This probably needs very little explanation, so I’ll keep it brief: it’s very cold here right now (snowing as I write this) and the puddle near the goose coop is frozen. As the video shows, the geese can’t help but venture into (onto) the puddle, which has become a skating rink. While the gander in this scene may have sacrificed his dignity, note that his attitude remains intact. 😂
Category: Photography
Haiku: Who Are You?
Someone came by last night – the tracks indicated that it was a feline. Was it a neighbor’s cat, returning to a home…or a stray cat, just hoping to find food and some shelter from brutal cold? I hope it was the former, but fear that it was the latter. I hope it wasn’t the tuxedo cat with the limp. Sadly, not all cats have a safe, good life. I wish they did. I’ll think of the visitor as I feed my cats, warm and well-fed, tonight: may you find a safe haven.
Haiku: The Sound Of Snow
As forecasted (good on you, meteorologists), snow has arrived. It began snowing early this morning while I was out doing the farm chores and continues even as I write this post. Now it actually looks like winter…and – better yet – it sounds like winter.
Continue reading “Haiku: The Sound Of Snow”Around The Farm: Gaily Green ‘Gainst Gray
Today is one of those wet, dreary days that invites thoughts – albeit briefly – of simply getting back into bed and pulling the covers over your head. Of course, when you farm (or if you have kids, pets, or other obligations, as most of us do), that’s merely a briefly-entertained fantasy that you quickly pop like a soap bubble. Mud or no, chores must be done, animals must be fed, and other tasks must be addressed. And while finding beauty on a day like this may seem difficult, it’s really not: it’s there, just waiting to be found.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: Gaily Green ‘Gainst Gray”Musings: Mystery Of The Oak Leaf
I’ve seen oak leaves, mixed with what are predominantly maple leaves, in the pastures, and have wondered about their provenance. To my knowledge, there are no oak trees here, though I’ve seen them at nearby parks and other properties. So where, exactly, were these leaves coming from?
Continue reading “Musings: Mystery Of The Oak Leaf”Farm Fowl: Genuinely Goofy Geese
Geese have a reputation for being silly, and when you spend much time with them, you understand why…they’re goofy creatures and, often, rather clumsy. But silly though they may be, they’re some of the most intelligent fowl we’ve raised, and intelligent creatures seek enrichment. Fortunately, a plain old lime rind can entertain these guys for hours.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Genuinely Goofy Geese”Haiku: Lofty Layers
Winter may not have officially arrived, but it’s certainly felt like winter here already: I’ve seen a few snowflakes, and temperatures have ensured solidly-frozen hoses and slightly-frozen faces.
Continue reading “Haiku: Lofty Layers”Haiku: Fugacious Feathers
Finding the unexpected is one of life’s small pleasures. “Ordinary” beauty is all around us, even in some of the most unglamorous places. When you see it, take time to appreciate it – even if it’s the kind of ephemera that exists for mere moments.
Continue reading “Haiku: Fugacious Feathers”Haiku: Watching And Waiting
Our laying flock must see us as egg thieves: each day – multiple times a day if it’s especially cold out – we collect their freshly-laid eggs. If a hen is sitting, we reach under her fluffy feathers and feel around for eggs – a treasure hunt, of sorts. Most of the girls in nest boxes enter a trance-like state, which I like to call “the zone”, and they don’t even seem to realize that an egg thief is there to take their eggs – they don’t move, protest, or do anything but remain blissfully docile. Most.
Continue reading “Haiku: Watching And Waiting”Haiku: Peeking Petals
Even though today is an unseasonably warm one, we’ve had several cold snaps lately that have caused temperatures to plummet below freezing. The plants have reacted accordingly: many simply dying on the vine, others becoming dormant. The colorful flowers of summer have all but disappeared…almost.
Continue reading “Haiku: Peeking Petals”