stinky.

Must confess, my office stinks, yup stinks to high heaven.  As I write, there is a large tub containing seven ducklings, it is separated at one end to provide a safe place for four bantam chicks the littlest of whom has not gown hardly at all since it hatched. It is sooooo incredibly tiny.  There is also a double sized galvanized tub housing two turkeys and seven chicks.  These are growing rapidly and as soon as I can get the fence finished (Monday, come hell or high water) they will be going outside with the other hens. 
Right now the turkeys are running through the house like little velociraptors, their feet thunking in bizarre little patters as they run across the wood floors. We obviously have a male turkey chick since he has already been trying to puff up his chest, drop his wings and perform for the other chick, who seems oblivious. It is hysterically funny to see him doing it too.

The bees have been working very hard. The comb they are drawing out is a beautiful clean white, amazing stuff. They have already been capping honey stores in the combs. I am so delighted with them.  We find them fascinating little creatures.
This week Joshua and I gathered up a wild swarm, help collect another thirty feet up in a tree, (damned inconvenient of them to swarm so high) and Josh's friend and I took another swarm off somebodies back deck. 
It was such an easy swarm to collect I didn't use any gear at all. Should have used some gloves though since I did get stung on my thumb joint. As I brushed the bees into a box my hand came in contact with bees under the edge of the deck. I may have crushed a few since it could not see them, they did not appreciate it.  My thumb swelled like a balloon, so next time I may not treat a swarm quite so casually and at least wear gloves.
Sadly we did not have an extra hive box so we gave the bees to other bee keepers. Next year I will be better prepared and have an extra hive ready.

OOooooh I can hardly wait to get these birds out of my office.

just some stuff

 One:  A badly focused shot of Minimee and her babies, hard to get a good pic they move so fast! They were corralled in the hen house but I have moved the babies into the house, they are toooooo tiny I was worried the hens or turkeys might think they looked edible.  Minimee is a fierce little mother but eight is a few too many to look after.

 Two: Here is a peek in the bee hive. Is this super cool or what. Sorry about the glare.

Three: Can you see her? Maybe not because she seems to think if she puts a leaf on her head she becomes invisible.  This is Metoo and her babies should hatch any day.

Full and overflowing

 Tasmanian was laying in his basket nest to a collage I am working on, I thought it made such a nice pose and the saying on the painting seemed appropo.

 One of my all time favorite camp grounds in Logan Canyon, DeWitt.  Most springs it is under water, nobody ever goes there and it is one of the prettiest places I know.  We took the dogs there Sunday evening, so beautiful and only fifteen minutes from home.

Sunday morning Minime showed up with eight exquisite babies. There is nothing as adorable as a new duckling.

My little back yard is bursting with life and so is my office, I have baby chickens and turkeys inside and the ducklings with their mamma and all the other ducks, chickens and turkeys are outside.  The new ducklings are so tiny they and their mamma are confined in the hen house until the babies are a little stronger.  I am hoping she takes good care of them or they too will be in the house.
Oh, and the bees are outside, can't forget the bees, my apple tree is literally humming with them.

Little duck Meeto is sitting on eggs so maybe hers will hatch too. She has five eggs, we will see how many hatch.

Mr. Tinky

Here is Mr. Tinky pretending to be a pink burrito. 
Actually he is the Pink Burrito, a new super hero, he will defeat you by shooting Cuteness Rays of sparkles and rainbows, until you give up and give him whatever you are eating.

Husbutt is particularly immune to the Cuteness Rays, Jacob is becoming more ambivalent, but Alex is defeated every time.  The cuteness rays are like Kryptonite to Alex. Josh and I try to ignore it but usually The Pink Burrito wears down our defenses and we fold.
Beware the Pink Burrito!

uh oh

It appears there was an accidental poultry purchase.  There were turkeys involved, and chicks.