Yesterday it snowed off and on ALL DAY. Today I saw a snake out and about.
Actually I noticed Cookie carrying something around in his mouth, tormenting the poor little thing. Cookie was not the least bit interested in eating the snake. He just thought it made an awesome toy.
Don’t worry, I rescued it. Such an adorable little guy! He didn’t seem any the worse for his ordeal.
I should be happy the girls behaved for a few days. I really should. But after the hour it took to get them back inside the fence I just wasn’t feeling the happiness. At least the weather was nice for the chase.
So these guys showed up in the soybean field this afternoon. They came from a farm on the other side of the hill in the background of the photos. The horse (Maya) got out and the calves follow her wherever she goes. I helped the girls they belong to drive them back home. I am beat! But I feel better knowing the sheep are not the only pain-in-the-ass escape artists. Come on, Mother Nature, where’s that green grass?!
The brats have been getting out of the fence EVERY DAY for the last week. I would fix one part of the fence and they would find a new spot to get through. Apparently today I finally managed to block off all their escape routes. The poor babies actually had to stay in the pasture today. My heart just bleeds for them.
The snow has receded enough to uncover the snowdrops that started blooming a month ago. It’s a rare thing for them to last a month. They are sensitive to heat. They are happier buried under 3 feet of snow for a month than being out in bright sun and warmth. I found some crocuses starting to bloom today, too. The sheep are anxious to see some green grass. So am I.
Cookie was freaking out the sheep, sticking his head in and out of a gap haymow wall.
It has been 3 weeks since we got dumped on by Mother Nature. The sheep do not like to walk through deep snow. So, for three weeks they have confined themselves to the trampled-down area right outside the barn door and against the south wall of the barn (where they can scratch their backs). The day before the storm (3/1) was 60 degrees outside. The sheep got out of the fence and headed to the soybean field.
When I let them back in the barn that day I just opened the barnyard gate and called them. They came running, so I ran to the barn door to shut it behind them once they were inside. Never went out and to shut the pasture gate. By next morning the snow was too deep to even try.
Three weeks later that gate is still open, 10 feet from the trampled-down area.
The girls haven’t even tried to get out. They have to be getting tired of staying in the same small area every day. What they don’t seem to realize is how much the snow has settled. They could easily walk through it now without getting bogged down. And I’m sure not gonna tell them.
Georgia is playing “The Floor is Lava”.
The days are getting longer, even though it’s still freezing and we have 2 feet of snow on the ground. 4 out of 5 of my hens laid today. One of them apparently needs to work on getting back into practice.
I shoveled paths to the bird feeders for Mom today, then filled them. I went inside for a minute to get a suet cake and came back to the feeders to this. I decided to wait a few minutes…
Did some more stuff outside. Went back inside and Mom says to go look out the window on the other side of the house by the other bird feeders. Not sure how much the birds appreciated their food. But I know I made the “kitty” happy!
Farmer Keen 