Creatures Of Habit

There are two doors on the chicken house, one small drop-down door that makes a ramp and one large Dutch door.  Every morning when the little door is opened first, the hens come tumbling down in a race to the grain thrown out for them.  Tzar Nicholas waits to have the big door opened and then struts out like the monarch he is.  Every morning.

Down in the goat barn, each of the girls has her own quirk.  No matter that we have the same daily routine and I am careful not to introduce anything new or leave anything out of place, when it's her turn, Inga peeks into the room first and takes hesitant steps inside before a quick leap onto the stand.  She's never sure that some evil thing might not be lurking in the shadows.  Sheila leaves some cereal in her dish, waiting until the last minute to gobble that up after I've finished with her and opened the head lock to let her out.  It's as if she likes making me wait.  Esther won't leave the stand without rubbing her head on my ribs, sometimes so hard she could knock me over.  Tessie is the calmest goat in the herd, standing to be milked without stamping or moving about.  She is also neat and tidy, cleaning up every last grain that might have fallen from the bowl every morning.  Tessie, unlike the others, will only leave the stand to the left.  I've learned to get out of her way.

Bessie Anne makes a pest of herself when a guest arrives.  She does not bark or jump up, but a guest means a cookie (milk bone) and she lets them know in no uncertain terms that one is expected, going so far as to show them where the box is.  Once she has her treat, she generally goes off somewhere for a snooze, mission accomplished.

There is no telling what a cat will do next so there is no "always" with Ralph and Celeste.  Cats are their own creatures with their own whims.  Their attitude seems to be "deal with it."

While I was hanging laundry yesterday afternoon, just over the rise I saw the big four-point buck lift his head from the pot of water I leave by the chicken pen for the wild things.  I was downwind so he didn't notice me for quite awhile and took his time to drink his fill.  Some days I fill that pot twice or more.  Turkeys sometimes stand around waiting for water in the morning.

Linda fell victim to my "Blue Bloods" Thursday habit.  I can't help myself.  It was a good day.