Happier times and blonder hair. Hmmmm, summer's coming, but the root upkeep stinks!
Have you ever noticed how things (usually bad things in my
case) seem to happen in 3’s? Well, I’ve been keeping some humdingers all to myself for
some time now. I’ve realized, however,
that in order to keep moving forward in my life that I must be able to
acknowledge mishaps, mistakes, pain, anger and hurt right along with more
positive happenings and emotions.
I'd say the work shoes are dead give away we live in California?
Now, generally speaking, most people don't share their sorrows with the world through a blog post. However, I think it's important to do so because some of my issues may have already affected you, as they have kept me from performing my blogging tasks in a proper fashion. For this I apologize. (You know I’m being silly, right? But, truly, there may have been a recipe or two I failed to get out, an interesting day fixing the fence or the day Chuckles got his toenails (ok, hooves) done that I just couldn’t seem to talk about. (Boy, that pig can squeal!)
Honey, Blue and Chuck in happier times
But hubby gave me a little pep talk the other day and I now realize it’s time to come clean about a few things so that I can focus on what’s really important. Like: Relaxing. Or, like relaxing and eating my Grain Free Bread. Or, like relaxing and eating my bread with chocolate. Anyway, it definitely involves relaxing. Now, let’s just get on with this. Better get out the Kleenex. And the chocolate you have hidden.
We had to make the difficult decision to trade our dear, sweet big-as-a-horse-sized goat, Gino for ten laying hens. What would bring us to do this? We’re thinking of him, really. He’s bored. He’s so bored he’s taken to head-butting his poor, blind and innocent corral-mate, Chuckles the Pig whenever he steps foot outside his pig house!
Innocent Chuckles
Gino’s boredom
has even led him to harass anyone who steps foot into his corral these
days! Have you ever been harassed by a huge goat? If so, you understand what I’m sayin’
here!
I know, I know, it should be simple: just get him another goat or two to hang with, right? No, we’ve been down that road and it wasn’t pretty either.
You must recognize this handsome face in the little 'Hi Y'all' box on all my pages?
So, Gino will be clearing weeds with his fellow weed-eating neighborhoodgoat pack. I’m confident he won’t be bored. Pictures of his more exciting life are forth-coming.
So, more
chickens? Wow, that should be a whole
lotta chickens for us, being that we raised almost twenty last year to add to
our already busy brood. But noooo, there
will only be these ten hens in our corral.
Why? Funny you should ask! That would be because we lost every last one
of our chickens to coyotes and bobcats!
More California work shoes!
What?! How could that be? Why aren’t they protected you irresponsible California country-wanna-be’s? Weeelll, we found that no matter how high the fence is it really doesn’t matter! Don’t you remember those Road Runner/Coyote cartoons?
Aurora enlisted 'Unca' Jake to help make sure no moss grew on those eggs!
And because we want to let the chickens run free, we keep them uncaged, but put them in their henhouse at night.
Geez, these nostalgic pics are getting to me...Blue, Sadie, Bart, Honey and Hollie
So...the next sad story is:
Our beloved keeper-of-the-corral, Honey Bear, was stricken with a terrible virus that took her life quickly.
Always up for a good time!
It spread to two of our other ranch dogs, Blue and Sadie and within 3 months we had lost all 3 of our best friends!
Honey Bear
Honey, who was born in the rocks below our property, was the most respected canine in this valley (that’s the truth). We once witnessed her alone chase 3 coyotes down our road! With a fur coat like a bear, she wasn’t a big dog, but she was tough, and she always declined to come in at night with the other dogs so that she could keep watch over the property.
These faces would scare the socks off the coyotes, don't ya think?
With the absence of Honey, Blue and Sadie, this has left Bart, Holly and Scooby Doo to keep their eyes out (which is difficult when they’re usually closed and sleeping...inside preferably).
George was our mouser for a dozen years
With the boss dogs gone, within a matter of weeks not only was every last chicken gone,
Stevo was a lover and a mouser but not much of a fighter
but we had also lost our 3 ‘magnificent micers’ George, Stevo and Boo!
The coyotes had become so bold they would even hop the fence in broad daylight! Of course, on the early mornings Animal waited with his 22 they were no where to be seen. And I think he was secretly happy about that, I know I was. I don’t want to kill a coyote, dammit. So, the electric wire above the fence-line will be put in place and the chickens will not be let out of their hen house too early in the morning.
