degoodlifefarm – Living de Good Life

Farm Funnies – More Stories of Odin and Merlin

If you have animals, whether they are in-house pets or farm animals, you will agree that they can be so silly. Watching them can bring waves of laughter and lighten your countenance. So it is for me. Here are some farm funnies that hopefully will make you chuckle.

Odin – King of the Pasture

So, if you have been following me for awhile, you know that Odin is already the star of two of my farm books: My Name is Odin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Odin-Good-Life/dp/1952894980/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+odin&qid=1636402786&sr=8-1 and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team at de Good Life Farm https://www.amazon.com/Odin-Merlin-Amazing-Team-Good/dp/1639840745/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=odin+and+merlin+the+amazing+team&qid=1636402872&sr=8-1. He continues to earn top billing here at the farm.

His most important title is “Livestock Guardian” and he performs it so well! We have not lost a chicken to a predator since his arrival at the farm! He OWNS the pasture! He always has his eye to the sky.

The other day I saw him flying from one side of the pasture to the other barking his loudest and fiercest bark. I followed him and couldn’t figure out what he was so upset about. Jeff was out there and I asked…he pointed up. A JET! Odin saw the jet as a predator from the sky!

He has learned to protect the chickens from whatever may pose as a danger to them, even if that “danger” is Freya. She is going to be a great teammate for him someday, but she can’t yet be trusted with the chickens off-cable. He is so serious about his duties, whether the perceived danger is a flock of geese, a jet, or even a hot air balloon! The important thing is that he pays attention and does his job!

Anyway, back to my farm funnies! You know that I love writing stories about my animals. Their antics delight me! Last night, while I was in the barn, their entertainment was no exception. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take many pictures. I am hoping that my story-telling abilities will be descriptive enough that you will feel like you are watching them from wherever you are reading this blog post.

Get Out of My Space!

While I was milking Mocha, I heard a chicken squawking. That typically means one (or more) chicken has been dumb enough to go into Odin’s kennel. I heard Merlin quite upset as well.

When I had a chance to get up and look, my suspicious were confirmed. There was a chicken in Odin’s kennel and bless his heart, Odin was being as careful and as gentle as a 140ish-pound dog can be with a creature approximately three per cent of its body weight.

And Merlin? He was talking up a storm in a reprimanding tone, but not at Odin…at the chicken! It was almost like he was saying “You stupid chicken! I have told you time and time again not to go in there!”

The Backstory

(NOTE: This is not the first time I have seen this scenario! Several weeks ago when I was on the tractor and we were moving the meat chickens, I could tell Odin had his mouth on a chicken inside his kennel. I instinctively yelled “No!” to try and stop him. Then I watched. His intentions obviously weren’t malicious! He was trying to get that chicken out of his kennel. I continued to watch and he was using his paws and his mouth trying to get it out.

Finally, in amazement, I watched him PICK UP THAT CHICKEN and carry it out of his kennel just like a mama dog would carry her pup! Then he literally spat it out of his mouth! The chicken ran away and I looked back at Odin and he didn’t seem real pleased with what was left in his mouth! You know how you stick your tongue out and try to scrape out a nasty taste or sensation? That is EXACTLY what he was doing!! I absolutely howled…then praised him for being such a good boy!) Now, back to present…

Back to the Story

As I continued to watch, he tried to pick her up by her neck (like he had done with that chicken before — same one?? Who knows!) but he couldn’t get a good grasp, even using his big paws to try and hold her! I wondered what he would do. I stared in amazement as I watched him catch her by her tail and literally push and shove her out of his kennel. When she was clearly outside of it, he released her and she ran away! I laughed out loud and praised him for being such a good boy!

Do-Over! Really?

Soon after finishing milking, I heard the scenario repeating itself. I watched Odin trying to get that “stupid chicken” out of his kennel AGAIN but he didn’t seem to be making any progress. I went over and tried to help, but every time we (yes, Odin and I were working together as a team) got her near the door and I thought she would make a run for it, she headed back into the kennel!

Since I didn’t seem to be helping the situation, I went back into the barn. Odin, however, did NOT give up. As I heard her squawking again, I turned to see him with his mouth on her tail again! Only, this time, he picked her up by her tail and walked her right out of his kennel! He took her as far as his cable would allow (we cable him during chores to keep him from causing havoc in the barn with the cows going back and forth) and then dropped her. I absolutely howled with laughter!

Odin’s intelligence continues to amaze me and his understanding that 1) he is their protector, but 2) his kennel is his space and he has a right to protect it! Again, I praised him over and over and told him what a good boy he is! Of course, he LOVED that!

Merlin’s Territorial Battles

Merlin, who also is the star of two of my farm books, My Name is Merlin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Merlin-Good-Life/dp/195045472X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+merlin&qid=1636402959&sr=8-1, and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team (referenced above), is an amazing creature! He is now in the process of training his fourth flock of hens and he, too, takes his job here at the farm very seriously!

