Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

I'm guessing ignorance and neglect through disinterest...

I often have nightmares where I suddenly remember I have birds or small mammals in pens or hutches and I have forgotten to feed, water and clean them out for weeks. I go rushing to check on them and most of them are dead with maybe one or two staggering about peeping piteously. Horrible (shudder). I usually wake up in a panic.

I had a dream like that several months ago, it was awful! My son had a bad dream a few months ago about the chooks. He wouldn’t tell me about it but he wanted me to check they were ok!

 

[LozzyR]

Lovely Lozzy. You both look quite relaxed. ☺

Thanks ACM! He was pretty chilled.

 

[FARKESU]

Nice looking pets, the post is also inspiring!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

A chicken pic to keep you peeps entertained View attachment 2459004

I like seeing their footprints here.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh, and it didn’t get any better... I have no chicken tax pics, and probably won’t have any more until someone is either brave enough, or the weather is better enough for the chickens to venture forth from their sleeping quarters. We got about a foot of very wet nasty snow/slush, and our annual Christmas Power outage arrived! Yay... we are all safe, except for the tiny bird with a broken foot I tried to save, but at least it passed away as comfortably as I could make it for them.

summary: cold, wet, scary, unpleasant day... everyone is safe, and I’m having a glass (or two) of nice red wine to celebrate

Spoiler: My day sucked Rant

I got a Ride down to the farm with my second generator from BIL. This generator is now not working. It was working last night just fine. I think it got flooded from the rough (and nowhere near level) transport. There is no heat in the building my mother is staying in, just the electric. I got the Genny set up and the heaters plugged in, batteries in her overhead lights (3 led spots that run off either a/c or the lithium batteries for my cordless tools, best investment in a long time!), and I dropped off enough power banks to Charge her phone fully at least 10-12 times.

BIL disappeared (to his cabin, as I saw when I walked by it), and I wasn’t risking a night hike in this junk, or the chickens not getting up for the evening. It was now 2pm. The walk that usually takes me 1/2 and hour took just over double that. At the first gate on the road that I had to open, I was almost hit by a very, very large branch 8-10” at the base, and a good 16’ long. I reacted the same way my chickens did to seeing the white stuff this morning. “Expletive expletive expletive, expletive Nope!” but the chickens and cats needed me to make it back, so I set out across the hay fields, to the sound of the widow makers and live branches alike dropping along the road due to the wind or snow load.

Because of the gate placements I walked about 2 1/2 miles through calf deep slush. I Crossed a stream (the same stream) six times, broke one gate (easier than opening it and the fence can’t support my weight for climbing) and I ran through a few sections that I knew were dangerous, but had no choice but to cross there. I was soaked completely through... my North Face winter fleece, hoodie, long sleeve, and undershirt. My yoga pants and undies, “waterproof” (nope) boots and socks. My legs were red and all my extremities were stinging. Whomever said “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing” lied. The weather was awful. It was blowing sleet the entire time as well.

We are all safe and I am warming back up, the genny is running up here, I have gas and propane and I am well. The chickens are all up, and ok, if a little thirsty. I keep calling to check in on my mom. Andrew (DH) has safely arrived at his friends and is supporting her (long story), but he was also the victim of a hit and run thanks to BC ferries, and my poor truck is now missing a mirror. An insurance claim and police report are being filed, and it wasn’t the other driver, but the ferry staff that refused to allow the proper exchange of insurance documents between the drivers. Or to even insure there were no injuries! There will be no meds for Roostie, even if they do come in the mail, as there are multiple trees and live wires down between here and the store, and a crew is “assigned” but it could be days before power is restored (last year think it was just over one week before we got power back Christmas Eve).

Call it silly, call it superstitious, but there are just ten more days left in this S*** storm of a year, and I, for one, cannot wait to see the back of it! Oh, and I will be adding horizontal board fencing to the paigewire in 2021... so I have more places to at least climb over the darn fence! Who puts gates in only opposite corners and in bramble and brush? Campbell’s, that’s who!

What an unexpected awful day. I hope the wine helped to sooth things for you. I'm assuming the ferry people were in a rush to load or off load and did not want the process held up.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for sharing! I just made it to “o holy night” a personal favorite... and I have to say it’s a wonderful performance (though I skipped the frozen bit... sorry just can’t too many kids here are hooked on it) it’s quite different to see dancers performing barefoot, is this a regular thing at your uni? I think it’s good, so long as no one breaks a toe, but am so used to seeing dancers in shoes it was striking. Bob, of course, has the last call, but I don’t think this needs a tax! Though the cute feather baby is also appreciated...

Unless there are chickens performing and I did not see any, sadly the taxman must be paid.

What a gorgeous tax payment it is though.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm guessing ignorance and neglect through disinterest...

I often have nightmares where I suddenly remember I have birds or small mammals in pens or hutches and I have forgotten to feed, water and clean them out for weeks. I go rushing to check on them and most of them are dead with maybe one or two staggering about peeping piteously. Horrible (shudder). I usually wake up in a panic.

What an absolutely horrible dream. I could not go back to sleep if I had one of those. How awful.

 

[BY Bob]

I had a dream like that several months ago, it was awful! My son had a bad dream a few months ago about the chooks. He wouldn’t tell me about it but he wanted me to check they were ok!

I woke up 2 nights ago with a sudden feeling that something was wrong out at the coop. I got up, grabbed some shoes and a (torch or flashlight) and headed out to see nothing wrong. I absolutely listen everytime the little voice says to do so. As with the hawk, it can be right and as a chickeneer, I can't afford to be wrong.

 

[BY Bob]

Nice looking pets, the post is also inspiring!

Thanks! Come tell us about your flock.

 

[BY Bob]

And what to my wandering eyes should appear......

............but a flock of 6 ladies quite dear.

What is that I spy over by the coop?

Let's look closer.

They finally left the complex yesterday.

It was Phyllis who left the tracks. She was the only one to set foot on the snow as she made one trip completely around the coop. No one else would leave the patch of grass that is my pathway to the run door.

I think that since they did not see their shadows we have 6 more weeks of winter to come.