The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[1muttsfan]

Merry Christmas, friends!

 

[speckledhen]

It's almost over, thank goodness.

A fox is possibly trying to den up on the front corner of my property where one did about 10 years ago. Its a culvert that runs under our street, one end comes out on Ann Bryan's property and the other on mine. I saw coming back from getting mail yesterday that the end on Ann's land was dug out. Mud usually clogs up the entrance and piles of leaves, but there was fresh digging and the opening was cleared. The other end was still closed off. It's about the right time of year for a fox to find a den to make ready for her kits, right? If this is what's happening, we'll have to discourage her from staying there.

 

[getaclue]

Depends on distance, and how secure your coops/runs are. Seems like a hot wire should take care of it though.

 

[speckledhen]

I would have to hotwire my entire 2 acres. The barn is 100% secure when the door is shut, but the pen has a 5-6' fence and a fox can go over that without a problem, however I do let mine out to free range on the property, always have, even when the last fox made her den there. I even found Barred Rock feathers at the mouth of the den, just not from my BRs.

 

[speckledhen]

Very, very early, maybe around 2 a.m., I was awakened by a Great Horned owl calling somewhere along the power line easement road, which is on the side of the house where our current bedroom is (I sleep with the window behind the headboard slightly cracked, no matter the temperature).

I stayed awake to listen. He called over and over, taking only a few seconds break in between the calls. This went on for maybe 10 minutes. I felt so blessed to live where I do and hear the sounds of nature, not the sounds of the city.

 

[h2oratt]

Agreed, I went to visit a friend who just moved to an apartment. I couldn’t believe how small and cramped everything was.

 

[speckledhen]

I can't get motivated to do anything. My house is dusty and messy. I have had a quilt pin-basted and ready to do for a week. I just don't want to do it, or anything else. It's wet and nasty outside. We do barn chores and that's about it. Very few hens are laying. That dang Maretta keeps clucking and clucking while still producing her little blue eggs. ( on the upside, Aimee, one of my original Belgian D'Anver hens, started laying again. I haven't seen a bantam egg in a year until now).

I keep thinking of all the huge clean-out chores we started literally years ago in the big stand-up crawlspace and the old coops that are not getting done and can't begin again until spring weather. The garden...I just don't know if I can even do one next year, other than maybe plant peas. They grow up, no need for boxes or anything. My husband is in the dumps, too, which does not help. I don't even want to go outside until spring. I'm not sure what to do with myself if my mind and hands are not busy...other than eat and I can't do that, either, not with my super slow metabolism /thyroid issue. Maybe that's why I've been going to bed around 7-8 p.m. and getting up at 6 a.m.

Here she sits, lonely and unquilted. I may even sell that Janome machine and just keep the Brother 1500. I can quilt on that, too, and I sure don't plan to do a humongous quilt like the last one I did. If the Brother dies, I can replace it with a brand new one cheaper than I can find a used model of the Janome 7700.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Maybe some vitamin B12 is in order.....

Hard for me to be motivated around here too. I was supposed to have 2 weeks off but ended up working some each day due to getting a booth ready for a trade show coming up in Jan. Been crazy-busy work wise. But just can't seem to get motivated to do the stuff that needs to be done around the house - like go through several boxes of old mail, purchase bedroom furniture and get the old, over-sized items out of the house, etc.

 

[1muttsfan]

Yep, in the middle of the early winter, shortest -days-of-the-year, dingy dark days Blues. I have two days to put my house in order because we're heading for Florida for a couple weeks, and I have people coming to stay while I am gone, and my house is a mess. Ugh.
It's a good time of the year to rest up, head to bed early and sleep in late, and do what needs doin' and not much more.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I get the winter blues too from lack of sunlight, and exercise. I sleep later than I should and stay up too late too. B vitamins can help give you a boost if you are low. All I can think this time of year is I have 3-4 months of winter yet. The worse is yet to come here. Hopefully you feel better soon @speckledhen .