her keep it. Think of that face and you won't wonder why he couldn't say *no* to her. So they have a dog AND a cat living with them now.
He said that the dog was, at first, not liking the cat at all but that changed within a day. They both are tolerating each other well now.
I told him about Baron and Sassy and their actually cuddling together. That wasn't how it started out but they get along just fine now and even play together. Oh, and we did find out what happened to Sassy's brother. He's been adopted by the neighbors in back of us and is an inside cat now. Their cat died (of old age) about a year or so ago. I know that the woman missed her cat a lot. I would, too, after almost 18 years. I guess the brother furbaby liked their food better (they gave him canned...lol). The Beast discovered this when he stopped to talk to the wife while he was out taking Baron for his run. He just asked if they had seen the furbaby and she thought the Beast was looking for *our* cat and started to apologize but he told her that he was just worried that something might have happened to him. Something bad. She was relieved and said he seemed content. That's all we needed to know. I know Sassy wants to be petted and held a lot since her brother deserted her but she enjoys having Baron around.
Chewlee gathered up some of the long grass and some other growing things in a huge pile and went and fed it to the chickens today. They LOVED it all and, at first, started to fight over it until she had scattered quite a few piles around their yard. They all claimed an area for themselves and just gorged on it. I think that they missed the greenery in their diet since they had cleared out the grass and now have to wait for it to grow. They don't pull it out of the ground but they do eat it down to the ground. Now we just need a bit more rain and then it will abound again.
We ate BLT's for our dinner tonight...Chewlee didn't want the T so she literally had a bacon and lettuce sandwich. On toast, with mayonnaise. She screwed up her nose when she saw I had mayo on it but I told her to try it before she objected. When she did, she liked it. I won't say she was crazy about it but I couldn't imagine it without anything on it but bacon and lettuce. Maybe on just plain bread but.... All of the bacon was really crispy since the Beast bakes it in the oven. It's great made that way. We have a grid that fits over the pan so all the drippings go into it. No splatters like you can get when you fry it in a pan on the stove...and no splatter burns, either!
Chewlee now likes to take showers instead of taking a bath. She also loved my shower soaps. I laughed because she used one fragrance on her body and the other one on her face and neck. I think she used the one on her face and neck because she wants a *peaches and cream* complexion....LOL.
She spent tonight figuring out my age versus her age at different stages of her future life. She actually thinks I just might live long enough to see them. I was so glad to hear that. I assured her that I was going to try my best to be around.
Well, it's late and she seems to finally be settled in. She has to go home tomorrow morning because her mother said they still have to color eggs, take pictures for Easter and a few other things. I think the Beast is going to meet up with a couple people from his church tomorrow morning so I will have to drive her home. That's why I need to get to bed now.
Love you all. Be good. I missed out on checking my FB site since I was busy around the house, and also played a game on Pogo with Chewlee. She really loves those hidden object games. So do I, actually. It's always fun with her because she sees things that I miss and vice versa. Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter. ***Hugs***
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Chewlee Comes For A Sleepover....Or Two.
You read that right, my Chewlee came for a sleepover today. She came, as usual, with clothes for three days plus three of her stuffed animals. She MUST have her stuffed animals with her when she goes to bed, which is where she is right now. She also brought along her school yearbook. She opened it up to show me the pictures of her class and then began pointing out all her friends and one little girl that she didn't like. It seems that the little girl was nasty to her when she first came to her new school and they now have a mutual dislike for each other.
Knowing Chewlee the way I do, I believe she would have been friends with her if the girl had acted nicely back then. But now it seems that it is a breach that may never heal. But, with kids, you just never know, do you?
Chewlee has decided that we should call the little female furbaby Sassy. She says it's because of the way that she greets you. I really think she may have meant *Saucy* but I'm not sure. However, Sassy works and so it shall be from this day forward. She likes Sassy and said that if we decided we didn't want her any more, she wants her. I told her I didn't think her mother would agree since Sassy really wants to come inside a lot but then wants to go outside almost as quickly. That would drive the Princess nuts. Besides, she has adopted the same attitude as her hubby and thinks animals belong outside. It would be different if they had an actual shelter for her or if they had a barn already but they don't. So Sassy stays right here.
Her brother has gone missing. I have no idea what happened to him but he liked the food we put out and never missed a meal. It's now been three days since we saw him so something must have happened to him. That makes me so sad. At least Sassy stays close to home. I go out at times and pet and cuddle her. You can't help it because she is so friendly and lovable. She also has made friends with a couple of the chickens. One day I will manage to capture a picture of that. Their *nose touching* (nose to beak) is just so damn cute to see!
The chickens apparently like the rain (not a downpour but they don't seem to mind a steady rain at all) and that shocked me. I mean, these chickens run for the barn if the wind is over 7mph but they will stay out in the rain??? Weird.
Chewlee helped me put the chickens away. She seemed to enjoy that but she was trying to corner one of the hens and it ran around her and ran like crazy for the doggie door. That hen could really run! But we easily got them all into the barn and I closed up the doggie door securely. Chewlee is going to see if she can bring Sam over tomorrow. He wants to see the chickens so I told Chewlee that I would let them help scatter corn around for the chickens when he comes....if he comes. I think his mother planned on bringing him over on Saturday but she might let Chewlee bring him over. They ARE friends.
