On the way to Critter Farm...

The day Honey refused

2012-01-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

What started out as just a little bit on Saturday night: ...became this on Sunday: which turned into this on Monday: and looked like this when we awoke this morning: Honey made it very clear she wasn't going to get out of bed today: No way, no how: And no kind of enticement could convince her otherwise: Though she was most happy to be served breakfast in bed: Roxy, my farm pup,

The face of a chicken...

2012-01-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

who just did her job for the day: Good girl, Spongebob!

Friendships

2011-12-31T22:30:00.000-08:00

Friendships are funny things, aren't they? Over the last year, I've given the subject of friendship a great deal of thought, not only while watching the relationships here on Critter Farm develop and grow but also through experiencing them in my own life with (gasp!) other humans. Often, friendships begin slowly: A little bit of curiosity and a friendly face can usually get the ball

Behind the scenes: What didn't make the holiday card this year

2011-12-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

A good portion of my December was spent in one of my three pastures trying to get the perfect holiday photo of each of my critters. Looking back, I realize now that "perfect" is a relative term. It's also an incredibly elusive achievement. In my head, I can picture precisely what I want, but to actually obtain it? As near as I can tell, I would have been more effective teaching them all to

A perfect pie crust

2011-12-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

Back in November, I waxed poetic about learning how to make a crumbly, beautiful pie crust. Many of you asked me to share the recipe for this wonderful crust and so, without further ado (and despite a month-long delay)... No, wait. I need to disclose something important before I share this recipe. Prior to this recipe, I was a complete Crisco snob. I didn't believe Crisco had a place in "

The Grumpy Cat Holiday Card Collection

2011-12-09T22:51:00.001-08:00

I can just see them now... Can't you?

Knitting with Kai Llama

2011-12-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

You may recall, about seven months ago, I had my llama, Kai, sheared for the first time since she came to live at Critter Farm: The shearer was a really awesome lady who did an impressive job: She sheared in such a way that Kai's fiber came off in two large sheets: And, at the end of the day, that huge "rug" that Kai had been carrying around for two years, fit into an empty feed bag: I

Not everyone is in the holiday mood...

2011-12-05T21:18:00.001-08:00

Beau... trying to convince Chester to wear the damn hat:

One more short message from Roxy

2011-12-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

Send help. Please. It's that time of the year again. My farm girl is in her ridiculous "holiday hat" mood. For some reason, I am always her first victim. Don't laugh. Just wait until you see the donkeys.

It's interesting to note...

2011-11-29T21:17:00.001-08:00

that of the 18 eggs I've gotten in the 29 days of November so far: Every single one of them has come from Skippy, my White Leghorn hen: Each one consistently weighs in at an impressive 2.75 ounces: That's right, Skippy, you're my star: Even if you do have dirty feet: Considering this little gal is almost four years old and it's at a time of year when most chickens' egg laying slows

It's the little things

2011-11-24T14:32:00.001-08:00

Shy (a.k.a."Don't-touch-me!") Clyde finally let me pet him today: His fur is so soft. He felt amazing: I couldn't ask for anything more today. :-) Happy Thanksgiving from all of us on Critter Farm!

Pssst! You there...

2011-11-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

Guess what?: I got into something today I shouldn't have: It was delicious, but my farm girl said it was nasty:And she made me wash my face:That's ok, though, because once my face was clean, I was allowed on the couch for my afternoon nap:And shhhhhh.... tomorrow, I know straight where to go for the good stuff:

Changes

2011-11-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Time when boots are a necessity and coats are required-wear for trips to the barn: This means for everyone: My farm pup, Roxy, is once again insisting on going out with me for morning and evening feedings. To me, this is a happy indication that her leg is (finally) recovering. Clearly, this is a girl who thrives on strategically placing herself in the center of

Mass Exodus

2011-11-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

There is a point in every day that is awaited with great anticipation:The chicken joy that spills forth when I open the chicken run door:...is a burst of quick, noisy and intense:In a matter of seconds:everyone disperses in separate directions:...to scratch, peck, dig, dust bathe, chase, and explore:Roopert the rooster is always the last to leave, observing and noting the direction each of his

An Oregon farm girl returns home

2011-11-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

Vacation is over and I'm back home. Back to the state of green grass, big trees and...overcast skies:My man managed the farm perfectly in my absence; everyone was happy, healthy and wanting to tell me all about it this morning when I returned to my morning feeding routine:Now, before I jump with both feet back into story-telling about life at Critter Farm, if you don't mind - and before I lose my

Promoted to ranch hand

2011-11-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

When I visited the 7MSN ranch for the first time last March, I was wined, dined, entertained and treated like a royal guest. This was an incredibly wonderful and amazing experience, but I really hoped to help out a bit during my trip this time.I am proud and pleased to say that my request was granted and I am now an official 7MSN ranch hand! What does being a 7MSN ranch hand entail, you ask?

