My visiting friends areheading north and they know to leave the farmette before the big storm system brings flurries and winds to this part of Wisconsin.
We do eat a leisurely breakfast! Of course we do!
And because it is (initially!) a balmy 39F/4C outside, the cheepers come up to the farmhouse, as if to prove their strength, even in these late November days.
But as our Florida visitors pull away, the winds pick up and the snow showers begin. Everything freezes rapidly.
The cheepers are caught off guard. They trot into the garage and wait.
And wait.
I'm thinking -- this is not good. They're far from their roost, their food, their water. I tell Ed to pick up Oreo (and he happily obliges!)...
...while I hustle the hens back to the barn. But they will have none of it. Snow on the ground? Nope, we're not moving.
And the snow picks up and the landscape is transformed and the brood looks on.
I retreat to the farmhouse. Ed brings Isie boy over from the sheep shed. (The cat has been in hiding since Karma, the dog came to visit. )
The cat doesn't last. He is suspicious, distrustful. He hides under the bed, then begs to be let out so that he can go back to the sheep shed.
In the meantime, I worry about the cheepers. The snow is mounting. I try to brush a path for them to follow. No. They stay in the garage.
At dusk, End and I make our way to them. We figure that if they doze off there, we can pick them up and carry them to the coop.
But they're gone! I have visions of shreds of feather lining the garage floor, but in fact, they're much smarter and braver than I would have thought. Sometime in the thick of the snow shower, they made their way, hugging the least snowed in surfaces, all the way to the coop.
Good night cheepers. So long to our Florida gang. Hello cold weather again.
We do eat a leisurely breakfast! Of course we do!
And because it is (initially!) a balmy 39F/4C outside, the cheepers come up to the farmhouse, as if to prove their strength, even in these late November days.
But as our Florida visitors pull away, the winds pick up and the snow showers begin. Everything freezes rapidly.
The cheepers are caught off guard. They trot into the garage and wait.
And wait.
I'm thinking -- this is not good. They're far from their roost, their food, their water. I tell Ed to pick up Oreo (and he happily obliges!)...
...while I hustle the hens back to the barn. But they will have none of it. Snow on the ground? Nope, we're not moving.
And the snow picks up and the landscape is transformed and the brood looks on.
I retreat to the farmhouse. Ed brings Isie boy over from the sheep shed. (The cat has been in hiding since Karma, the dog came to visit. )
The cat doesn't last. He is suspicious, distrustful. He hides under the bed, then begs to be let out so that he can go back to the sheep shed.
In the meantime, I worry about the cheepers. The snow is mounting. I try to brush a path for them to follow. No. They stay in the garage.
At dusk, End and I make our way to them. We figure that if they doze off there, we can pick them up and carry them to the coop.
But they're gone! I have visions of shreds of feather lining the garage floor, but in fact, they're much smarter and braver than I would have thought. Sometime in the thick of the snow shower, they made their way, hugging the least snowed in surfaces, all the way to the coop.
Good night cheepers. So long to our Florida gang. Hello cold weather again.
Button up your overcoat. It was 72* here in NC today but by the end of the week we may dip 25*.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo of the frozen berries. Maybe you should consider a seasonal farmette calendar....
Good photos of St. Ed. Poor Isie Boy. Glad to see the peepers are smarter than we may have thought.
Smart and able. Stellar combination!
DeleteI see storms in you forecast in the days ahead. Stay warm!
The portrait of Ed and the cat is striking. A man and his spirit animal perched on his shoulder? :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I ought to print it out as a reminder of the depth of that bond!
DeleteYes! The icy berries! I would frame that one.
ReplyDeleteThe one of Ed and Isis is so full of energy.
There is a series of children's books called Bad Kitty.
As always, thank you for the tip.
DeleteAs for the berries... sure you don't want a Xmas card? :)
My cat has yet to fully trust our ill-fated dog is not still upstairs in my bedroom, and the dog has been gone since May. I'm hopefully Isie will figure out it's "safe" soon! As for the chickens, maybe they're kind of like children: when left to their own devices, they'll figure things out on their own. I'm glad they made their way safely home!
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy. And I smiled knowingly about the trauma to the cat. Isis is still hanging back. The cheepers adapt faster!
DeletePS There's also a really silly series of cat books called "Pete the Cat". Owen and his cousin love them.
ReplyDeletethank you!
Delete