Sunny February Afternoon

I haven’t  posted on my blog in so long - each day passing makes it more daunting to think about catching up. So, I have decided to  just dive in. Perhaps it will be a bumpy transition from my last regular posts, two months ago or more, until now, but I will try not to be too abrupt.

After a stretch of  quite cold weather, today was sunny and considerablywarmer, mid 20 degrees F.  I let the chickens out of the coop this afternoon and they were very happy.

The big blue cochin hen with her fluffy feathered legs.

The little white silkie is my buddy, after  several mornings bringing her inside to eat breakfast with me and thaw out her frozen-shut eyes.) She came running to me to see if I had a treat for her. I didn’t, but of course I found one quickly.

Last November, neighbors brought us a dozen beautiful Black Australorp hens and two roosters. They have integrated into our flock well. They still kind of hang out together in a sub-flock, but there doesn’t seem to be any animosity between them and the  other chickens. They are so beautiful silhouetted against the snow.

Lucy the goose is queen of the coop. The ducks are her minions.

One of the pretty roosters who is a grandson of Knickerbocker, our favorite Welsummer rooster, and Lacey,  an Americauna hen. We still have too many roosters.

Orange is pretty much a house cat in the winter, but he spent the day outside.

Jitterbug, soaking up the sun.

Shadows of the late afternoon sun low in the sky created a third cupola image in the shadows.

Something about a blue sky just makes you smile!