Really, the chickens were this color before eating carrots

CarrotBeakThese chickens love the carrot pulp left over from juicing.  They don’t always manage to get all the carrots off their beaks.  Today, outside their safely-fenced night space by the barn, they wandered around looking for any bit of wild green or stray insect or new seed they could find.  They haven’t learned how to share very well.  One grabs a piece of squash and runs away with it, while another chases her in hot pursuit of the prized food.

 

The sun broke through the clouds today.  We are looking forward to a break in the clouds and some better weather for pruning blueberries.  Perhaps this week it will happen.

Storm Preparations

Today, February 8, 2013, we spent the morning getting ready for the predicted storm which is supposed to bring 16″ of snow.  We made sure the sheep, donkeys and chickens were well supplied with water and food … that the barn doors were fastened to keep snow out of the stored hay … that firewood was by the stove.  And then, looking out the window to the blueberry field below – wait a minute!  Forty feet of deer fencing was sagging to the ground.

Donkeys Before the Storm

Donkeys Before the Storm

Fine snowflakes were blowing in the cold wind, and I quickly gathered ladder, wire, zip ties and rope into the truck and drove down to the sagging fence.  Two hours later, it’s good to know the fence is secure from the wind and possible snow load.

Just at that moment, Charlie, our generous arborist neighbor, showed up with a wonderful load of wood chips and dumped them on the chip pile for our blueberries.  Wonderful, because they were so fragrant and fresh – smelling like balsam fir.  Wonderful because they were small, uniform, beautiful chips that the berries would love because they included the smaller branches and needles from the tree.  Wonderful, because it was nice to see Charlie and the chips after being blown around for two hours by wind trying to knock over the ladder.

Now, we’ve waited all day.  Where is the snow?