Chickens & cats

[Katie]

OK, I'm really going to stretch the limits of this informal forum and talk about things that rule my life....chickens and cats. At least they have been keeping me thinking if nothing else.

Yesterday my dear heart left on a business trip. While I will miss him terribly, apparently it isn't half as much as Oliver, our neurotic cat does. This kitty is a pound rescue, not a high bred, high strung thing. (I say this with love in my voice...so far) But he is a princess (more that than a prince )...does not socialize with the other kitties, who have tried to include him, and small things upset him greatly.

Like my husband leaving. He tolerates me, and adores my husband. He normally waits till my husband comes home from work to pee in the litter box. We noticed this about two years ago, and this is just one of his idiosyncrasies.

Now for the good stuff. At six forty-five, almost two hours past 'dad's' arrival time, he jumps up on the bed, came over for a petting, and then peed on the quilt. Now this is not the first time he has done this...I gave him forgiveness last time it happened, the last time hubby went away. I thought maybe he had a UT infection which will make him a bit weirder than usual, but after a check-up, he was fine. He's just annoyed that his master isn't home He saw the suitcase and that tipped him off.

He doesn't do it when we both go away and there's a house sitter. He doesn't do it when the master is late, at a meeting. He is just showing ME his displeasure and that I'm not good enough.

Luckily, we have a barn, with several other nice kitties who live there. He joined them. At least until the master comes home, as I am not washing any more bedding. At least I caught him before he had the chance to do any damage to the mattress.

Our barn is quite large, with a big loft, and the kitties all stay inside, because there are too many critters around here who could eat them. So there is no chance that he will get injured or anything, and the other kitties are not giving him any grief or vice versa. He just looked a little lost this morning. My quilt isn't dry yet, so I have little sympathy

Meet Ollie...



On to chickens.....we have seven of the most gorgeous heritage breed hens, plus a rooster. Pure black ones, plus several that look like dalmations, with black and white feathers






So I was tucking in all the critters last night, and gathering eggs, nice big brown eggs, all eleven of them. Eleven....from seven chickens This really will help the profit margin...we sell all the extras.

Can someone else wiser than me explain all those extras? We normally get five to six a day.

So is this off topic enough for everyone?

[Cindylou]

Ha-ha. I love it Katie! I clearly do not have your answers for the extra eggs, but I love your topic and pictures. This, I believe, is what the lounge is for, and I truly think it was such an awesome concept....we are people who actually talk about other things besides spines and pain! I want to see pictures of your barn please. Is this your first "farm" or rural experience, or is this old hat? I lived on a hobby farm when I was a kid, and I sometimes have fantasies of owning one as an adult. But I know that doesn't exactly jive with going to a cabin on weekends!

[New-disc]

Katie, and others

I love to watch our sps family grow.... chickens, dogs, cats, birds, and lots of great people.

Cool pictures!!!

Todd

[Katie]

CL, I need to change the subject and take my mind off the red tape

We built the new barn and garage just after moving in, and before we realized that I would need surgery, etc. My back had just started to act up after we moved in.

Here is our barn, before the fencing is up, etc. We put thirty foot long, foot thick cedar beams up for fence 'rails' to the left of the barn, almost five feet high, with a big rock garden in front of it, full of perennials and wild flower mix. We got the beams from a century old barn that was taken apart. My husband has worked so hard on it, although we had contractors do the major part of the construction, beams,etc.



We built it with big timbers, to stay in character as much as possible with the log house (which is covered in siding for now, till we renovate and bring it back to the original look as much as possible.)



Here is an aerial view of the farm, but ignore the lack of gardens, etc. The pond behind the studio is under construction, and the little cottage is going to be moved back into the orchard farther to the right, for guests or my mom eventually. The buildings are connected with breezeways, so I can go from my studio to the barn without getting my toes cold in the winter

I just tell people who are looking for the property to look for the place with the red roof



Here is the inside of the log part of the house. This is the 'formal' dining room, which we turned back into the master bedroom, which it was originally. I couldn't do the stairs anymore.



What really hurts is that I can only 'look but not touch' when it comes to the horses, etc. now. The weeds are getting ahead too, but I just have to realize that it will get better someday soon.

I've always had a farm of some sort my whole adult life. Not real big farming, but hobby farms, up to 40 acres in size. This one is the smallest we've had so far, although I'm dreaming of getting the land around us to protect from developers putting in a subdivision next door.

[KBear]

Katie- Thanks for the laugh. I am just envisioning the kitty walked around all pissed off that hubbys gone and peeing on your bed! What a riot.

What gorgeous chickens, I miss having chickens around. My grandparents always were on a farm, with a nice vegetable garden, horses, cows, chickens and more. I never knew white eggs existed until I was older and my grandparents quit farming. I know only buy brown eggs at the store, yummy. The kids think it is cool that they are brown too, not realizing that's how they come.

[KBear]

It looks like we were posting at the same time. What a beautiful farm, I'm really going to have to come see it sometime! Maybe one day when I have extra money lying around (yeah right, what's that?). I love the barn, it is gorgeous. That is a large property to take care of, hope you have lots of help. So pretty, wish I was there.

[Katie]

Wish you were here too Thanks for the nice comments. My goal is to have gardens half as nice as Terry's

I decided to try another option, off topic from the farm. I got as peed off as Oliver, and called the Appeal Board and asked for some opinions on my case.

The agent, who has always been extremely nice, encouraging and helpful through this whole process, agreed with my idea of faxing them Dr. Bitan's letters of urgency, and she would add it to my file, and ask for an expedited meeting. She must have spoken to someone higher up, because earlier she didn't think she could get a meeting till early fall.

It will mean that I will be asking to speed up my request for my first application to go to Stenum, as it does not look like I am ever going to get to NYC at this point. I cannot get any doctors in this province to give me the time of day, and the insurance will not approve my application to Dr. B until one of ours says they can't operate. It is an impossible circle that I've been going around on for three years now. So I can either wait for them to deny my second application and go to Appeal for Dr. B, or take the faster route and go with the first one. I can't wait any longer. I want to be able to enjoy this farm, among other things.

Wish me luck, and meanwhile, back to our regularly scheduled family slides

[Katie]

Katie- Thanks for the laugh. I am just envisioning the kitty walked around all pissed off that hubbys gone and peeing on your bed! What a riot.

I'll send him right down Oliver, not hubby....

[KBear]

I hope the letter of urgency works and gets them to look at your case. Crossing my fingers and praying that something good happens soon.

[Justin]

Katie,

This thread is awesome! I LOVE your chickens and the barn. The whole set up is absolutely dreamy. My wife and I would to one day be able to have a place like yours. I guess we can dream, right?

Would you like some bed and breakfast guests?

Best. thread. ever.