Barn Life.

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