A City Girl - part 2.

I need to preface this section about farm animals (ducks, chickens, and the neighbor's cows) with an explanation of our property and relationship with our neighbors. We originally owned about 14 acres after buying additional sections from neighbors that they decided they didn't need. It included a nice size house, a small office/apartment in a separate building, and lots of workshoprs, garage bays, a pole barn, and storage buildings. After a few years when my husband realized he had been so busy mowing instead of enjoying (when he didn't even recognize a picture of the yard), we decided to sell the part of the property with the apartment, extra garage bays, and storage areas. A very nice couple looked, and he fell in love with the garage areas since he built and worked on dragsters, engines, etc. They planned to build on the back part of the lot on the shared lake, but had trouble deciding on plans, so lived in the comfortable sized "apartment" while continuing to look. We became very close friends. When we decided we needed to downsize since 4200 sf was too much for the two of us with the girls gone, they wanted it. None of this happened as quickly as I make it sound, by the way. The final result was, they bought our house, and we lived in the apartment while building a smaller house with windows all across the back for our views of the lake and woods. The county assessors office has been totally confused by the transfer and splitting of property. Our 3 acres alone has changed hands 5 times in the last 12 years. Because of that, we jokingly call this a compound, and my daughter calls it a commune. We combine and share equipment with each other and take care of each other's property and pets when needed. This worked great for us because we didn't have to leave good friends or a neighborhood we love. Our friends admit they were worried about how my husband would do in a subdivision with a yard small enough to cut with scizzors. He is one that has to be busy all the time even though he is rethinking having more to mow, including the dam, than he did after downsizing the yard the first time.

Anyway, this neighbor immediately surprised us with being a down home farm girl with tremendous gardening as well as many other talents. She purchased ducks and chickens at the beginning of last summer and we call them ours since they are on the compound. I take credit for teaching the rooster how to crow last year as Maggie and I did our morning walk by the coop. The roosters realy would try to imitate me, and it was very cute and funny.

As the chickens started laying eggs, I taught them how to vocalize to make the laying easier. It goes like this: 1 high and 3 low, repeat, follow with one really loud as the egg is pushed out. Try it now: Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, BAWK! Remember, I was raised in the city so I can belive I taught them if I want.

As for the ducks, they are very entetaining to watch and like to hang out either in the lake or here. By the way, that is not a black pony in the picture, it is Maggie at her 84 pound top weight, hopefully. Anyway, we have rules for the bird feeder, and since interested critters can't read, we spend a lot of time verbally reminding them.

1. Birds may eat from any surface

2. Squirrels can eat from the ground only--because they will cause the string holding the feeder to break (we tried one with plexiglass walls, but the birds could not figure out that they could get to the seed at the bottom of the walls). Bob (named for a 3 inch tail apparently left from a dangerous confrontation) is especially diligent about returning to the bird feeder after being warned.

3. Raccoons are only allowed to eat from the ground because they have bent 2 poles in half . They may only come in the middle of the night (how are you going to stop them?) I often wake to see them finishing the night shift at the feeder outside my bedroom window before the birds and squirrels start their day.

4. Ducks are discouraged entirely since there were 9 (now 8) of them and they would eat us out of house and home. They are sneaky, cute, and also diligent with repeated trials at both locations. I could swear they have little conferences to plan their next approach.

5. The one duck with the inured foot is the exception. He can no longer keep up with the others. He can not only come and eat all he wants, I'm thinking of walking some corn over to him where he has been hanging out on the other side of the lake.

Note: Maggie is only a help when she is outside and instructed to chase someone away. They have quickly learned I am not a dangerous dog in spite of my impressive barking skills. Maggie provides no useful backup when she is in the house. I go to the porch and bark and yell, and she runs out and watches--does not make a peep. A little back-up would be helpful here.