The Melt is On

And here we go! It smells like spring … it sounds like spring … it looks like spring. Guess it really is almost SPRING! This morning there are Robins, Blackbirds, Starlings, Pileated Woodpeckers and Canada Geese all singing at the top of their lungs in our yard. The Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Nuthatches and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and the Crows are doing their best to keep their voices above the fray. It is actually a cacophony that made me laugh right out loud.

This was the paddock a few days ago. This year’s ‘glacier’ is not as thick as last year … but is still more than six inches of solid ice. We could see the melt was coming. We’ve added one more strategy to our ‘Can we do this when we’re eighty?‘ tool kit. We bought a small bar chainsaw – electric (battery powered) – to be devoted to cutting canals into the ice. Above Ede is using the gas powered chainsaw. I had to finally admit that my shoulder is not going to last if I continued to use the ice ax. We were watching coverage of the ice sculptures at the Ottawa Winterlude Festival and realized … hey! Chainsaws CAN cut ice! It was decadently lovely! Like cutting butter! What would have taken me a full day took about an hour. That included me prying the cut ice out in chunks and carting them away.

We got the canals all dug out before the real melt started. It was such a beautiful stretch of sunny days. Great timing. I think we are slowly improving our ‘preparedness’ each year. For EACH season.

The sound of the chainsaws sent the chickens right up onto the tractor. Sophie seems to be taking over Goldie’s role. At least the leading part… She even makes the grumbling sound that he did while he would herd them along. What she doesn’t seem to do is watch the skies as much as he would. She is very busy finding her own treats.

The Tweedles meanwhile are little goof balls that wander and explore and get into everything …

… like the hay bag even while Rosie is having lunch! She doesn’t bat an eye … just moves them along with her nose if they get into her half! 😉

The girls are looking pretty good coming into the spring. They are slimming down – slowly. I’m curious to see what the results will be when I take manure samples later in the spring for testing. They have been getting a dose of Molly’s Herbals Worming Formula (spice mix) since they were dewormed in the fall. They do love the taste. I’ll love it if they end up actually being worm free!

Next time I take a shot of the back paddock …

… or the back field … there will be much more brown than white.

We’ll be into mud season for sure!

Love from the Meadow Mice