Thursday, August 11, 2016

...And A Wake-up.

Eagerly anticipating one of our many shared camping trips years ago, our friend Dan would say, "Only one more day and a wake-up."  That's me now, looking forward to the last of these dadratted trips down the hill.  Today, tomorrow, and done!

BF Betty.  What can I say about a chicken who is so dependent?  Every single time I step into the pen there she is, asking for a cuddle.  A dear cousin called last night and suggested I just stuff Betty into the bib of my bibbies and use that as a baby sling.  Betty would love that, I'm sure.

Bedtime was a disaster last night.  Every so once in awhile the goats take it in their heads that they're not going into the barn.  It wasn't yet dark, the back of the stalls easy to see, but the girls stood in a clump and looked at me like they'd never gone there in their lives and had no idea what I was asking.  Aarrgh!  "Come on, Sheila!  Come on, Tessie!  Come in and get your treats."  "No, and you can't make us."  Sheila was the worst.  Time after time she'd come just to the gate and I'd get hopeful.  Then she'd back off and rejoin the others.  "Come on, Cindy, please."  She's usually the first in, but not last night.  At last, Esther relented and showed a modicum of good sense, going to her room and munching away on her grain.  The others could hear her and I guess, since she was eating and not being eaten, they decided all at once to do the right thing.  Nothing quite like getting rushed by a herd of goats headed to their stalls.

Poor Bess.  Because I'd had to put her in the feed room the night before while I chased down the fugitives from the chicken pen, Bess got the idea that was going to be part of our routine.  She went in with me while I got the chicken treats and laid down as she had.  "Bess!  BESS!"  She's pretty much deaf; doesn't hear cars drive up or even a knock on the door.  I stomped on the floor to get her attention, telling her that no hens were out of the pen and she could come out now.  Going about the business of putting the chickens to bed with Betty in my arms, of course, and chores for the day were done.

One more day and a wake-up!

2 comments:

Emmy said...

We are all counting the days with you.....
And you have been such a good sport about the drive, the heat, the procedure....
Now a weekend to stay home and watch old movies......

Kathryn Williams said...

'Tis 2:30 p.m. as I write this so....ONLY A WAKE UP!!! Yippee!