Everyone is fine. Really. But my life has just been turned on its head again. Right now Patches is outside with the chickens and Jimmy.
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a hawk attack. In fact, it’s been about two months, but Jimmy and Ryan scared it off and it never came back.
I take it back – Patches is now inside and I’m blogging from the back porch, surrounded by chickens. Awkward.
Here’s the deal – raising chickens is fraught with peril. I live in the city and have a six foot privacy fence, so raccoons, opossum, foxes and other four legged critters aren’t a danger. Predatory birds, however, are. I’ve had two girls, last year, killed by hawks. I hate hawks. If you were reading last year, you might remember Peep, my lap baby Cochin who was killed by a hawk on my birthday.
We went all summer free ranging during the day because I had a glorious guard goose, Ryan Gosling. Who migrated a couple of weeks ago. It was only a matter of time before the hawks realized this. I heard panicked squawking yesterday and ran out to find a hawk perched on top of the coop, watching the flock huddle under the herb beds. Probably biding his time, about to jump down and begin a feast.
So we’re back to caging the girls. I’m out with them this morning, grateful for my wifi connection. A couple of months from now I’ll be grateful for my fingerless wool gloves. I’ll stay out with them for about an hour, then put them all back in the coop with food and water, repeating this in the afternoon.
Even now I’m scanning the horizon every minute or two, running my eyes over rooftops, tree lines, fences, looking for that hawk. They know a free meal when they see it.
Sorry. Didn’t mean to be a downer. Just giving y’all a heads up on life at Casa de Pulga, the wee farm here. I’ll answer a couple of questions today, as that’s what Fridays are about. Jan K asks:
[quote align=”center” color=”#999999″] Is there an email subscription option, I couldn’t find it? Thx![/quote]
There is now. 🙂 I added it near the top on the right. Thanks for putting that bug in my ear. And it seems one question is all I have energy for. See, Slim Doggy and his pals have inspired me to exercise, so this morning I took a long, brisk walk with a friend. Now even my fingers are pooped.
Until I write again …
Flea
