Photo Update From Around The Farm

Spring came to the north country 3 or 4 weeks late this year, but it did arrive. I began letting the chickens out to forage and the cows began eating green, growing grass instead of hay:

I found these bones in the cattle yard just outside the barn after the snow melted and was concerned about how they got there. It seemed to me that only a predator such as a coyote or dog could have moved them this close to the barn. But I guess it's a mystery I'll never solve. Perhaps it's better that way:

These bones, found in the ditch along the road, I knew the source of. There was a cottontail rabbit dead in the snow there during the winter, perhaps hit by a car. I thought the body had disappeared, but apparently it had merely been covered by more snow (we sure had lots of it), leaving a skeleton to be found by me in the spring:

I found this Robin's egg at the edge of the pasture while working the fence line:

Inside the barn, the pigeons were looking better each day. I need to work on their enclosure and give them some starter nests - but haven't done so yet:

I moved the cows to the north field. I brought them back to the south field each evening and to the north field each morning, at least for a few days. Then, during one move between fields, they broke away and ran up and down the road, around the house and all across the lawn, kicking up their heels and having a grand time. It would have been cute if not for the danger of traffic. When they finally returned to the north field of their own accord, I decided they'd have to just stay there until they'd eaten down the grass. And then I'd move them back to the south field:

I began carrying bowls of grain out to the cows each day, my attempt to keep them tame. Call it buying friendship if you like. The chickens quickly learned that cows are sloppy eaters and there would be lots of grain scattered all over the ground. So whenever I'd begin ringing the cowbell to bring in the cows, the chickens would come running too:

I believe that three cows are pregnant, but so far there are no signs that calving is close:

Little old PeeWee had a stroke early one Saturday morning. His seizures lasted about 45 minutes and then he calmed down but appeared paralyzed. I rushed him to the vet:

By the time he arrived at the vet's, it appeared that PeeWee was about to die:

But then he began to respond and the vet thought he could save him. So PeeWee spent 2 days at the vet's:

When he came home, the other dogs greeted him with great joy. PeeWee was still weak and wobbly, but clearly glad to be home:

And speaking of medical issues, my ankles became so bad that I had to have orthopedic braces made. I'm learning to use them now and hopeful that I'll soon be able to take longer, more difficult hikes like I used to do: