Blue Skies

The weather is perking up, despite the forecast. It was sheer heaven to wake up and not have to go to work. I had already made up my mind to stay home from the farmer's market again, since it was supposed to thunderstorm, so I slept until the dogs made me take them out (around seven). They bark and whine, jump on top of me, etc. and do a good job of rousting me out of the sack. I was tired from another chicken with chicks episode yesterday. I had stopped on my way home from work to buy a hanging cherry tomatoe plant from Country Max. I had been eating tomatoes off it every time I shopped there, and thought I better buy the plant to make up for all the tomatoes I ate. It was only $17.00 and covered with green tomatoes. I made my regular stop at the little market in New Berlin and made my way home. I always feel guilty taking my time getting home, afraid that some animal debacle is taking place. Sure enough, I opened the milk room door and there was a little hen, one of the Olde English Bantams, sitting in the middle of the concrete floor - unusual because the cats eat there - kind of fluffed up. I saw a tiny beak underneath her wing and realized she had hatched a chick. I saw cats prowling all around her and felt guilty that I had not come right home. Who knows how long she had been fighting them off? I dropped my packages and went to get another wire rabbit cage. I set the cage down and went to pick her up, my hands clasping her wings to her side which, last time I did this, holds the chick inside her wing where it doesn't panic. I lifted her and, low and behold, a dozen little chicks scattered all around, with cats jumping in for the kill!!! There I was, kicking cats away, trying to catch peepers, with mom doing her Bantam dive bombing, charging the cats with her wings up in a menacing pose. No way could I catch them all, so I kind of herded them into a corner and popped my tiny cat igloo over them with a piece of foam insulation blocking the door. I thought I would get Matt to help me transfer them to the rabbit cage later, where they would be protected from the cats. I put feed and water in the igloo and could see the exhaused hen drink and drink. She must have been famished (they don't eat for almost a month, hatching the eggs). I put my groceries away then went back to check on the little family. To my horror, some sheep had come into the barn and turned over the igloo to get the grain. Mom was desperately trying to hold the chicks under her while sheep trampled all around. I beat the sheep off with my staff (they were oblivious to the blows - after all, there was grain involved) then Matt came in. Finally we got them secured in the rabbit cage and carried them over to the other two families in cages on the hay, behind the stanchions, protected from the sheep. Whew! I adore those hens and chicks, tiny things all covered with stripes, peeping so loudly for such little creatures. When they are old enough not to be eaten by cats I will let them all loose. Chickens eat flies and are welcome in the barn. Enough excitement for me, thank you very much! Beastie Boy went to Sangerfield this morning to get a brush hog. I kind of like the place all grown over. I spent enough time working on my manicured development yard - 3/4 landscaped acre - to earn a PhD back in NJ. I'm over that now. Some of the tall weeds are very lovely and interesting. He doesn't agree, and since he wasn't asking me to go get it and run the bucking bronco, I didn't protest. Hannah and Luke are coming and some of the weeds are taller than they are. I decided I couldn't let them lie on this tattered living room furniture, both roadside throwaways before they came here, and went furniture shopping. I picked out two gorgeous red plaid sofas at the "warehouse" store near school, but they were $700 each. The guy said he could paint them with a fabric protector guaranteed against even cigarette burns. He hasn't met my dogs. What was I thinking? I remembered the matching used sofas I saw at Yesterday's, also near school (I never roam very far these days), and talked Beastie Boy into coming with me to look at them. His arms were numb and shaking from the machine, so he reluctantly agreed. BB got into an animated conversation about all the places to go in West Texas (the furniture man is selling out to go RV'ing out west) so I could check out the whole place. There is a gorgeous primitive black walnut cupboard that would cost $1,000 at the old antique shop I used to frequent in NJ. He's asking $400 ($250 maybe?) Dream on!!! The sofas were marked $140, but I offered him $50 each. The guy said he would rather give them to Catholic Charities for the women's shelter than sell them that cheap. We agreed on $80 each. They are old, and slightly art deco looking, but clean and will do nicely for Hannah and Luke to lie on while they watch TV. We loaded them up and they are in the apt. now. I can't wait to throw the current furniture on the bonfire (yes, we can still burn in CNY but not for long). There might be creatures living in the chewed up fluff and foam. I hope they escape before being consumed in the flames. I have fantasies about putting the red plaid sofas on layaway for Christmas, but I have bills to pay and hay to put away for winter. The guy I bought hay from last winter (one of them) knocked on the door at 10 PM to ask if I wanted 80 round bales. A horse owner cancelled the deal they had. Well, nobody ever comes around here, much less at 10 PM, and it kind of freaked me out. Thor was loose to stay on coyote patrol, and either didn't see the guy, or didn't care. Some guard dog!! He had to come through the milk room, walk through the dark barn with animals lying everywhere, find his way through my dark work room, then the apt. He didn't look the least bit fazed about it, either. There is no way I would wander through somebody's dark barn late at night...not the way everyone around here is loaded for bear. Oh well, gone is my false feeling of security. Back to packing up "stuff" to make things neat for H and L. I just can't wait to see them and how they have grown. I am missing SO much by not living near them and don't want to waste a minute. Have to get to WM and buy all the goodies they like, especially lime ice-pops and fudgesickles. I need to buy rafts and beach balls for the frog pond. Look out froggies, the kids are back!!