Friday, May 14, 2021

Ew Ah, Summer

Dawn is coming earlier and earlier. Brian leaves the house at 5:45 for work and I almost always hear him; usually I roll over and try to get a bit more sleep. This morning he tromped into our bathroom for some Aleve®. 🙄 The sunrise series, below, is from last week; the last photo is from this morning:






Flowers are making a good showing in spite of the lack of tending:













It's only mid-May but it feels like mid-summer. Unfortunately, I don't think that means we're halfway through my least favorite season; I think it means that summers are getting longer here as the average rainfall slips and the average temperatures rise. There's nothing I can do to change it, though, so that's why I'm appreciating what I can – and keeping the ewes off pasture now that the foxtail is headed out and maturing fast. The girls are complaining loudly about being shut in:

The horses, on the other hand, are getting regular time out because grazing is safer for them (particularly Lance) now that the grass has headed out. Yesterday I went to bring the geldings in and couldn't find Lance at first. That's because he'd found a helpful apple tree to scratch his itches:

Poppy has been dying to meet Berlin, straining on the leash outside and whimpering from the windows inside. This morning I had an easy opportunity to nab Berlin in the fold while her mother was busy at the freshly filled mineral/kelp feeder, so I carried Berlin out of the fold and sat down on the mounting block. Poppy was very good while I held Berlin, even though what she really wants is to play. Not happening, my little terrier!



Yesterday I found one of our blue Wyandotte hens dead in the henhouse. I'm sure it was the same one who has been acting just a bit different and spent the night before perched on the rail in front of the nest boxes rather than up on the roost. So now we're down to eight hens who will be six years old this fall. A friend is getting an order of chicks this month (wondering how they will do when we are already so warm) and is going to raise a few of them to teenagers for me, so reinforcements are on the way. She ordered an assortment of brown egg layers for herself, and some Whiting True Green chicks at my request. I hope they survive!

That's it for now from . . .

4 comments:

Jeanne said...

Ratz! I just lost my comment that I was working on! Try again!
Loved all your pictures! The sunrise shots are beautiful! Your flowers are so lovely, especially the irises!
Berlin is so pretty! I'm glad you got to hold her. That must have been fun! Poppy was funny!
I'm sorry about the loss of your hen. What is the usual life expectancy for them? How nice of your friend to raise some chicks for you!

Michelle said...

Berlin isn't particularly fond of being held, Jeanne, but she is getting a little more used to it. As for chicken lifespans, it varies wildly, but 6-10 seems to be the common lifespan, with a few living longer and many living shorter lives. So my hens are getting up there in age.

Debbie said...

Hi Michelle,
Your sunrise series of photos are beautiful!

In the flower garden I particularly like the dandelion wishes near the lavender.

Berlin is sure growing! At least Poppy got a closer visit.

The new chicks will be a good addition. Take care of those senior girls!

Michelle said...

Thanks for the comments, Debbie (I like the dandelion shot, too). In spite of their age, those senior chickens are still keeping us and the neighbors in more than enough eggs! I've been using more in cooking lately in self-defense. 😉