REM?  OPEN  – PAUSE – Blah blah blah – then hopefully the first viewing won’t be interrupted with all that buffering.

Figured I’d pair up some old “chicken shots” with the newest audio mix (I don’t know why but the sound affects of all the animals and stuff makes me smile and laugh – hope it has the same effect for you – sure seems to be enough triggers in life for unpleasant feelings.  Still good practice inserting different things and evaluating how they interplay with others.)

Here’s an image of today’s partial audio layout:

 

Naturally there are always “critters” passing through the property as fences are just mere obstacles to be passed around, under, over or through.  I’ve seen feral cats, Bob Cats, Raccoons, Possums, Skunks, etc., not to mention a whole sky full of flying animals like Eagles, Hawks, Sparrow Hawks, …of course Vultures, etc.  I do not know what happened Sunday night but it sure put a scare into 4 of the 5 hens.  Walked down to the coop like I normally do talking to them as they prepare for their day’s excitement.  Generally they are pretty excited with all the trilling and clucking, huddled together at the main latched door while “jogging in place” waiting to be let out of the coop for another day’s foraging, exploration, and hunkering down when too hot to move around much.   Monday morning was very different and a first.

All five refused to come out initially.  They stayed close together in the darkest area of the coop and only “quietly” conversed among themselves, but it was obvious they were concerned about going outside due to the constant turning of their heads and apprehensively looking outside for something.  After some coaxing the “lead hen” finally exited and ran up to the traditional “free range area” where I have prepared food and water stations.  (A highlight of their day is in the evening when it rains small chopped pieces of cabbage dropped from the deck railing.  Sometimes crushed Oyster shell or egg shells for the recommended calcium.  Supposed to finely crush the egg shells so you do not accidentally teach them to eat their own eggs.)

Frankly I was shocked when Lucy began getting an early morning treat of cabbage (hoping the others would come running for their share) yet instead of a stampede of waddling hens all I could hear was subdued trilling and clucking from the coop.  Checked the coop video – yep, four hens huddled together nervously looking in the direction of the “raining cabbage” but obviously too afraid to leave.  Walked back and eventually “escorted them” to where Lucy was pigging out.  Made sure they all got their share of cabbage and kept an eye out all day for any sign of traditional predators.  You know, I do vaguely recall around that time (Sunday evening I believe) a Hawk taking flight from one of the Oak trees as I exited outside through the deck slider.  Perhaps the hens saw that nearby departure too?  Who knows, maybe my going outside right at that particular time saved one or two of them from a Hawk attack?

Still don’t know.  They are beginning to exit the coop in the morning a little better but they sure are nervous looking hens as they stay close together before making a run across the open driveway for cover.  Liz seems to recognize the situation as well.  She’s always been good about announcing a fly by or alerting to the “sniff” of a nearby passing skunk.  I’ll keep checking and watching because there are already far too many horror stories on the internet of how people have lost their entire flock to an opportunistic predator. (One guy tracked the trail of dismemberment all the way to the limbs of a tree where pieces of several birds were strewn about stuck in the forks of the branches.  Yuk!   Such is the nature of life huh?  Whether life and death, or domination/exploitation  by others, anything valuable requires protection.

Oh yeah….the website counter – I noticed it was malfunctioning a few days ago- don’t know what to do because I had hope this website might actually turn 1 million hits and would prefer not to loose the total count by screwing around with that “widget”..    The counter on the last website (lakedonpedro through ARHC) also got up to over 750,000+ before my portion of that site disappeared into cyber darkness.  (I had been “given” the free space for contributing to their site but the folks who ran it passed away and once the prepaid time had elapsed -PRESTO!  Everything gone except for what I had backed up on disk or hard copy.  Oh well, at least the total number counter still works.  Always something eh?

Check out the coincidence:    (Website) counting and chickens.  Kind of go together huh? Counting chickens (before they hatch)?

OK….video should be ready for viewing about now without those annoying pauses.  Someday I hope to actually have something  presented that viewers might actually enjoy and not just politely tolerate as I struggle to learn.   lol   Kids and older folks huh?  Some very strong similarities there also.  Sure doesn’t take much imagination for me to hear my Mother’s traditional response echoing around in my aging grey matter if I make any comment about my getting older ……

“young man……you don’t even know what old is yet”!

She’s right, but what the cluck – I’m not a spring chicken either.  (Had to go for it!) later!

My best to you and yours, Lew