Adopted By A Wild Tom

As time goes on I think of blogging but my big projects I am saving to post with start to finish photos. That would be the chicken coop and the fencing. So I am left with bits and pieces a little cheese making, soap making and more. Like being adopted by this boy.

He was resting by the current chicken coop when I rounded the corner from the hay barn and sent him into a frantic burst of something between a jog and a lope if such a mismatched fellow could. He took off last night and returned sometime this morning while and the house dogs were busy doing other things. He then proceeded to cruise down the west side of the barn road taking time to grab snacks from the wild oats that I mowed down a few days ago.

As if having this big guy was around wasn't enough of up close and real wild life Sherman and Yarrow began about one in the AM to go off like fire crackers. I tried to ignore it think it would (whatever it was ) pass by and we could all go back to sleep. I was the fool as it continue on momentum increasing. By the time I made my third trip to the back porch that is in close proximity to the barn it was apparent something was somewhere near and wasn't leaving any time soon.

I know my dogs pretty well but ever so often when I can't see or hear another dog in the valley barking or coyotes singing I kind of question their sanity. But after a few minutes in the barn with the goats looking at me (must of been my Owl jammies) as if to say "it has finally happened those two fluff balls have lost it". That I took my third trip around the whole barn scouring  the west side but when I finally turned my gaze and flashlight skyward I had a moment and looked again. The oak tree closest to the barn had eyes. Three sets to be exact. This is about two feet from the barn side and in an area that isn't sheathed with plywood yet. then the eyes had faces. OMG we have bandits in those branches.

A very ample adult (most likely Mom) and two older juveniles about ten feet off the ground and weren't leaving the safety of the tree for nothing. I knew sooner or later we would encounter the bandits of the forest as we have a seasonal creek at the bottom of our pasture and everyone knows where there is water there are raccoons.   I shut down the light and went back into the barn killed the lights there and waited about ten minutes. Walked around the side just in time to see the adult (this critter hadn't missed a  meal lately) pacing the bottom of the sagging , loose really old three foot field fencing looking for a space that would accommodate her girth. The kids (yes they were darn cute) kept poking their little faces out between the leaves. But even with me tossing sticks at them they weren't budging. They had a good look at the Pyrs and I can say I would of probably would have paused to think on that option myself.

So back to the barn calling Sherman and Yarrow into the tack area and shut down the barn lights again . The three of us with Tubby Tabby the barn cat waited about a half hour. I was hearing twigs and acorns hit the roof and finally slipped back out the door to check if any progress had been made by the young ones. Scanned the tree and the immediate area to find they had made their escape and were most likely with Mom waddling down to the creek or neighbors cat food.

I only heard from my two fluff balls a few more times before the sun came up. And when I did it was accompanied  by  multiple other dogs in the valley or the coyotes up the hill in the cow field. I grabbed a few more hours of sleep and the Pyr's? No worries there they have been snoozing all day.