Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Going down again. With a feather. And animals...

Only lost .4, a quarter of a pound.  But I am going back down again... 

I have been noticing, with the rain, and the change in weather, the animals are changing, too.  The llamas are RIGHT THERE in the morning for breakfast, they normally will show up when they feel like it.  And a little fluffier.  Rudee is looking heavier, but it's his coat, it's finally come in fully. 

The same can't be said for the chickens, they seem to be half a**edly going through a molt.  PATHETIC looking things.  Add to that, they seem to be on the hunt for more food, and I am getting landed on, on a regular basis. (Ick.)  Buttercup, in particular, will fly across the pen, to land on my arm, and eat out of the feed bucket.  This leads to inspection for poop tracks on my arm, my shirt, and on occasion, my back and head... (Ick, ick, ick...)

I have had to raise the llama's feed buckets, as the darn birds try to peck on ears and eyes to get into the bucket and eat.  Lorenzo will have none of it, and will stomp a chicken.  Llama, on the other hand, will just back off, and lose out.  I have put her bucket up about chest high on her, on a chain.  The chickens tried to jump on it, and just fell off, so she is getting less 'attacks'.  I need to raise Lorenzo's now, he is getting highly irked, and I really don't want a flat chicken...

The cats are looking fit, Tux has his winter coat, Buzz is just looking slick.  Buzz doesn't seem to get a "winter coat" as much as looking more, well, like she's wearing butch wax, or Dippity Do.  She isn't greasy feeling, but she LOOKS that way.  But only in the winter.  Wierd.

Walking has led me to a few more four footed and winged folks on the place.  I found a salamander each day, one day I saw two.  I was surprised, but then realized they'd probably wander around after the rain, it wouldn't dry them out to be a ways from the creek.  Just have to be careful I don't step on them!  Of course, I wanted to take a picture, so I haven't seen them in a couple days.  Stinkers...  Take a camera, every one gets camera shy. 

White tailed bunnies are in the brush across from my meditation area.  If I notice them, it's good for relaxing.  If Rudee notices them, it's good for complete chaos... 

Sigh. 

The bunnies seem to be well set in the briar patch we made (Brer Rabbit, anyone?)  and so I try to discourage a certain nosy dog from investigating too much.  But he does notice. 

A lot...

And I still haven't figured out what the bird is, but there is a tree that is near my meditation area.  Little finch of some sort, if I sit somewhat still, they will come quite close to me, and chitter, like they want to have a conversation.  Once or twice they've even jumped on the cross bars of the stand I sit under.  They are a little brownish grey bird, with one black racing stripe right under the eye.  I will have to dig out my bird book, but it's nice to see all the little things about. 

Even the stupid deer...  (We have 2 new babies around, so I expect to have absolutely no plants by spring.  Or Rudee will be two inches shorter from running his feet off.  Could go either way...)

16 comments:

Sharon said...

Having all indoor animals, there is not much change to their fur, it's pretty much on the floor year round, even using the furminater.

I love that you have a meditation area! You have lots of the "cute" animals around your place. I love bunnies and the little birds. (I believe we now have a skunk)

Little Messy Missy said...

Wow two baby deer...my chickens are molting too :0)

Chai Chai said...

Cat, I have been reading your blog for a while now and I had no idea that you had llamas or chickens. How about a few pictures of your farm area to bring slackers like myself up to speed?

BlueRidge Boomer said...

Had seven deer in my front yard last night...!!

Enjoy

Louise said...

Hey, .4 is almost half a pound, not a quarter. Sometimes you plateau. Those are the hard times, and you just have to keep trying.

Love your critter descriptions. Poor Rudee must be going crazy.

John Going Gently said...

most of my chickens are moulting too! and egg production is almost non exisent!!!! which is a bummer!!!!!

messymimi said...

On the way back down, woohoo!

Thanks for the animal report, I hope they all get through the winter unscathed.

LaShaune said...

And all I deal with is the feral cement-colored cat that takes refuge on my patio. At least my cactus island was in full bloom most of the summer (I even got a photo of the last solitary bloom) and my roses are doing well.

You have animals, I have plants - it's a great marriage!

Cat said...

Sharon:

Yessir, indoor animals don't have a 'season', so they shed all the time. A vet told me this, when I complained about an indoor kitty I used to have. (Yay...)

I found that the meditation area forces me not to check email, turn on the tube, that sort of thing. You have a plastic chair, and more or less a tent, you are not exactly plugged in. At least to 'stuff'.

OMG... Skunk. EEEEWWWW!

Cat

Cat said...

Little Messy Missy:

Uh, yeah. Now if Mama could teach them NOT to eat my garden, my one last rosebush, and all assorted plantings, I might enjoy them more...

And I think that the chickens are just... UGLY... right now. Sad, but true.

Cat

Cat said...

Chai Chai:

Can do. Might be a Sunday Supplement. Might not be. But can do. Keep watching this blog.

:)

Cat

Cat said...

Blue Ridge Boomer:

I get them in my front yard pretty regularly right now, they compete with the birds for the apples. We have a tree in the front yard, and they scarf down those goodies, let me tell you!

Cat

Cat said...

Louise:

You are right! Husband told me to convert to fraction, 4/10, that is almost half, not almost a quarter. THANK YOU for pointing that out. Another reason I was not a math major...

Rudee IS crazy, but in a fun way.

Cat

Cat said...

John Gray:

There is still light enough that I am getting a few eggs, but that will go away too... But they just are so... UGLY. I just want them to be feathered out again so they don't look like I have abused them!

Cat

Cat said...

messymimi:

Yes, so do I. I will probably get some more in spring, but I hope that I don't lose any I have.

Cat

Cat said...

LaShaune:

Since I can't grow cactus... Not a joke, I have tried, and it's a plant that just dies. I don't believe I overwater, (can you UNDERwater a cactus?) but they just sort of shrivle and croak. Very sad, so I don't get them anymore. Succulents seem to do fine, but cacti and I are a match made, well, somewhere other than upstairs...

So I will remain animalistic, and you can point things out, okay?

>:)

Heh.

Cat