Pavlov’s Dog

Our weather is back to snow again. Oh, well. I don’t mind. Winter weather is normal for this time of year and the snow-covered landscape is very pretty.

We feed our Hannah Joy twice each day—once in the morning and once in the evening. I try to feed her at the same times in spite of going on/off Daylight Savings so Hannah doesn’t have a difficult adjustment when the clock changes again. However, sometimes I’ve messed up so THIS time after I calculated that what was once 7am/5pm is now 8am/6pm, I set my phone alarm to remind me. Thinking of Pavlov’s Dog, I set the alarm so it rings like a bell and then says “Hannah, are you hungry?” This morning when the bell started ringing, she started wagging her tail. It cracked me up.

I give cracked corn to our chickens in the colder months because it raises their body heat as they digest it and helps keep them warm. Our alpha roosters have always driven away the beta rooster(s) from their daily treats of cracked corn. I feel sorry for the beta roosters so I’ve always given them some corn in a private place. Despite the fact that Edward the Third is not always nice, I’ve been sprinkling a bit of corn for him so he isn’t deprived. The other day HE BIT ME AGAIN as I was pouring out his corn on a strawbale. In disgust, I called him Edward the Turd. When he behaves himself, I call him Edward the Third but when he doesn’t he is Edward the Turd. He needs to learn manners. I think the other chickens agree. Even the hens scold him.

Recently a red-tailed hawk flew low across our yard. It was so close that I could clearly see his red tail feathers as I looked out the window. I would be concerned about predator birds attacking our chickens, but crows actually drive away predators so our chickens have never been harmed. This is one reason I like crows.

For the past week I’ve been noticing that a little mourning dove lingers at the birdfeeders as the sky darkens into evening. She’s out long after all the other wild birds have settled down for the night. When I see her, I say, “Och! You are out too late! The owls and other nighttime predators will be waking up! Fly away home, little bird.” EJ tells me she’s got it handled and “You aren’t her mother.” I say that maybe she needs someone to mother her! I’ve developed a fondness for her and I don’t want to see her get snatched.

EJ’s company has a big job to do so they are restarting a night shift and moving him back to it starting next week. EJ says he will probably be on the shift until autumn. Changing shifts always requires a shift in our schedule. For example, I have to fix our main meal at mid-day instead of in the evening, our sleeping schedule changes, and things like that, but we adjust. There are advantages and disadvantages to each schedule.