We had a totally unexpected upset to Merlin’s world when I stupidly accepted three “free” chicks in June when I picked up this batch of layer chicks…and of course (I later I was told by a friend that if you are offered “free” chicks from a hatchery…they are almost assuredly going to be ROOSTERS!). Anyway, I digress… we discovered a few weeks ago that they were, IN FACT, roosters!

They didn’t seem to upset the balance of power too badly until this past week. Evidently, they matured and that fact made them decide to claim some of Merlin’s hens for themselves. Actually, it seems it was only ONE of the roosters that decided to help himself to the hens and Merlin was well-aware of which one it was!

Get Away from My Hen!

One evening, I heard Merlin carrying on something fierce and I looked out from the barn just in time to see Merlin running his fastest…wish I had a picture…in attack mode, toward that rooster who was with one of Merlin’s hens. The rooster saw him coming and ran away, but Merlin didn’t stop the chase! He chased after him all over the pasture till he was far away from the hen.

Merlin’s House…Merlin’s Rules

So, that evening, as is our usual practice, after milking and chores I checked to make sure all of the chickens were safely in the coop. I saw one of the roosters hanging around, so I walked slowly behind it, which normally will encourage it to go in the coop. It tried to go in! As it began to enter the door of the coop, Merlin came FLYING out of the coop door, yelling and screaming at this rooster. I don’t know what words he used, but there was no doubt in that roosters mind that he wasn’t allowed in the coop.

I told Jeff what I had witnessed and we agreed that we respect Merlin enough that we would allow his rule to stand. We weren’t sure whether he was disciplining that rooster or banning him, but Merlin is too important to this farm to upset him, so we did nothing. We were unsure what would happen to the rooster for the night with Odin and Freya both loose at night.

Another Day…Same Story

However, the next evening, I witnessed the same thing. This time, Merlin was obviously QUITE upset and frustrated and not only did he run after the rooster, he attacked him and kept at it until that rooster decided the hen wasn’t worth it and ran away. So, I thought that was the end of it!

Nope! Later on, that rooster was at it AGAIN! This time, what I witnessed amazed me! Not only was Merlin carrying on as he went after the rooster, but he was so loud and upset that Odin, who was investigating something way in the back of the pasture, came running full-stride and barking to see what was wrong. Odin came to Merlin’s rescue and helped him get that rooster away from the hen. I stood there in total amazement! They truly are a team!

Banished From the Coop!

That evening, again after chores, that lone rooster was left outside the coop. Again, I walked behind it trying to get it go into the coop, thinking that perhaps Merlin was just teaching it who was BOSS! The rooster seemed hesitant and was kind of like “don’t force me to do this!”

As he was loitering outside the door of the chicken coop, Merlin was inside reprimanding him and whatever Merlin was saying, that rooster understood that he was not permitted to enter. I decided not to force the issue, hoping it would find shelter for the night. It did, under a board leaning up against the barn.

Peace Reigns Again

Yesterday afternoon, Jeff caught the three roosters and put them in a cage. I transported them to a local guy who has chickens and roosters and sells them to people who need or want them. It’s funny how the removal of these three roosters have restored peace in Merlin’s world…and therefore, peace in the pasture!

These animals are absolutely amazing to me! I wish I knew their language, but I can read their behavior enough to guess what they are saying. The balance is perfect: Merlin owns his hens and Odin owns the pasture and whenever there is anything that upsets the balance, they are still an amazing team. They work together to protect the pasture and its inhabitants from predators and to restore peace!

Non-fiction Children’s Picture Books

If you enjoyed these stories and you haven’t read any of my published books about the animals here on the farm, please check them out on the “Books” tab of my website: https://dianeorrauthor.com/books/ Each book is described on that page as well as upcoming soon-to-be-released works. I hope you enjoy them!

Farm Life Is a Good Life!

Farm life is a good life but a hard life! We have lived here on de Good Life Farm for almost seven years! It hardly seems possible! I still remember dreaming about the days from our home in a nearby subdivision. We talked for years about what it would be like, what animals we would raise, and I did a LOT of research! However, no amount of dreaming or research prepared me for the constant ups and downs!

We Must Replace the Poly Tape Electric Fence – Escapee #1

We began talking about replacing the electric poly tape with field/cattle fence after taking our last batch of meat chickens to the processor. It was that week in June that Odin decided he was going to take a vacation. I guess he missed the chickens or didn’t feel needed? Who can know, but three nights in a week, he escaped the back pasture. One of those nights it took us an hour and a half to find him. From that night, we knew we had to cable him for his own protection until we could figure out a way to keep him from escaping.

Thank goodness for good friends!

We made plans to purchase field fence and on the hottest day of the summer, two friends came to help Jeff get that big job started! Brutal was the weather but our friends’ desire to help was just as strong! The three of them worked for hours on that extremely hot 90 degree Sunday to get two parts of the fence put up! Their help was amazing and gave us the momentum we needed to get the job done!

