I had an errand to run this morning, and when I returned I was embarrassed to find Bossy drake and Daisy shagging away out beside the road. What a nice advertisement for our farm!! I had to laugh though...it's not like I really care. Animals have sex. Ducks have a lot of it. Especially when it's raining, there are puddles around, or any other time the mood strikes. Clumsy, awkward, overt, ridiculous duck sex.
G helped me with farm chores yesterday afternoon for a while. He did a lot of the heavy lifting--he cleared about 2/3 of the paddock of all the sopping wet heavy manure that has been frozen for many weeks. It's amazing how much better I feel just looking out over a cleaner paddock.
Temperatures will drop to below freezing again tonight and we are expecting snow. As much as the mild weather and rain have been lovely it also means that there is a huge blast of ammonia coming from the duck coop and the chook palace as everything thaws. I raked out a lot of the soiled bedding from under the chicken roosts, but I can't really muck out the entire duck coop. At this time of year we just add layer upon layer of dry bedding.
When we get the banty aviaries finished and spiffy I will post some photos. For now at least even on these drab days the birds in there (including our wild pigeon who has adopted us) are active and alert now that they have much better lighting. Birds require specific spectrum and colour rendering index so now that I understand this I can read bulb labels and actually make proper choices. I may also end up replacing red heat lamps with ceramic heat emitters over time now that I know that red light can actually trigger broodiness! Not what we want!
A few things to update, just in brief:
We bought a refurbished Husqvarna 450 Ranch chainsaw.
G built a lean-to structure off the north side of the garage using mostly salvaged lumber and fence posts and metal sheeting he salvaged from a useless wind break that was in the east side of the sheep pasture. This area will be for all of our firewood.
He is getting better and faster at splitting wood with various tools--I really must learn this skill as well!
I bought him a book on making vinegar, and he promptly ordered some mother of vinegar and we have both white and red wine vinegar growing in the cupboard.
G also bought a Samick Sage recurve bow, and after only two sessions his accuracy is improving dramatically, as I predicted. He's very good with it. It's got a 50 lb draw so it's too much for me to learn on. I would do better with a 25 or 35 maximum.
While I was at my conference he converted the computer room closet into a pantry. It's looking pretty good and not only holds our preserves, dry goods and his beer, but the beginnings of an apothecary. All of the dried herbs and flowers from our herb garden are stored there, just waiting for me to make the time to weave their super-plant goodness into salves and ointments and oils...
But right now it's time for rain gear and evening chores.
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