Life, here at Golden Unicorn Farm near the base of Green Mountain, is beginning to wind down a bit, now that winter is approaching and the days are shorter - can hardly believe it snowed about 6" the day before Halloween - in my whole life, I can't remember it snowing so early in the year. Although, when I think about it, when I was living in Calgary, Alberta many years ago, I experienced a freak snowfall one seemingly hot day in July. The Calgary weather was and still is a little bit strange; during the winter, one day can be bloody freezing, 40 degrees Fahrenheit below 0 one day and the next, 70 degrees Fahrenheit above due to the warm Chinooks. The days are shorter and colder now, actually fired up the wood stove in my studio the day it snowed. Forgetting how little firewood it takes to warm up the studio, the temperature rose so high, I had to take off my shirt and since I was kind of having a slow day, I enjoyed a cold beer, shut my eyes and imagined myself lying on a beach listening to the waves rolling over the sand.
First Snow Chickens Have Ever Experienced
Mr. Mousie Lookin' for a New Home
The thing about the arrival of winter out on a farm where a lot of critters that live outside during the summer, they decide to take up residence in one's house and in our case, the studio and barn as well. Luckily, the skunk that was hanging around the house for a few days, most likely because of the dog's presence, wandered off to find a better place to spend the winter. Now the mice, they're a different story; dogs aren't a worry to them. As you can see by the photo, one of the stereo speakers in my studio make ideal homes for mice. They even have an entry door and an exit door. Not that I have anything against mice, don't think they're dirty little scary animals but I know if left to their own means, they can really multiply and become a serious nuisance. The one that I found living in the speaker soon left its high-rise dwelling for something a little less noisier when I turned the volume up. Since my warm studio, with a bountiful barn full of food for the animals and chickens a very short distance away, makes an ideal living place for mice, Sarah got a cat (Finnegan) from our friend Glenn McLean, which, by the way, is a great mouser. I'm expecting some of the mice will be packing their bags soon and moving along, especially when Finnegan realizes that Golden Unicorn Farm is now his home.
I've never really been too fond of cats. I like the idea of Finnegan living out in the barn and visiting my studio on a regular basis because he has a job to do. Fortunately Sarah and I have the same mind set regarding Finnegan, neither of us want him living in the house. It's odd that women, many of them being somewhat hygienic clean freaks just love cats - especially since, forever licking themselves, cats are always covered in dried spit - seems rather disgusting to me. I once had a cat that lived in one of my sign shops; he was grey and his name was Smokey. I have to admit that I really grew fond of Smokey, he was the only cat I knew that liked to play hide and seek and I'm not talking about hiding his food or a toy; he enjoyed playing hide and seek with me - we each took turns hiding and then looking for each other. One day, shortly before he got ran over by a car, I hid behind a sheet of plywood that was leaning up against the wall near the door and when he came quietly padding through the doorway, I jumped out and yelled boo! It was the first time I ever saw a cat piss itself, - he left a streak of yellow piss across the entire floor and on the window sill before leaping outside.
I'm not sure if some varmint has taken up residence in the wood shed but when I came out to the studio last evening when it was almost completely dark outside, I heard a scratching sound and then caught a glimpse of something leaping off the top of the wood pile and then disappearing around the corner of the building. For a moment, I thought it may have been Finnegan because it was about the size of a small cat but it was a different colour, perhaps a dark brown or grey. Hmm, I wonder if Finnegan will put the run on that critter or if I'll have to load up the .22, have myself a little target practice. I've been hoping Luki, our Great Pyrenees would have deterred any small varmints from sneaking around and perhaps making off with a chicken but maybe some of them have discovered that the dog doesn't have the run of the whole farm. I think maybe it's time I took him for a little walk about the house and yard - him and I both take a piss as we wander about and mark our territory - cheers - eh!
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