~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[gryeyes]

I have three days off!

This time of year, which I actually love, has become less lovely on weekdays because there is no Chicken TV, due to the fewer hours of daylight. I leave just before the flock exits the coop and get home after they have gone back inside. When I get home, the flock is disturbed when I turn on the overhead coop light to fill feeders, clean waterers, and gather eggs. Everybody mills about, so I get a few minutes of checking them out before I turn off the light.

Some months ago, I bought a baby monitor with two cameras and set it up. Until the daylight evaporated, I hardly watched it at all unless I heard something from the coop. NOW, however, I keep it on my computer desk and switch from Camera 1 to Camera 2 just to see what's going on. The ducks and geese meander all over the coop.

This is what the handheld monitor looks like, in its charging stand.

Here's a view of one set of the ladder roosts.

And here are some of the Cayuga ducks moving about.

This is a view from Camera 1. Yah, it's a crappy view, but *I* know what I'm looking at. The camera faces the automatic pop door, and next to it is the ginormous brooder (not currently in use except as a perch for several youngsters who don't want to roost with the senior chickens on the other ladder roost).

The system also provides audio, but I normally keep the sound off unless I see the sound indicator moving and feel I need to listen in to the conversations and/or arguments. There's a LOT of discussion between Kate, Angus, and the ducks.

I would absolutely love to have an IP camera so I could watch the flock during the day, via my iPad or iPhone. Or a view of the veranda to watch the various Poultry Parades throughout the day. Unfortunately, my home computer system isn't networked with a router, just a modem to the satellite dish. I dunno how to set something like that up.

Tomorrow I am going to try to get more photos of individual birds.

I've left a call on John's voice mail to come install the electronic pet door through the wall of the bathroom out to the area behind the house. This will also entail replacing the window which the former owner actually covered over with exterior siding, not just cutting the opening through the wall for the pet door. And I wanna show off the new rooster cabinet pulls I put up tonight. He'll get a kick out of those.

*****
Just heard two gun-shots. Somebody with a flashlight was just walking down the road out front, shining it up onto the embankments on either side of the road. Hmmm. Rural living sure is interesting. Had to have been the less-than-desireable neighbor across the way, because the light was extinguished as soon as I opened my front door and called out, "What's going on? Everything okay?" I heard the footsteps of someone walking back towards his house, but no response to my inquiry. Jerk. The good neighbors on either side of my property would certainly have tried to reassure me.

 

[Jferlisi]

Thats cool that you have those. I hate people who ignore you like you aren't even there. Its like hello a little common courtesy(i think thats spelled right lol).

 

[gryeyes]

Cloudy day photos from the coop cameras. This one is of Buffy and her chicks. (I know where to look.)

This one is of Buffy disappearing through the pop door and the chicks running after her. (They stopped at the pop door; she's been trying to get them to go outside for a few days now. Still no luck.)

This morning I saw Nugget - bantam Cochin - challenging Carl! This was up to jumping at each other, not just flaring hackles. The geese kept breaking them up. I am going to have to keep an eye on that situation.

Okay, here are the new rooster door pulls installed on the cabinet over my stove.

I love that sign! And here is a better picture of the pulls installed on the cabinet doors over what I continue to use to prepare meals (the microwave oven).

 

[gryeyes]

This morning, several of the chickens treed a squirrel. Yes, I know squirrels are at home in trees, but THIS squirrel wanted to come DOWN and make its way to another tree, or maybe to forage for some fallen acorns or something. It was pretty ticked off at the situation. I love listening to squirrel complaints - they're such obviously irritated chitterings. This occurred before I had my camera in hand, so I can't share any pictures of the encounter.

However, I did get a whole bunch of other shots. (Both yesterday and today.)

Carl and his favorite hen, Rebecca, as she dust bathes under an oleander.

This is Louie, my original Cayuga drake

Elvis and Priscilla in the stock tank. A few of the Cayugas, drakes and hens, are in the background.