And on the third day...

2011-10-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

We took it a bit slower than the first two days. Smooch took a nap on my bed:Carson and I took turns riding Lucy. Here's my turn:Here's Carson's turn:Here's the #1 reason in my mind why people in New Mexico wear cowboy boots when riding: Cholla cactus!:Holy cow, look at the thorns on this baby! It actually embedded itself through my jeans and into my boot:And speaking of cows, here are some:And

A Halloween-Donkey-Safari Party

2011-10-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

There was a lot of excitement around 7MSN yesterday. A party was about to start and everybody had to dress up:George thought he might be exempt since he was clearly napping:...but Carson is very accommodating and was totally able to work around his sleep:He was pretty much still sleeping when she was finished:Even Wynonna agreed to don a colorful bandanna:Mostly because she knows how stunning she

A whirlwind of activity

2011-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

The last 24 hours have been an amazing whirlwind of activity for me...After saying goodbye to my crew on Critter Farm, I flew to Albuquerque New Mexico yesterday to visit my friends Carson at 7MSN and Justina and Don at Morning Bray Farm.Upon my arrival in New Mexico, Carson and I had a quick lunch and made a short stop at Trader Joe's in Albuquerque (I've been told we have a party to get ready

By the way...

2011-10-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going on a trip today.In preparation for this trip, here at Critter Farm....I built a small cage, separate from my main chicken flock, to keep wandering Honey safe while I'm gone:She hates it :and looks at me mournfully when I walk by to check on her:The donkeys got their feet trimmed. Chester was feeling especially helpful that day and assisted Justin, my farrier, while he worked on Beau's

If I lose my way to the barn...

2011-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Or to the side porch (and my garden flip flops)...Or if I need to quickly determine where Honey is spending her days:And having her afternoon siestas:All I have to do is follow the trail of feathers she has started leaving behind:Poor girl. Virtually every step she takes results in feathers flinging themselves from her body:The annual molting that chickens go through around this time each year is

Cougar sighting -and- my day in 9 pictures

2011-10-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

"Danni? Frank saw a cougar tonight," my neighbor said to me on the phone last night.Frank is my neighbor's son, an avid hunter, who knows his animals. He spotted the cougar on the edge of our property line.We've never had one so close. We thought our biggest threat was from coyotes and raccoons. Do you know the rules about cougars?Here are the "Guidelines for Living with Cougars": (as taken from

October, so far

2011-10-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few amazing things I've seen this month... A spider with the most incredible long legs:My donkey, Chester, giving a Critter Farm visitor the biggest face kiss I've ever seen:Roxy, my farm pup, trying really hard to relax knowing that George the Unpredictable is lying right behind her:My barn, all ready for the wet season(s), fully stocked with 1 ton (50 bags) of stall bedding (

And so it begins

2011-10-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

Rainy rain rain"It was a dark and stormy night...":...except that it was morning:And it was time to feed the animals:Chester celebrated Oregon's return to all-that-is-wet-and-muddy by getting something stuck up his nose:Poor boy, I can't imagine 1) how he managed to do this and 2) not having an opposable thumb and forefinger to pull it out:Here, sweetie, use mine:The concerning thing is, it was

Back with my babies

2011-10-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Returning from a wonderful road trip vacation , I arrived home to find fall flowers:Rain-soaked maple leaves:And the Parade-to-the-Barn-for-Breakfast procession of two donkeys, a llama, two cats and a chicken: Honey (and her heavy-hiney) always falls to the rear of the line at the steep part of the hill:Beau has been very generous with his big soft kisses:Mr. Goldy, the big animal stock tank

And then there was this...

