Foal Alert

Harriet the Pony is pregnant and due any day.  Stay tuned!

Portland

Voodoo Doughnut -- people stand in line for these

Bubblers

Happy Spring

So we're having a little snow storm here for the first day of spring. I heard the weather in the East is blooming spring, as well as in Texas.  Even though it is snowing the temperatures are to hit the 50s this afternoon.  So that means, you guessed it, MUCK. Yesterday I dumped some leaves a neighbor gave us in a pile for the chickens. They had a grand time digging in it, including little chick who has managed to survive so far. And we still don't know if Harriet the pony is pregnant. Some say yes and some say no and we don't know. Only Harriet knows for sure.  Happy First Day of Spring!  -- the day the sun crosses the equator and starts its journey north to bring us summer. (Does she ever talk about anything besides chickens?)

Spring Community Concert

Last Sunday was the annual spring recital for the bell ringer, chorus and orchestra. Among other things the chorus sang a medley of songs from The Music Man.  There was a fabulous cookie reception after.

Soft Spring Snow

It snowed today. We awoke to maybe two inches on the ground. It is much needed moisture. It snowed lightly till after lunch. Then melted real fast and the road turned to goo. I came home from a meeting in town and was sideways on Palomino Lane there for a spell.  Makes for exciting trips home. Last week I took a photo of the same pasture in front of the house where the flock was grazing. It is dry and brown. But more birds are coming. I saw the tundra swans last Friday down near the refuge when my friend, Kate, came by for a jaunt to the Round Barn Visitor center in her jeep. We didn't get far. We went back and got her dually and struck out again. This time we made it and back.

Sandhill Cranes

This morning while I was feeding the chickens, a large flock of sand hill cranes flew over in V formation. They are noisy flyers and make a turkey squabbling kind of sound.  The tundra swans are here at the refuge. These are the signs of spring arriving in Harney County.

Spring Lambs

Last Saturday Jane, Diana and I went to visit Marion whose ewes are lambing. Diana got some cute shots. Marion has mostly hair sheep that look a lot like goats.

Mrs. Speckles Chick

Winter is still lingers in the high desert. Some snow this week and the high winds of spring. But overall, winter was dry and warm, meaning high in the forties and sunny during the day. Mrs. Speckles, a ten month old banty, hatched one chick three weeks ago. It better be a hen. She sat on three -- one was a blank and another one which was hers, one of the hens ate. We butchered two excess roosters in the last month. They are so pretty and I hate to eliminate that beauty, but then again they are food and for that they are useful. We now are down to three roosters for 21 hens --- George, his son Jack, and Mercury, a feather footed banty and a cocky little guy who chases Jack around. We still have the three ducks. Harriet still may or may not be pregnant. We'll know this month. Snow geese have been sited at the Refuge. Spring migration has begun.