It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I'd start with a summary view of some of the things we've been up to during the last days of summer.
All of our youngest poultry are now outside and fully adjusted to their new habitats. (Well, except for our juvenile ducks who still love to invite themselves in whenever the downstairs door is ajar!)
Dog food? We thought you said DUCK food!
Hi, it's us again! We'd like the orange bag please.
Knock knock! We know you're in there!
Now on to chickens. We love all the beautiful and interesting colors our pullets and roos are developing as they feather out and continue to grow. Fully grown chickens look so different from what they looked like as baby chicks, so it's like watching a mystery unfold! And their personalities are all totally unique.
Exploring their new digs. Safety in numbers until they know it's safe!
Couldn't resist getting a shot of this chicken butt lineup!
Romanoff always likes to stand IN the food plate.
This is our German Bielefelder couple, Mr. & Mrs. Beasley. He also goes by Mister Mister.
The Motley Chicken Crew
Our three roos: Lewis, Angel, and Mister Mister.
Also, finally just the other day, for the first time, I witnessed Lewis practicing his crow. Previously I had only heard crows while they were all in the coop, so I didn't know for sure who it was. (Funny, just as I am typing now, I hear him practicing again outside!)
We also have another new addition to our farm! We recently watched Peter Rabbit on Netflix, and then by the end of that same week I came home to this new bunny.
Look at that adorable face!
Sunshine AKA Sunny Bunny
Sunny Chillin'
This, of course is only a small tidbit of all the happenings that have taken place over the past few weeks, so I will label it "Part 1" of a series. Stay tuned to the next episode for Denali's visit to the Lowe's Halloween display, Jax in high places, and perhaps an update on my gardening adventures.
Last night we were trying to get through the rest of a TV show episode we were streaming on Hulu before bedtime when I heard our ducks quacking outside. I paused the TV for a better listen. Sure enough, Aslan, who was inside (downstairs), also heard them and let out one of his barks alerting us that he knew something was up outside that should probably be investigated.
Usually, it's a clear sign there is a potential predator in the vicinity when all your ducks stand up like bowling pins!
Sam let Aslan outside while looking around the surrounding area with the spot light, but she couldn't see any other signs of unwelcome visitors. Lately, we've had coyotes making an appearance on our property, so that is currently our usual first guess.
The air also had a particular eeriness about it. Earlier in the day the skies had finally cleared up from the smokey wildfire apocalyptic haze we had been experiencing for the last week or more. Now suddenly, this evening, thick smoke had rolled back in again with the winds. I considered the ducks could just be feeling a bit edgy by the strange weather patterns.
After Sam came back in and I heard the ducks still announcing their general unsettlement, I grabbed the light and tried to peer out the window myself. I spotted something perched on the fence down below, several feet from the ducks' enclosure. "It's an owl!" I exclaimed, with a hint of excitement in my voice. I grabbed my phone and hurried down to the front porch, hoping I could get close enough to capture it on (digital) film before my presence might scare it off.
For the most part owls likely aren't a real predatory threat for most of our animals. They are probably more interested in mice, rats, moles, etc. Our youngest (i.e. smallest) birds aren't yet free ranging unattended outside their enclosure. Currently everyone was locked up securely for the night, anyway. I didn't envision an owl taking the time to try its hand at breaking and entering. However, this doesn't mean the ducks themselves didn't have a right to feel a bit agitated and uncertain about this silent nighttime visitor.
Here are a few photos I was able to snap. It looks like it was a Barred Owl (determined after I later Googled it). I was so enamored by the absolute and exquisite beauty of this creature. I believe some of that perceived beauty is likely enhanced by the certain mystique that comesfrom often remaining hidden from human sight under cover of night.
I am so pleased the photos turned out in spite of being taken at night, in the dark! (Taken with the Google Pixel 2 for anyone who may be wondering...) I was also able to capture some video so that you'll be able to witness some of the owl's actual movement. Be sure to watch for the part where it flies over to land on another portion of the fence if you'd like to see it in flight. Otherwise, just watching the head turns and bobs and tilts is both adorable and awesome.
Finally, here are a couple of shots I captured of the moon above our woods on this smokey, windy night:
Just another night here at Pure Amusement Farm -- where there is always something going on!
Tonight as I was arriving home from work, I stopped to unlock the gate at the end of our driveway. I glanced up in astonishment to see a deer grazing freely in our yard, about 15 or 20 yards inside our gate. Not surprised to see a deer--we see them practically everyday around here. But with Aslan around, we usually see them OUTSIDE the fence of our main yard. It took me a split second for my eyes to adjust to the sight before I realized, "Oh! That's Mole'!" With his recent haircut (shearing) he looks so much like a deer!
I can never fully anticipate what I might encounter in my driveway when I get home. Sometimes it's like my own drive-through animal park--and I don't even have to pay admission!
Here's a little glimpse at some of today's welcome wagon:
When we first brought Casper home, she was just a few months old and predominantly feral. She escaped into the brush in our backyard and we would catch sightings of her as she regularly crept out from behind the wood pile to watch what was going on from a safe distance.
She got the nickname Casper because she was like a little ghost hiding behind the wood pile, who would sometimes make a visual appearance. A friendly ghost cat.
As Jax got big enough to start spending some time outside, he became the lure that encouraged Casper to start venturing further out in to the open yard and up closer to the house.
Jax and Casper both came from the same place, so maybe Casper recognized her baby cousin. In any case, her curiosity or intrigue eventually gave her enough confidence to come in for a closer look. And even as much as Jax sometimes torments her, she is the sweetest thing who never bites or scratches. (Unless you count when she grabs your hand back because she is not quite ready for you to stop petting her: "More, please!")
Here's a photo of baby Jax and Casper playing in the front yard with their chicken gang. We always have to be very careful because Casper especially likes to hide in the underside of vehicles. Here she is examining the wheel well for a possible hideout source.
For many months Casper picked the John Deere mower as her safe spot (Aslan was much smaller then!). Jax would sometimes join her--the two are definitely quite bonded!
Somewhat ironically, once we finally got Casper indoors, she quickly became a homebody. Jax is practically bursting at the seams to get outside every moment of the day. Casper, on the other hand, LOVES her safe warm place in the house and is quite content to have most of her needs met there.
She is not strictly an indoor cat, but also enjoys some time outdoors. The other day I caught her checking out the new ducklings while they were sunbathing in the pool. I think she's completely mesmerized by them!
I also snapped a little video of her watching them. If you watch to the end you'll notice her typical shyness as she suddenly recognizes she's being observed.
Casper and Jax have remarkably different personalities, but their bond is inseparable. It is so heartwarming to see. ❤️
Now that our little magpie ducklings are getting bigger we are trying to get them some more time outside in the sun. Vitamin D is healthy for everyone!
During yesterday's field trip excursion to the backyard pool, we also let Aslan out to meet his newest little charges. We had him on a leash just to be on the safe side, since we weren't entirely sure how he might react to them. I'm so proud to report he did GREAT!! Although we are still a little cautious until he proves himself...he seems to be quite enamored with the baby ducks and eager to keep watch over them. We are elated, because we can definitely use an extra babysitter around here!
Here are some video clips and photos from yesterday's introduction. After some pool time fun, we then put them in a clean tub in the sun so they could preen and dry off before going back inside.
Baby poultry are A LOT of work, but the cuteness factor sure helps make it all worthwhile!!
Today Sam forwarded me a bunch of old photos from her phone that reflect a collection of some of her favorites over the past couple of years.
L to R: Paisley, Lomi, and Molé
We call this one The Three Amigos. This was taken a couple of years ago, shortly after our camelids had their first haircuts. Paisley and Lomi are llamas, and Molê is an alpaca that we rescued.
They are due for haircuts again now. We'll have to post an updated photo after this year's cuts.
Next up, is a photo of Jax, our polydactyl cat. Usually his front paws look like adorably cute little white mittens. But, as you can see, having extra toes also means he has extra scratching power. Thankfully, I was wearing jeans when he considered my leg might make a good scratching post!
This one is also one of my favorite Denali photos. To me, it just screams "Meme Generator!" I will have to figure out if there is a way to embed a meme generator directly in a blog.
I would love to see what you all come up with:
This is Falcor (any Neverending Story fans out there?). She is Sam's blue and gold macaw. She says, "Hello?" when the phone rings, and enjoys talking about apples and bananas (especially bananas! I guess when you stop and think about it, it is kind of a fun word to say...). "Mmmm good!" she says. I also have to admit, it is pretty awesome having birds that laugh at your jokes. Last year we had baby ducklings for the first time. Actually, Sam has had them in the past...but it was my first time raising them. Oh. My. Gosh! Most baby animals are cute, but ducklings have to rank pretty high in my top favorites! Especially when they start pitter pattering around--they are like tiny bowling pins waddling around with miniature duck feet! We hatched three baby ducks last year. These are the baby pictures of Patches, Zippy, and Leon.
Peep! (Translation: Quack!)
Chillin' in Sam's lap after breakfast
Finally, here's another series featuring Denali. Just another one of those days when she was rolling around on the kitchen floor acting silly.
Here's another flashback to one of our favorite home videos I made using the Quik App by GoPro. (We don't actually have a GoPro...though if we did I'm sure we could get some even more amazing footage!)
This video features Baloo, our rescue horse, Aslan, our livestock guardian dog, and special appearances by Zippy, Patches, and Leon....the three magpie ducklings we hatched last year (along with several other duck "extras" in the background). Grab some popcorn, make sure your sound is turned up, and enjoy the show!