Escapee #2

Then another animal decided to taste freedom — Fred, a 9-month old Jersey/Hereford cross steer. I don’t know what it is about the number THREE, but he also escaped three times in one week! After the third time when someone had to call and let us know he was out, we decided we had to contain him in the barn until the fence was completed.

This however was difficult to execute! When we found out he had escaped, he was down by the road trying to get into the pasture with Mocha, Jersey and Daisy. I’m sure he just wanted to play but his entrance to that pasture would have created a whole new set of problems!

I have to say my husband’s years of being on his dad’s farm definitely have come in handy for many situations here at de Good Life Farm! He stayed calm. Me? I wanted to run around behind that steer and chase him, yell or cry…SOMETHING! but Jeff wisely told me to calm down or go in the house. Needless to say, I chose to calm down!

Gradually, Jeff worked Fred toward the house and we got him cornered between the milk room and the propane. “Now what?” I asked. Jeff told me to go to the barn and get the lead rope, which I did…running!

Jeff did an amazing job getting the lead rope around Fred’s head but I have to admit I thought it was a lost cause. Amazingly, Jeff’s patience and methodical tenacity won out! Again, I thought, “Now what?”

One Against Two

We began the trek through the gate and across the back yard toward the barn. I wish I could have taken a picture of the process, but honestly, we had our hands full! Jeff is a strong man, raised on a farm with steers. He instinctively wrapped that lead rope around his waist and started to walk. He COULDN’T MOVE! That steer was STRONG and he had NO INTENTION of moving!

Here I am, standing behind the steer, and I decide to push on his behind to help Jeff gain some momentum! HAHA! My 125 pounds made NOT ONE IOTA of difference in the distance between us and the barn! So, being rather resourceful, what did I do?

I began putting my boot on the back of Fred’s leg which forced him to take a step. So we began our trek to the barn, literally ONE STEP AT A TIME! But, we made it!

We got him into Jersey’s stall, and made sure there was hay and water and walked out. He wasn’t happy but I breathed a sigh of relief! He couldn’t escape from there even though his head-banging indicated he thought he could!

Chain Reaction

milking Jersey in the middle of the barn

As is true in life, for every action, there is a reaction. The reaction to the fact that Escapee #2 was now residing in Jersey’s stall meant that everything had to change when milking time came! This really wasn’t an issue for me. It gave me access to the cross breeze and I didn’t have to sit lopsided in the straw! However, it did impede traffic in the barn while she was there.

Fred looking out the crack in the barn door between head-banging episodes

Meanwhile, we realized that until the rest of the field fence was put up and whatever was making the electric poly tape lack in charge was figured out, Fred had to remain in the barn. That gave us the necessary motivation to work tirelessly (that’s a weird word, because we were exhausted and muscles we had never heard from before were screaming) to accomplish the task at hand.

Git-R-Done!

So, back to getting the fence done. We worked on the back fence which was easier in some ways and harder in some ways. Rather than pounding fence staples into wood posts, we had to connect the fence to metal t-posts which meant taking a weird little metal apparatus and affixing it around the t-post to the fence. Not as easy as it sounds! While working on the corral fence, I had become efficient at being the “fence stretcher”. However, now I was the “apparatus attach-er” and Jeff was the “fence stretcher”! We completed that side of the pasture in one day.

The next morning, when I tried to get out of bed, I couldn’t. I could barely ROLL out of bed. But, one thing farm life has taught me is that it doesn’t really matter whether you FEEL like it, what has to be done, HAS TO BE DONE!

So, I took it easy for awhile that morning, rested my back and took Tylenol (something I don’t take very often at all). By noon, I felt that I could again be the fence stretcher. So we began again and completed what was necessary that day to enclose the back pasture. This meant we could set Escapee #1 free. It thrilled me to see Odin’s happy face and watch him once again bound across the pasture!

The amazing thing that has happened is that by putting up the field fence and taking down three of the four strands of electric poly tape, and replacing one strand of worn poly tape, the electric current on the fence through which Fred had escaped suddenly jumped to 7,000 volts! He will certainly feel that if he attempts another escape!

Inmate Released Back into Society

Fred returned to the pasture with his family

To date, no one has escaped again…and so I can definitely breathe a little easier.

Confused Chickens

Chickens wondering how they USED to get through but no longer can!

The last phase of the pasture transformation was putting hard cloth on all the gates to prevent the chickens from leaving the pasture. This accomplishes two things. First, they now have to remain in the back pasture where they can be protected 24/7 by their capable livestock guardian, Odin. Secondly, they can no longer get into the back yard to eat my grapes and flowers, as well as they can no longer get into the neighbors’ yards.

They have tried every which way they can to get through, but they are now truly “pastured chickens” and not “backyard chickens”. This makes me very happy. If you haven’t read my most recent de Good Life Farm book Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team at de Good Life Farm, you may buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Odin-Merlin-Amazing-Team-Good/dp/1639840745/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Odin+and+Merlin%3A+The+Amazing+Team&qid=1631722987&sr=8-1. After reading this book, you will understand how important it is for the chickens to remain in an area where Odin can protect them.

