Boo has been banished outside because he was skunked yesterday morning. Poor BooBoo. The skunk off will handle it but I hate the smell of that too. I use this because it is fast and effective. I have never had a dog get skunked at a time when I have lots of spare time to make up remedies. I just wait an hour, spray where he was hit, then leave it. A good brush later in the day will sort it out. 
I told him to make himself useful and wash the windows while he was out there. Now we go to summer skunk rules: the dogs must be inside at night and only let out after the sun is up. Bang on the barn doors before opening them. It is always just at dawn that the skunk surprises us.
I spent most of the afternoon cleaning out the big central pen so we can divide it into a smaller draft free pen for the baby goats when they arrive in a few weeks. This meant that I was in the barn for hours, still in the 20s but warm enough to work without a jacket. Shovelling is hot work. But my compost heap is growing. This will be all taken down the back with the tractor, and it will compost for a year. John turns it with the tractor. His compost is fantastic but I have to use trickery to get any of it for my flower gardens. He does not like to share! 
Though for now it is frozen solid.
As I worked it was entertaining to watch barn life around me. The barn is much more fun when it is not feed time and it is warm enough to hang out. The animals relax and go about their business as though I am just another animal in the barn.
The two Dutchies are very quiet girls they just stand and watch. Tima and Tane spent the entire time trying to climb up the hay bales ripping good mouthfuls of alfalfa out as they went. They can climb those two naughty pigs. I had to lock them back in their run or they would eat me out of house and home.
The peahens took it in turns showing off their own tails, while Godot hung out with the chickens. Flirts. 
Sheila spent a good part of the afternoon remaking her bed. She gathers huge mouthfuls of straw and carefully plugs the holes where a draft might be leaking in, then puts her head down and rakes the pile high with her foot. Poppy takes no notice at all. She is no kind of housekeeper that girl. Just a destroyer. Like one of those nasty kids on the beach who kick sandcastles. Twice Sheila roared at her and chased her right out of the barn.
The guineas are some of the oldest birds on the property. Only two left but they eat for six.
Such old birds and never been caged. And those kittens have taken to ambushing the old chooks, making them shriek loudly and fly cackling into the Gods. This is a stage all the kittens go through. Chasing the matronly chickens. Amusing themselves. Naughty. The guineas watch. No-one plays with the guineas. Too old.
Good morning. I hope you have a lovely day. It is even warmer for us today. Time to start feeding the bees. More on that tomorrow. And from across the way all I got was this. More from them tomorrow too! 
I heard a rumour that daylight saving was coming soon, not that it will bother me but already? Is this true? It seems awfully early or is spring that late?
Love your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
49 responses to “Barn Life.”
I love hearing about Sheila’s antics. She is so particular! I don’t blame her for chasing Poppy away.
Nancy
Just caught the first whiff of skunk here late last night.
Sheila is so smart that she knows to actually block the drafts with straw. Amazing! Poor Boo. How long will it take for him to be fresh as a daisy again?
Might be a few days, but it is warm out now! isn’t that wonderful.. Overnight!.. c
I heard about daylight changing today in the morning, hard to believe. Why don’t we change it and just leave it like that? Is the hour a problem for the farm animals. It seem my dogs have an own clock and the time change throws them off…and us with it.
It seems too early and cold for skunks!
That’s what i told the skunk but he has cloth ears.. c
I love all the love letters on that door pane! How can you ignore those pleading eyes? I know, I know I am a lonnnng way from the ugly perfume. Yes you spring forward tomorrow, but we have to wait until 29th March. Why can we not be like India where the clocks never change and the whole country is on the same time?
I agree.. it serves no purpose at all as far as I can see.. c
I think skunks are largely crepuscular (active at dawn and at dusk). My mom’s dog gets her sprays at twilight.
crepuscular.. an excellent word.. c
It sounds like something you’d go to a dermatologist for, doesn’t it?!
It’s tomorrow I believe… the time change, that is! Godot looks FANTASTIC! I want to go to his hairdresser and take whatever supplements he’s taking to keep his plumage nice and full. And those cow bottoms give Radio City a run for its money. All lined up. Ready for some synchronized high-kicks.
Does you time change as well Charlotte?
Oh, my poor little boy blue! I do so love his expressions and antics. Your Guinea are beautiful. We have a farm here in Texas about an hours drive from us called Lavender Ridge. It is a lovely farm that grows fresh lavender and have a cafe featuring it as an herb. They have 24 guinea running on the farm and controlling all the pests. They started with 1 hen and 1 rooster many many years ago and the 24 are from that pair. What a racket they make when people arrive though!! Better than a big mad dog!!!
Gracie – she is eating a little. We did 4 days of IV treatment, and now we wait until Monday when they will draw more blood. She is laying on the love seat baying right now because George is outside barking at the german shepard Rambo next door. 😉 Love that bay….
Lastly, here in Texas we have the lovely jeweler named James Avery. They make the most beautiful silver jewelry and many christian or faith based items. I got their spring catalog yesterday and thought of you when I came to the peacock charm…. http://www.jamesavery.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=peacock I may just have to buy myself a ‘spring’ gift on the 20th!!!
Poor Boo, that face is irresistible; he has left you lots of kisses on the glass, hoping it will work to let him in! What does a skunk smell like? From what I have read, it seems pretty disgusting. We don’t get them here as you know, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
Your guinea fowl are beautiful birds. Sheila makes me laugh, she is such an industrious housekeeper and Poppy is so naughty, not caring less about all Sheila’s hard work. How can two pigs be so opposite in their habits?
Have a good day Miss C.
Judging from conditions in other parts of the US, I’d say your Spring is late. It snowed in NYC yesterday! I have never had the ‘pleasure’ of smelling skunk smell. It must be pretty bad and it sounds very difficult to remove. Your poor dog! Life in that barn reminds me so much of scenes from ‘Charlotte’s Web’ xx
That’s funny, I didn’t know the peahens showed off their tail feathers too! Poor Boo…if only expressions had words, but then they wouldn’t be expressions, would they? But really, his facial expression is speaking louder than words…”I don’t smell that bad…PLEASE let me in” Priceless!
I love the guineas, they also look so fashionable and dressed up with their subtly spotted plumage. We have daylight savings creep here as well. It now begins in early October on the Labour Day public holiday weekend, and ends in early April on Easter Sunday… I guess changing it on public holiday weekends gives people time to adjust and not get to work/school/appointments at the wrong time…. And we lose an hour on one and gain it on another, so I guess that’s fair.
What a lovely day to have spent on the farmy catching up with the naughty and the unfortunate: poor Boo indeed! Well thanks to Ella I now know when our Summer Daylight Time is finishing and I hate looking forwards to that: absolutely love that institution and hate it when the time for working in the garden or taking a well earned walk are shortened . . . evenings have always been ‘my’ time and I hate the winter dark . . .
I think I am lucky to be a farmer, I rise with the sun and work until I am done.. no watches or time schedules.. thank goodness.. c
Oh no! I left a comment yesterday evening my time, and bad WordPress has lost it… I was saying that I feel very sorry for Boo; dogs live so much of their lives through their noses that a really strong and intense smell like skunk must be like having someone screaming in your ear for days… Lots of pleading doggy kisses on that window, he’s done his best with the washing, now won’t you please let me in again, Miss C?