Whoever thinks that rural life is quiet and peaceful, come here now and I'll show you a totally different perspective.
The cat has a voice with a decibel level of a jet airplane when he wants attention.
The ducks have become territorial and spend their time quacking and fighting off any other duck who dares put a big webbed foot into 'their' section.
The geese are making mock charges at anything that moves, including my car as I pull into the driveway each night.
The Embden geese are in their summer pen which means they don't attack me, but the greet the 4:30am dawn with their melodious voices, which then set off the crows and bluejays. Who needs an alarm clock? I have been known to stand under the tree outside my bedroom window at dawn and threaten, cajole and plead with a crow to stop cawing.
There are turkey poults and week old broiler chicks that are upstairs in the barn and they sound like a herd of elephants pounding around, then when you go up, its like playing 'Grandmother's Footstep's' and they all freeze in their tracks or scurry into a protective corner, falling over each other in the process.
And its hot and humid so animals and people are cranky and tired, making life even more difficult. I've just come in from the yard, finding myself scolding the Muscovy ducks BD and Buddy as if they were children, for beheading flowers. "I've told you a hundred times to leave those flowers alone! Now listen to me!' Then I realize that I'm arguing with a duck. So I retreat to the house, deftly avoiding goose poop and making a mental note to hose down the drive tomorrow.
Ahhhhh rural life. Anyone want to swap for a condo in downtown Toronto??
3 comments:
As I have mentioned before, I am not a farm person. I lived on ranches where they raised crops like potatoes, cotton, and grapes, but not animals. Chickens and stuff that pecks would have control. I don't like walking among chickens. I have a question tho. How did you get the geese to the summer pen?
Sorry it sounds dumb but I learned long ago you never learn the answer if you don't ask.
Chickens are fine, roosters another story!
Geese are reasonably amenable to being herded in the right direction, though it sometimes takes awhile. You just sort of stand behind them and make noise, wave you arms and sort of get them moving then funnel them into the open gate.
Believe me Jeanne, I didn't have a clue how you did it either, so you're right, you have to ask the question. And experiment. :)
I enjoyed this very much Jeanette and agree with you, it is not quiet or easy or restful.:)
I also notice music is magic for babies these days and if you have an old computer key board you are not using anymore, don't throw it away. They love it!
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