Sunday; all is quiet on Golden Unicorn Farm; Rachel is chatting on the computer with her friends, Jessica has gone to church with a friend and Sarah is at a community meeting. The animals and the chickens seem to be enjoying the pasture, which much too soon will be covered with deep snow and they will have to remain inside the barn - hopefully this coming winter will not drag on as long as it did last year and not be seriously freezing for a long period of time.
The weather today is windy; many colourful autumn leaves flitting through the air reminding me of migrating butterflies. The clouds are heavy, threatening and roiling with dissatisfaction above the withering goldenrod and swaying trees. I heard on CBC radio just a little while ago that rain and snow is expected sometime this coming week - after only three days of summer, a day and a half of autumn - winter, it appears, is drastically ahead of schedule this year. I should be working outside today, toiling with the firewood, weatherproofing the remains of Glenn's barn and attaching the eave troughs but somewhere in my past, I actually remember when most people didn't have to go to work on the Sabbath and as amazing as it seems, the stores weren't open either. I still have quite a few outdoor chores to do before the snow flies and I can already feel myself winding down - looking forward to firing up the wood stove, sitting back in front of my easel and painting.
Tomorrow, rain or shine, unless it's really pouring, I'm planning to pick apples - our large apple tree situated in the lower pasture is heavy with apples even though many have already fallen to the ground and a black bear has filled his belly more than once on them. A thicket of Japanese knot-weed is growing nearby and it's possible to see where a bear has been sleeping off and on - lots of bear poop too. I've been told that if I don't want any bears going near the apple tree, I should urinate a ring around the trunk - apparently they don't like the smell - can't say as I'm crazy about that particular aroma either. Once I get the apples picked off the tree that we want to eat right away and Sarah can use for canning, baking pies and apple sauce, I'll pick up the ones that have fallen on the ground so I can crush them and make a lot of apple juice for the winter - hopefully still have enough remaining into the spring as well. Wouldn't mind making some apple cider with a kick too but we'll see how everything goes.
Things are a little quieter in the barn and out in the pasture, now that Jack the billy goat was auctioned off last Monday - only hear half the maa-a-a-a-a-ing and head butting now. One of the young roosters is learning how to crow - sounds a little pathetic but he's getting there. Only the 13 white leghorns are laying - getting around a dozen eggs a day. Won't be long before the Ameraucanas, Rhode Island reds and austrolorps are laying too. However, I don't think we'll have much of an egg production till spring when all the hens should be laying - most likely be getting 4 - 5 dozen a day then. Sarah also bought 3 Polish hens, which I call mop-heads. They are similar to the other hens, except they look as if they've been to a beauty salon - the tops of their heads are so thickly covered with long poofed-up feathers that they have difficulty seeing where they're going. And, they all seem to be afflicted with that pretty girl - no brains syndrome. Since the other chickens were pecking at them so much I was forced to separate them from the flock. They're so simple minded, they would walk into a wall and think since they couldn't see any of the other hens, they figured they couldn't be seen either - needless to say they were relentlessly picked on or should I say pecked on? I'm enjoying watching their barnyard antics and each one seems to have its own personality. I'm not looking forward to when I have to shut them up permanently in the coop until after winter is over because they keep me quite entertained as I work outside - they often follow me around just like a dog. Speaking of chickens - that's what we're having for supper tonight - not ours but off the grocery shelf chicken.
I've been expecting a friend of mine to pop by today but now that it's getting quite late, I've got the feeling that he won't be coming. However, another friend of mine, Gary Stairs dropped in yesterday and we had a bit of a jaw session over a couple of beers - seems we have the same taste in beer - not into that light beer stuff - I like a bite to mine and so does he. I really should make some more beer too while the temperature is still somewhat agreeable. Not only do I like the taste of my homemade beer but the price per bottle is a lot more economical than Liquor Store prices. Hmm, speaking about beer, I think it's time to have one - cheers - eh!
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