Trip to Talkeetna

 After waking up early, riding in a car for several hours, and many movies, we arrived in Talkeetna. 

Here's Casper on our way to the river.

So many flowers . . .

Trees,

Splash of color here. . .

We made it to the river.

So far, so good.

Interesting little feature.

We made sand castles, and I think mine is the best.

On the jet boat.

Let's go home.

In the Pen, Once Again

Yesterday the chicks moved. Into their pen.

Here they are, ready to go.

The first inhabitant.

Two inhabitants.

Three.

Four.

This morning.

Black Pearl. Can you spot Honey?

Coral. Honey's in here too.

Summer Birds and Plants.

After the day when I wrote Rainy Day, the whole week was supposed to be rainy,

so to give myself something to do, I landed on taking pictures of flowers and other plants.

These are my best ones.

Cow Parsnip.

Fireweed.

Hawkweed.

Daisy and clover.

I don't know what this is.

Again, I don't know what this is.

Technically, this isn't a plant, it's a mushroom.

A very dirty mushroom.

Here are some wild bird pictures I accumulated over the summer (and spring).

This little bird is a Golden-crowned Sparrow.

Savannah sparrow

(click to enlarge).

Red-Breasted Nuthatch.

Robin.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch.

Mallards.

Rainy Day

 Today the girls weren't able to go outside.

It was too cold and wet.

Because of 

This.

RAIN.

This is bad.

Here's their pen out in the backyard. In the rain.

The problem with this, is that when they don't get time outside, they run laps and jump around in their brooder. This makes doing my job, taking care of them, 

Extremely.

Difficult.  

Sorry girls.

Coral in the bottom left, Honey in center, Black pearl to the right of Honey, Ginger in top right.

Free Ranging - In a Pen.

 

 Sunbathing.

Flock.

Clover and dandelion.

Summer.

                                                         

                                             The perfect combination. . . For a chicken.

Chick Chores

 In the morning I do these tasks:

First, take out the warmer.

Second, scoop out poop and turn the shavings.

Next, feed them some chick grit and handle them.

Then, refill waterer.

Later, around lunch time, repeat steps 2-3 and refill feeder. 

In the evening, once again repeat steps 2-3 as well as doing the following:

Putting on the warmer, covering it with a blanket or other similar item, and saying good night.

Here's the girls today! Nap-time. 

New post soon.

Ginger and the Bears.

Ginger after the bear's visit.

 Yesterday a Bear walked right past my face. 

I was holding Ginger, and out of the corner of my eye, through the window, I see black fur. Is that a dog? I asked myself. Then I see the cub. And the face. The bear's face looked like a burnt tan. Her cub's face, though, was a bright gold. However, the part of her face I noticed most about her as she looked through the window was her eyes. They were a prehistoric, dinosaur-like golden brown. She only looked through for about a second, then kept walking. Ginger barely reacts.  

It was thrilling while it lasted.

Budgies, Breakthroughs, and Behaviors–Or–The Lead Hen.

 Meet the Budgies (Parakeets).

Dots.

And Bluey.

Bluey is a temporary member of the household, being a friend's bird. That's the Budgies.

 On to the chickens. So, yesterday I was changing their feed, but they kept stepping on the feed booster (Made of a couple pieces of cardboard and a plant saucer. Picture below). 

I decided to put something on the booster. I put part of a small clay bowl on it, and they crouched, stretched out their necks and trilled loudly. Then they scampered and hid behind the roost. Interesting. I took it out and they loosened up. Then I put it back in and they hid again. Very interesting. That's the break through. 

Some developing behaviors: At one week they started to scratch and peck. At 2 weeks, they roosted more

and started to preen. The first time they roosted together, I noticed it was either Honey, Coral, and Ginger that roosted, or Black Pearl, Coral, and Ginger. Rivals for Lead Hen, or normal flock behavior?

One day Black Pearl ran in front of Honey, fluffed herself, and stood tall. Honey fluffed herself and walked away. Black Pearl did the same with Ginger, but Ginger didn't react. She just walked away.

Normal flock behavior, or not? 

Good news: the camera's working again! Here's the girls today.

            Ginger

                                        This is Honey, not Ginger.

Say goodbye, girls!