Amusement Rides

As I've said, it's the small things that amuse me.  The goat barn is a hive of activity in the morning:  me coming in and going out with the girls, squirrels checking to see if I've put out their buffet and sometimes stretching out flat on the ground to wait, and birds, all those busy, busy birds.  The bold jays wait for no man/woman.  They get into the feed bucket up on the shelf and help themselves, doing fly-bys so close overhead that their wings ruffle my hair.  Sometimes the little birds band together, all yelling at the top of their lungs to drive off a particularly pesky bluejay (they won't stay gone long).  The ones that really crack me up are the fledgeling barn sparrows.  These Baby Hueys are every bit as big as their parents and are capable of flying, landing on the square-wire window dividers to do their "feed-me!" dance.  It's a kind of half-squat with wings akimbo and fluttering like mad, turning this way and that with mouth wide open.  They make me think of all those goofy dances from the '60s:  the Mashed Potato, the Pony, even the Twist.  These babies would definitely have been an inspiration for a new dance craze.

While a nonmilker was on the stand yesterday, I went in with the rake to clean the big room.  One of those pancake squirrels lay in there just watching, for all the world like a man sitting on the couch while wifey vacuums.  "Pick up your feet, Mister!"  Begrudgingly, he finally moved out of my way.

Star thistle is not amusing.  Right now it's the only green thing in the yards and it's growing inches every day.  I'm trying desperately to stay ahead of it, keeping it mowed before those dreaded spiny seed heads form.  Before I could hang clothes on the line, I first had to mow the side yard right after barn chores.  I'll have to get the gas cans filled before I can do the front, back and back side yards.  Fu won't run on air.  It takes about a half-gallon of gasoline and the better part of an hour to mow just one of the yards, more for the west field.

Barn chores, laundry and mowing done, it seemed a good idea to take the rest of the day off.  It's been forever since I've picked up a book to start and finish before sundown.  Once in awhile I like a "fluff mystery," entertaining and not requiring a lot of deep thought; another amusement ride for the mind.

It was a good day.