On and On

I don't think there's room in the barn for one more nest.  Every nook and cranny is stuffed with grasses, twigs, weeds (and Silkie feathers).  Sparrow seduction scenes continue to play out.  I can imagine the cacophony when those nests are filled with baby birds all yeeping for their breakfast.

The wipes bucket needed emptying again.  Not wanting a repeat of last month's tragedy, I took a trash bag down to the barn and started filling it slowly by hand.  Two mama mice leaped out of the bucket, so I know there are nests at the bottom.  I stopped when I uncovered a fresh earthworm, obviously brought in as a meal for the young ones, and left the rest of the wipes (and the babies) undisturbed.

I see the same mice again and again, so much so that I can identify individual characteristics.  I have a particular fondness for Squinty; he makes me smile every time.  Both eyes are open now, but still much smaller than the norm.  His ears stick out to the side instead of upright like his brethren, and he looks a lot like Dopey in Snow White.

Kellan and William came for the last load of poop from Nineteen's stall.  From now on there will just be the accumulated daily contributions from the girls; no end to that.   I got the word that their pigs are enjoying the buckets of unsold milk and are gaining the hoped-for weight.  I appreciate the fact that old milk is going to good use and not down the drain.  I also appreciate the oyster mushrooms they brought.  My Kids are coming up this weekend and I put in a request with K&W for more sunflower shoots.  Who would have thought that the tiny plants, pulled when there are just two leaves, would be so delicious?  William had suggested them for tacos.  I tried them recently and gorged myself; the texture and flavor are unbelievable.  The Kids are in for a real treat.

During cold, wet weather, anything that should be taken out to store in the sheds or barn gets put in the small room off the kitchen.  As with dust, I think something that sits around long enough belongs there.  I realized yesterday just how much had piled up and with the warm day, had no more excuses.  It took several trips.  Then, of course, I needed to reorganize the sheds so there'd be room for the new stuff.  Weeds had grown up through the "porch" boards in front of the sheds.  I had to stop to pull those.

It just goes on and on.