All Around The Farm In September

We've had a lot of rain, making it difficult for farmers trying to make hay. But the chickens haven't minded it at all. They mostly ignore the rain and if it becomes too heavy, they run under the apple trees:

 I wondered why the chickens didn't eat windfall apples until one day when I ran the lawn mower over the fallen apples. Once the apples were chopped up, my little hens ate their fill:

The five "baby" chickens are nearly grown now and almost fully integrated in with the adults. I expect that they'll be moved in with the big birds in the chicken coop any day now. How the two roosters will get along during the winter when they're confined together in a small space - well, that remains to be seen:

One day I walked out onto the back porch and saw what appeared to be two dead fantail pigeons on the chickens' ramp. The rain was pouring off the roof on top of the dead bodies and I ran over to them as fast as my injured ankles allowed. When I arrived, both pigeons flew away and went back through their open window into the barn. I then decided that they had intentionally placed themselves under the water shower from the barn roof as a form of bird bath:

Inside the pigeon's room, all is well. Dirty, but well:

 They've raised two babies this summer and increased their population fifty percent:

The five bantam youngsters, though they freely come and go, mingling with the adult flock, hang together as their own little subset. The gang of five:

 The Rugosa Roses began an autumn bloom:

 I began going out to do the chores earlier, often before daylight. One morning while ringing the cowbell to get the Red Polls in for grain, I looked back and saw the barn all lit up in the morning twilight. It was a warm and welcoming sight:

 The Rose Mallows bloomed their hearts out in September:

 And two of the fantail pigeons began regularly coming and going through their open window:

 When my mother died, my sister had an artist friend turn two of her embroidered handkerchiefs into little angels. I never knew quite what to do with mine until I decided to frame it and hang it on the wall. Now, my mother's guardian angel resides on the wall of the farm house kitchen: