Tony took the kids to South Dakota for his brother's wedding this weekend. I have major anxiety issues when my babies are away. I cried as they drove down the driveway and then busied myself with chores and tasks to keep my mind occupied.
I did barn chores, washed dishes, washed laundry, cleaned out the brooder in the house (with Morgana the gosling and her two duckling companions), I took Lorna out of her pen to get an updated photo and test her temperament (she's such a sweetheart). I made myself some food, watched a show on Netflix, and played a stressful game of "find the kitten" when it was time to lock up the barn (darn it Ditto - the garage is not where you belong). The cats are fed, the dogs are fed, the birds are safely in the barn for the night.
Tony called from the hotel this evening and we played Diablo III together for a bit. How ridiculous am I that hanging up with him set me right back to how I was when he pulled away this afternoon?
Dashi (rouen duck) has been sitting on six eggs for the last month. Today while she was off the nest I noticed one had pipped. I was careful to avoid the area the rest of the day and keep the dogs away too. This evening when I was looking for the missing kitten in the dark, I found a tiny baby chicken a few feet from Dashi. It was splayed out on its back, legs kicking in the air, crying weakly. I picked it up and it was cold. Now, we do have four black chicks and one white with brown spots that have hatched from broody hens, and this is likely one of them - but it was cold, so rather than give it to the hens, I put it in the brooder in the barn under the light. If it dies, at least it dies warm and safe. If it survives, I can count chicks tomorrow when I open the barn. Back to Dashi - she's now sitting on five eggs and a broken up shell of an egg. No sign of the baby that hatched today. I don't know if it's somewhere nearby and I just wasn't seeing or hearing it in the dark, or if something else got it. I'm hoping it's alright somewhere. But how weird that her egg hatched and the duckling is missing, and there was a baby chicken right there next to her this evening. Very strange. I know she's sitting on her own (duck) eggs.
Anyway, here's the updated photo I took today of Lorna.
The five not-so-little ducklings from the barn brooder are adorable, walking around the yard in a little group. There are two striped ones (rouen), one solid black, one black with a white chest, and the Ancona duckling from the hatchery. I'm hoping the ancona is a hen, but plan to keep it either way.
Tonight when I closed up the barn there was a good-sized painted turtle crossing the driveway. Toby and Arya didn't know what to do with themselves so they spent twenty minutes barking at it while I searched for the missing kitten.
Tomorrow will be my first full 24 hour day without my kids in - well, a very long time. Part of me is excited for the practice run of what I can do next year when all of the kids go to school, but part of me is stuck in anxiety mode. I have plenty of things to keep me busy though. I still have more chores to get caught up on, laundry to fold and put away, a kitchen floor to mop, litter boxes to scoop, and if I finish all of my routine chores, I can always watch some Netflix or work on my crochet blanket or work on more research on my seed collection or something.