The End….??

Daisy with her new friends Merlin and his hens

So, this is the end of this very long post. But, it is definitely NOT the end of the tales of the tails, trials and ticklers here on de Good Life Farm! I hope you have enjoyed reading. If so, check out the Books page and see which stories you would like to read…and you may subscribe to this blog. You will find a variety of topics to interest and amuse you! Thanks for visiting! Enjoy your day! I’ll leave you with a sweet picture.

Author Diane Orr Attends Marysville, Ohio Festifair!

Diane Orr, Author at Marysville, Ohio 40th Annual Festifair

Here We Go!

So, I did something I have never done before: attended a local street fair as a vendor…Author Diane Orr! After days and weeks of thinking and preparing, finally it was time to load my books into boxes, and along with tables, canopy, crayons, coloring pages drawn by an amazing young artist, filled up my new-to-me Honda Pilot (exactly WHY I wanted the Pilot when I totaled my car!). Additionally, I packed a host of other things I thought I might need and we off we went!

I was so nervous…kind of like a “first day of school” nervous. Having done all the preparation I could think of (of course, never having participated in a street fair before, I really had no idea what I was doing!) I didn’t really know what to expect. Set-up went very well, thanks to my husband. I was also blessed to have very friendly vendors on either side of me!

Here They Come!

Slowly, people began trickling through the streets. Gradually, the trickle became a steady stream and at times like a rushing brook! I sold quite a few books, although not nearly what I had in stock, but the most fun thing for me was interacting with the people who stopped at my tables (wish I had pictures!).

I enjoyed giving flyers to teachers who teach in area schools that I have not visited. An Art teacher from the school I did a virtual visit showed me pictures the children drew of some of my animals! There were absolutely adorable!

But, the icing on the cake were the children! One girl said I had visited her school when she was in fourth grade. She remembered that I read my first book My Name is Mocha (I believe that would have been fall of 2019). A little boy said he watched the video of my farm (that would have been my first virtual author visit this past spring). Some children said they already had purchased some of my books from one of my author visits and were deciding which they wanted next.

It was also wonderful for people who had never heard of me to stop by my booth and look at my comments. I really enjoyed talking to them. One family stopped by and their male Great Pyrenees’ name is Odin and their female’s name is Freya!!! There were so many wonderful comments and interactions!

Here is An Amazing Artist!

I was thrilled and blessed to have an amazing young artist, Corinne Blamer, draw color pages of Mocha and her calf, Odin guarding some chickens and Merlin with some of his hens. I have known Corinne since she was just a baby and it’s so hard for me to believe that at her young age, she has been gifted with such talent! But, the evidence is clear when you look at her drawings! With each color page, I gave a free pack of crayons. And, of course, FREE CANDY, which attracted kids of all ages! I just have to share these amazing drawings for those of you who didn’t get a chance to see them!

Here Comes the Wind!

The most disappointing thing of the day was the wind! Of course, I had purchased a tent that I thought would help protect me and my book display from weather. However, because the wind was so strong, it nearly lifted me into the air with the tent a couple of times! So, after several times of thinking I was going to look like Mary Poppins flying across the sky holding onto my tent, I took it down!

Here is to the Future!

All in all, not discounting the stress and intense preparation, I really enjoyed participating in the @MarysvilleFestifair! I loved talking to the teachers, parents and most of all the children. We talked about my author visits, my books and the animals here at de Good Life Farm! I definitely think I will plan to participate next year if at all possible! Thank you @MarysvilleFestifair attenders for being kind to a newbie vendor and making it a good day for Author Diane Orr.

Here is a Chance to Win a Free Book!

Attenders and book purchasers @MarysvilleFestifair were given the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free book. Local entries will also have a chance to visit de Good Life Farm and have their picture taken with Mocha! If you are reading this blog and would like to enter the drawing, I will hold off drawing winners for one week. Please comment on this post with your email address or go to the Contact page at http://www.dianeorrauthor.com. Send me an email providing your name and email address with “entry” in the subject line. Next Monday, I will add these entries to the entries received at the street fair and do the drawing! There will be more than one winner…SO ENTER!

BOOK NEWS

Hello! Thank you for stopping by! It occurred to me that I haven’t updated my blog in quite a while regarding my “authoring news”…so here is the latest…

Four of my “de Good Life Farm Series” books have been published and released and the fifth book in that series “The Mysterious Midnight Visitor at de Good Life Farm” (see cover below) is currently being formatted and should be released in a couple of weeks. I am amazed that it was only shortly over a year ago that my first book “My Name is Mocha” was released! Each of these books represents a dream come true and animals that I love with all my heart! To see their pictures on the covers and to have my books published is truly surreal!

newest book in the “de Good Life Farm” series, soon to be released

I have now ventured into the world of children’s fiction which was a scary step onto what felt like a very wobbly branch…however, now that I am on this branch, I am having so much fun! I wrote a short children’s book back in 2006 and I stumbled upon it several weeks ago in my “Works in Progress” folder. I went through it and after much editing, it now has new life and will soon be published.