Unfortunately, I may only get to have Chewlee for tonight since the Princess said that Tara may want her to take Chance for the night (she will probably spend the time with her new boyfriend). If so, she will need Chewlee to be there to keep him company since he's too old for Gunner. Chewlee wasn't thrilled with the idea because she says that she can't do some of the things she likes to do if he's there but she does love her cousin. We have to wait and see what happens. I was prepared to keep her until Sunday but her mother didn't want her to be here for Easter (I would have brought her home early) but I'll settle for keeping her until Saturday afternoon, if I can.
Chewlee just scared me. She's learned how to quietly open my computer room door and creep up behind me when she wants to do that (she wanted to let me know she had to use the bathroom....like she needed permission...sheesh!). I know it was just an excuse for her to scare me...and she did. Good thing I have a strong heart....LOL.
She ate her dinner and then decided on ice cream for dessert. I dished out ice cream for all of us (the Beast included) and the vanilla ice cream container was empty. She asked if she could lick it and the top (it had some ice cream sticking to it). I let her but told her she was strange at times. She said it would only have melted and gone to waste if she hadn't asked for it . She had a valid point.
Time to get this posted. Love you all. I wish you a few truly good friends. Why? Because * good friends help you to find important things when you have lost them....your smile, your hope and your courage.*
-Dee Zatamata
***Hugs*** for everyone.
Knowing Chewlee the way I do, I believe she would have been friends with her if the girl had acted nicely back then. But now it seems that it is a breach that may never heal. But, with kids, you just never know, do you?
Chewlee has decided that we should call the little female furbaby Sassy. She says it's because of the way that she greets you. I really think she may have meant *Saucy* but I'm not sure. However, Sassy works and so it shall be from this day forward. She likes Sassy and said that if we decided we didn't want her any more, she wants her. I told her I didn't think her mother would agree since Sassy really wants to come inside a lot but then wants to go outside almost as quickly. That would drive the Princess nuts. Besides, she has adopted the same attitude as her hubby and thinks animals belong outside. It would be different if they had an actual shelter for her or if they had a barn already but they don't. So Sassy stays right here.
Her brother has gone missing. I have no idea what happened to him but he liked the food we put out and never missed a meal. It's now been three days since we saw him so something must have happened to him. That makes me so sad. At least Sassy stays close to home. I go out at times and pet and cuddle her. You can't help it because she is so friendly and lovable. She also has made friends with a couple of the chickens. One day I will manage to capture a picture of that. Their *nose touching* (nose to beak) is just so damn cute to see!
The chickens apparently like the rain (not a downpour but they don't seem to mind a steady rain at all) and that shocked me. I mean, these chickens run for the barn if the wind is over 7mph but they will stay out in the rain??? Weird.
Chewlee helped me put the chickens away. She seemed to enjoy that but she was trying to corner one of the hens and it ran around her and ran like crazy for the doggie door. That hen could really run! But we easily got them all into the barn and I closed up the doggie door securely. Chewlee is going to see if she can bring Sam over tomorrow. He wants to see the chickens so I told Chewlee that I would let them help scatter corn around for the chickens when he comes....if he comes. I think his mother planned on bringing him over on Saturday but she might let Chewlee bring him over. They ARE friends.
Unfortunately, I may only get to have Chewlee for tonight since the Princess said that Tara may want her to take Chance for the night (she will probably spend the time with her new boyfriend). If so, she will need Chewlee to be there to keep him company since he's too old for Gunner. Chewlee wasn't thrilled with the idea because she says that she can't do some of the things she likes to do if he's there but she does love her cousin. We have to wait and see what happens. I was prepared to keep her until Sunday but her mother didn't want her to be here for Easter (I would have brought her home early) but I'll settle for keeping her until Saturday afternoon, if I can.
Chewlee just scared me. She's learned how to quietly open my computer room door and creep up behind me when she wants to do that (she wanted to let me know she had to use the bathroom....like she needed permission...sheesh!). I know it was just an excuse for her to scare me...and she did. Good thing I have a strong heart....LOL.
She ate her dinner and then decided on ice cream for dessert. I dished out ice cream for all of us (the Beast included) and the vanilla ice cream container was empty. She asked if she could lick it and the top (it had some ice cream sticking to it). I let her but told her she was strange at times. She said it would only have melted and gone to waste if she hadn't asked for it . She had a valid point.
Time to get this posted. Love you all. I wish you a few truly good friends. Why? Because * good friends help you to find important things when you have lost them....your smile, your hope and your courage.*
-Dee Zatamata
***Hugs*** for everyone.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Bratfink Has News.....
Many of those that read this blog are familiar with Bratfink. She is sister #4 in my family (I am the oldest) and she has her own blog ( http://planetbratfink.blogspot.com/ ). Her SO (significant other) spilled the beans about the birth of the four kittens that one of their cats had. It was NOT expected as they try very hard to keep their cats inside and safe but...apparently, they lost the fight this time.