2011-09-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

I'm running out of vacation photos to share, which means there are only a few good vacation stories left to tell.I'll start with this one:Have you ever noticed how my Jim doesn't ever want to be in any pictures on my blog? Well, I finally got a shot of him that I know he won't mind me posting. See that little black speck that's sort of on the left-hand side of the smaller mountain below? That's

In my element

2011-09-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

You can take me off the farm:Drive me across the state:Put me in a swinging box called a gondola that glides up a flimsy cable to the top of a mountain:and if there are animals anywhere in the vicinity that want to hang with me ... :I'm going to find them.Being outside...behind my camera...with animals crawling all over me.... :Happiness!

What farm doggies do on vacation

2011-09-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Roxy Louise, my farm pup, was very excited about going on our trailer road trip this year:Even though she had her own list of specific items she wanted to do on her vacation, it wasn't hard for us to work those in with what Jim and I wanted to do, also. She is really the easiest dog in the world to travel with - and a whole lot of fun, too:Here is a short list of all the things Roxy has enjoyed

That annual thing we do...

2011-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's become a tradition. Every year, my man, my pup and I go on a trailer road trip. When we lived in the city, we were able to get away on these trips much more often, but now that we're on property, and with a lot of critters, we have to really try hard to make it happen.This year I had a lot of help getting ready to go.Roopert and Spongebob enjoyed kicking dirt into the driveway as I was

Honey goes to Grandma's

2011-09-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

When you are a special chicken who has divorced her flock and has chosen to live the (exotic if rather dangerous) life of a free bird...Special arrangements must be made for you when your human protectors leave the farm for any length of time:In this particular case, a visit to Grandma's was just the ticket. Roxy, my farm pup, acted as navigator and co-pilot (she knows this trip by heart!):Upon

A new pasture, opened

2011-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

There's a tell-tale noise I make, a clanking of chain on metal:...that alerts my small herd to imminent, untold delights:Hooves come thundering:down our big hill:Chester sails over a log with anticipation:The trio moves so fast:...even the cloud of dust can't keep up:In a swift maneuver that leaves me cheering...:my normally slow and steady Beau maintains his strong -if unusual- lead:and twelve

Poor little farm doggy

2011-09-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

So, do you think Roxy...:had any idea...:when we moved to Critter Farm:...who she'd wind up:spending her days with?:Me neither:Poor little city-girl-turned-farm-doggy:She still struggles a bit with all the different languages she has to speak now.

September, so far

2011-09-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

How about a quick recap on what's been going on around here so far this month?Ok...if you insist...On September 2nd, Roxy, my farm pup:...got a haircut. Poor thing had to suffer with an orange and white polka-dotted ear bow until I took pity on her and took it out:My sweet chicken, Skippy, is running with her flock again: It makes me happy to hear her chatty little voice telling me "all about it

Maintaining my cool - by Kai llama

2011-09-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

I live with two noisy, smelly donkeys, Beavis and Butthead:Ok, so these aren't really their names, but these guys do some very strange things sometimes:And me, well, I've got a front row seat to kooky-ville. I just sit back and watch it all: They're even daft enough to try to get me involved sometimes, swinging that big, old orange cone close to my head and pretending like they're going to step

Critter Farm Hospital

2011-09-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

I've got a sick chicken:When I walked into the coop the other day, Skippy, my beloved White Leghorn, clearly wasn't well:I immediately checked her into a private room at the Critter Farm hospital:I quickly took note of her symptoms: droopy and pale comb, extreme lethargy, no appetite and a weepy bottom:The only thing she wanted to do was sleep:After a bit of a nap, she decided she wanted to tour

Who knew...

2011-08-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

... that this year's freshly cut and baled grass hay: could make me so miserable?: It's a rather cruel joke for a farm girl to be so allergic to her critters' food that it virtually incapacitates her, don't you think? Believe it or not, the goofy mask seems to be the one thing helping the most. (The donkeys were a bit taken aback, though.) Now I just need to find a pair of goggles and

The best llama in the world -or- Llama 1, Coyote 0

2011-08-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

So there I was this afternoon, picking raspberries... When I heard Kai llama sound her llama siren alert: Did you know that llamas sound a shrill trill (say that 3 times real fast) when they sense danger? Kai was in our center pasture with her goat charges, Pete and Reggie, so she knew she had a job to do: Unfortunately, while I had my camera with me, my lens was not strong enough to get a

