Winter This Year

The rain is returning tomorrow and for several days afterwards. I should be out on this sunny but very chilly day to finish off my pruning of the excessive lemon balm branches that have frozen and died back. They look pretty awful but I’ve gotten most of them and so have consoled myself with writing this blog instead of going out in the cold. We have had a week of below zero temperatures and last night was the worst. It’s taken most of the day today to defrost for the other affected plants and our flock of chooks is staying in the sun next to the house in hopes of a spare morsel thrown their way. I’ve hardly spoken to them today. I’m actually too frozen to function sufficiently.
But the rain is bringing with it much warmer nights in comparison to what we’ve had. So, my oatmeal making duties will be curtailed for a few days after tonight’s feast that we feed to the birds on about 7 different bowls that we scatter around the yard. Hopefully, everyone gets a little to tide them over for the freezing air that pervades the tall pines where they roost. But these are hardy chickens and although they’re not thrilled about the cold weather, they seem to persist in roosting there even though there’s an adequate chook house right next to those trees with a few good perches extended between the partitions. But if all else fails and it’s raining cats and dogs then they’ll run for cover in a large barn next to our backyard that has one open side for feathered borders.
I really can’t force them to sleep where it’s a bit warmer and mostly dry so I try to give them a little extra feed to bolster them.
The real issue that’s on my mind is that we have far too many roosters and nobody wants roosters. Since these were from the generations of families that have bred here, I’m pretty attached to them. But even I know that many must be culled for the general wellbeing of the group.
So, I’m cold and sad. The reality of life and death on a farm is pretty harsh. But I have hatched a plan that might work to contact someone I know through my neighbor who can help me save some of these aggressive creatures. But for now I’ll just ponder how to end this blog with a little punch with photos of some recent scenes on our way home trying to get here in time to feed these animals. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it. We’re nearing the shortest day of the year and lately it’s hard to see much past 4:30 p.m. and they trot off to bed before that.
But John did speak with our nearest neighbor today, who rode by on her horse right past our driveway. So they chatted for a few minutes about this and that and she’d like a trio of chooks, meaning a rooster and two hens. So, that’s a start. Now all we have to do is figure out what to do with the other 18 or 19 other cockerels. Hmmm. I really do need my thinking cap for this one.