Little Bitties Abound
Now that we seem to be well into spring, The Weyr is swarming with small critters, small as in infant that will in due time reach adult proportions. There are bourbon red turkey poults, four foals - all of the male persuasion, goose eggs on the verge of hatching, a Great Pyrenees puppy rapidly growing to frightening size, and a very wee blue point Siamese kitten who has stolen our hearts and apparently the hearts of even the most grumpy of the adult pussy cats.
A Japanese bantam hen is acting very cagey, hiding for periods of time, then suddenly appearing briefly. She is likely sitting on a pile of eggs and these will be very welcome when they hatch. She and her handsome mate are unusual bantams and have been great fun to have around. A new batch of them would be fun.
Hilda, short for Brunhilda, arrived here at the tender age of five weeks. Even at five weeks, she was the size of a large cat. Now at eight weeks, she is maturing into an excellent livestock protection dog. She is learning to make friends with the horses, poultry, and cats, all her responsibility to guard and protect. And let us not forget Bill and me! We also fall into her sphere of responsibility. While Pyrs are remarkably mellow and affectionate they do not take kindly to anyone approaching their charges with unfriendly intentions. I certainly will sleep better knowing Brunhilda is on the job when Bill is out of the country.
The rain lately has been fantastic for the pastures, hay fields and gardens. Everything planted this spring is looking great and taking off like gang busters. No late frost this year, so the fruit trees are loaded with fruit and some of it will be ripe next month. It has also been a great spring for iris and peonies. Both are in full bloom now at The Weyr along with the late blooming lilacs. It is such a treat to go outside in the evening to enjoy the fragrance of honeysuckle, late lilacs, peonies, iris, and early roses. Ah Spring, a truly wonderful time of year!
Not only has the rain hastened the growth of hay and pasture but it has filled all the ponds as well. Said ponds are now inhabited by at least eight different kinds of frogs and toads. At night their chorus is soothing, if a bit deafening at times, and blends in nicely with the calling night birds, whippoorwills, owls, and other night time hunters. Bats are out of hibernation and can be observed swooping through the early evening sky scooping up mosquitoes, gnats, moths, anything they can catch and eat.
Anything that consumes insects is a good thing around here, especially those pesky mosquitoes and gnats. The fewer of those we have to cope with the better! Now we just need to increase our flock of guineas and we will be without ticks again.
While it may be spring right now, summer is nipping at our heels. This cool, rainy weather won’t last. Soon we will be cooking in the high 80s daily with sweltering humidity to make it worse. So take advantage of this excellent time to do your garden planting, take quiet walks in the woods and prepare for the hot months yet to come. Also store away some memories for when the sun is burning down like a giant blast furnace in the sky and nothing is moving, not a leaf, blade of grass, or breath of wind.
Cherish this lovely cool weather, it will not last!
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