Monday

The trapping season has begun. As I do my morning chores, I add to the list checking the basement mice traps (which we load with peanut butter). Today we have our first catch. Ed releases is later a few miles from here. At this point, I am less committed to trap and release methods. It's mice, for Pete's sake! But Ed wont intentionally kill a living thing unless it's a mosquito. So I load up the trap again and I expect to catch at least a dozen more before winter sets in. The presence of Stop Signs has decreased the mice population at the farmette a little bit, but they will always be part of the landscape here and they will always find a way to get into the warm basement. And so the season begins: I trap, Ed releases.

It really is a gorgeous day! We wont have another like this until spring, I'm sure. Sunny, reasonably warm, fragrant with fall leaves and spent garden plants. I should start gathering dropped lotus tree seed pods or else we'll have hundreds of sprouted lotus trees come spring -- a nuisance in the flower beds -- but I put it off. Monday is grandkid day. Sparrow arrives early -- before breakfast. Before Ed is awake in fact. We kill time...






(he's a thumbs up kind of guy...)






And eventually, hungry for my coffee, I call up "Ed, are you awake?" Which of course invites the response "now I am."

(that's one big thumb, grandpa Ed!)






I leave animal care to Ed. Can I emphasize again how gorgeous this day is?






My lunch? Definitely outside. In good company.





In the afternoon, we pick up Snowdrop. I worry that the little guy is a bit undernapped, but somehow it doesn't matter. Not today. Not on this beautiful, happy day.

(Rolly polly games)











And remember how I fretted about the vacuumed princess crown (see yesterday's post)? Snowdrop noticed it wasn't there, picked up a tiny ribbon and stuck it on top of the princess head instead.






Eventually the girl wants to play outside. Of course! It's the perfect day for it! What would you like to do?
Play tennis! (Frisbee and tennis are interchangeable sports in her lexicon.)
I have to feed Sparrow. You two play. 

Snowdrop does beautiful frisbee tosses. Catching is a bit harder. (The cheepers are convinced we're throwing food bits.)






("Am I going to see the rest of that bottle??")






The parents come after work to take their brood home. Not before Snowdrop ropes them into a game of bubbles.






(The three younger chickens are still children at heart. "Can we play too??")






What every child could use: food in the belly, a warm shelter, good health, a good education, and happy parents.