Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

@Kris5902 I think I've read over the top of something. Sorrow. I've been trying to navigate my own pain but did not mean to ignore yours. Here is a belated hug. or 2

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 I think I've read over the top of something. Sorrow. I've been trying to navigate my own pain but did not mean to ignore yours. Here is a belated hug. or 2

Thanks, and for everyone... just remember if it gets tough, there are people who love you, and please reach out. I mean, I am one of those introverts... socializing is hard for me, especially face to face, and I’m starting to feel the isolation a bit too. Compounded by my recent loss. I have started worrying about everyone I haven’t seen lately, especially people struggling with addictions, recovery, and mental health

Oh gosh, Bob! This is so hard for me to wrap my head around. We definitely have to arrange skype sessions over your winter! Ignore my blatherings. It's ok for people like me. We do just fine but for people people I know it's a lot harder.

They aren’t blatherings, and please don’t think anyone thinks you’re making light of anything... you’re one of the kindest most welcoming people I’ve known.

And this is sort of why I stepped back for a few days to process my emotions... I was too raw in my grief. I don’t want to burden anyone, but I also needed to say if anyone needs to reach out, please do it. However works, and in whatever way is needed. And please take the initiative to check in on your friends and acquaintances who might need a quick “hey, how are you?” A little bit goes a long way.

 

[BY Bob]

I re-did her brakes at 13 with my dad, a lot of it is just our environmental issues, as in scary not level, oh so much mud, and oh s*** the jack is sliding!!! Our roads are super ‘special’. Plus we are helping the new apprentice mechanic out too, and his shop rate is super reasonable $65/hr is a steal here ($CAD)

That is a steal anywhere, what a great labor rate

 

[Kris5902]

That is a steal anywhere, what a great labor rate

Well, he is just an apprentice (still more proficient than us) without his ticket (come home to care for granny with Covid and settle himself) and his family is very well off. Like, just bought the Vineyard and are actively improving it at a loss well off. He also had to cover his own overhead, so I am happy to let him do the work. He’s not even undercutting the local handyman repair guy... who I found out in a family friend (of mine! Lol, knew my uncle well)

 

[BY Bob]

Oh gosh, Bob! This is so hard for me to wrap my head around. We definitely have to arrange skype sessions over your winter! Ignore my blatherings. It's ok for people like me. We do just fine but for people people I know it's a lot harder.

Until Feb of this year I had spent over 30 years traveling to meet with people every week. I spent time with people all the time for work so when I would come home from the road I liked alone time. At first it was nice to be home. I could sit outside with the ladies. It was fun and different.

Frankly it's getting long in the tooth now. I used to meet new people every week. Instead, I've been working with one person for 8 months and we haven't even spoke on the phone once. It's a new world for sure.

 

[RoyalChick]

Not impressed by dead mouse, actually the opposite

Found that we caught a mouse in the drawer trap last night and thinking of @RoyalChick I decided to see if the pullets would have any interest. First thing this morning. Bad idea. I was barely awake. Buckeyes are famous for being mousers, but maybe not these gals, maybe not yet, and maybe it has to be a live mouse, not a dead one, at least for starters. They're five months old now. The mouse seems kind of big. Also I really should be more awake prior to these little experiments. What was I thinking?

I approached the run with dry meal worms and the stiff mouse, and everybody came over to the door, and they were really excited to see the mealworm jar, and they all jumped in to have some when I scattered it in a small area of the run near me. Yum! Pecking away. Contented buks.

Then I tossed the mouse over to the center of the run without warning, kinda over their heads. It didn't land in the middle of them, it was a good two feet away. But nonetheless that was a bad move. They jumped and bawkked and then seriously gave the warning sounds of deep bok, bok, bok, bokking. They moved away and to the side while looking intently at the dead, still body lying over there. Then they absolutely froze with heads cocked at it while continuing to make the serious warning sounds.

So I tried to reassure them by talking to them, telling them it's just a mouse. See, maybe you'd like it?

And I reached over them and picked it up by the end of it's tail to show them how harmless it was, but of course that was a bad move too, as now it was swinging wildly from my hand, and again it was over somebody's head, who then freaked out, let out a full bakaawwwk and flapped and stumbled sideways away. This set everybody off on a another session of vigorous deep bokking while stepping this way and that, eyes on the swinging mouse, unsure where that thing was going next and where the safest place to be was.

What was I thinking? I removed my hand with the mouse and put the mouse out of sight, outside the door. I got the mealworms going again. The deep bokking stopped. What? You've still got mealworms? Oh, yes, please! Please! Very happy to see the mealworms!

Contented pecking and making those little buk buk sounds.
I promised myself and them I'll never do something like that again. What was I thinking? Not very much, and definitely not enough, I'd say....

I am sorry because I am sure that was all very distressing for everyone (except I suppose the mouse that was past that stage), but this post just made me laugh out loud.
Mine seem to be going off mouse steak again as I saw that one of last night's victims was still lying there where Maggie had left it after pecking it to death (I didn't tell her the trap killed it first).
Diana seems to want to swallow them whole but Maggie pecks them.
My sense though is too much of a good thing and all that, they are definitely getting bored with mice.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, and for everyone... just remember if it gets tough, there are people who love you, and please reach out. I mean, I am one of those introverts... socializing is hard for me, especially face to face, and I’m starting to feel the isolation a bit too. Compounded by my recent loss. I have started worrying about everyone I haven’t seen lately, especially people struggling with addictions, recovery, and mental health

They aren’t blatherings, and please don’t think anyone thinks you’re making light of anything... you’re one of the kindest most welcoming people I’ve known.

And this is sort of why I stepped back for a few days to process my emotions... I was too raw in my grief. I don’t want to burden anyone, but I also needed to say if anyone needs to reach out, please do it. However works, and in whatever way is needed. And please take the initiative to check in on your friends and acquaintances who might need a quick “hey, how are you?” A little bit goes a long way.

Good advice. I think I'm going to put some time in my schedule for every day to reach out to someone. It will probably help me to. Thanks Kris.

 

[RoyalChick]

I’ve been gone since Saturday because it was a very rough day here. Things didn’t go well in communicating with the in-laws, and I was honestly ready to pack it all in and leave between 3-6am on Sunday morning. After the stressful day, I found out through Facebook that a dear friend from work I had fallen out of touch with died. I did not take that well. I am fairly certain that Covid was partially to blame (social restrictions, and the psychological affects of this virus are hitting hard on many of my old friends). Although it wasn’t announced, everyone I’ve spoken with who also knew him, agrees it was most likely a Drug OverDose, probably not a suicide.

Oh Kris I am so sorry to hear this. So sad to hear the loss of a young life and I know the isolations are hitting some people very hard.
Be kind to yourself and take some time to remember your friend.

 

[Ribh]

Oh, hold on... I forgot, Australians have a somewhat skewed idea when it comes to “dangerous wild animals”

And that from someone who has lived with bears...

 

[RoyalChick]

Good advice. I think I'm going to put some time in my schedule for every day to reach out to someone. It will probably help me to. Thanks Kris.

It is a really good thing to do Bob. I try and call a person most days just spontaneously. It is always cheering for one or both parties.