Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 8: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Silkie I am sorry!

@soddingkitten, re the birds in my front yard, I've done a bit of research online and am 90% sure those are wild turkey hens. The pheasants we see in this part of New York are mostly the ringneck variety. The photos are from these two sites.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wild_Turkey/id

www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/ring-necked-pheasant

Wild turkeys look very little like the farmed variety. Decades of selective breeding have created a very different bird.

Egg, apologies for assuming the highlights were added and not natural. You are blessed with lovely hair.

It was very foggy here yesterday and again this morning. We're not far from West Point and it was hard to watch the football game yesterday due to the fog. They beat the Naval academy 15-0. President Trump left early, which I'm sure everyone appreciated.

Silkie, that's horrible, I'm so sorry.

@MissConductUS. No apology necessary. I took it as a compliment.

@SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat. Oh no. I'm so sorry. How's your DS?

Thanks Prok and MissC, very sad, poor Derek as DD calls her. DS took it much better than expected, he just came up and said Mummy I think one chicken is dead. I said I'm so sorry which one and DH has gone out in the rain to finish putting new chicken house up and the raincover I bought the other day.

I hope the other 2 will be OK. I've asked DS what he knows and he said the black one had been inside the coop since the snow and off her food and drink. He said the other two have continued to be outside and eating and drinking fine which sounds encouraging for them but I told DH to get raincover over them asap. I said to clean their run and coop but he said he's just going to move them to the new one today and finish putting it up in the rain and put raincover on. It's required by law by 14th due to avian flu but very much doubt its that as they've been in a run with no contact to outside wildlife.

I wonder about taking other two to vets but our vet was useless with them when we took them when we got them, said no need to vaccinate and he didn't have any advice. I've asked on another thread about them and will look if there are chicken vets. Cold isn't supposed to affect them but maybe it was the wet? Really no idea though. Just hoping its not catching. I'ld take the other two in the house but the cat and rabbit are in there so wouldn't work. Hopefully new house with raincover will be enough.

Thanks EggNog too cross posted. DS is a lot better than I expected, he's very not bothered by human death but expected him to be a lot more bothered about the black chicken but seems OK. He is just cross with DH for the chicken run not being up already but its been manic here with 2 houses to work on and school on and off so much. I don't think the new house would have made a difference, the tarp I got might to cover roof.

Silkie
I always wondered how DS would cope with the dead of his cat, but when Sev died in February, he, too, was not that bothered.

Sorry to hear about poor Derek, Silkie. 😢 I hope the other two are OK.

A mob of small dark birds, possibly starlings, just landed in the tree outside our house. It’s still covered with berries, so they did a drive-by buffet and then flew off again. I’m glad Sodding is asleep in the dining room because I’m certain he would have launched himself at the window if he’d seen them. There were two fat wood pigeons there earlier and that sent him half mad.

Poor Derek.
I think I saw that interview when it was broadcast @MissConductUS. They seemed like such a lovely family.

I have to go out. It’s raining. I hate winter.

Sundown is about now.

Oh that poor chicken hugs.

RIP Derek. I’m pleased that your DS took it well, @SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat.

All quiet here today. Last zoom yoga of the term this morning.

Thanks all. DH has put up chicken run up, snowie is in and we have half an hour of light and one chicken to catch.

We were due to get Sainsburys order by 4pm but chickens are more important and looks like they refund. Sorry Sainsburys.

RIP Derek.
We used to have chickens. I took several to the vets over the years, but it was hopeless each time. The vet told me that because they are a prey species, they hide any signs of illness until it's too late to save them. Derek not coming out would have been an indicator that she was unwell, but unfortunately you wouldn't have been able to do anything. When ours went like that, we would just bring her in in a box to keep her warm and comfortable until she passed.
Our local vets charges £3 for chicken cremation which I opted for as you're not allowed to bury fowl, and the only other option, other than home cremation was black bagging and bin, which felt very undignified.

We set off to a local National Trust property, but as he got about halfway there and it started hammering it down. So we turned the car around, drove home and are now in pyjamas with a film, hot chocolate and popcorn.

DS is up and wants help wrapping presents. He's 20 years old. We're going to make this a teachable moment.

It’s been miserable, grey and very rainy all day here. We haven’t left the house and we are all bored and grumpy. I have watched too much TV and eaten too many Celebrations. I haven’t even touched all the Christmas cards that need sending. I am in a metaphorical slump. This weekend has been 2020 in microcosm, cooped up at home, freedoms curtailed and all fed up.

So, apparently we are going into lockdown from the 15th to the 10th (food shops supposedly remain open).
I hope DS present arrives in time
My days off are from the 19th to the 3rd - i've still got 4 days left, perhaps I can extend my holidays to the 10th.

Thanks very much EggNog that's really useful to know. We only got the silkies in March and they are our first chickens. At least DS seems OK with losing one and also OK with there just being 2. I always thought they should be in pairs as 3rd one was always odd one out but it varied between the black and brown who was not in the couple.

House and run are up, both chickens now in it and DS even suggested and took a bath I think that may be a world first. DH had a shower.

We've not disposed of Derek yet as priority was getting other 2 safe and move pre dark but useful to know can't bury them. Few bits left to do like add fox wire but never seen a fox here - will do tomorrow, they are shut in overnight and white silkie is all muddy though not sure what to do about that as doubt she would appreciate a bath and they shouldn't get wet. Tarp roof is on.

Just having a roast dinner now. Need to sign house contract.

I have discovered the joy that is sherry so found some gorgeous sherry glasses in the local charity shop yesterday. I now feel like Emily Bishop in the old days of Coronation Street as remember she was often partial to one. I now, after many years, think she was on to something with that small glass of wonderment that can be sneakily filled up and you can still look like a dainty lady. Unless you fill it up 11 million times like I do and then look far from a lady.

@MissConductUS, DS also requires help with wrapping presents despite my best attempts to teach him so he can do it himself. He is a little older than your son. One day.

@NorbertMeubles

I have discovered the joy that is sherry so found some gorgeous sherry glasses in the local charity shop yesterday. I now feel like Emily Bishop in the old days of Coronation Street as remember she was often partial to one. I now, after many years, think she was on to something with that small glass of wonderment that can be sneakily filled up and you can still look like a dainty lady. Unless you fill it up 11 million times like I do and then look far from a lady.

I had a good chuckle at you channeling your inner Emily Bishop

DH introduced me to port a couple of years ago which is a similar experience. We lost a day last week thanks to The Day Of The Port - not much ladylike behaviour going on there

Welcome @NorbertMeubles and thank you for sharing your news. Sweet wines can be particularly troublesome.

@Nydj - He started by asking me if I'd wrap them for him. We compromised on doing it together. He's on the Dean's list at uni and is getting ready to start an internship at a multinational accounting firm.

I made a vegan Pavlova, using the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Family declared it to be indistinguishable from the egg white version, and delicious.