~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[debilorrah]

I really wanna know how you have NO naked chickens. I have at least three running around right now with practically no feathers. They look ridiculous!!!!

I am keeping you in my prayers, Linda. This has GOT to be solved in your favor.

 

[gryeyes]

It's interesting to see the land parcel sizes "around" mine. The first lot, as one turns onto the road, is only .27 acre, the neighbors adjacent and south of me have 1.11 acres, those adjacent and north of me have .69 acre (and chickens), and the two parcels "behind" mine, west and northwest, are 3.89 and 3.69 acres. I don't know the sizes of the parcels on the other side of the road, or to the north of my next door north neighbors.

I did some more schmoozing of the folks to my south (the ones closest to the coop and rooster noise) last night. It was a very positive experience. The lady of the house actually hugged me when I headed home. Given that I am not normally a hugger and I certainly didn't initiate the hug, I found it propitious.

I'd seen they were out on their patio, so I cleaned the nice glass which shed sent home with me last time, when it was full of iced water (because I hadn't finished it when I left) and filled it to the brim with some fancy, individually wrapped chocolates. Plus, I took a clear six-egg container with half a dozen colorful eggs...

Family members from two other states were visiting (and would be sleeping in an RV on the property) for an upcoming wedding this Saturday. Here's the synchronicity: their nephew (son of visiting in-laws) is an officer working not only for the same agency as my employer, but he's assigned to the same HQ building where I work, upstairs! Well, hey, howdy!!

Whilst there, I was served a glass of nice Chardonnay and provided a comfy chair. That was even before we discovered the connection to the young man getting married on the weekend. The lady of the house is still bothered by my roosters' crowing, but she said she has learned to close the bedroom window when the 4:20 AM chorus begins. Her in-laws from Georgia and Arkansas interjected, nearly simultaneously, "Oh, you'll hardly even notice them in a couple of months!" She obviously didn't believe that prediction, and I acknowledged that "some people never learn to like the sound of roosters. Please let me know if it just doesn't get any better for you."

(Dunno what I'll do about that, but it sure sounds helpful, doesn't it?)

The man of the house offered me a cigarette, which I accepted. Both he and his wife are smokers, and seemed gratified that I am one, too.

I was quizzed by the out-of-state gals as to my "origins.". California born and bred (or is that "bred and born?") and only recently moved to the foothills from Sacramento, where I still work. That's when we found out the groom and I share the same employer and facility.

Some discussion about the recent tragedy of the little girl abducted by her natural father and both found dead in his car out here on a rural road, behind a locked gate. The officer is one of many assigned to the section which disseminates Amber Alerts. Sad, sad case. But folks who never heard of Somerset now kinda have a clue where it is....

They've started feeding a stray cat another neighbor had actually seem dumped from a car some weeks ago. Gorgeous feline. The conversation steered off into various other subjects, but eventually I had to say my good-byes because I was getting skeeter-bit. I left with an empty grocery store egg-carton to "re-fill with better eggs" and lots of cheery "be careful on that driveway" warnings. Next time, I'm supposed to walk up the "back" way, and come around the house, as it is far less steep. All righty, then.

 

[The Sheriff]

You need to be down at city hall with eggs and chocolates too!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Thanks for the update....sounds promising! At least for the trading eggs for Chardonnay!

And that you have some nice neighbors too. Did you get into the other neighbors or are you waiting for them to bring them up?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I am 8 days older than you!

I have enjoyed reading about your journey to home ownership. Best wishes to you!

 

[dsqard]

Linda I am soooooo keeping all my toes and fingers

for you! You would think that the person who "turned you in" would be happy that the prior people who owned the house weren't living there with their "operation" any more. That is unless they were enjoying some of the crop

Sad that they think they should take it out on you. It is not like you forced the former owners out. Anyway, sounds like things are slowly moving in a positive direction. Love your "Gander Wandering in the Garden" Excellent picture. I hope you are considering getting a large print of that made and hanging it in your new home. Keep your chin up. Lots of prayers going your way!

 

[gryeyes]

I gotta share this. HHandbasket and Farmer Lew made one of their visits to my house to check on stuff and took pictures. I think this one is the best of the three.

HH also told me this little story:
"Well we took pics because you were not there to see it, but it was REALLY cute! Carl and his little band of ladies were under the tree (can you seel Carl under the tree in the pics?), and it was SO cute because after we wandered around the yard about 5 minutes and ended up by the "grape holder," Carl came up there and brought me a stick. Good boy, Carl. I thanked him for his gift, and he ran back down to the center terrace of the yard where he had been with his ladies and went back to foraging with them and keeping an eye on things. There were 5 chickens in the area behind your house (there's about a 6-inch gap under the fence where they're getting out, but I'm sure you've discovered that by now). They were just diggin' and findin' bugs and having the time of their lives back there! I had to crack up as one of them stopped dead in her tracks, and you could almost hear her gasp (you know, like we do when we're busy in the yard and suddenly realize, "Oh [no!], I have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW!"), and she ran down the hill, practically knocking over everyone who got in her way, and in through the pop door. I think she realized she had to lay her egg NOW.

"

By the time I get home in the evenings, usually around 7, 7:15 p.m., there isn't a whole lot of just chillin' with the peeps time for me to enjoy. I'm so pleased to see the Carl further away from the coop than I usually find him!!! And chickens on the terraced front yard, how wonderful!

 

[Kansaseq]

Oh, man, thank you for the laugh today! VERY cute

 

[HHandbasket]

I am here to share a less-than-delightful story, but nonetheless, an important part of the history of the house.

Linda has experienced her first predatory chicken loss. I am sure she will fill you in on her take on the situation, but it was really sad. I was at her house yesterday visiting, and we were sitting in the livingroom discussing all the plans she has for her yard, getting the rest of her furniture moved, etc. I heard a noise, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something out the kitchen window in the back of the house. I apparently stopped the conversation, because Linda also stopped and said, "What is it?" I told her, "I'm not sure, but I think there was a wild turkey or something out behind your place." (Not on Linda's property, but the property behind hers... about 15 feet from the back of her house.)

Well, she looked up, and we both ran out... darned HAWK. Linda saw him up in the tree and we looked on the ground at the poor, lifeless blue pullet that laid there. A survivor (young buckeye pullet about 2-1/2 months old) came running out of the vinca leaves and back through the fence into Linda's yard. Poor little girl was about scared outta her wits! We could not get to the carcass of the once lovely blue pullet, though we tried with a variety of poles and nets. I went down to the front of the property, out the gate, and back around up the other side to retrieve the poor girl and bring her back to be appropriately disposed of--after all, we don't want OTHER predators smelling the carcass/blood and coming sniffing around to see what else might be there! So I went around to where the poor pullet had been killed by the hawk, and poor little thing was headless. I didn't know hawks were head-stealers! She hadn't been dead but maybe a minute or two and was still very warm but completely lifeless, and the decapitation was relatively bloodless.

It was a sad moment for us both.

Hopefully, that is the only li'l one she'll lose to the local predators.

Time to start lookin' for a good dog, Linda.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
That was my FIRST thought!!! We haven't had any trouble at all since we got our dogs. Large property here so we have two GSD's. Not even the ravens come around to steal eggs any more.

I am soooo sad to read about this loss before she is even fully moved in.