Springtime Pets On The Farm

Spring came slowly to the north country this year, and it seemed to come reluctantly. In fact, it hasn't fully arrived yet as we are still waiting for Daffodils to bloom. Nevertheless, the dogs and cats got to stay warm and comfortable in even the worst weather. Jack prefers this spot when I'm at the computer so he can keep an eye on me:

And they still collect on the floor pillow and fleecy dog beds in the farm house kitchen. This collection of pets consists of Jack, Clover, Seamus, Rocky, Daphne and Fergus:

Another kitchen group: Draco, Clover, Seamus, Daphne and Fergus:

The cats always stay indoors but the dogs love to go out into their fenced yard and disturb the peace. Every bird, fluttering leaf or passing car is fair game for furious barking. Oddly, they seem less excited when they see deer in the field across the road:

Georgette loves to come downstairs and plop herself in the middle of whatever I'm doing. In this case, I was attempting to work a crossword puzzle and she was there to "help":

Daphne, Clover and Bramble:

And in case the dogs get bored while outside, they can watch the chickens coming and going:

I took this photo one morning from inside the pigeon coop. The fantails were on their way out through the window I'd just opened while Seamus and Jack watched with interest:

"Watching with interest" is one of their specialties. That and barking, of course:

And every night it's one big happy family:

A Day In Photos

Our lengthening days mean that it is now light when I go out to do the morning chores. On my way back into the house, I let the chickens out for the day. The early sun is on the east side of the barn and casts a giant shadow over the chickens as they leave for a day of picking and scratching:

The pigeons get an open window early in the morning also, though they are much less adventuresome. The farm house reflected off the glass in the closed window as I snapped this photo:

The hens are once again enjoying the Iris shoots which are struggling to come up. I worried about this last year but all was well as soon as more greenery began growing:

Later in the day, I went out to check on the animals and couldn't find the horses in the field. I looked in the barn and found Blue and Remy, snoozing together in the cool, indoor shade. They were so comfortable and relaxed that they allowed me to walk over and scratch their necks. They never even stood up:

Amy was due to have her calf at any moment so I kept checking her. The first photo I attempted to take of her failed because Gracie stepped in front of her at the last second:

Then Gracie moved on and I got a photo of Amy. She was uncomfortable and restless, with an udder so swollen that it looked ready to pop:

I cleaned out the winter's accumulation of algae and crud from the stock tank in the afternoon, refilling it with clean, cool water. By then, Blue and Remy were out looking for green grass. There sure wasn't much to find:

One of the cows checked the Jolly-Ball and I tried to get the horses to play with it. Alas, neither Blue nor Remy had any interest, at least as long as my sister wasn't here to tempt them to play:

The cows watched my every move for awhile and then went back to eating hay:

By the afternoon, the sun was warm and pasture was peaceful:

It appears that I will have to purchase an emergency supply of hay to get me through spring:

And I need to get the vet in to Check Blue's periodic lameness. I've been allowing the horses to sleep outdoors instead of putting them in their stall each night in order to allow them more exercise. It appears to be a wise strategy as I often see them racing across the field in the evenings when they formerly would have been locked in their stall: