Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[CrazyChookChookLady]

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!

I'm so glad to hear you are safe and warm. I completely agree on 2020 being a s*** year!

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

"Look at my scary fangsies nom nom nom all gone! "

View attachment 2459353

Do they like a tummy scratch? I feel like I want to scratch its tummy...

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

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 have the same dreams. I've even had dreams like that about Anna as a baby.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

I like seeing their footprints here.

I've been contemplating a chicken footprint tattoo...

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I think @BY Bob you were correct, it was too hot in there for Lil' Queenie. I'm guessing it was above 75F, maybe it was 80F, and the sudden nature of that was a problem. Between the wood stove on the floor below that bathroom and the change in the weather the whole house got too warm. I opened the windows and then got the thermometer in there and it was feeling cooler and it was registering 72F still. Later it was 68F, then 65F and Queenie seemed much better, moving around more quickly, no panting, and doing some very vigorous scratching. This morning it's 59F-62F up here and she is acting normally. I have heard two "honks" from her, but she is doing soft clucks and calls when I'm near her, I think it is a happy sound, they have an upward, inquiring lilt to them. I am working at my PC up here and she is standing and sitting on the "doorway" perch watching.

I did make a video on my phone of the sounds she was making yesterday, it is 215 MB big, I found there is a video editor I want to try in my PC to shorten it, but the only way I could think of to get it to my PC was to put it in Google Drive, and it has been uploading since yesterday afternoon and it is at 135 MB loaded so far. We have kind of crappy internet with very slow upload and okay download. I have a data cable to USB that doesn't have the new symmetrical phone plug unfortunately.

Here she is hanging out and watching

 

[RoyalChick]

Did some leg work around and about and I had success! No longer lost in transit.

 

[RoyalChick]

Melting snow
The Princesses are insanely excited that the snow has gone from most of their run. I am outside in the run opening up and checking food and water - and here is what the webcam inside the Chicken Palace picked up. First 3 rush out.

Then Maggie follows doing her own, more demure, version with a bit of a high kick to show her excitement to go out. Elizabeth is in a nest box - you can just see her peak out at the end of the 2nd video.

Everyone is now outside enjoying a bit of sunshine.

 

[goldenfingers]

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...

You and I are in complete agreement on both Frozen and O Holy Night. I could never understand what everybody saw in Frozen.

The dancers do a lot of barefoot stuff, but it kind of depends on the type of dance they are doing.

Bob has stated before how much he enjoys collecting chicken taxes so I thought I'd better be on the safe side!

 

[goldenfingers]

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.

See? Death and taxes...

 

[Shadrach]

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!