My Favorite Tree...Of The Week...Or All Time

The Crowing Hen and her tiny friend Blondie have been here for almost ten years.  There were originally two tiny hens and the two tinies hung out together and the Crowing Hen, now affectionately called "Yaya" because that's what the bantams sound like when they're talking to me bossing me around, was brave enough to mingle with the big hens.

The two tinies slept each night side by side on one of the beams just over the cart stall in the barn.  Yaya chose the Sheep Chicken's perch in the outside stall.  The big hens are locked securely in the coop.  I've always wished all the chickens would sleep in there, but the bantams have never wanted to do that.

Something happened one night and the two tiny hens moved from their normal perch to way up into the rafters for a few months.  They eventually moved back down and then the silver hen started having trouble getting up into the lower perch.  She let me help her for awhile and then one morning a year or so ago I found her dead.

Blondie continued to sleep over the cart stall for quite a few months and then one night she wasn't there.  I eventually found her sleeping in the rafters over the Easy Breezy stall.  I'm not sure what scared her over there, but she seemed okay with that spot and that's where she's slept for many months.

A month or so ago I found the Crowing Hen with a bare spot on her neck (!).  I'm not sure what happened, but I feel like something had tried to grab her, luckily unsuccessfully.  Because I knew that a. she was pretty comfortable with the big chicken and b. she was in a location I could easily get to, I started picking her up and locking her in the main coop at night.  She still makes me move her each night, but at least she's basically okay with it.

One night last week Blondie moved back over the cart.  There is a nest of fledging barn swallows near where she had been sleeping and I wondered if they'd told her to get lost.  The next night I found her in the tack room.  I made her a perch in there and hoped she'd move in there at night, but the following night I couldn't find her anywhere.

She did show up the next morning (whew!), but that night I again couldn't find her.  That went on for several days.  I tried to be as stealth as I could, watching her every move, trying to clue in to where she was going, but she kept eluding me.  The fifth morning she showed up looking very tired and cold. I really needed to get this figured out.

Tuesday night she walked into the Wool House and looked around, eyeing the loft.  I love this little chicken...but not that much ;-).  I'd seen her poking around a little with the big chickens recently, I think trying to talk herself into moving in to their secure coop, so I tried to stick her in their with them, but she was too scared.  I set up a small cage in the wash room like she'd slept in during the Polar Vortex and she settled right in.

Last night I propped the door open and hoped she'd go in there on her own.  As I walked back up to the barn after dinner I found her heading across the yard.  I stood there quietly, watching, thinking at least now I was going to find out where she'd been sleeping every night.  She headed for the big pine tree and just as she was going to make her big leap, I scooped her up.  

My first thought was how scared she must have been to move out of her long time barn home into the "wilds" and how scared she must have been out there huddled in a tree all night.  No wonder she looked exhausted.  

Then I thought about finding blind Rocky out there after the night he wandered out of the barn and got lost.  And Salt always sleeping under that tree and Ewenice and Renny and Kate and Tilly and sitting out there with bottle lamb after bottle lamb and who knows who else has sought shelter in and under that kind tree.

It's had a rough life.  The top has been ripped out of it time and again by wind and ice and lightning.  Because it's lost it's ability to grow up, it's grown out.  Way too far out.  We've tried pruning it back a few times, but I know it's days are numbered.  It maybe does as well because it's setting a bunch of pine cones this summer.  

I'm hoping I can harvest some seeds from these cones...but I mostly hope I don't need a replacement for a very long time.

My Favorite Sheep...Of The Week

This week's Sheep of the Week is Spud, although as I scrolled back through all the old Spud posts, he was usually referred to as Sweet Spud.  

Spud arrived here in the summer of 2014 along with Murphy and Woody to be buddies for Baaxter.  They got into all sorts of fun that first year.  Besides normal teenage hijinks, they dressed up for Halloween and even had a Christmas party.  Do you remember the Spaceship?  He was one of the Spaceship sheep :-).

Spud earned Sweet Spud by, well, by being sweet.  He loved Hank and would always stop to visit with him and "close talk".  Hank never seemed to mind.  Spud would also check in with me almost every morning, lean into me for a sheep hug and we'd visit for a couple of minutes before he headed out for breakfast.  

