where is the sun?

The one bad thing about living in Michigan’s thumb area is the lack of sunshine in the winter.  We get this perpetual cloudy sky- light flurries thing from the lake effect (Lake Huron).  I am so sick of gloomy days I could scream. A bad case of cabin fever is setting in.  It’s too cold and icy to work much outside; I just want to get outside off by myself for a while.  Supposedly we will get some sun and warmer temps this week, but at this time of the year a warmer pattern usually means clouds.

We have been getting more eggs lately although I suspect a possum is still around.  The lights come on in the coop at 5:30 am and it takes a little while for the hens to start laying.  Now it’s getting light outside as they lay so I think it cuts down on possum visits as they come out in the dark.  I got a huge egg two days ago- see the picture.  That must have hurt as it was laid.  The next day I found a tiny pullet sized egg and today I picked up the smallest egg I ever saw from a chicken- more like a canary egg.  I don’t know if it’s from the hen who laid the large egg- compensating – or another hen.

Two of my turkeys are sitting, although I don’t know what kind of eggs they are sitting on.   The ducks and chickens were all laying in those nests with them.  We could get a whole range of babies. And my horny little canary girl already has eggs and is sitting on them.

The dogs and cats are in heat.  There will be no puppies but if the cats get bred at least in two months it should be reasonably warm enough for kittens.   I have debated on having the old dogs spayed.  They are getting old to weather the surgery. You would think that they would stop coming in heat at 16, 15, and 14 years of age but there is no dog menopause. Our two males are neutered and two of the females, but the others are still whole females.  It’s such a mess when they are in heat and they fight more than usual.  And they all come into heat at once.  I just may start spaying them after this round is over.

A red squirrel has been visiting the back porch again, eating my plants out there and digging in the pots.  The dogs can see it from the window in the kitchen and hear it but its back in the ceiling as soon as we open the door to let them out there.  The squirrels get in some way through the soffits outside.  We have them fixed every year but they manage to get inside anyway.  We hope to re-do the ceiling out there- maybe I’ll put up metal on the inside roof.  I set a rat trap but the thing sprung it without getting caught.  That’s one animal I could sure do without.  Steve wants to sit out front and shoot them with the 22 but I think it’s too close to the road.

We have had a ton of cardinals at the feeder this year.  I have never seen so many.  What I am not seeing is English sparrows. I think the cats may have killed most of them.  They tend to roost in the barn and the other birds don’t.  They are easy for the cats to catch in there. We also have a lot of nuthatches this year both red breasted and white breasted.  I am waiting to see or hear a red winged blackbird – my sign of spring.

It’s my husband’s birthday and I suggested we go out to eat.  You know where he wants to go?  McDonalds.  Sunday dinner at McDonalds.  You can see he doesn’t get junk food very often.  I will be making him his favorite banana cake with cream cheese frosting though.