However, the “WIP” I am most excited about is approximately four-fifths finished. It has changed drastically from it’s form when it was to be a picture book to what it is now…a chapter book and although that in itself was frightening…I am so thankful that I took the leap and ventured into unknown territory. I am having a BLAST writing it. I literally cannot wait to have time to sit down at my computer and let the story spill out!

My inspiration for it’s content was born out of my excitement for something I am growing in my garden and literally the story began forming in my brain as I worked among the plants. When I say it wrote itself, I am not kidding. Each morning, as I worked, watered and took pictures, more and more of the story was written and I could hardly wait to get in the house and write it all down. Each day, the new additions to the story have amounted to about 500 words.

I know I am being a bit close-mouthed regarding details about the book and that is intentional! Sorry-not sorry! But, I will tell you that I love the book and when reading it out loud to my husband and son yesterday, the story made me so emotional, it brought tears to my eyes. I think it is a wonderful story (I know, DUH! of course I do!) and it has taken an entirely different turn than I had envisioned when I first began writing.

Also, on the back burner, are several counting books (if you know me at all, you know that I love numbers), a book about ALL the farm stories (The Tales and Tails of de Good Life Farm) I couldn’t put into the children’s picture books, and now, that I have stepped into the world of fiction, who knows what is ahead? I continue to take photographs, because that’s another of my loves, and who knows what books lie in my future that will need illustrations?

So, I hope you will come along for the ride. It’s just beginning! But one thing I have learned. The common and mundane becomes magical and wonderfully exciting with a little imagination. Please subscribe to receive my blogs and news of my upcoming books by clicking or tapping on the “mail” icon.

I am hoping that soon COVID-19 will be brought to a point where I can return to visits in the schools. I really enjoy the interaction with the children and being able to read my books and answer questions form the children I even had the opportunity to put on a couple of writing workshops for students. In the meantime, I am exploring the idea of virtual visits via Facetime and Zoom! In books, your children and grandchildren can travel to many places and experience many adventures that otherwise would not be possible for them to experience just by opening the page and reading!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you will stop by again soon!

Life

Mocha and Elsie’s last day together. She is definitely Mocha’s “mini-me”!

I am sitting here inside my family room beside the bay window that faces the barn and I continue to hear Elsie bawling her heart out because she is permanently separated from her mama, Mocha. Mocha is beginning to settle down some, but sometimes joins back in to make it a sad duet, singing their woes of isolation. Beside me, lie our two golden retrievers, Lacey and Beau. Beau is snoring peacefully.

If you read my previous posts about “Tenney”, I am sad to say that I haven’t seen her for three days. The first day I let her out she went about her day as normal, checking out all her usual places…the manure pile, the pasture, etc. That night she didn’t show up for feed and I didn’t see her until the second day after that. She was out front, in the garden and the front pasture living it up.

I was relieved and stopped worrying about her, but I allowed my fears to subside too soon. I haven’t seen her since then. I feel sad, but there are, from time to time, many things that make me sad here on the farm. I find that the only way I can deal with the sad things is to just allow myself to be sad and to cry. Eventually, I am able to deal with it and move on. As in other areas of life, some sadness takes longer to get over. I guess I have adopted the attitude that I will do everything I can to take the best care of the animals that I can, and after that, I just have to understand and accept that this life we have chosen has a very front row seat to the life and death cycle of this life.

I think I am a bit melancholy due to the state of the world right now. I have no doubt that God is in control but it’s still concerning to me. Thankfully, my world hasn’t been horribly affected other than not being able to see and spend time with my friends and family. Everyone in my family still has jobs. The biggest change is that four out of five days my husband works from home. It’s been a bit of an adjustment but I am so thankful that he still is employed. It has given me a new appreciation for him…getting this up close reminder of corporate life. It makes me glad and thankful that my days are spent here on the farm.

Odin is still enjoying his birthday bone!

Now that Odin has turned two years old, he has entered the next phase of his Livestock Guardian training. He is now loose in the pasture from the time I finish morning chores until we finish evening chores. He is calming down nicely and seems to enjoy his new promotion to pasture supervisor. He wanders around and checks out every area of the pasture, chases birds and sleeps in the sun. He has even stopped chasing the chickens when I let them out after gathering eggs. He is becoming such a great dog!

This year we are waiting to breed for calves a little later so that we can, for the first time, have spring calves. Previous years, we have bred for fall calves so that we were calving during baseball season, but sadly this year, it doesn’t matter. So, the plan is to breed in July or August for April or May calves. This will be so nice because the calves can be out in the pasture with their mamas. We didn’t intend to have a December calf, but that’s just the way it worked out, but will avoid that from now on. Even though they were in the barn all winter, Mocha had chapped teats from freshening in the dead of winter.