Whenever I sit down

2011-08-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever I sit down around my donkeys, Beau and Chester, it doesn't take long for one, the other, or both to find their way over to me for a cuddle: ...a nibble: ...or a rub: Something about me sitting implies captive audience to my boys and I am gloriously, at least for a few minutes, the very center of their attention. Now, this isn't to say that they aren't capable of entertaining

The leg

2011-08-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

I received a number of comments on my beach blog post yesterday applauding my farm pup Roxy's use of her left rear leg following the nasty ACL tear injury (and subsequent surgery) she had in June. Because a great many of you have supported Roxy through this whole ordeal and then commented on this one, specific thing yesterday, I feel the need to share a bit of the "behind the scenes" story

When Enoch comes to visit

2011-08-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

My son and his girlfriend have flown to New York state to attend a wedding and I am grand-doggy sitting! It took me and this sweet boy, Enoch, about a day to find our routine, but now we've got a good one. Here are the things I've learned will happen when Enoch comes to visit... When Enoch comes to visit, we play a LOT of Frisbee: In fact, it is necessary to hide the Frisbee when we're

Clever alternate use of lawn chair: #2, Goat Edition

2011-08-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

My critters are a freakishly itchy bunch. Fortunately, I always try to have the proper tools on hand for them to find some relief.Case in point, Pete and his lawn chair. Now, generally, Pete uses his lovely green plastic chair for his most-perfect napping spot, but on this day, it served a completely different purpose. It turns out, that the left arm rest reaches that always-hard-to-access spot

Did you know it looked like this?

2011-08-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

I know... I said yesterday I'd share a sad tale about blueberries today, but I just couldn't get all my pictures organized in time (So frustrating. How do you organize your digital photos over multiple years?)Anyway, in lieu of blueberry sadness, I decided to share a donkey palate today instead.I've seen my donkeys yawn:And in Beau's case, he yawns a lot:But not until I caught his yawn from this

Forgive me, please

2011-08-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

...for this post is almost entirely about chicken poop.If you are in any way offended by chicken poop, you should opt out now and not read any further. You see, I fear I may have been out here on the farm too long. For when I stepped outside today, and saw what Honey, my roaming chicken, had less than delicately left me, I thought immediately that it looked like a work of art:Seriously, though,

Raise your hand if you love raspberries!

2011-08-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Bunches of raspberries are finally turning ripe and this is creating a lot of excitement here on Critter Farm:After picking 2.9 pounds from my upper raspberry bushes this morning, I decided it was an excellent time to conduct a quick, completely unscientific, poll:..on who around here loves raspberries - and who doesn't.Can you guess the results?Roxy, my farm pup?:Yes:Without question. She loves

Happiness (today) was...

2011-08-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Having lunch in downtown Portland with my beautiful (and almost 23-year old, eek!) first born son:Having the very first cherry (Gold Nugget) tomato turn ripe:...on the very same day as my volunteer sunflower #1...:*and* volunteer sunflower #2 decided to open:Treating myself to a new pair of sharp (and non-rusty) garden clippers:for my super cool (and well used) garden clipper holster:(On at least

Bangs and a mohawk

2011-07-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

I've noticed two very distinct styles between my donkeys.Chester, very clearly, is a bangs man:While Beau is a mohawk sort of guy:Fortunately, they don't often let this little difference come between them:And, for the most part, they usually see eye to eye:Unless Beau makes the mistake of teasing Chet about whether he can see with all that hair in his face.....And then Chet finds it necessary to

A field of daisies

2011-07-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Look, daisies! In my garden, where they belong:Aren't they pretty?:Oh, hello, Kai. Look at you, sitting all happy in the pasture, surrounded by.... (eek) daisies??!:Something went terribly wrong with my middle pasture this year.We had some daisies scattered about last year, but this year >>pow<< they really took off:Unfortunately, despite the daisy flower's extreme cuteness, nobody around here

It was needing to be done

2011-07-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

This was a long time coming. Beau's tail looked horrible... all stringy and scraggly:While Chester's tail looks as handsome as the rest of him:I had been thinking about tidying up Beau's tail for a while now. You may recall that, over at Morning Bray Farm, Fergus had gotten a tail trim (<-- click link to read story) back in February. When I thought about Fergus over the weekend, I suddenly knew

