By The last time I remember time moving slowly it was March eeking its way into April. And then —- SWOOSH! How the heck did we finally get to summer? Yesterday and today have been the first warm – even hot – sunny days. The black flies have almost disappeared. The mosquitoes don’t like the full sun … but the rest of us do!
These three found the hottest sand possible in the back paddock sunshine to bury themselves deep – deep. Oh … take a look at poor Sophie’s back! She doesn’t seem to take much notice of the mess. I think she may even be adding sunburn to her aggravations. This is the beginning of her second summer here … I’m thinking we can say the poor girl is not going to grow those bald spots back. Her upper back feathers grew in. But not her shoulders or her middle back.
I hustled them back into their garden run. It is shadier in there. They love to nestle down in the straw and watch the goings on in the paddock. Just before I moved them Goldie was doing his usual ‘Whoop! Whoop!’ call to let the hens know he’d found something good to eat. When I saw the hens’ reaction/startle I joined them to discover this … !?
A tiny milk snake … I think. Our research told us they hatch out in warm leaf litter. Hmmm … lots of that around here! This little thing did a great tail rattling, teeth baring attack each time the hens took a closer look. By the time I picked it up it was quite willing to bite and attach itself to any available finger – and sometimes even to its own tail. I walked it across the road to introduce it to the leaf litter over there. Had me looking just a little askance at the ground in the woods the rest of the day. I’m not afraid of them. However, one time many years ago I accidentally stepped into a ball of snakes. Do you know what those are? This particular ball was made of a number of different kinds of snakes. It pulled itself out of a ground hog hole in the field behind us. They were just warming up from a long winter hibernation. Some were more awake than others – but they were all coiled around each other and so the ones who wanted ‘out’ had to drag their sleeping friends along with them! Not a pleasant surprise to step on to! I’m betting this little snake made its way from either our woods or the field behind us. Glad the chickens didn’t finish it off for lunch!
The rest of the gang paid absolutely no attention to the chicken’s excitement or my scooping up of the little snake. Their favourite ‘toy’ was parked in the paddock or on the pathway. The goats like to find every lever that moves … and Rosie was once again intent of suggesting MayMay might enjoy nibbling at her ears or grooming her mane.
When we got down front the team managed to finish off the branch of the ironwood tree Darby pulled down last winter. When MayMay stood on the farthest stump of a branch she pulled the leaves down within reach for the jennies.
Her next preoccupation was figuring out how to climb the mountain the rest of us think of as a shelter. It really is amusing watching the goats climb anything in sight.
Perhaps the donkeys are not as amused when they climb onto the hay bale…
It sure was a relaxing Saturday. Love it when I can spend an entire day just kicking around home.
Just hanging out with … well you know. 😉
The Meadow View 
I thought it was too cold where you are for snakes. That little guy is cute. I hope he makes it. Our cat alerted us to a small snake in the house once. It was a rat snake of some kind, a baby. I gave it some water and put it outside in the garden.
If it was a rat snake I would have taken it even farther away. I keep seeing videos of rat snakes raiding chicken nests and eating the eggs!
No way I would have picked that snake up 😲 so pleased to see you all basking in the summer sun at last. Laura
Oh Laura! It is wonderful! Green and warm and summery! That snake was very little. I WAS distracted when it kept biting me!
Sweet times! Big smiles and hearts to everybody:) xox
And back to you girl! ❤️❤️