One thing I am looking forward to is ordering chicks for our new batch of layers and broilers soon. Undeniably, there is something so cute about the chicks. Of course, the broilers grow out of that cuteness rather quickly. The layer chicks stay cute much longer!

Sales for my first three published nonfiction children’s books, My Name is Mocha, My Name is Merlin and We are Mocha’s Family weren’t doing too badly until Covid-19 disrupted our lives. The bulk of my sales have come from Amazon and from author visits to the schools. With the onset of the Covid-19 virus and the subsequent “distance learning” orders, my scheduled school visits were cancelled. Not only did this hurt sales but it made me sad. I really enjoy reading my books to the students and answering their questions.

My book Micah’s Day is finally in the process of being illustrated and I am so happy with the sketches. Other books: The Mysterious Midnight Visitor at de Good Life Farm, My Name is Odin and Tenney, The Part-time Chicken are in the works as well. I enjoy writing so much, but I have found it difficult to sit down and write the past few weeks. Just now do I feel like I am becoming myself again.

Odin with Mocha and Jersey in the background.

I will leave you with this picture of Odin learning to co-exist with the cattle. He gets so excited when they head out to the pasture and he frustrates them by getting in their way and wanting to play. Mocha seems to tolerate him better than Jersey does at this point. Usually on her way to or from the barn, Jersey inevitably sideways kicks at him. Hopefully she keeps missing!

ONE MORE THING! Here on the farm, as in life, you never know what is going to happen next! I just happened to look out the window while making dinner and saw Snickers and Hazel had helped themselves to an unauthorized dinner time in the pasture! It would be cute and funny if it didn’t pose the potential for a life-threatening condition commonly known as “pasture bloat”. When cattle have been on hay and in the barn all winter, transitioning to the richness of the grass can cause bloat in them. There are several ways to guard against this. One of the ways we guard against it is to make sure they aren’t too hungry when they go out to the pasture and by limiting their time in the pasture, beginning with thirty minutes and gradually increasing the time.

Well, I guess these two girls decided they weren’t happy with how we were managing their time in the pasture! It’s frightening because I don’t know when they decided to pull this little stunt. If they were in the pasture for hours, we could have some sick calves in the morning.

We ran out there and thankfully, they were obliging and were dutifully coaxed back into their little shelter area. But, in the meantime, we realized that the fence wasn’t on (later discovering that the wind had disconnected a wire on the other side of the property). How did they know? I can’t tell you how many times it has happened that the only way we knew the fence wasn’t on was that one of the cattle had discovered it and had taken advantage of the situation and helped themselves to the pasture.

If we caught them shortly after they broke through tonight, then they should be ok. It’s hard not knowing. They seemed ok after chores. Just praying that we caught them early!

Snickers and Hazel after being coaxed back into their shelter area after an unauthorized romp in the pasture

Hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the happenings here at de Good Life Farm. Come back soon! Feel free to comment or ask questions if you’d like!

The rest of the rest of the story

I have been thinking and planning to write this post for several days now…and now it has an ending different than it would have been had I had written it then…but I will tell the story as it has unfolded.

Over the next several days after my last post, I became totally amazed at the intelligence and self-preservation this “stupid” chicken possessed…totally dispelling my beliefs that she was “stupid”. She got into the habit of waiting until it was dark when her flock was all settled in the coop into their spots on the roosting bar and in their nighttime “trance” and she would sneak into the coop and find a spot on the roosting bar. (If you don’t know chickens, they can be very ruthless, especially when one of them is ostracized for one reason or another, or when one of them is weak or has been injured). When I would go out in the mornings to feed them, she would patiently wait until I fed them and they were all busy eating. Then she would sneak out of the coop while I cleaned and filled the water. I would then put some feed on the cinder block outside the coop and she would eat in peace. She spent the days in the pasture finding worms, eating grass and taking care of the manure piles she found. This continued until yesterday!

Chicken (nka “Tenny”) eating feed off of block after escaping the coop

I found that if I went out too early at dusk to shut them in, she would get left out of the coop. She would wait until it was very dark to be sure they were all settled down for the night, deep into their nighttime “trance”.

This particular night, I watched her from the kitchen window. I saw her hanging around the coop, no doubt waiting for her flock to settle down so she could go in. It was nearly dark and I didn’t see her anymore, so I headed out to do my “chicken count” and shut the coop up. As I got to the door, I saw her huddled right in front of the door. I experienced simultaneous sadness and anger! She appeared at first to be dead, then I realized she must be in shock. There was blood spattered and feathers scattered all around. She must have been brutally attacked by one (or more) of her flock as she tried to enter the coop. Bless her heart! She looked so defeated. It broke my heart.

I didn’t have my gloves on (and I have this thing about picking up chickens without my gloves), so I headed back into the house to ask for Jeff’s help. He came out and as he reached down to pick her up, she ran away toward the corral. I was relieved that she was moving, however, in hindsight, I should have followed her to make sure she was safe in the shelter. I didn’t.

