Who Needs The Orkin Man!

 Our pest management team is working overtime these days.  

After so many months, everyone is happy to be out patrolling the land.

Home grown eggs are the best... and the best eggs come during the season that the chickens can be out free-ranging - eating bugs and grass and all anything else that tickles their fancy.

Chickens are wonderful exterminators, but not quite as effective as guinea fowl.

Chickens have a tendency towards gossip - and gossiping mouths do no work.

Guineas, on the other hand are meticulous about their job... often combing through the grass in precise formation... no time for gossiping.  That's reserved for the end of the day when they finally settle into their roost in the maple tree by the barn.  For a solid 15 minutes they scream at each other the news of the day, squawking uproariously, before settling down to sleep.

Although the runner ducks are also efficient insect hunters, they take their breaks seriously. 

No one is overworked on this crew!

Break time comes to an abrupt halt, however, when a large farm vehicle passes noisily on the nearby road... sending the flock scurrying away from this perceived danger.

While the birds are hard at work,  the four-leggeds nap in the warm afternoon sun.

Daphne sleeps while Chloe looks on.

Afternoon naps are delicious!

Just ask Sammie.  Napping is his super-power!


Shedding season has begun.  


With longer days and warmer weather around the corner, the goats are beginning to lose their cashmere undercoat.  Winter's leftover Christmas trees are the perfect tool to help remove excess fur!


Like you, I am sure, I have a very heavy heart after hearing of the senseless deaths in Boulder, Colorado.  We have family living in Boulder at this time, so this tragedy was very frightening.  I try to keep this blog as neutral as possible, however, on this issue I must take a stand.  How many more of these tragedies will there be before something is done about this issue!  Civilians should not be able to own military-grade weapons.  I believe that gun rights and gun control can walk hand in hand.  

Lastly, and back to a lighter note...I wanted to share a website with you. A young friend of ours, a watercolor artist, has designed the cutest greeting cards for dog lovers.  I ordered a set yesterday and thought I would share this link to her website in case you, too, find these irresistible!



Comments

daisy g said…
Oh, if only I could sleep like Sammie! ;0D

It's looking mighty green there! Spring is truly on its way.

I agree with you 100% on the gun issue. It breaks my heart to think about what these families of the fallen and survivors will be going through for the rest of their lives. God bless us, everyone...
jaz@octoberfarm said…
i feel so helpless each time we have one of these shootings. we should have none. yet, no one takes a stand. if anyone can do something joe can and i am hoping he does.
Marcia LaRue said…
Do you ever wonder what exactly is going through any particular animal's head when you capture them with the camera? The goat, lying in front of it's little cabin ... what do you suppose he/she is thinking about? It's early ... so sometimes the strange thoughts run through MY head! LOL
So many needless deaths have been ticked off by commentators on MSNBC and the other News shows ... Boulder being the newest just days after Georgia! That 21-year-old Syrian man has mental problems ... paranoia according to his brother! He is a U.S. citizen ... he is also a murderer like all those others committing these atrocities against our fellow Americans!
Each and every person sitting in a position of power in D.C. absolutely has to stop the stalling and get gun control and mental health issues passed and if certain bodies won't act ... Joe Biden can push it through!! I just heard that fact on MSNBC this morning!!
Perhaps one day the only deaths will be through natural attrition and not these God-awful blood baths!
So glad your family in Boulder are safe and didn't go shopping the other day!!
This N That said…
Yes, Boulder was very worrisome..both for those affected and those family members who live there and fortunately weren't there...
Glad your bug patrol is doing its job!!
Sweet Sammie..that's how I see him when I think of him...or wrestling with the others..No inbetween..
Adorable cards..
Happy rain!!
Eileen in Fla. said…
How many years since Sandy Hook? Since Columbine? Since Charleston? Polls show the majority of Americans want sensible gun control yet here we are...still. The voices of the people are not being heard. How to get through to the Party who opposes ALL regulation using scare tactics and fear? No answers.
Karen said…
I went to our local grocery store and even though it was noon time, there were very few people about. And I knew why . . . .you DO look around the store 'just in case' - and isn't that just so very sad? Those poor people - surely something can be done about this. But then I think if children getting killed at their school in Sandy Hook didn't do it - I don't know what will.