Clever alternate use for lawn chair: #1

2011-07-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

An Ear, forehead and chest scratcherEar:Forehead:And chest:If Chester had had his way, it would have been a butt scratcher, too, but the chair legs: just weren't:quite: high enough:

Meeting face-to-face

2011-07-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'd like to begin this post by stating how lucky I feel.I have "met" the most wonderful people through blogging, people I haven't actually met face to face (though I still hope to!), but still feel like I know nonetheless. Even more wonderful are those handful of bloggers (you know who you are ♥) that I have had the incredible opportunity to meet in person.Such a meeting happened last weekend and

This just isn't right

2011-07-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

One feature of living in western Oregon, aside from all the rain, is the predominance of slugs...They seem to show up everywhere: and you just learn to live with them......until they show up in a spot where you, quite simply, cannot tolerate them.Every night, when I head out to lock up my goat boys, Pete and Reggie, I walk past Honey's crate. Honey, you may recall, is my chicken who divorced

My thoughts and love are with Morning Bray Farm

2011-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

My friends at Morning Bray Farm lost a beloved member of their animal family today. My heart aches for them.If you aren't yet a regular reader of Morning Bray Farm, would you mind stopping in and leaving them a few words? We could think of it like a big blog "hug".Thank you. ♥

How's Roxy?

2011-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago, my farm pup, Roxy, had surgery on her left rear leg to repair a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and a luxating patella (floating kneecap). Normal recovery time (when dogs begin to use their mended leg again) is anywhere from 2 days to 3 weeks. Disappointingly, things have not gone "normally" for Roxy and, to this day, she is still preferring to use three legs

Hi

2011-07-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while...so we just wanted to drop in:and let you know...that we're all doing fine:We've had a chance to catch up on some thingsand we've spent time making some new plans:We've gotten lots of good rest:and we're all enjoying warmer, drier and sunnier Oregon days:Today's post is just to say hi:and tell you we're all happy:and healthy:And we all really hope you are doing well, too.See

Getting my head above water

2011-06-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

I'll be back when I've managed to do that.(P.S. This is Webber, the small, gorgeous frog that lives under our (Webber) barbeque cover. He took a quick swim in the birdbath today. Photogenic little guy, wouldn't you say?)

Incentive

2011-06-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year here again. Time for the goat boys' - Pete and Reggie's - annual CDT (clostridium perfringens types C&D tetanus toxoid) vaccinations:Pete was immediately suspicious when I asked him, via collar-grab, to "please come here":The vaccination process was threefold. While my son, Aidan, was holding, the goat boys were cookie-chewing, and I was injecting:No muss, no fuss. It has

The pup comes home

2011-06-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

When I posted about Roxy's surgery early this (gosh, it's after midnight, I guess this makes it yesterday now) morning, I had made a conscious decision to "put it out to the universe" (to borrow a phrase that my mom uses frequently) that I needed some support. While I appreciate the idea behind this particular phrase, I've always intensely disliked the way it sounds (which always makes my mom

Special thoughts for my pup, Roxy, please

2011-06-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet farm pup, Roxy, is having surgery today:A week ago last Sunday, Roxy hurt herself. She ran out the door on all four legs to chase a trespassin' dog off our property and, when she came back, she was using only three legs. This is how she has been ever since.We went to the vet:He diagnosed her with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in her left rear leg.She had to have blood drawn to

What a difference a day makes

2011-06-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

The change was drastic and significant.Yesterday, in a foggy, 48 degree rain, I donned long underwear beneath my thick farm pants to feed the critters:It rained almost the entire day:Honey spent the better portion of the day cruising the perimeter of the house under the cover of the eaves:Then today happened. I squinted up at the sky and didn't dare believe what I saw:By 9:45, it was brilliantly

A whole lotta eggs

2011-05-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

There were 7 dozen eggs in my refrigerator this morning:That's 84 eggs:Not bad for 3 year old hens, right?Skippy, my White Leghorn, likes to gives me eggs with little surprises every now and again:If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I really love these eggs. I have been having a 3-year love affair with the eggs my hens lay me. I count them. I weigh them. I pay attention

Full stop

2011-05-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

My fortune from last week's Chinese take-out meal:(Let me just tell you, I didn't have one bit of fun this last weekend and it's definitely affecting my productivity this week.)Well, hello there.It's me, Danni, returning to the Land of the Living. I have been sick for the last week and I'm kind of grouchy. A full week of my life - poof - gone...dedicated to the worst cold I can remember having.