My favorite Sweet Spud story however, is how he was one of the main Sheep Chicken sheep, helping the old hen up onto her perch each night.  My favorite of those posts was this video.  There are several pictures and a couple of videos of the sheep working to help that old hen.  I loved that.

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The picture up top was taken last winter.  It's the December picture on the 2023 calendar.  Salt was Miss December in 2022.  That calendar is still hanging in the wash room.  I can't bring myself to take it down.  I doubt I'll take 2023 down at the end of this year either.  I had to make the hard call this past week.  

Sweet Spud

Spring 2014 - February 13, 2023

He was one of the very best.

The End Of An Era

Clover Belly got her name because I found a four leaf clover as I was taking pictures of her just after she was born.  The Belly part came from being Emily's granddaughter.  All of Emily's family got "belly" names after her first baby Annabelle became Annabelly after she got so chubby from all of Emily's good care.

That's Clover Belly next to the wall, sitting right with her momma, Baby Belly.  Emily is in the middle of the picture, tucked up with her last lamb, Casper Belly.  Those mother daughter connections were strong and Clover Belly was very lonely after Baby Belly passed.  When the five Ts got here, they let her hang with them and that helped, but I have to think she's happy to be back with her family.  

I hope that's what happens.

Clover Belly took over supervising the Sheep Chicken after her mother died.  I always thought that was interesting.  She was really too short to be much actual help, but I remember she was always there to help where she could.

This was Baby Belly with the Sheep Chicken many years ago.  Clover Belly is standing behind Spud.  I guess they were in training.  It was always a team effort.  These have been some grand old sheep.

Clover Belly

June 2008 - August 18, 2022

Sweet Petunia

I had to make a hard, well, it wasn't hard...a sad call on Petunia today and here I sit trying to decide what I want to say about one of the very best sheep ever.  

I thought I knew what picture I wanted for this post, but as I scrolled through all the old blog posts looking for it, it became one of the nicest trips down memory lane and I could have easily pulled out 20 favorite pictures.

Her "Mug Shot"

She'd been here so long that I'd almost forgotten some of her stories.  I'd forgotten how she stepped up as lead ewe after Elizabeth had died.  I'd  forgotten how she was one of the main chicken sheep who helped the old hen get to her favorite high perch each night.  

Her official baby picture back in 2008.  She came from Nistock's along with Woolliam that year.

I remembered how much she enjoyed wearing the flowers for the 2012 Tour de Fleece.  I knew that she would be happy to wear the bell because of how she acted with the flowers.  I don't think she thought she was special, but she understood special and humbly accepted it...like any great leader.

I'd forgotten about this sweet picture with 20. Almost every picture on the blog is captioned either "Pretty Petunia" or "Sweet Petunia".  

Checking in with me during a lunchtime nap last month.    

So many good pictures and great stories.  There will never be another like her. If you'd like to take a stroll, you can follow this link or any of the labels on the right side of the blog.  

Sweet, pretty Petunia

2008-August 10, 2022

Sweet Symbolism

I seem to have lost my words, but I want to tell a short sweet story, so I hope this ends up making sense.  

The two tiniest hens sleep in the barn loft at night, usually quite high up.  Tonight (it just looks bright out back because I was metering off Woody in the dark-ish barn) the two hens hopped up on the cross gate together.  The light blond chicken immediately flew straight up to the loft.  

The blond and gray chicken danced around, looked up, walked to and fro, looked up, turned around, looked up, flapped her wings, walked to and fro looking up...and Woody walked over and stood next to her, exactly the way the sheep used to with the Sheep Chicken.

We are all still here, trying to take care of each other. 

A Good Old Chicken

This was a fun Instagram post. It remains a fun Instagram post...but boy, June 19 seems like forever ago now :-/.  

“Hey! I’ve got a chicken on my back!” #buddy #bestsheepever #cotswoldsheep #oldsheep #adventurechicken #sheepchicken #chickensheep #petuniahasthenightoff

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 19, 2018 at 6:19pm PDT

The end of an era.  She was a character.  I buried her in the sheep cemetery, right next to Buddy.  

Would He?

While at first glance this appears to be a story about a sheep eating watermelon, I think the better story is actually the chickens.