The next morning, when I came out to do chores, she wasn’t hanging around anywhere near the coop or the barn, like she usually is. I looked around and she was just inside the corral fence but out in the open, looking pretty bad, but still breathing. I felt immediate remorse. Because I hadn’t secured her safety in the corral last night, she had been beaten by the pelting rain, hail and wind during the night. I was thankful a predator hadn’t taken advantage of her condition. I felt so sad for her.

I gently carried her to the shelter farthest from where the chickens could find her and settled her into some hay. I honestly don’t think she will make it, but I wanted her to be comfortable. Bless her heart…she has fought hard against the bullies of her family and I am angry at them.

Chickens, by nature, are ruthless…which is one of the reasons I am not a fan of chickens themselves. I love having them, seeing them in the yard, and gathering and enjoying the eggs they provide, hearing my rooster greet the morning…but I am reminded again how mean they can be. It’s a sad day here at de Good Life Farm. Farm life is hard. Some days are good and rewarding and fun. Others are filled with hard and sad things…this is one of those days.

But, just so I don’t end on such a depressing note…Spring has sprung here at the farm and we have begun acclimating the cattle to the fresh, lush spring grass. We must do this gradually…so for 3-4 days now, they have been enjoying the pasture grass and sunshine for 30 minutes right before milking time. They are so cute. They romp and play like big puppies when they leave the barn and then settle down to the business of eating!

I have noticed an increase in their milk over the last few days…don’t know if that is coincidence or just the result of them being happy to be outside some. They amazed me by responding to the “dinner bell” when it was time for them to come into the barn for feed and milking. Such good girls!

The calves (Snickers and Hazel) have become quite vocal when they think it’s time for them to be let out into the pasture. They almost sound angry if I don’t respond by opening the gate!

UPDATE!!!

Before this post got published, there has been an amazing turn-around in the health and well-being of the chicken who has shown herself to be tenacious, brave and have more stamina than I would even have imagined. I am going to name her “Tenny” for “tenacious”. Yesterday morning, after I found her, we got her all set up in one of the shelters with straw bedding, food and water. I didn’t want her to become a hawk’s free lunch just sitting in the pasture and I wanted to protect her from her flock when they got out of the coop.

She was so weak and listless when we put her in…I suspected when I checked on her at chore time, she would have died. But, NO! She was sitting up in the coop! Didn’t appear she had eaten anything, but she seemed more alert! And this morning when I went to the shelter to check on her, she was STANDING UP and it appeared she had eaten some food! I am absolutely flabbergasted that she is bouncing back. The wounds on her head are healing and she seems to be regaining strength!

And, in conclusion, I have to include this next photograph! Snickers and Hazel…once cattle get the taste of fresh spring grass, it must be like a drug to them…they want more and more. Of course, my job as their caretaker is to carefully manage how often and for how long they have access so that I can keep them healthy. But, every time I head to the barn for midday chores…or, for that matter, go outside for anything…they start yelling as if I have forgotten they want to get into the pasture. One day it’s Hazel, the next day it’s Snickers. Today it’s Hazel. I wish you could hear her. It isn’t a sweet, imploring “moo”…it is a very disgusted and demanding “moo”. Anyway, you can see her mooing at me in this photo!

Snickers and Hazel screaming to get into the pasture.

I know these are frustrating times. I sense a “covid-19” post in the near future. But, just keep safe…and find things to make you smile and always, count your blessings!

the rest of the story…

If you read my previous post, you may have wondered whether “that stupid chicken” survived her night outside the coop and if you have, the answer is “YES!” She was walking all over the place this morning when we went out for chores. I was thankful, but not looking forward to wondering every day if she was still alive.

“that stupid chicken” hanging out in the back pasture

Then, when I let the chickens out of the coop this afternoon (I leave them in the coop for the first part of the day so that they lay their eggs in the laying boxes. I learned this the hard way when I let them out first thing in the morning and upon finding only a very few of the expected eggs in the laying boxes, had to play “Easter morning” and locate the various places they had chosen to lay them. Therefore, they stay in the coop until the laying is done.), that chicken went over to the corral where the chickens always go right after being let out of the coop. She was trying to rejoin her flock!

However, Merlin had other ideas! I heard him scolding and squawking and I turned around to find him chasing her away from the group! She tried several times to get around him and he was quite firm that she was not going to rejoin them. I got the feeling that he was saying “You haven’t been willing to come under my authority, so you can just be out here on your own!” I was shocked, but it was quite obvious that he was meant whatever he was saying to her!

We had a busy day today, so I didn’t really have time to monitor the situation until it was time to go out and milk this evening. I didn’t see her around, so figured she was off by herself somewhere. And when I was finished milking, it was still light enough the chickens hadn’t gone into their coop yet, so I just headed to the house.

