What a rooster!

This morning I took a couple of photos with Tweedledum. As I held him, I explained to him that he could make himself very useful in the barn if he would kill all the baby mice that are running around. Then I went into the other side of the coop.

While I fed the other hens I heard the squeak of yet another mouse. Aargh! Then I returned to Tweedledum's side and what did I discover? He had the mouse in his beak and was beating it to the ground! Left side, right side, back and forth until it was dead. And then, just like a snake, he swallowed it whole!

What a rooster!

New Guy in the Barn

Although my broody hens have stuck for weeks, none of the eggs is developing, which says to me that Egglebert is not getting his job done. I had been thinking about adding a second rooster.

Then on Sunday I got a message from my friend Peg asking if I would like a rooster. Providence! Synchronicity! Put it out there and the universe provides!

There's always a catch. I got to Peg's house with my cat carrier all ready for transport. She told me she had gotten twenty chicks in the spring and four ended up being boys. Way bad ratio. She had two Ameraucana roosters and two banties. Well, of course the banties are really beautiful and she's keeping them! We caught one of the Ameraucana boys and then she said "well, why don't you take both of them?" I should have said no right then and there, but I was swept up in the moment so I allowed her to add the second one to my box. "Good luck!" she said. "I hope I haven't passed on any problems!"

No way do I need to have three roosters. I got the two home, put them in a wire dog crate to calm down. Tweedledee pecked Tweedledum, wouldn't let him eat, constantly fussed at him. Tweedledee's got to go. I sent out feelers. Did anyone even return my e-mails??? No one wants a rooster!

Today I moved Tweedledum into the chicken pen. My plan was for him to stay in his own crate in there for a few days, then go loose with them. But he had other ideas, broke free, and now Egglebert has his ladies isolated in one corner, fending off the marauder. I think they'll work it out in the next few days.

That leaves Tweedledee. Anyone want a rooster?

Bodhi - With a Bullseye

Bodhi died today. He had suddenly lost lots of weight, became lethargic and jaundiced. The bloodwork showed very serious pancreatic issues, possibly cancer, as well as very high blood sugar. Complicated by his age of around 12 years, the kindest thing was euthanasia.

I will remember Bodhi as a pest. Lovely boy that he was, he throve on pestering all of us. He would come to my bed early in the morning to pat me on the face, nibble my nose, nip my cheeks in an effort to wake me and get me to the kitchen. He routinely attempted to mount Luke, pursuing the dream of someday rising from his place at the bottom of the totem pole.

Bodhi, whose tabby markings were of the bullseye variety, had the softest coat of all the boys. He was also the tubbiest, and, as mentioned, he was the cat-nerd of the family.

And I loved him.

Prairie Dogs

Peekaboo!

When we moved to the country, the house we bought needed its septic drainfield replaced, and because we are in a watershed with a high water table, it needed to be a mound system. Imagine having a four foot tall pile of coarse sand to look at out your living room window!

Usually septic mounds are planted with lawn grass to blend in to the rest of the lawn. But this requires regular mowing, and running a mower over the mound can wear it down and speed its demise.

Research informed me that cooperative extension services recommend planting prairie plants on your mound, so that you can avoid the weekly mowing. And a huge benefit is the plants provide food and shelter for wild birds and animals. (The downside is when rabbits put their nests on the mound, and the dogs find the helpless babies...)

So I got my hands on a bag of seed and planted. This will be the third summer of our septic prairie and it's really coming into itself. Right now the grasses are seeding and the coreopsis is in full bloom. I also have what I think is lead plant in a few places -- gorgeous! (Well, it turns out that the "lead plant" is actually cow vetch, a non-native that's probably drifted in from the surrounding farms. It's still gorgeous!)

There are times when the seed pods on the prairie plants become torturous in the dogs' coats, but most of the year the movement of the grasses and the changing colors of the forbs make for a wonderful living room view!

Spring Flowers

A few photos from the perennial garden on June 1. This pink blowsy beauty is Iris Beverly Sills. I'd wanted one for quite a while but didn't want to pay $12 for it, then last year I discovered that you can buy plants on eBay -- voila Beverly Sills!



Here's a view down one end of the perennial bed. In the foreground is a salvia, in the back is columbine. You can see the dark purple iris and some poppy buds, too.






Here is an iris that was a bonus plant in my order! I have the name written down somewhere, I'll have to find it because I think it's gorgeous.






Finally, the block of columbine, backlit by the setting sun. This bed is shaping up in its second season and I'm quite pleased with it.