Saturday, January 28, 2012

Life here on Planet Jefferson

We love living out in the country.  It's not just the quiet, it's the neighbors and the woods, the songbirds and the wildlife.  Granted I am not to keen about going walkabout at night anymore.   The woods are close and dark and deep.  At night I hear what I swear are coyotes.  If they aren't then our neighbors have some good dog impressionists.  I'm not so wild about getting up to highway 151 and having to dodge the hunters standing along side the road, shotguns laid across arms waiting for the dogs to chase the game out onto the road to them.  No, I'm not fond of that at all.  But all in all, we are far enough away from the road to enjoy our own gathering of the wild and free.  We put out corn to feed the deer and the doves, the squirrels and the rooster.   Yes, I said rooster.  Dudley and a small herd of guineas (I know, guineas come in flocks, but these came in a herd, I promise you,) showed up one warm spring day two years ago.  Now, Dudley once belonged to the neighbors on the other side of the woods, he and his guinea friends.  They came to us when a drove of dogs killed off the rest of their flock.  They traveled through our woods and begged for sanctuary.  Sanctuary they received.  The beautiful red rooster had no tail feathers left, he was lucky to escape with his head on his shoulders.  He was greeted by the cats and they protect him as she sleeps on the porch rail or on the glider.  When he sleeps on the glider, they gather around him to keep him warm, sleeping with him.  The guineas live in the plum thicket.  We had 13 when they first arrived, and sadly we are now down to 4.
I used to wonder what was happening to them.  I worried that dogs were making off with dinner right under our noses, but I don't think that is the case.  We have spoiled them so that every morning when we take the dogs out for their morning constitutional they run to the shed waiting on us to throw out their seed.  They will even gather at the porch steps if they think we have dalllied to long inside.  I started throwing them cold cornbread to the point that now I bake it even when we don't want any.  But getting back to the shrinking herd...they come to the koi pond, claiming it as their watering hole and just make themselves at home in general.  Now if they're at the pond and I'm trying to drive around to park, they come rushing out to greet the truck.   They rush the truck and refuse to move til I get out and shoo them away.  I used to hear my grandmother say that chickens would drown from looking up at the sky to see what that wet stuff we call rain might be.  Was she worried about their sensitivity or what?  When I see that these creatures won't even get out of the way of a truck, I have to say it...guineas are stupid.  I can't figure why they are smart enough to know where the feed comes from, yet not smart enough to get out of traffic...so we're down to Dudley (who most certainly is smart enough to stay out of the truck's way) and four guineas.  I love those stupid birds.  Think I'll go make them a hoecake of cornbread.

11 comments:

Donna said...

Oh poor sweet Dudley!!
We had birds like that on the farm as well... You can't Help but fall in love with them!
Happy weekend Friend!
Hughugs

Vee said...

You make it all come to life for us. And you're a good mama to "stupid" birds. I don't think a bird who can get cornbread baked is too stupid. Always great to find you here!

Sally said...

Oh happy day, to see you here, girl!!

I always love your stories, and this one is so sweet. Yes, you're a good mama!

Have a wonderful day!

((HUGS))

Maggie May said...

Loved to hear about your life style that is so very different from ours!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

ancient one said...

We have guineas, or at least we did last time I looked. (Husband says we have two.) Most of ours got lost in the traffic. I agree that they are stupid birds. I have seen one of them run around our house over twenty times with another one chasing. I've seen them run up and down the wire fence over and over trying to find the way out, when all they have to do is lift their wings and fly to the top of the tallest pine trees in the woods. They have such tiny heads, I guess they sometimes forget they can fly. Guineas are my favorites of all the animals around here. I don't cook them cornbread.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Heaven on earth Sandi! We all have our little it of heaven but don't always appreciate it.

Akelamalu said...

I'd love to live in the country.

NitWit1 said...

Sounds Like Dudley will soon be a unhappy bachelor/widower. Poor guy! No hens which to stut and show his stuff!

imbeingheldhostage said...

You live a rich life Sandi. Country living is Heaven, isn't it? :-)

We have the neighbor's chickens strolling around our garden this morning and pheasants in the field-- life is good!

the fly in the web said...

I came over from Hadriana's Treasures...and I'm glad I did!

We had guineafowl in France (escapees from the concentration camp down the road) and they had a death wish where water was concerned. I used to leave landing nets down by the river and by the lake to fish them out when they inevitably fell in.

Zuzana said...

Pets come in all sizes and shapes.;) I think I have read about your Dudley before.;) I can not believe your cats protect him, that is unbelievable.;))
xoxo