When I returned at dusk, I jokingly said to my guys “OK! I’m taking bets on how many chickens will be in the coop. Thirteen or Fourteen?” Jeff said thirteen and Micah said fourteen. The whole way out to the coop I was playing out different scenarios in my head.

However, when I went into the coop I was pleasantly surprised…no, shocked, actually, to find all fourteen chickens were in the coop, settled down in quiet contentedness on the roosting bars. Even more surprising was the fact that the “stupid” chicken was settled on the roosting bar just one chicken down from Merlin! It looked like his discipline had the desired effect! I was amazed…TOTALLY amazed!

Merlin is definitely a “hands on” overseer!

Merlin has amazed me from the very beginning. His intelligence is obvious and the innate understanding of his jobs here on the farm is quite impressive. But, this recent example of his wisdom in disciplining one of his girls, ostracizing her and then bringing her back into the fold just really was more than I ever imagined he was capable of! It makes me wonder if there shouldn’t be a “My Name is Merlin” Volume Two!

“you, stupid chicken”…

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I like everyone else have been busy wrapping my head around the events going on in the world. But, just had to share with you our most recent dilemma here on the farm.

Well, Merlin, our rooster, and I are in the same boat…EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with one of the hens! (If you have read my book “My Name is Merlin“, you know he has really owned his job of managing the flock!) The trouble began last week when I accidentally forgot to secure the chicken door open when gathering eggs and the flock got caught outside their coop in the middle of a snow and sleet storm. Totally my fault! I went out to shut them in for the night and couldn’t figure out why one of them was hanging around beside the coop instead of going in.

I realized what I had done, quickly opened and secured the door, profusely told them I was so sorry and scurried the soaked flock from the cattle shelter where they were hiding out, into the safety and dry cover of their coop. I began counting them as they found their places on the perch: one, two three…..thirteen! WHAT? There are supposed to be fourteen! So, I went out to figure out who was missing and found one of the Cuckoo Marans. I literally thirty minutes chasing her around, in my boots that were NOT meant for snow and mud, trying to get her to go into the coop. FINALLY, she complied and I locked them in and headed into the house. As I was walking away, I heard Merlin giving her a very stern and loud talking-to!

A similar scenario has played out each night when it was time to shut them in. I go in after milking chores are finished, count them and shut them safely in for the night. (Now, our flock, like most flock, head to their coop as dusk descends. Our flock is “encouraged” to head that way by Merlin, however, I know that other flocks tend to do this even without a rooster to guid them.) Each night, the count has been thirteen, and I have had to coax or chase THE SAME HEN into the coop.

Earlier this week, she was hanging around and she flat-out refused to head toward the coop! She was deliberately NOT going in! She was hanging around the barn. I threw a few pine cones at her to get her going the right direction and I thought that had helped, but NOPE! She doubled back and left the area.

Once I actually got my boot on her, keeping her from getting past me and she started squawking! By this time, Merlin had heard the noise of her squawking and sound of me yelling at her and came out to lend his support! Finally, she began running and squawking toward the coop but ran right past it! Merlin had had enough! He went to where she was hunkered down and totally “dominated” her. She stayed down for a few minutes and then squawking, got up and ran for the coop! He was yakking at her and she was squawking, but he got his message across to her and she complied with his authority! As I followed them in the coop, shut and locked the door, I could hear Merlin STILL giving her a piece of his mind! I couldn’t help but smile!

Merlin with his girls…one of the black ones at the front of the group is “the stupid chicken”.

I thought we had made progress because the next couple of nights she complied…she was the LAST one to go in, but she went in without much fuss. Tonight, was the last straw!

Everyone was in…except for her! I could hear her squawking while I was milking and between cows, I had gone out and tried to encourage her to go into the coop since everyone else was already in there and I could hear Merlin talking to her. But, NO! She wouldn’t.

I tried. Jeff tried. Odin even tried. She did end up on the yard side of the coop which usually then, she will go in. But tonight, she refused! She went up to the chicken door, acted like she was going to go in and then turned around and left. So, I opened the whole door. She did the same thing! Walked right up like she was going to go in and then deliberately turned around and left.

So, I told Merlin “Sorry, buddy. I tried, but I’ve had enough.” I counted to make sure the thirteen were all in safely, and they were. I shut the door, locked it and said “ok, stupid chicken. You are on your own.” I walked away! I couldn’t believe I was walking away but I am just that done!

I do hope she survives the night. I hope she learns her lesson. As I entered the door to the house, I looked back toward the coop. She was at the door flying up at the coop trying to get in, but I didn’t go back out. I stood my ground! I knew that if I did, it would be the same thing all over again.

I feel a tiny bit guilty. I hope Merlin isn’t upset all night, but I know for a fact she has frustrated him quite a bit too. Evidence of his discipline is obvious by the feathers missing on her head. In Jeff’s words, her one egg just isn’t worth the hassle every night. I must agree. Good night and good luck, you, stupid chicken!

Tag: degoodlifefarm