Barnyard Folk, part 1

Well, the day started out sunny, but the occasional grouchy cloud piddles on us. Not too bad though, we haven't had any bad thunderstorms since last week anyway. It's muggy out, but there's a nice breeze that's helping to dry out the ground. You just can't stand in one place for too long, or the damp starts to cling to you. After morning chores today, I decided now was a good time to bust out my camera. May I introduce you to Eustace the Rooster?

He's a little on the chewed up side, because the real boss of the coop yard is Spur,

named for two obvious reasons. Look at those things, yow!

Yes, two roosters in the henhouse. But most of the time, this is all the competition they get into:




and Eustace knows he's in second place. He doesn't push his luck too far, except when he just can't help himself and tries to steal one of Spur's ladies. Then the feathers fly, mostly Eustace's.

Now, meet the wooly ones! Here is Baa-Baa, a Shetland...

...and Ganoush, also a Shetland...

...and Don Quixote, a.k.a. D.Q., the elderly gentleman Merino...

...and Rita Merino (get it?-after the actress Rita Moreno?) Here she is having a good stretch. Or possibly practicing yoga...

And here is Freya, my mom's bottle baby. She is half Tunis and half Icelandic. Cute? Yes. Brat? YES.

This is handsome Cheddar, one of several barn cats. He was officially banished from the house ages ago; the urge to back up to furniture and mark it as his own is too great a temptation for the Big Cheese, even being 'fixed'. But his good looks still occasionally get him into the house, when a guest doesn't know any better.

Mild Cheddar.


We are invited to dinner at a family friend's farm this evening and there is still sawdust to be unloaded and stalls to clean beforehand, so I'm off to the barn. Next time, you will meet the horses, dogs, and other cats!