The first radish

2011-05-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

It was a milestone moment:I pulled my first radish of the season:So what if I was thinning my radish bed at the time and this guy was one of the ones that "got thinned"...barely a tenth the size of a normal radish:I see it as an optimistic sign of beautiful radishes to come!

I had no idea it would be so pretty

2011-05-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show you some of the beauty that I have in this recycled feed bag:Fiber, fleece, fur... whatever you want to call it, I've got quite a lot of it. This is about a third of what's in the bag:Pretty, huh?:The color is lovely:The texture is soft and light:I never would have guessed that underneath all that straw, twigs, and dried pellet bedding:...that this gloriously soft fur would

I can't access my Blogger Dashboard

2011-05-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

After the recent Blogger debacle, Blogger is now saying that "all is well" and that everything has been returned to its original state. However, I am no longer able to access my Blogger dashboard. This is an important thing because, without access to my dashboard, I am unable to moderate my comments, save drafts, edit drafts and access/edit previously published posts.By going to the URL: http:/

Please...won't somebody

2011-05-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

...throw the stick for poor Beau?

Welcoming a new farrier

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Excitement was in the air this morning:Chester was excited because I put his halter on and he thought I was taking him to graze on the back lawn:Kai was excited because the donkeys were locked in the barn, allowing her to eat her breakfast without any d.d.d.'s (doofy donkey disturbances):George and Honey were excited because 1) George had just filled his belly with some delicious kibble and 2)

Llama Shearing Day: Before and After

2011-05-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

This is what two years of llama fiber growth looks like: In climates that are hot and humid, it's important that a llama is sheared annually every spring, but here in the cool Pacific Northwest, unless you have a show llama, every two years is pretty routine:I'm glad that we kept Kai's coat for as long as we did. We've had a very cold and very wet winter and it didn't phase her a bit. This coat

The chicken that made a choice

2011-05-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

It was so hard for me to end yesterday's post with that lonely image of Honey, forging off on her own, headed in the rather unlikely direction of the barn, with no clear statement as to what happened to her. But, the background of Honey needed to be told and to include both background and the latest events in one post would have made for an unbelievably long post.Today is a new day, though, and

The history of Honey

2011-05-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Honey:You may remember her as one of the three adult hens who came to live with me in January after a girlfriend of mine couldn't take care of them any more (from left to right: Thumper, Honey, Skippy):For the first few weeks, these three stuck together like glue:They were buddies:Three peas in a pod:and they seemed to feel most at ease when they were close together:But then, Thumper

Crazy Oregon Spring: A May 5th Animal and Vegetable Report

2011-05-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've come to the conclusion recently that we (everyone and everything that lives here on this particular piece of property) are all nut jobs. Something about the onset of spring here on Critter Farm has brought out all kinds of whack-a-doo behavior.For example...ANIMALS:The goats are bellowing almost non-stop:Reggie won't stop head-butting Pete. Then he flaps his tongue at him. Neither one wants

George drinks

2011-05-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

And, yes, as a matter of fact, he does own the whole damn place.:-)

What is more prolific than rain in Oregon?

2011-04-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Why, the slugs, of course:They are, sadly, everywhere in my garden right now, big and small, dark and light, long and short...:Crawling all over - and devouring - my tiny, tender seedlings.Nasty buggers:I'd like to dedicate this next picture to CeeCee over at My Little Bit of Heaven: She's always really impressed with my "huge, poop-sized slugs", as she calls them. :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Been taking a bit of a blogging break

2011-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

5 pounds lighter

2011-04-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but Pete and Reggie have been looking a bit scruffy lately:With the warmer temperatures, their thick, downy, winter undercoats have started to work their way to the surface of their fur, giving them an unkempt and matted look, especially around their necks. This simply won't do:It's time for their spring brushing!Pete went first. Mostly because he was the first to walk

Sparring.... with love

2011-04-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Pete and Reggie couldn't quite make up their minds whether they wanted to head-butt or cuddle:I think the sun, mild temperature, and spring-like atmosphere had something to do with it.The drenching Oregon rains have since returned, thereby quickly clearing up any confusion they might have been feeling. :-)

Accomplishments this week

2011-04-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

I got the lawn mowed:the compost spread:and the potatoes planted:I got a good start on getting the blueberry patch de-mossed:and my deck railing planters now have spinach in them:I finished getting the garlic mulched:and the huge grape bed is finally weeded:Who says good help is hard to find?

