Our all-girl gaggle of Pilgrim goslings is just over three weeks old and my, they have grown. And they’re mowers/weedeaters par excellence!
Category: Art
Update #2: The Nest In The Grass
Occasionally, when we find ourselves near the nest, we try to peek in and see if everything is ok. I was near the fenced-in nest area yesterday when I saw what looked like a dead baby bird in the nest. Just one. What had happened??
Haiku: A Dewy Farm Morning
When the humidity is nearly 100%, we get morning views like this one. It’s the kind of morning where you feel wet, instantly, as soon as you step out of your air-conditioned car or home. As an added bonus, it’s been in the upper 80’s here, so it’s in the low 90’s with the heat index. Hot, muggy, and wet. And it’s not summer yet! 😬
On the flip side, the grass requires no supplemental watering (between storms and heavy dew) and the still air holds the honeysuckle’s perfume for appreciative noses.
Enjoy the day!
New Farm Denizens: A Quad Of Pilgrim Goslings
Yesterday, we picked up 4 six week old Pilgrim goslings. These babies were hatched under and raised by their goose mother. It was likely their first time in a car, and the first time they had been separated from Mom. A very big adventure!
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Update: The Nest In The Grass
Despite our fears that the tiny nest we’d discovered earlier, hidden in tall grass, was abandoned, this morning we found babies!
Mama (and Papa, it seems) have been attending to their new littles, sounding the alarm and trying to lure us away if we get too close. We did have to get close for a few minutes to securely enclose the tiny nest in wire fencing to deter cats and other predators. Interestingly, the chicks were completely silent, just opening their beaks wide when they sensed our presence (their eyes are still closed).
Working quickly, we affixed fencing on top of the fencing that already encircled it. The holes are large enough for Mama to easily fit through, but small enough to keep out larger animals, including curious paws. Once complete, we waited – at a distance – for Mama to return. And she did.
We’ll be rooting for the littles and looking forward to the day when they fly from their nest!
Musings: Farming As Both Struggle And Inspiration
At times I wonder about the future of small-scale farming: with large farming operations buying up small farms and effectively putting smaller farmers out to pasture, why would someone voluntarily choose what is, at best, a hardscrabble lifestyle? It’s certainly not for the prestige, the ease, or the security (or the healthcare coverage)…but now that I’ve been a full-time farmer, I better understand why certain individuals still choose to farm.
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