A FOWL OUTTING~

The chicken yard just has not been the same since the death of my girl Gladys...Gladys was a hen with spunk and attitude...I miss her cheery morning greeting and the way her featherless rear end sashayed as she ran  to the coop for her evening treat...since Gladys death the remainder of my hens have remained behind chicken wire...imprisoned...under lock and key...

their daily freedom...sadly...squashed...

However, this past Monday as the temperature made it's way into the mid sixties...with the cold weather and snow becoming but a distant memory...and knowing the weather was to hold long enough to finish our fall yardwork ...I took pity upon my girls and let them loose...but under the strictest supervision... free at last...the hens quickly flew through the coop door and wandered happily about the yard...dust baths were quickly underway and the  dirt did fly...oh...the delightful purring sounds that filled the morning air...pure contentment and joy...

Roosters, Don Juan and Ramon lingered in the background...

however, an ever vigilant eye was kept on their harem...

 sounding the danger alarm when warranted...

Now Miss Sadie Mae is a cat who believes she is a dog...she too had a bit of investigating to do ...it soon became apparent that Sadie Mae... in her former life...had been a outdoor kitty...she was not the least bit shy nor intimidated by the sights and sounds of the great outdoors...Sadie even managed to make her way into the coop while I was in the process of cleaning it...she  settled herself quite nicely into a nesting box... paying the chickens on the nest no heed... happily Sadie continued on her merry way...

it was a day enjoyed all around...sadly it is not to be a routine occurrence... this morning...as Travis and I returned from our morning walk...

an unwelcomed visitor showed up in our front field...a coyote...he appeared well nourished, sported a winter coat...but did have a distinct limp...we(Mr. Dog Trot and I) had been informed by a local trapper of a coyote who was running free with a trap on his leg...through my camera lens I could not make out if there was indeed a trap or not...

 "there shall be no breakfast for you on this day Mr. Coyote"...not here at Dog Trot Farm anyway...

and with that he was off...my girls...once again are behind wire and under lock and key...