Capturing those blue eyes

2011-04-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

Clyde. Sweet, skittish, don't-touch-me, Clyde. (And, after his de-worming, add "fast, with a bit of spunk" to his descriptors.) He's the life-long buddy to George (pictured below), our enthusiastic, black-and-white, busy-body who always has his nose in everyone's business:It's very clear that, four months after adopting us, George is convinced he owns us and our property. We're ok with this.Clyde

Scenes from sunny today

2011-04-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Getting a drink:Begging:Standing one-legged:Shy (and blue-eyed) Clyde:Rhubarb:Just-budding lilacs:Watch dog:Goats behind bars:The march to dinner:Sunset over the chicken coop:Pretty much a perfect day.

Slug Art

2011-04-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Formerly known as "Daffodil":Also known as my very first Photoshop Elements project. Here's the original photo:And here's a picture of two chickens telling secrets, in case you don't care about photo editing software. :-)

How do I ever get anything done around here?

2011-04-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day to get a few things done around the property.Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it:(And as is frequently the case here):I had a lot of help:This made it almost impossible:for me:to concentrate at all:on my tasks at hand:And I found myself frequently distracted:Oh no, here come the chickens:So you know what I did?I took off my gloves...:Sat down..

Tiny and hard-boiled

2011-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure at first who it had come from:At only 1.3 ounces and white, it was either a very small Skippy (the Leghorn) egg, or a very odd-shaped Dottie (the White-Crested Black Polish) egg:But, although odd looking, there was no reason not to treat it like any other egg, right?One of my favorite quick breakfasts is a hard-boiled egg on wheat toast:I peeled the little egg. The shell came off

Enjoying the moment(s)

2011-04-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how a day is often made brighter by seemingly unrelated, happy moments... moments that, individually, make you smile but, when tallied all together, can make you feel like you had a really wonderful day?Here are a few of my seemingly unrelated happy moments from today....Waiting for the hummingbirds:Having my mom drop by for an unexpected visit (and a cup of tea):Thinking

More rainy day activities

2011-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

4-word recap summarizing current Critter Farm weather status: Continued cold and rainyYesterday, I only shared how the chickens are spending this time, so I thought - in an effort to reduce any jealousies that might pop up - that I should share what my other "babies" are up to currently as well.Chester and Beau have been enjoying relaxing breakfasts under cover:I asked them to smile for this

An inside day

2011-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today was definitely an inside day:The weather took a cold and rainy turn overnight last night, which meant nobody wanted to go outside this morning. You didn't hear any of us complaining (for a change), though. The critters and I are pretty tired from all the spring clean-up work and activity of the last two weeks. We were more than ready for a break.It was raining so hard, I decided that the

Dinner for one

2011-04-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

Here's what I had for dinner tonight:This is a toasted peanut butter and Critter Farm strawberry jam sandwich with BBQ potato chips. Mmmm....one of my favorites.I've been manning the farm solo for past eleven days and, when you're on your own, your vote is the deciding vote on what's being served in the kitchen. Funny how that works.But even though I was tickled to have one of my favorite lunch

All in a day

2011-03-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

Blooming:Storing:Clearing:Eating:Shedding:Strutting:Playing:Another busy day.

