The Urban Pantheist

This blog's biggest fan was in town this past weekend, and really wanted to be in a 3:00 snapshot. How could I say no?
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People keep asking how the chickens are. They're doing well--we moved the coop away from the pine trees in case the blizzard knocked branches down (it didn't). They are still giving us the occasional egg, and we are feeding them lots of extra grapes and cracked corn to keep them fat and happy.

Today I'm taking a personal day because my coworker got to work before 5 this morning and texted me saying she had it under control. We just have the mystery animals to take care of, and the zoo was going to send us home early any way. It's been snowing since before I woke up and is supposed to keep going all day, piling up to a foot or so. This winter--hell just this past 2 weeks--has been enough to make us shop for a new place to live again. We aren't serious about it, but we are very tired of snow.

The dogs have cabin fever. We let them out to run in the tunnels we dug in the snow, they eliminate, get cold and want to come back in. Then they whine and bark to be let back out. I think they want us to fix the situation. I wish we could.

Anyway, happy midwinter! Anyone who puts a groundhog above ground today should be prosecuted for animal cruelty. Only 46 days 'til spring.

A couple of wild turkeys came into the yard while I was free-ranging my hens. The chickens cowered silently by the fence until I chased out the interlopers.

Caption contest.

I didn't mean to make it look like Maggie was wearing a dunce cap, honest.


We've got another compost tomato this year!


The chickens are conditioned to come running when they hear us enter the yard.

What is it about picnic tables that impels our domestic animals to become mountain climbers? Here the new ladies come over to see if Alex has any treats for them.

The three new girls roosting up high, first thing in the morning. We have them separated from the older hens for now.


Late in the afternoon Alexis has been letting them all out to mingle together. They all have come to expect food from humans, making them a little "friendlier" than when they first arrived.


Whitey wants some grapes!

Music choice was semi-random. We have no roosters, but how can I not choose to keep that song when it comes up?

First: Big news! We got a trio of new chickens! They are young Buff Orpingtons, and we are going to slowly introduce them to our current ladies. I asked a vet I work with how one does this, and she said it was similar to introducing cats to each other, which was basically already our plan. Both flocks are in adjacent coops in view of each other. At some point we'll let them come into contact and then we'll integrate the two groups.


Alexis noticed this tulip sent its stem right through an insect-feeding hole in a dead oak leaf. Go, life, go!


The Virginia creeper is awake and ready to cause some trouble!

On Sunday it warmed up enough to melt the snow from one corner of the yard. The dogs liked that. The chickens, too.

Buffy comes by to see if my fire-building has anything to do with feeding chickens.


Charlie takes a photogenic nap by the wildflower bed.