They have an incredibly tough time since Sheldon doesn't make much money with the job market being so crappy where they live. That is why they couldn't have Shadow neutered once the vet that used to do the cheap spay and neuters moved out of town. I say, like Sheldon, *it is what it is*. She has a couple pictures of one of the kittens on her latest post. Kittens are so adorable.
My day was very quiet. The Beast told me not to put more corn down just yet. He said there was plenty still out there so I didn't. But tomorrow afternoon, if it's not raining, we need to change the bedding in the barn AND rake up the prickly things that are covering the yard area. No idea what tree has dropped them but I am sure they hurt the chickens feet like they annoy the hell out of us when we step on them...even in shoes. They've actually almost made me fall when I stepped on more than one at a time.
But all bets are off if it's raining. I'm a bit nervous about the fact that the weather people have our area listed as a high risk for tornadoes due to the unstable air mass and our warm weather. It's the perfect mixture to spawn tornadoes here. I will be watching the weather forecast a lot once the storms move in.
Got to close. It's almost midnight and I am beat. Love you all. Do something nice for someone today. Something they don't expect for no other reason that to be kind. Love with all your heart and be happy. ***Hugs***
They have an incredibly tough time since Sheldon doesn't make much money with the job market being so crappy where they live. That is why they couldn't have Shadow neutered once the vet that used to do the cheap spay and neuters moved out of town. I say, like Sheldon, *it is what it is*. She has a couple pictures of one of the kittens on her latest post. Kittens are so adorable.
My day was very quiet. The Beast told me not to put more corn down just yet. He said there was plenty still out there so I didn't. But tomorrow afternoon, if it's not raining, we need to change the bedding in the barn AND rake up the prickly things that are covering the yard area. No idea what tree has dropped them but I am sure they hurt the chickens feet like they annoy the hell out of us when we step on them...even in shoes. They've actually almost made me fall when I stepped on more than one at a time.
But all bets are off if it's raining. I'm a bit nervous about the fact that the weather people have our area listed as a high risk for tornadoes due to the unstable air mass and our warm weather. It's the perfect mixture to spawn tornadoes here. I will be watching the weather forecast a lot once the storms move in.
Got to close. It's almost midnight and I am beat. Love you all. Do something nice for someone today. Something they don't expect for no other reason that to be kind. Love with all your heart and be happy. ***Hugs***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
A Visitor Brings Me A Gift!
My nephew, Michael, paid us a visit today. He came bearing a gift for me...a bottle of Marshmallow Flavored Vodka! I kid you not. He said his neighbor swears by it and said it was delicious. I took a sample taste of it and he was right. It was very different but tasty. I just don't think I could drink it straight like I am sure some people do. I made myself a drink with it later with just some ice and a bit of water. I spent the evening sipping it and it was nice. I don't think I would like it regularly but I love having it to try. I thought that was so sweet of Michael to do that.
He came out with me to see the chickens after sharing some jokes and information with the Beast (about the free site at Craigs List). Michael is always looking for an opportunity to sell things and he's managed to use that site to make a few extra bucks from time-to-time. I think he may have changed his mind about moving but I'm not quite sure about that just yet. I'll have to wait until tomorrow (he says). Not quite sure why but we shall see.
He asked a lot of questions about our chickens after being surprised that they weren't the white ones he was used to seeing. He has no idea how many varieties there are and some are just gorgeous. You would think they were bred just for contests where they were judging their beauty. Kind of like the dog shows, ya know. They may actually have them but I have no idea.
The Beast went to the dermatologist's today but he got a surprise. After biopsying one of his larger skin cancers (one that felt awful to the touch!), they used the liquid nitrogen on a LOT of them instead. You should see his arms....OMG! He looks like he's got the worst sunburn you ever saw and his arms are a bit swollen now after all of them that were done. He goes back in a week or two to finally have the salve and the special light thing done for the balance of them. He said his hand are so sensitive that whenever the sun hit them while he was driving home, it felt like fire. I can believe it. I really hope this works and lasts a while.
He's been having these kind of treatments for almost 10 years now and they keep coming back...even though he wears long sleeve shirts even in the summer when he is outside. I guess it's the UV rays that affect him most of all. Those go right through clothing. He wouldn't have bothered with it most of the time but I sent him a link that told about how skin cancer can actually end up killing you when you don't treat it. That got him to the dermatologist's office. He didn't like the first one he found but he likes this one that he's been going to now.
I was the one that had to close up the coop tonight because the Beast did go to church as usual. He had pictures to give to all the kids parents from the shoot on Sunday. The rooster went right in but a couple of the girls gave me a hard time. I had my trusty towel with me and I felt like a matador except they didn't charge me, they ran away. The last two were the worst but I got them in and got the doggie door closed. I also unplugged the heat lamps since they won't need it for the next few days...maybe longer. As long as it doesn't go below freezing, I think they can handle it. They do seem to even enjoy the cold weather. Now I am wondering how they will handle the heat of summer. Oh well. No sense worrying about it. What will be, will be.