I took a not super ripe watermelon out to the barn thinking everyone could share it.  The sheep were all asleep so I quietly set it down for the chickens.  Woody popped up immediately, came racing out and started gobbling it all up.  Would he share it?  No, he Woody not.  

"Boy, that sure looks good."

Note Gladys circling and circling while the others watch on in horror as the watermelon quickly disappears.  

"Can't you make him share with us, Gladys?"

"I just can't believe this!"

"Come on, Woody.  Just a little bit?"  

"No."

"The nerve!"

Here comes Andy.

Would Woody share?

"I guess I'll just eat this piece of wilted lettuce."

And Gladys is back...

...for one last attempt.

"Please?"  

"No."

Look at his gluttonous pink nose!  And the disgruntled hens.  I think I'd be a bit afraid to go to sleep tonight, Woody.  And I think I'll go get the girls their very own watermelon tomorrow.

Hours Of Nonstop Entertainment

I was out in the barn yesterday evening when all the sheep headed out for a last bit of grazing.  Nothing unusual about that until Daniel walked out...with the Sheep Chicken on his back.  

While several of the sheep will actually carry the chicken straight over to the wall where her night perch is located, Daniel is apparently not one.  Oh, he's happy to let the chicken surf from his back to another sheep's back, but if he has to mastermind the complete trip...  

"I thought the chicken was supposed to stay back in the barn."

Spud, far left, looks like he's telling Daniel he did it wrong.  Spud is one of the best chicken transport sheep.

"Yes, I realize that now, Spud!"

"You made a new puzzle from that picture?"

"For crying out loud.  This just gets worse and worse."

"Um..."

"I have a chicken on my back."

"I have a chicken on my back."

"A little help here, lady?!?"

"I have a chicken on my back."

"Come here, Big D, and I'll take the chicken in for you."

He might not understand how to get the chicken put to bed properly, but he does know he can walk over to me and I'll fix it...after I take a few pictures ;-).  

Warm Winter Sun

It can be way down in the teens, even single digits, and as long as it's not windy and the sun is shining, it feels warm to me. Some more pictures from the Del Boca Vista Distraction Party the other day.

Maisie

Heidi - who's foot is all better now since I popped a big mud ball from between her toes after the Boxing Day cookie party :-).

That is Muffin (!) standing just to the right of Levi in the foreground.

Renny

Bullwinkle, Levi and Spud

Biscuit

The Sheep Chicken and Woolliam

A little slice of heaven...and two new puzzles :-).  

Enjoy!

Nailed It!

In case you aren't following on Instagram, Twitter or, sigh, Facebook, I finally caught a perfect video of the sheep working together to help the Sheep Chicken get to her perch last night!

Got it! Irrefutable evidence of the sheep deliberately working together, moving around to help the Sheep Chicken get to her nighttime perch. She starts on Daniel. Spud comes over and picks her up. He doesn’t get close enough so Petunia moves him over while Clover Belly watches or maybe is directing traffic and then she moves around to the far side. Wool is wellness...and also kindness 😊. I’m going to include this for Wovember because if we are sharing all the great attributes of sheep and wool, it would be hard to find better sheep representatives🐑🐑🐓🐑🐑. #wovember2017 #wovemberinstachallenge #wearwoolforwovember #wearwooleveryday #woolprovidestraction

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Nov 6, 2017 at 3:14pm PST

:-D

Not A Saint But Close

Here is a video from this evening.  The Sheep Chicken was already on Clover Belly's back and Clover Belly was already positioned over by the ledge when I saw them and started the camera.  Petunia comes over to help and then Ewen McTeagle.  Petunia leaves for a few seconds to go yell at June, who you can see calmly walking through not deserving anyone stamping their foot at them, Petunia!

The chicken knows Clover Belly is too short, which is why she moved to Ewen, but Ewen wouldn't move over to the ledge so she finally gave up and used Petunia, who'd come back to help, to get back to Clover Belly and she makes the jump...which was an "epic fail".  She then jumped back up on Rebecca Boone, who is only marginally taller, and I picked her up and set her on the ledge.