And the 30th made up for all the others

2011-03-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

March 30th turned out to be a wonderful day! After 28 days of rain, it didn't rain once. The sun didn't shine much, but it was warmer and drier... and, quite simply, it was a day meant to be spent outside.Do you know what this is?:It's a Trillium. They've started to bloom!Honey hen completely bypassed my arm this morning and went straight for the scratch bucket:Skippy was totally taking notes:

28 out of 29

2011-03-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

These are the number of days in March that it has rained here in my part of Oregon. --> 28 out of 29 days <--.Stop and think about this for just a moment. And now, let's quickly move on.Rather than belabor this sobering bit of weather trivia, I'd much prefer to share a few things that I've seen around the farm recently. You see, my little farm remains very sweet to me, even though the weather

V - Day

2011-03-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

My calendar said today was Big Animal Vaccination Day in big red letters and I was nervous. I had picked up my baggies of shots (that sounds funny, doesn't it?) from my vet clinic a few days earlier and had been stewing over them ever since: While I've given shots on occasion to Chester, my donkey, and my goat boys, Pete and Reggie, I don't do it regularly enough to feel supremely confident

My guilty pleasure

2011-03-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge candy eater...but I do love my chocolate:Every year at this time, however, a very specific candy-coated chocolate becomes available in the stores that makes me swoon...Oh my, it's just the perfect combination of crispy-crunch and chocolate. So good. And no one ever has to know that I've eaten almost the entire bag since I took these pictures.Oops.

The secret to Oregon's pristine water

2011-03-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

is NOT what I found in the goats' water bucket this morning:Pete and Reggie were in a tizzy, wanting to tell me about it:This will never do:Here, boys, let me freshen that up for you:Somebody needs to tell George, the barn cat, that he's got work to do up at the goat house. Stat.

From where I sat today

2011-03-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Despite the dark clouds, the rain showers, and the big tree I occasionally had to seek refuge under:It's definitely spring in my part of Oregon.The grass has started growing:The big animals are being invited into the middle pasture again:I found myself happily sitting in my green chair:Chester was actively resisting his impulse to stomp anything smaller than himself:Chesterrrrr.....Don't do it,

Weeding ...with "help"

2011-03-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

- from George:

A trip to Morning Bray Farm

2011-03-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

One of the really neat things about having my own blog is that I can jump forwards and backwards in time any way I want, telling stories completely out of order, and nobody can complain about it. Well, ok, sure, somebody could complain about it, but by the time they do, I will have already told my out-of-order story and felt quite happy about it. Ah, the power of having my own blog. :-)Anyway,

One other sign that spring is on its way

2011-03-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Roopert, my rooster, starts jumping me:He sneaks up behind me, when he thinks I'm not looking, and attacks my boots:This boy, who I've lovingly, adoringly, and gently hand-raised since he was a day-old chick, thinks I'm after his girls:So I grab him and cuddle him:He really hates this:Butthead.

I know spring is coming because

2011-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

The chickens are laying enough eggs for Jim to take and sell at work again:My seed-starting greenhouse has been pulled out of the back room of the barn:Chester trims the lawn while I trim the perennials:Roxy starts drinking from the hose again:We start adding additional members to our late afternoon walks: and Dottie, my White Crested Black Polish hen:...ends her 6-month egg laying sabbatical (

Going home and what I found there (in 2 parts)

2011-03-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Part 1: Going homeYesterday morning at 7MSN...I ate one last really incredible pretzel-n-white chocolate cookie (made by Carson):I went to give George a hug goodbye but instead he took a nap on the back of my head:I gently asked Snapdragon to remove himself from my coat:I gave Smooch a final scratch on her hiney:and then Carson and I drove through the gate, leaving 7MSN behind us:I was able to

Walking the fence line at 7MSN

2011-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

New Mexico is gorgeous. It has a rugged, dry beauty:and a feeling of expanse that is breath-taking. It is so very different from the forest-like location of western Oregon that I live in, where we are currently (and frequently) swaddled in mud and wet:On my last full day here at 7MSN yesterday, I decided to walk the property to get an idea of just exactly what eighty acres feels like:My

I saw magic happen today

2011-03-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

If you are not yet familiar with the Morning Bray Farm blog or their recent posts on the little donkey, not too far from their home, being used for inhumane roping activities, please go here to read the story.If you are a reader of Morning Bray Farm, you will already know that this little roping donkey was rescued just yesterday evening by Justina and her husband, Don. I know Justina will be

A sunny Sunday spent in the donkey corral

2011-03-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

It was a day straight out of my "perfect day" book. The sun was shining, the sky was blue - and I'm still visiting 7MSN in New Mexico:Linda and I spent almost the entire day outside.It was a day of loving on the donkeys (note to myself: one shouldn't sit directly on the ground here, it's a little dusty). (Photo by Linda who was laughing at me):And grooming beautiful Hank:There was, of course,