I could say the sky was stunning today, but even the word "stunning" seems limp as week-old celery and a sad descriptor of the day. The front moved through but we didn't get rain. But the temps and humidity dropped as promised. Jilda and I sat silently on the back steps for a long time this evening as the sun sank, soaking up the landscape that seemed to change each moment.
We could hear a hawk down in the hollow. His call sounded like a dart. We've had our eyes on the hawk after one kill a young chick we introduced to the big pen earlier in the week.
Often when something gets one of the chickens we wonder about the culprit. But I heard the big chicken fussing on Tuesday morning before coffee. When I stepped to the deck to investigate, I saw the hawk spring up from the pen and into a nearby tree.
I grabbed my shoes and ran out there, but I was too late. One the little chicken was gone. I found it a short time later and buried it in our pet cemetery.
This afternoon, we ran by the house of Jilda's older sister Nell. She's the one that loaned us the incubator and we returned it today.
She has an incredible farm. We left with flowers, veggies from her garden, and a tommy-toe plant in a three-gallon container.
I snapped a photo of her Tiger Lilly on the way back to the car. It took my breath away.
We could hear a hawk down in the hollow. His call sounded like a dart. We've had our eyes on the hawk after one kill a young chick we introduced to the big pen earlier in the week.
Often when something gets one of the chickens we wonder about the culprit. But I heard the big chicken fussing on Tuesday morning before coffee. When I stepped to the deck to investigate, I saw the hawk spring up from the pen and into a nearby tree.
I grabbed my shoes and ran out there, but I was too late. One the little chicken was gone. I found it a short time later and buried it in our pet cemetery.
This afternoon, we ran by the house of Jilda's older sister Nell. She's the one that loaned us the incubator and we returned it today.
She has an incredible farm. We left with flowers, veggies from her garden, and a tommy-toe plant in a three-gallon container.
I snapped a photo of her Tiger Lilly on the way back to the car. It took my breath away.
Beautiful shot of the Tiger.
ReplyDeleteMy mama was very partial to her chickens. One night when they were disturbed she stepped to the back door and fired the shotgun into the air and immediately the noise stopped. Well probably not immediately, but I was 5 and my mama with that shot gun said, "I mean business."
like the entry....
Sorry about your chicken. Beautiful photo today!!
ReplyDeleteOur humidity and heat are gone too! It's been a wonderful day of sun and cool and lots of outdoor work. Jack's still at camp so I'm having a very quiet 4th. I found a really weird looking dead animal while mowing today...I'm wondering if it's the leftovers of our neighbors chicken coop....very strange! Love the tiger lily...beautiful! Happy 4th! (sorry about your chicken loss)
ReplyDeleteSorry too about your little chicken. That hawk had plenty of other birds to prey on, why the chicken? You may have to install overhead mesh to protect your flock. I would be heart sick.
ReplyDeleteI hope this incident didn't spoil your 4th of July long weekend celebrations.
JB
The picture is amazing Rick... I am so glad you had less humidity today and that you enjoyed the blue sky :)
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about the baby chick :(
Interesting things happening by you...we get a few deer around here every once in a while. Sometimes we have to watch for coyotes after they've been spotted in the area, but most of the time we watch the birds here!
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