The Beast told me that he found three of the hens (the girls as I like to refer to them) sitting on the platform of the nesting boxes. So he's decided that he doesn't have to lower them. He's just going to move the taller roost into the barn again. That way, it's a little easier for them to get to the boxes and some can even wait their turn...hopefully...when they want to lay an egg. The time that they will start is getting closer now.
Time for bed. I was busy today so I am tired. Looking after a Beast that is really hurting is not fun but, hey, I am a caregiver. He was a good one to me when I needed it. At least he never had to wheel me around in a wheelchair for a year....LOL. But he WAS surprisingly good about everything and never complained. At least, not to me.
Love you all. Be happy. Take the time to laugh a bit. Hug someone who may need it. Here's yours....***Hugs***
He came out with me to see the chickens after sharing some jokes and information with the Beast (about the free site at Craigs List). Michael is always looking for an opportunity to sell things and he's managed to use that site to make a few extra bucks from time-to-time. I think he may have changed his mind about moving but I'm not quite sure about that just yet. I'll have to wait until tomorrow (he says). Not quite sure why but we shall see.
He asked a lot of questions about our chickens after being surprised that they weren't the white ones he was used to seeing. He has no idea how many varieties there are and some are just gorgeous. You would think they were bred just for contests where they were judging their beauty. Kind of like the dog shows, ya know. They may actually have them but I have no idea.
The Beast went to the dermatologist's today but he got a surprise. After biopsying one of his larger skin cancers (one that felt awful to the touch!), they used the liquid nitrogen on a LOT of them instead. You should see his arms....OMG! He looks like he's got the worst sunburn you ever saw and his arms are a bit swollen now after all of them that were done. He goes back in a week or two to finally have the salve and the special light thing done for the balance of them. He said his hand are so sensitive that whenever the sun hit them while he was driving home, it felt like fire. I can believe it. I really hope this works and lasts a while.
He's been having these kind of treatments for almost 10 years now and they keep coming back...even though he wears long sleeve shirts even in the summer when he is outside. I guess it's the UV rays that affect him most of all. Those go right through clothing. He wouldn't have bothered with it most of the time but I sent him a link that told about how skin cancer can actually end up killing you when you don't treat it. That got him to the dermatologist's office. He didn't like the first one he found but he likes this one that he's been going to now.
I was the one that had to close up the coop tonight because the Beast did go to church as usual. He had pictures to give to all the kids parents from the shoot on Sunday. The rooster went right in but a couple of the girls gave me a hard time. I had my trusty towel with me and I felt like a matador except they didn't charge me, they ran away. The last two were the worst but I got them in and got the doggie door closed. I also unplugged the heat lamps since they won't need it for the next few days...maybe longer. As long as it doesn't go below freezing, I think they can handle it. They do seem to even enjoy the cold weather. Now I am wondering how they will handle the heat of summer. Oh well. No sense worrying about it. What will be, will be.
The Beast told me that he found three of the hens (the girls as I like to refer to them) sitting on the platform of the nesting boxes. So he's decided that he doesn't have to lower them. He's just going to move the taller roost into the barn again. That way, it's a little easier for them to get to the boxes and some can even wait their turn...hopefully...when they want to lay an egg. The time that they will start is getting closer now.
Time for bed. I was busy today so I am tired. Looking after a Beast that is really hurting is not fun but, hey, I am a caregiver. He was a good one to me when I needed it. At least he never had to wheel me around in a wheelchair for a year....LOL. But he WAS surprisingly good about everything and never complained. At least, not to me.
Love you all. Be happy. Take the time to laugh a bit. Hug someone who may need it. Here's yours....***Hugs***
Monday, March 21, 2016
Not A Bad Day But...Too Cold
We have a deep frost warning tonight and it's already down to 33 degrees outside. Our high was just 51 degrees and it felt colder to me. I never checked the humidity at all but that may have been high and would cause it to feel colder. But the chickens sure didn't mind the cooler weather. The Chicken magazine said our chickens tolerate cold well. I've seen them when they fluff up their feathers to help keep the heat in so I imagine it's true.
However, when I went to shag them into the barn for the night....after having to chase the rooster in....they all headed to the area that has the heat lamps as soon as I plugged those in for them....LOL. The girls headed for the doggie door as soon as I walked into the coop but the rooster needs to learn when it's time to go inside. He will, eventually, I'm sure.
I love how they are flocking outside as soon as they see me getting the cracked corn. All of the girls ran down the ramp and started pecking away at them. The rooster slowly strutted outside to see what the commotion was all about. He finally *got* it and started eating it as fast as he could find some. It was funny to watch.
The little female fur baby was frustrated by the Beast having blocked the way she always tried (and succeeded just once) to get into the coop. I had grabbed her before she could wreak any havoc, however, and brought her outside. Once the gate is close from outside, the two locks closed up the gap enough to keep her from getting inside. But she knew she could do it when I was in the coop and only had the single inside lock on. That's why she was so surprised that I was inside and her way was blocked. She couldn't believe it and tried pushing at the wood that blocked her way. She finally gave up and walked a little way then lay down to watch the chickens.
The male fur baby seems to have disappeared on us. We haven't seen him all day and he's usually there for the feedings. I put their food out for them around the same time every day. Today he just never appeared at all. I'm worried about him now. Of course, it could be that someone took him in but I doubt it. He was just starting to not be so fearful of us and it took a long time for us to reach that point with him. But, it could be that he was easier to approach since we showed him that not all people are out to hurt him. I can only hope.
Tomorrow is the day that the Beast finally has his skin cancer treated with the salve and the special light. Unfortunately, he has to have the salve on his arms for an hour and a half before they can use the light on him. At least he had the worst of them treated with the liquid nitrogen last week. So this should pretty much do it ... for now. It does mean that he will have to keep his long sleeve shirts on for about two weeks since it makes him super sensitive to the sun. His arms will be, I mean.
Have to get this posted now and get my butt to bed. Love you all. Tell those you love and care for that you do. Life is short and it's good to know that the last words you spoke the any particular person were *Love ya!* It's that simple. It's kind of my *goodbye*. ***Hugs***
However, when I went to shag them into the barn for the night....after having to chase the rooster in....they all headed to the area that has the heat lamps as soon as I plugged those in for them....LOL. The girls headed for the doggie door as soon as I walked into the coop but the rooster needs to learn when it's time to go inside. He will, eventually, I'm sure.
I love how they are flocking outside as soon as they see me getting the cracked corn. All of the girls ran down the ramp and started pecking away at them. The rooster slowly strutted outside to see what the commotion was all about. He finally *got* it and started eating it as fast as he could find some. It was funny to watch.
The little female fur baby was frustrated by the Beast having blocked the way she always tried (and succeeded just once) to get into the coop. I had grabbed her before she could wreak any havoc, however, and brought her outside. Once the gate is close from outside, the two locks closed up the gap enough to keep her from getting inside. But she knew she could do it when I was in the coop and only had the single inside lock on. That's why she was so surprised that I was inside and her way was blocked. She couldn't believe it and tried pushing at the wood that blocked her way. She finally gave up and walked a little way then lay down to watch the chickens.
The male fur baby seems to have disappeared on us. We haven't seen him all day and he's usually there for the feedings. I put their food out for them around the same time every day. Today he just never appeared at all. I'm worried about him now. Of course, it could be that someone took him in but I doubt it. He was just starting to not be so fearful of us and it took a long time for us to reach that point with him. But, it could be that he was easier to approach since we showed him that not all people are out to hurt him. I can only hope.
Tomorrow is the day that the Beast finally has his skin cancer treated with the salve and the special light. Unfortunately, he has to have the salve on his arms for an hour and a half before they can use the light on him. At least he had the worst of them treated with the liquid nitrogen last week. So this should pretty much do it ... for now. It does mean that he will have to keep his long sleeve shirts on for about two weeks since it makes him super sensitive to the sun. His arms will be, I mean.
Have to get this posted now and get my butt to bed. Love you all. Tell those you love and care for that you do. Life is short and it's good to know that the last words you spoke the any particular person were *Love ya!* It's that simple. It's kind of my *goodbye*. ***Hugs***
Sunday, March 20, 2016
I Spend The Day Watching The Rooster And The Chickens.....
So the Beast wakes me up around 8:30am so that I can go pick up the rooster so that he can see it and introduce it to the girls before he goes to church. Sure. Happy to do it. *Sarcasm here I hope you know* But I get dressed anyway and off I go after I grab a cup of coffee to take with me.
I surprise myself by finding my way there without using the Garmin. Hurrah...patting myself on the back for that! I was greeted at the door by the Princess, Gunner and Chewlee. Tara had just picked up Chance and she breezed out the door without returning my *Hello*. But she is a Christian woman so I just shrug it off. I loved the big grin on Gunner's face as he called me *Nana*. I think that is so cute. I pick him up to give him a hug then put him down. I then gave Chewlee a hug.
The Princess, Gunner and I go outside and get into the Golf cart, drive to my car so I can grab the container to transport the rooster and then head to the smaller coop where the roosters all are. Johnnycakes is fattening them up for eating in the next few months. You can only have ONE rooster in with the females so the other 11 are in the smaller pen. Yes, you read that right. They ended up with 12 roosters out of the 25 chicks. I think they are happy with the dozen that we gave them. More eggs....LOL.
So we are standing in the small coop and the roosters are running around like crazy and she tells me to pick one out...and she adds, *Pick one of the ones with a big comb*. So I am trying to look for one that doesn't have an injured but healed bad foot (another thing I was told not to pick) AND has a big comb. An impossible task but she finally offers to help me and grabs one that was near her. Perfect! When I talked about the girls possibly picking on him, she figured that he was older than they were so there shouldn't be a problem. We put him in the container and head back to the car to put it in the back, then head back to the house in the cart.
All this time, Gunner is on the Princess' lap *driving*. He had such a big grin on his face the whole time that it was just adorable. I had to laugh...couldn't help myself. We went inside and the poor Princess is trying to eat and making sure Chewlee has cleaned up her stuff she had in the sink and her plate she used for her breakfast. Gunner is upset because his mother won't pick him up so I say, *Oh, poor baby. Is mommy being mean to you? Do you want Nana to hold you?*
He puts up his arms and I picked him up while he hugged my neck and had his face buried in my chest. I rocked him a bit until he finally tried to get me to put him in one of the chairs by the counter. I knew the Princess didn't want him in the chairs so I told him *No* and put him down on the floor. He went over to the Princess and she started sharing her breakfast with him. She tells me he's already eaten four times so far and, *Look at him! He's still eating.* LOL. I figured if Chewlee had gone through two growth spurts this year, he was entitled to be a *growing boy*. I then said, *I'll bet if you planted his feet in the dirt, he'd grow like a weed!*
When Chewlee came over and stood beside me, I gathered her in my arms for a good *loving* as her mother calls it. When I said I should be going, Gunner actually started walking me to the door. I gave him a nice kiss (he offered first!) and then left to go home. I think he would have walked me all the way to the car if I had let him but not with the poor Princess still trying to eat her breakfast.
When the rooster and I got home (again, I didn't have to use the Garmin.), the Beast met me on the porch and took the container from me. We both went directly outside to the coop and let ourselves inside. I went into the barn for the cracked corn and started to spread it out and the girls, of course, rushed out. The Beast had let the rooster out of the container and he was strutting around in the unfamiliar surroundings and taking note of the girls.
One of the girls, probably the *head* chicken, came over and was starting to peck at him. He raised his ruff up (it was awesome) and flew at her with his feet but not with the intent of hurting her. He was just putting her in her place. She was very surprised at his actions and headed away from him. But she tried to intimidate him two more times before she gave up. After that, I was amazed at the following he had. I counted at least five of the girls who tagged along with him all day. If he went into the barn (we had closed the barn door and they had to use the doggie door), they all went in with him. If he came outside, ditto. We had more chickens outside at one time for longer periods of time than ever before.
I kept watch on the chickens for about an hour or so after the Beast left for church. Then I *had* to take a nap since I had not slept well last night and the early rise didn't help. It wasn't how I had planned picking up the rooster in my mind. I expected the Beast to wake me when he got home but he didn't. He just had a little time before he had to go take pictures of the home schooled kids from his church. They had a special party for picture taking. The Beast said the parents really hoped for individual pictures of their kids but they left them outside instead of making them pose for the pictures. I don't blame them since it was cold and windy outside. Only one girl posed individually. He got a really good group shot but he said after that they became *kids* and started playing outside. Typically, the cold didn't seem to bother them one bit.
The Beast told the parents that he would take individual pictures of them on a better day (when it is warmer and there's more sun!). But he got to eat since everyone had brought food to share including what the Beast described as *the BEST cupcakes ever*. When he told me about them, he added that he knew I wouldn't like them since they were slathered with very sweet frosting. He was right about that. I go into a sugar coma just SEEING those. No, not for me. BUT...the church ladies sent me a big bowl full of fruit...everything from blueberries, different types of grapes, pineapple, apple, watermelon, cantalope...you name it, it was included! When I say a BIG bowl, I mean a salad bowl like one you serve salad in for a family dinner!
I had no idea how fruit hungry I was until I started on that. Did I mention kiwi and mango? Two of my favorite fruits. I miss our mango tree we had at our house in Sunrise. *Sigh* I hate to admit it but I ate about half of it instead of dinner. To compensate for the lack of protein, I drank one of my Ensure's I still had in the fridge....LOL. I have to remember to pick up another six pack of those. The doctor wanted me to drink two of those a day...along with eating my meals. Mostly for the protein in it but who can afford that ?
So, when he came home from the photo shoot party, I told him about watching the chickens for a couple hours and not seeing any hostility from any of the girls. That made him happy. He had a problem getting them all into the barn for the night until I gave him a towel to use to help *herd* them in. He got the doggie door secured then and all the chickens are in together, including the rooster. Tomorrow we will have to check for blood or any injuries....just in case!
What I found funny was that, although the rooster is almost two weeks older than our girls, he's not as plump as they are and he still has pinfeathers on his tail area. I'm going to be curious as to how that looks when he's mature. I'll take pictures tomorrow if it's warmer and no wind. The chickens don't like the wind and will head for the barn and then huddle together. When the wind blew today at one point, we found them all huddled together with the rooster in the center. LMAO!!!
Time to go now. Love you all. Here's my thought for the day. Thinks good thoughts, say nice things, do good to others. It will all come back to you...that's Karma! ***Hugs***
I surprise myself by finding my way there without using the Garmin. Hurrah...patting myself on the back for that! I was greeted at the door by the Princess, Gunner and Chewlee. Tara had just picked up Chance and she breezed out the door without returning my *Hello*. But she is a Christian woman so I just shrug it off. I loved the big grin on Gunner's face as he called me *Nana*. I think that is so cute. I pick him up to give him a hug then put him down. I then gave Chewlee a hug.
The Princess, Gunner and I go outside and get into the Golf cart, drive to my car so I can grab the container to transport the rooster and then head to the smaller coop where the roosters all are. Johnnycakes is fattening them up for eating in the next few months. You can only have ONE rooster in with the females so the other 11 are in the smaller pen. Yes, you read that right. They ended up with 12 roosters out of the 25 chicks. I think they are happy with the dozen that we gave them. More eggs....LOL.
So we are standing in the small coop and the roosters are running around like crazy and she tells me to pick one out...and she adds, *Pick one of the ones with a big comb*. So I am trying to look for one that doesn't have an injured but healed bad foot (another thing I was told not to pick) AND has a big comb. An impossible task but she finally offers to help me and grabs one that was near her. Perfect! When I talked about the girls possibly picking on him, she figured that he was older than they were so there shouldn't be a problem. We put him in the container and head back to the car to put it in the back, then head back to the house in the cart.
All this time, Gunner is on the Princess' lap *driving*. He had such a big grin on his face the whole time that it was just adorable. I had to laugh...couldn't help myself. We went inside and the poor Princess is trying to eat and making sure Chewlee has cleaned up her stuff she had in the sink and her plate she used for her breakfast. Gunner is upset because his mother won't pick him up so I say, *Oh, poor baby. Is mommy being mean to you? Do you want Nana to hold you?*
He puts up his arms and I picked him up while he hugged my neck and had his face buried in my chest. I rocked him a bit until he finally tried to get me to put him in one of the chairs by the counter. I knew the Princess didn't want him in the chairs so I told him *No* and put him down on the floor. He went over to the Princess and she started sharing her breakfast with him. She tells me he's already eaten four times so far and, *Look at him! He's still eating.* LOL. I figured if Chewlee had gone through two growth spurts this year, he was entitled to be a *growing boy*. I then said, *I'll bet if you planted his feet in the dirt, he'd grow like a weed!*
When Chewlee came over and stood beside me, I gathered her in my arms for a good *loving* as her mother calls it. When I said I should be going, Gunner actually started walking me to the door. I gave him a nice kiss (he offered first!) and then left to go home. I think he would have walked me all the way to the car if I had let him but not with the poor Princess still trying to eat her breakfast.
When the rooster and I got home (again, I didn't have to use the Garmin.), the Beast met me on the porch and took the container from me. We both went directly outside to the coop and let ourselves inside. I went into the barn for the cracked corn and started to spread it out and the girls, of course, rushed out. The Beast had let the rooster out of the container and he was strutting around in the unfamiliar surroundings and taking note of the girls.
One of the girls, probably the *head* chicken, came over and was starting to peck at him. He raised his ruff up (it was awesome) and flew at her with his feet but not with the intent of hurting her. He was just putting her in her place. She was very surprised at his actions and headed away from him. But she tried to intimidate him two more times before she gave up. After that, I was amazed at the following he had. I counted at least five of the girls who tagged along with him all day. If he went into the barn (we had closed the barn door and they had to use the doggie door), they all went in with him. If he came outside, ditto. We had more chickens outside at one time for longer periods of time than ever before.
I kept watch on the chickens for about an hour or so after the Beast left for church. Then I *had* to take a nap since I had not slept well last night and the early rise didn't help. It wasn't how I had planned picking up the rooster in my mind. I expected the Beast to wake me when he got home but he didn't. He just had a little time before he had to go take pictures of the home schooled kids from his church. They had a special party for picture taking. The Beast said the parents really hoped for individual pictures of their kids but they left them outside instead of making them pose for the pictures. I don't blame them since it was cold and windy outside. Only one girl posed individually. He got a really good group shot but he said after that they became *kids* and started playing outside. Typically, the cold didn't seem to bother them one bit.
The Beast told the parents that he would take individual pictures of them on a better day (when it is warmer and there's more sun!). But he got to eat since everyone had brought food to share including what the Beast described as *the BEST cupcakes ever*. When he told me about them, he added that he knew I wouldn't like them since they were slathered with very sweet frosting. He was right about that. I go into a sugar coma just SEEING those. No, not for me. BUT...the church ladies sent me a big bowl full of fruit...everything from blueberries, different types of grapes, pineapple, apple, watermelon, cantalope...you name it, it was included! When I say a BIG bowl, I mean a salad bowl like one you serve salad in for a family dinner!
I had no idea how fruit hungry I was until I started on that. Did I mention kiwi and mango? Two of my favorite fruits. I miss our mango tree we had at our house in Sunrise. *Sigh* I hate to admit it but I ate about half of it instead of dinner. To compensate for the lack of protein, I drank one of my Ensure's I still had in the fridge....LOL. I have to remember to pick up another six pack of those. The doctor wanted me to drink two of those a day...along with eating my meals. Mostly for the protein in it but who can afford that ?
So, when he came home from the photo shoot party, I told him about watching the chickens for a couple hours and not seeing any hostility from any of the girls. That made him happy. He had a problem getting them all into the barn for the night until I gave him a towel to use to help *herd* them in. He got the doggie door secured then and all the chickens are in together, including the rooster. Tomorrow we will have to check for blood or any injuries....just in case!
What I found funny was that, although the rooster is almost two weeks older than our girls, he's not as plump as they are and he still has pinfeathers on his tail area. I'm going to be curious as to how that looks when he's mature. I'll take pictures tomorrow if it's warmer and no wind. The chickens don't like the wind and will head for the barn and then huddle together. When the wind blew today at one point, we found them all huddled together with the rooster in the center. LMAO!!!
