Spring News in Brief

EXTRA! This Just In!!

Felicity is still limping, but game about her recovery. Her balance is extraordinary. Literal, physical balance. She’s posing on one leg most of the time, tenderly touching earth with the other as if she’s checking the temperature of the soil. Heal! Heal!!

Temperatures are in the high 70’s today.

The skies have been filled with the calls of Canada geese in search of unfrozen ponds on which to nest. We have 4 Canada Geese visiting us, assessing the layout of our place. One pair arrived yesterday, another pair joined them this morning. We’re speculating whether or not they are part of the family from last year. All of them are on the smallish side. That call of theirs has a gulpy foreboding sound. I’m biased of course because I have an audio recall from last season when that sound was a harbinger of a coming attack aimed at our geese. Territoriality. That doesn’t seem to be in air this year. Ours and theirs are getting along quite nicely, thank you very much, fingers crossed. Our pond too is still covered with snow and ice, a thin layer I’m sure, but the Canada Geese walk around on it, perplexed, and not knowing what to make of 70’s temperature and icy water. More shall be revealed. They’re off checking out our neighbors pond right now.

As I’m writing this, a batch of Richard’s eggs are hatching in the laundry room, 3 brand new chicks are already out, drying off in a larger incubator, and 3 remaining eggs have pips in their shells and peeps from within. Also, Richard is “processing” one of our roosters. We call him the Dispatcher, the Dispassionate Dispatcher. The deceased was a handsome fellow, right off a Cornflakes box, but his eggs turned up infertile and he was a bit scrawny and pushy and we had to choose between him and 2 other roosters. Richard harvested a tough brahma rooster 2 days ago, leaving a very impressive and kind fellow to look over the flock of hens. Birth and death all around, always.

We had 4 goose eggs sent from Arkansas last Friday to fortify the blood line of our flock, but the last they were heard from was tracked to a post office in Fayetteville. They may be lost in space. Frustrating. It shall be rectified. I’m looking forward to seeing some goslings.

Green Mountain Film Festival in Montpelier continues through the week. If you’re in the area, go; it has a very impressive list of films from all over the world. The warm weather is keeping people away, but it so deserves everyone’s support. Go, go, go. It’s a fantastic event.

Lots of activity. I’m off for a walk mit muck boots. It’s slip slidey out there.

Happy Spring!