Fall Preparations

We’ve been inspired by the drop in temperatures this week to get going on some of our fall preparations. I heard an interesting thing on a CBC Radio Call In last week about planting tulips. The caller was explaining that he’d had trouble with squirrels digging up his bulbs. (We tried chicken wire last year to try to save some of ours …) His ‘solution’ was to soak his bulbs in about two tablespoons of Dettol in a gallon of water. Once the bulbs are buried you then water the soil above with what is left in the bucket. I figured it was worth a try. So this morning I got our Canada 150 tulips planted. Hope it works!

I also took advantage of the great grass hay bales we have now to set up feeder bins in the barns for those rainy days. I thread a strong rope through the sides of the bin, leaving a loop both on the inside and the outside. Then I clip the bags to the inside loops (on two opposite ends – which allows the bag to ‘twirl’) and clip the bins to the wall on the outside loops. This works great when the jennies need to be inside. On a day like today I unclip them from the wall and move them out to the paddock in the sunshine. I have some clips on the outside of the barns in case I need to secure them. Some days Darby will actually drag all of the bins into a tight circle and then fight the other two for them! I am pretty sure that is during her cranky cycle!

We all enjoyed the sunny day today. The wind was still very strong – and cold! In the lower paddock we’ve moved the ‘shade structure’ so that it now can become a ‘wind shield’ for the northwest winter winds. It is angled so it focuses the morning and early afternoon sun to make a warm spot to snooze beside.

Ede was feeling very satisfied with her work on the coop today. She got the south wall on. It has a plexiglass window and a Dutch door. She has a few more days of jobs to go – sealing the floor and the seams on either wall. I’m planning to paint that wall a similar blue to the hay barn and then maybe try my hand at painting a folk art style Guinea Hen on the door.

Then I think we’ll be moving the keet’s brooder box into that space. I’ll be able to be inside the coop and they’ll be able to explore the space. I had a good laugh at them today … I’ve read that they are great at raising the alarm when anything ‘changes’… someone new comes into the yard, a new animal appears in the yard … or for instance, a small piece of plastic appears in their box with millet seed on top. ALARM! ALARM! They pressed their little faces into the corner and then oggled the ‘surprise’ and then screeched… I think we’re going to need LOTS of time where I just hang out in their area… and perhaps Ede and the donkeys will need ear plugs!

Now everyone is tucked in. We’ve filled our bellies with homemade soup and pie. The jennies are all curled up together in the Bully Barn. Goodnight all!