The black and white hen, most famous for sitting in the Wool House with me and Tilly this summer, has also decided she wants to sleep on the ledge, but she's an ungrateful guest and picks on The Sheep Chicken if you try to set them both up there.  That's not fair so we built her her own private shelf.

Speaking of sheep yelling at June for no reason, that's why Clover Belly is Not Quite A Saint.  I have no idea why she hates her so much, but she's given June some charges that are very ungrateful.  I'm not sure what to do about that.  I keep hoping they'll work out a truce, but Clover Belly has her buffaloed and June doesn't have Kate's "I give you permission to punch that bad sheep back" button.

Sheep... 

Chickens...

I could also add a story about the stupid corgi, but it's late...

Aren't you looking forward to spending the afternoon with everyone this Saturday?  ;-).

She's Baaa-aack

After the sheep were shorn back in the spring, the Sheep Chicken had to stop sleeping on her ledge.  She couldn't get enough traction on the slick sheep backs to make her jumps.  About the time their wool started growing back to an acceptable length, the days got long and hot and the sheep stayed out grazing in the evenings, well past the time when she wanted to go to bed.  

She slept in the coop all long summer.  A week or so ago I noticed she was back on her platform perch.  I caught an occasional picture of her on various sheep's backs, jumping for her ledge, but hadn't had time to post them and then forgot. 

Two nights (or I should say late afternoons - chickens go to bed early!) ago short little Clover Belly followed a couple of the older sheep in hoping for an evening snack.  She didn't get one, but poked around the stalls for a bit looking for anything that might have dropped.

She was standing at the doorway between the inside and outside stalls (the right side of the picture) when the chicken hopped aboard.  She stood there for a couple seconds and then walked straight over to the ledge and the chicken jumped on up.  If you look closely you can see her next to the fan on the back wall. 

Sometimes I just "live in the moment" and watch what goes on without recording it.  Sunrises and sunsets are always better in real life and should sometimes just be enjoyed.  Bees working flowers...well, they are good either way.  A chicken and sheep so deliberately working together, especially one I've never seen helping the chicken before?  I wish I'd turned on the video camera.

*     *     *   In other news  *     *     *

Hank and June are now best friends.  Other than taking a walk yesterday where she shouldn't have, June is doing really, really well.  I'm putting up some more fencing today to hopefully stop her from future exploration missions.  If the Adventure Chickens figure out they could ride her to town... :-o

Cecil Aguilar's been back and made something extra special for us.  I'm telling you, drystone work is like tattoos.  Once you start you can't stop.  I of course took lots of pictures including a very cool one with Eli, who is trying really hard to make the calendar next year.  I'd say things are looking good for him ;-).

Tonight is the big neighborhood Pumpkin Carving Party.  I had planned to try to do a special felted pumpkin to carve, but...I'm now spending my day putting up fence :-/.  At least I can think about my real pumpkin design while I work.  I'm guessing it will be a Biscuit and Muffin design.  Stay tuned!

I don't know how it could possibly be almost the end of October, but it is and next Saturday is National Hug a Sheep Day :-D.  We are once again hosting a farm party to celebrate and would love if everyone could come!  Needless to say if I can't find time to post blog pictures, I probably haven't had time to work on the teleporter either, but June is all about some cookies as are Biscuit and Muffin and Mrs. Pepperpot and everyone else.  It will be a fun afternoon if you can make it :-D.

*     *     *   One more thing   *     *     *

When I was looking for a link for the words "Sheep Chicken" above, I found the post about Baby Belly and Spud helping last year.  I'd forgotten that had been Baby Belly.  Clover Belly is Baby Belly's daughter.  While Muffin may have ditched me and Mrs. Pepperpot, Clover Belly stayed very close to her momma her whole life.  We lost Baby Belly last week.

I am quite sure we don't have even an ounce of understanding about what goes on between animals, especially animals in a close family.  I was amazed that a sheep who I had thought had no previous experience with the chicken routine was helping out.  Now I'm extra amazed.  Remember Tilly stepping up after Iris died?  Something else to ponder while I'm stringing fence today.

SO, as I did with the long post about Tilly, let's see who made it to the end of this epistle.  Leave me a comment saying which sheep you'd love to hug most and I'll have 20 draw for a winner at the end of the weekend.  There's a 2018 Farm Calendar in it for the winner :-).