Tick tock

Every time I finished a task today I thought "I'll go start a blog post" but ended up starting on other tasks.  So now it's twenty after 6 and I'm just waiting for sun to drop just a little more before I venture out...The horses are still hiding in the barn in front of their fans.  The backyard chooks have been mostly resting under the spruce tree, only occasionally getting up slowly to forage in the most energy efficient way possible. It's just too hot out!! I'm not sure if we hit 90 degrees today as forecasted, but with the humidex earlier I'm sure it felt like much higher.  The sheep have a lot of shade in their current rotation, so they've been able to stay out for most of the day.

This morning I was out early and made sure I got the barn cleaned, gave Oak his bronchodilator (I knew today would be hard on him), all waterers topped up (all chooks have 2 full waterers to make sure if one runs out there will always be back up), fly tape put up between the stalls, eggs collected, stalls mucked out, broody hens kicked out of their nest boxes so they could get a drink before the heat really set in. I trained cucumbers, cantaloupe and hops (I'm really trying to follow G's to do list he left me!) and finally made it inside for breakfast by 11 am.  I potted up some tarragon, lemon basil and sweet marjoram out on the deck, tended to some window boxes, planted sage and catnip outside.  

Today was the sort of day that I really wish I had a spinning wheel. I could have made a full skein of yarn while inside hiding from the heat.  Oh, and our air conditioning isn't working, so it's about 79 in here. Ug. 

I was very pleased to find a few emails from G this morning!! He's been at his course for several days now, and as expected we can't communicate.  He had to get a ride into the nearest town to find a wifi spot!   Good man : )  He wanted to check in and make sure all was well here, and also as it turns out we have several offers on the house in Victoria, so I guess some decisions need to be made soon. 

All is mostly well here, but not all.  Kitten (Captain Jack's little hen) feels like she has ascites to me.  It seems time is ticking for all of our little banty hens.  It really breaks my heart, they are such sweet little girls. First Cat, then Tulip, and now maybe Kitten will die.  So as I type this she is perched on my shoulder, after she just had a great preening session.  Captain Jack is laying beside me.  Poor little Jack!! I don't want him to be alone!

Fern is moulting heavily, hates being touched, and mostly sits around looking depressed.  I put her outside in one of the chicken tractors today so she doesn't have to put up with being chased by Mr. Flan and the drakes.  Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon. Miss Pearl has some good days and bad days.  Yesterday was a good day.  I found her having a wonderful dust bathing session with Pepper, out under the apple tree. 

Quality time.  Isn't that what we all want?

Knee high by the fourth of July--as the saying goes.  The corn that was under water a few weeks ago has recovered, it's just a little smaller.

I think I might have found a way to help Winston with his barn sour tendencies.  Last night at evening turnout time I let Oakley out, but closed the gate so Winston couldn't follow.  He looked excited when he saw me carrying his bridle towards him.  He was a little impatient at the mounting block, but eventually stood nicely, long enough for me to slide on bareback. He tried to rush the gate a little, but after I'd correct him and bring him around again, he figured it out, and I was able to lean down and unlock the gate, and he waited politely while I pushed it open.  I was happy he didn't rush through, and I was prepared to hike my knees up well out of the way of solid structures like gates and fence posts.  (horses are smart enough to purposely move close enough to walls etc. to injure the rider. Luckily Winston isn't malicious like that at all)

This should all be old stuff to him, since he was a ranch horse over ten years ago.

This is him politely asking me to dismount and take his bridle off so he can start on dinner. 

What a good boy!!

So any animal behaviourists out there (and equine psychologists especially) you are welcome to weigh in on this.  But the way I figure it, if barn sourness is a learned attachment disorder of sorts, then wouldn't it help to make the act of leaving the vicinity of the barn (under my control, as it would be) a positive thing? (going out to graze--so major primary reward there).  

So this morning I did the same thing.  Oak went out first, and I kept Winston with me in the paddock.  Of course I wasn't surprised that he very quickly contained his excitement and stood nicely at the mounting block.  This horse is very smart, have I mentioned this before? He learns so quickly!  We sidled up to the gate, I gave him a few cues and he basically did the rest himself, just like when he was a ranch horse. He positioned himself perfectly so I could reach down and unlock the gate, and as I pushed it open he very carefully navigated through without barging in the slightest.  I know it's not much, but I felt good to be providing him with some mental stimulation.  It's something we can do every day, twice a day.  

***

G just called me from Vermont! 

 He borrowed a phone that's on the correct network, and we had a few minutes to catch up.  

He's probably sleeping better than I am at night--he said it went down to the low teens (celsius) at night up there in the mountains.  He's already learned so much, and he only had a few minutes to chat since his evening session was about to start.  He'll have to do a guest blog post here when he gets back!

I am hoping to enter a few photos in the local county fair, and only have a few weeks to organize my choices and get prints made.  I also have a speaking engagement to prepare for.  Yep, I agreed to do some public speaking. What was I thinking? MN audiences are tough.  They just stare at you blankly and it's impossible to get a read on them. I'll be the 'chicken expert' (their words, not mine, and I will correct them) at an open house for a farm in Princeton.  These are our friends who we bought Princey and Henry from.  They started a farming co-op between certain farms in MN and WI and their focus in grass fed beef, lamb, pastured chicken, and of course they sell wool as well.  It sounds like it will be quite the event!  They have a highly regarded chef coming, folk musicians, and who knows what else.  So Captain Jack and I will make an appearance, and I will have an opportunity to share my crazy chicken keeping experiences and philosophies.

If we weren't friends, and they hadn't seen our own farm and how we keep our chickens, then I'd say they didn't know what they were getting into.  But they do! And Captain Jack was specifically invited.

Of course I can talk incessantly about all things chook, so apparently in this instance that was a desirable quality.

Well, it's 7:30 and it looks to be a bit more merciful out there.  I still have a few hours of work ahead of me, so I'd better get out there.  Hopefully tonight I won't have to wear mosquito netting over my hat.  It sort of takes the magic out of the evening, if you know what I mean.  

I'm sure Winston will be waiting for me at the gate, so I'd better not disappoint him. 

Special shout out to Captain Jack for being such a good little buddy, and hanging out with me while I wrote this. XO little man! (yes I know he can't read this)

When an animal chooses to be in your company, I think that's pretty amazing, don't you?