Time to go now. Love you all. Here's my thought for the day. Thinks good thoughts, say nice things, do good to others. It will all come back to you...that's Karma! ***Hugs***
Saturday, March 19, 2016
The Girls Are In For A Surprise Tomorrow.....
I am heading over to the Princess' house tomorrow to pick up the rooster that she told the Beast was ready for us now. Personally, I could do without it but he thinks that it might be nice to be able to raise more chickens...from scratch! LOL. We'll see.
I was hoping to pick up Chewlee so she could spend a few days of her vacation with us but, unfortunately, she did a couple bad things...and I mean BAD....so she is grounded all week. It's her Spring break, too. I'm really disappointed since we intended to do a couple things while she was here but, that's life when you have an (almost) nine year old. It's kind of like the Terrible Twos while she practices to be a pre-teen. I know from her actions that she is angry about something in her life but you know how that goes. I doubt she can even put into words what is really bothering her. I have my suspicions (no, it's not her brother, either). If it were, her actions would be leading to mistreatment of him.
One of her little friends that lives close to us is dying to come and see the chickens. I gather the Beast told his mother she was welcome to come over any time and see them. I really thought that Chewlee would like showing them to him but now she won't be able to. The Beast is going over to a friend's house to take pictures of some kids for her and one of them is a girl Chewlee knows and likes. He was going to take her with him to help keep the girl entertained until it was her turn. There are about a dozen kids that he will be taking their pictures for their parents. But it means he will be making up at least one 5x7 print for them and then he will give the gal a CD with pictures of all the kids so that additional pictures can be made up if wanted.
He's been testing this one lens of his that he hasn't used much to make sure it is the right one for this shoot. He needed to know it's depth of field, etc. depending on light, distance and other things. He's finally convinced it is the right one to use.
I went out to feed the chickens their cracked corn today and it was really funny. As soon as I started scattering it around there was a mad dash for the doors to get out into the yard where I was. I mean that literally. It was the funniest thing I saw all day. As I scattered it, they stood near their favorite areas waiting for me to put some of it there for them. As soon as I was done, another mad dash. I think these chickens have only two speeds and mostly use just the mad dash one. You get the impression they are only slowing down to catch their breath.
I'm picking up the rooster and we are just going to put it in the yard and scatter the corn once he's in there. We will just watch and see how he interacts with the girls and see what they think of him. What we will do if they react badly, I have no idea. We don't really have a separate place for him until the girls get used to him but I'll leave that up to the Beast to figure out. He's the one that wanted it.
Time for me to get some sleep. I'm very tired. Love you all. Oh...and never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts. And, be kind without any thought of getting something in return. The reward is yours just from that small act of kindness, even if it's just a smile. ***Hugs***
I was hoping to pick up Chewlee so she could spend a few days of her vacation with us but, unfortunately, she did a couple bad things...and I mean BAD....so she is grounded all week. It's her Spring break, too. I'm really disappointed since we intended to do a couple things while she was here but, that's life when you have an (almost) nine year old. It's kind of like the Terrible Twos while she practices to be a pre-teen. I know from her actions that she is angry about something in her life but you know how that goes. I doubt she can even put into words what is really bothering her. I have my suspicions (no, it's not her brother, either). If it were, her actions would be leading to mistreatment of him.
One of her little friends that lives close to us is dying to come and see the chickens. I gather the Beast told his mother she was welcome to come over any time and see them. I really thought that Chewlee would like showing them to him but now she won't be able to. The Beast is going over to a friend's house to take pictures of some kids for her and one of them is a girl Chewlee knows and likes. He was going to take her with him to help keep the girl entertained until it was her turn. There are about a dozen kids that he will be taking their pictures for their parents. But it means he will be making up at least one 5x7 print for them and then he will give the gal a CD with pictures of all the kids so that additional pictures can be made up if wanted.
He's been testing this one lens of his that he hasn't used much to make sure it is the right one for this shoot. He needed to know it's depth of field, etc. depending on light, distance and other things. He's finally convinced it is the right one to use.
I went out to feed the chickens their cracked corn today and it was really funny. As soon as I started scattering it around there was a mad dash for the doors to get out into the yard where I was. I mean that literally. It was the funniest thing I saw all day. As I scattered it, they stood near their favorite areas waiting for me to put some of it there for them. As soon as I was done, another mad dash. I think these chickens have only two speeds and mostly use just the mad dash one. You get the impression they are only slowing down to catch their breath.
I'm picking up the rooster and we are just going to put it in the yard and scatter the corn once he's in there. We will just watch and see how he interacts with the girls and see what they think of him. What we will do if they react badly, I have no idea. We don't really have a separate place for him until the girls get used to him but I'll leave that up to the Beast to figure out. He's the one that wanted it.
Time for me to get some sleep. I'm very tired. Love you all. Oh...and never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts. And, be kind without any thought of getting something in return. The reward is yours just from that small act of kindness, even if it's just a smile. ***Hugs***
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