Yep, no pics today! Data choke sucks... also ,Everyone is hiding (mostly) from the rain and HAIL. I’ve had to rescue a few birds from hail (4xnow)! So, on Friday, DH’s cousin’s Husband was over doing some “clean up” And being oh so awesome, so he started a burn pile on a stump/rootball of a fallen giant Douglas for with a 3.5-4’ diameter Trunk. Then left the island on the 4:00 ferry.
Friday night it appeared to be
mostly out, with just some light smoke rising from the remains... it’s across a field and we can’t get to it with the truck. It was just a
little burn, so nothing to really worry about right? (Note: we didn’t know it was at the base of the tree)
Saturday morning, 10 am, we get the panicked phone call that his fire is now out of control. It Doesn’t look like much from the road, so I hop out and start the walk over to the pile, DH has to drive further down to turn the truck around, surely this is an exaggeration? No, the fire is traveling along the in ground roots and the uprooted rootball is smoldering with crazy embers at the center, and there’s a slow burn traveling along under the old fallen tree between the thick bark and punky wood.
With help from the ex fire chief, a big chainsaw, both tractors, and six hours of digging, making fire breaks, and stopping the spread, it was back under control, as you can see in the pic I shared previously. My first task in fire control was getting the herd of cattle relocated, so I led them into our area, about a 15 minute walk in each direction, a little longer with leading the cows, as they are now unused to following me on command. Aunt in law had already “driven them away twice with a switch”
to
great effect.
By the time we picked up milk, gas, dinner, and my mother to head up to the chickens/trailer it was almost full dark, the wind was picking up and it was raining fiercely. It had whipped the door to the chicken trailer closed, and only 3 chickens were in, one little black, Two Dot and a very dejected looking Sammy. They were hiding everywhere, and it was now pitch black out. DH and I began the relocation process which took over an hour. As the flock began arriving in twos and threes Sammy perked up and Roosting began to look more normal. Only a few birds were exceptionally soggy.
Gus that “dangerous bull” they were beating with a stick earlier, that I led off like a tame puppy dog to the confusion of all the in-laws, was being a big black shadow in the midst of our frantic chicken hunt. Well I’ve mentioned before that he is a sweet and empathetic bull, who gets quite distressed by dead animals (including the chickens!) and he was still upset from the days events, so the squawking, soggy panicked chickens we were putting in the trailer had him quite confused. Add in the darkness, and this is a recipe for disaster. I was down to the last (I thought) two little black pullets and there he was, planted right at the door and refusing to budge, with a look of concern on his face. He did drop his head in threat when DH tried to gently turn him away. We eventually got him moved away, but it was a struggle. This morning I found one Confused little black pullet loose. I have no idea where she hid overnight, but she was dry and safe and that is most important.
I have my fingers crossed for a cow/rain free and better roosting experience tonight, as DH is in town picking up feed and I will be all on my own.
But seriously, I can’t believe how hard you work and all of the amazing skills you have. You, GO, Girl!
