Who knew cats could Play Possum
Vandal the cat was laid out on his back totally still. So still that Boo actually went over to make sure he was not dead.
Hush, said Vandal, I am playing a trick on the roosters.
Then he leapt up and flew at speed through the assembled roosters (it was dinner time) scattering them in all directions.
Gleeful is the only word to describe this naughty cats face.
Boo sighed and returned to the porch steps where I was having a cup of tea and some blueberry shortbread.
Cats – he said.
Ducks
Ducks don’t actually need a duck pond (though they wish John would hurry up and clean their rock pond and refill it so they could float about in there).
But they do need containers deep enough to get their nostrils and eyes and heads right into the water. They need to clean their eyes and noses well and often. Ducks stick their noses into everything.
And anything holding water becomes their splashy bathtub.
Did you see that egg? The day after Easter someone lays an egg with a teal stripe all around it. This does make me wonder how they actually attach the colour to the egg. You can scratch the brown off a deep brown egg when it is freshly laid.
I need to do some more research on this. Specific chickens will lay specific coloured eggs depending on their breed. But how does the actual colour get on the shell.
The Wheat
This was a night planting so there are these lovely curves when the tractor driver was resting his eyes – or swooping around the corner.
Ross my farmer calls the ducks his mobile organic fertiliser team. They will be out in the wheat for the whole summer.
Except when they see me. The power of the bucket!
Garden
Today I will continue to dig in the kitchens garden out to the South of the House.
And I will raise another raised bed even higher so the ducks cannot graze on my greens. The ducks (and the roosters) are a bit of a problem in the garden which is why I collect all kind of baskets and dish trays to set on top of the emerging plants.
We are not quite at planting time yet. May is a good month to begin that. For the moment I am sowing seeds into seed trays so they have a head start. And getting all the beds ready.
The tomatoes are outside hardening off.
Onion sets go out today. Greens are all in pots on my porch.
Which is why todays post is a little short on words.
I am off out into the garden while it is still cool.
My gardening hat and gardening gloves and my favourite spade are at the door – ready to go!
Have a great day!
Celi
39 Comments on “Who knew cats could Play Possum”
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thekitchensgarden 
It’s very handy, you knowing dog-speak and duck-talk. 🥰
It is! Very handy. Good morning Misky!
And a very good morning to you, too!
Your green-up (as people used to say in my Kentucky childhood – maybe still do) wheat rows make a beautiful picture criss-crossed with sun rays & decorated with ducks.
Yes! The ducks are like decorations! Green Up. I like that
I envy you all your outdoor work. I live in an apartment with a north-facing balcony populated often by squirrels coming to the bird feeders. I plant pots of whatever I can, but it’s often a fool’s errand.
Just a big pot of lettuce and kale would be enough for your salads for the summer but I bet those squirrels would dig it up! How rotten.
That egg really is beautiful!
Isn’t it! I have never seen one with a ribbon of colour before.
I used to have a siamese cat that would play dead in the long grass for hours, until the squirrels had for gotten he was there. When that happened he’d grab one by the neck, leap over the chain link fence and run up the steps to the kitchen where he’d eat it! I found a live one hiding behind a stack of newspapers one day, with the cat crouched down and growling. I moved the papers away from the wall and the squirrel ran across the room and jumped up the chimney, with the cat hot on it’s heels! A very sooty cat fell out of the chimney about 30 seconds later and the squirrel escaped during the night.
Good Lord!! What an entertaining story! That cat was real hunter – fancy going up the chimney after it!!
It was very funny – we called him Sooty after that!
Silly cat! I noticed some disdain in Boo’s commentary! Temps in the 70’s- I am so envious. We are stuck in our normal spring rain/wind/cold pattern and although I know the sun is up there somewhere the only thing I see is gray 😦
Does Wai go in with the bigger pigs or do they have their own eating spaces and places?
Wai is on the other side of their fence – big they are so friendly with each other I am wondering about putting them together for the summer. But Wai is so small. And he likes his corner room in the barn.
You’ve got to love-a-duck, they don’t scratch up destructively like chickens and they make short work of slugs and snails. But they are very, very messy and a bit stinky sometimes. Beautiful eggs when you can get them laid on dry land, they poach really well. Love that shot of the rich, rolling curves in the planting lines.
And they are so large that they pretty much flatten the garden as they wander through! But I like them.
I am toying with the idea of sneaking fertile duck eggs under one when they start to sit. The farm hand need not know – right?
Well, I won’t tell him if you don’t…
I won’t. He does not read the blog anyway / so we are all good!
You know so many languages- Duck and Dog along I bet with Cat! Interesting question about how eggs get colored- love your photos! Keep on snapping!
Cow too. I am fluent in cow!!
That’s right! Their language is so moooving! and sheep language is baa baa bad! Tee hee!
Kathe!! No more coffee for you this morning!!! 😂
Oh hahahah only drank OJ this morning! Cheers!
Hahaha… love it… language of the animals!!
Gosh, it’s green and lush there. We are still in the hint of green here
I hope it warms up for you soon!
I had to come in from the garden- too hot!!
Gosh! Nothing like that here, but they are saying today we will warm up nicely with more snow showers on Friday 😦
Oh poo🙁
Hello from autumn in New Zealand. Your life is so different from mine and I love reading about each morning when I wake up. You care for so many animals including my favourite pig. We have only a spoiled cat here in our house. He is only a Moggie but he thinks he’s a Prince.
I love that term – Moggie! – I bet he is laying in a patch of sun right now!
Can you see through space and time? It’s 9 am and he has found the sunny spot in the garden to sleep, stretched out.
Can you see through time and space? Flashcat has Eaten, checked out our property and I suspect the neighbours also, and is now lying stretched out in a sunny place on the patio.
Think like a cat! 😉
Your day sounds lovely… I enjoy garden days with nothing much else on but digging and snipping and pottering and a hot shower at the end.
Aiming for the shower right this minute!’
SNOW, it snowed here today as in white out conditions! So sick of snow and enjoy your green wheat instead! Thanks for the diversion!
That is horrible. No more snow!!
Oh I do love the cat story.
That cat really IS a vandal!