My day started on Saturday with lots of bundling up with layers of warm clothing as I headed out the door, with Zuni, our German Shepherd and Dobbie, my Chiweenie. I filled a water bottle with hot water for Apache’s warm breakfast mash. And we trudged up the hill, through the snow, to the barn, to feed and water the goats, llamas and horse. Mustang Sally is a fair weather Chihuahua and chose to stay back inside the warm house. I don’t blame her.
And Dobbie would like to stay in the house, too, but she won’t let me go anywhere out of her sight, so she patiently waits for me to bundle her up in a warm coat and then out we go.
“Hurry up, Mom. I’m cold!”
When we get up to the barn, everyone is waiting for us….or rather, for me to feed them.
Zuni can be such a spaz when it comes to snow. She loves it.
Apache is glad when I finally gather up Zuni and get her secured in her paddock behind the barn. “Hurry up. I’m hungry!”
I let Apache out of her stall so she can run around and roll in the snow for a few minutes and then she comes back to me, snorting and blowing, for breakfast.
“Ok, Mom. I got the Ya Ya’s out. Now I’m ready to eat. Bring it on.”
I get the llamas, goats and horse fed and watered and then head back down the hill to the house. “Are we done now, Mom?”
“No Dobbie. I still have to take care of the chickens”
“Bummer. Brrrr”
I clear a section for the chickens so I could spread out some scratch for them, and then pour some hot water into their frozen water bucket to melt the ice. The chickens are so happy to see me and the day is starting to warm up a little, so I decide to have a seat on my Adirondack chair and hang out in their coop for a little while.
Watching them peck and scratch while they eat their cracked corn and millet is very relaxing.
Their cooing and clucking is very calming.
Paul Revere kept an eye on me.
What’s up with that wild spikey do?
We have two other Blue Wyandottes, that are both hens, and one is the dark blue/black like Paul Revere, but the other one is a lovely silvery grey color. So pretty!
These Blue Wyandottes are huge! They are even bigger than our Silver laced Cochins.
Makes me wonder what breeds of chickens Privett’s Hatchery bred to get this rare color of Wyandotte.
I love the black and gold markings on my Golden laced Wyandotte.
I started off with 5 Golden laced Wyandotte chicks, and now I’m wishing that I didn’t sell 4 of them, leaving me with just this one beautiful hen.
These girls eyed me up as soon as I sat down in my chair.
Don’t they sort of look like Charlie’s Angels?
They made it clear they wanted to come over and visit.
But I was sitting in an area of the coop that I hadn’t cleared of snow yet.
They had to get brave enough to climb over the snow drift and head over to me.
Which they did.
And were soon hopping up into my lap for some cuddling.
I love my chickens.
But soon it began snowing again and the temperature dropped and it was time to go inside to warm up.
The day before I had made a crock pot of Green Chile Pinto Bean Stew, so I had a tasty bowl of that for breakfast. Everyone knows stew is always better the next day. And it was.
I followed it up with a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bar that I had made the night before.
Mmmmm!
A great way to spend a snow day, don’t you agree?