One of the Cayuga drakes awaiting his chance to swim.

Elvis. Ain't he cute?

Priscilla - she's even cuter in a less flashy way. And she's quite bossy when she wants to be.

George, the sneaky, obnoxious Silver Sebright. He actually flogged my leg on Friday, from behind me. He got walked backwards for a good thirty feet before he decided to "give."

This is Hitchcock, with Paprika.

Closer shot of Hitchcock. He's one of the four chickens who roost on the veranda railing every night, instead of inside the coop.

I am having a heck of a time completing this post, because Smudge is interfering!

I will add more photos in a little while.... I did get quite a few this morning. And I absolutely love sharing pictures of my flock!

 

[welasharon]

Love the tongue!

 

[Kansaseq]

Does Smudge have white toes? He so reminds me of my old 'meeser, Boots ( I did NOT name him

)

 

[redhen]

Awwww! Smudge...

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
No, all his points are "smudgy charcoal" - although he is supposed to be a Himalayan, the very tip of his tail has the "Siamese crook" even though you can't tell unless you feel for it because he's a long-haired kitty.

For the life of me, I cannot remember how old he is, but he is at least 7 years old, because he came to me when I worked at a location which my agency sold in late 2004. It was a stormy, blustery day and we heard this awful caterwauling outside the gate, which we thought was a cat being attacked. However, he was just standing outside the gate, all wet and with pine sap and leaves clumped into his fur, screaming like he was being tortured. He calmed down the moment I picked him up. I called the SPCA to put a note in that if somebody had lost him, I had him. Nobody ever called!!

My vet said he was about six months old, an intact male, and (her words) "Young cats are really stupid. He's well fed and healthy - was probably an indoor cat and got out, something scared him and he ran, losing his way home. He could have been only a house or two away and still not know how to get home. He's probably been hiding in the bushes for a night at least."

He's not a very good mouser, but every now and then he'll catch one and bring it to me, still alive. Here's one he caught and brought to me in February this year, back at the rental property.

 

[Kansaseq]

Good boy, Smudge!! And what a very smart boy to be in the right place at the right time to find you

I say SMART KITTY!
Didn't realize he was long haired. My Boots was a blue point Siamese mix, with white toes. I got him from a client who's kid was 'allergic', and he was living in her basement. I think she no longer wanted him because he puked every day (IBD) and liked to 'ride' your arm. He was a challenging cat, but mellowed with age.

 

[gryeyes]

I think Kate & Angus are jealous of the call ducks' ability to fly!

Elvis and Priscilla just flew from the front yard by the stock tank to the side yard, with consummate skill. Kate jumped out of the tank and ran, wings flapping, to the driveway, with Angus right behind her. Then they performed the Zoomies up the driveway (which is steep, not flat) and Kate actually lifted off the ground about six inches for a foot forward! But she still wasn't able to make it to the terrace step between the coop and the veranda. Whoops. She and Angus jumped that step, then zoomed up the side yard to the back fence. They ambled back until the calls took flight to get out of their way... just a short hop. But airborne. Kate actually jumped into the air with her wings flapping but that still didn't work. Irritated, she then chased the call ducks away from the pumpkin in the "treat area."

I so wish I'd had the camera to catch 'em at it! They do the zoomies several times a day, but I'd never seen either goose actually manage to get off the ground in flight.

But, for your viewing pleasure, here are some more photos I took today.

Minerva and Bernadette dust bathing next to the house.

Charlie and Red dust bathing a little further up the side of the house.

Here's a whole line of dustbathing chickens. It rained yesterday, so the only really dry dirt is under the eaves on the north side of the house.

Pumpkin treat! Somebody spilled the oyster shell dish....

Little Bit is broody again! She's setting on two of her own eggs and golf ball.

More pictures later.... I'm going over to visit HHandbasket this afternoon; she's promised me a turkey sammich. I also have to get a leg band to mark Riley as NOT an ordinary RIR minion, as they're going to be picked up when I'm at work this coming Tuesday.