Under Attack!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

What a day this has been!


You know how some days start out on the wrong foot... well... this was one of them!


I have to pass by this tree every morning to visit my chickens.  Today... I happened to see a very eerie looking sight as I passed by the tree. That should have been my first warning...



I was on my way to let the chickens out this morning, and looked up and saw this face staring at me.  Good grief!  I don't get into all the "spooky" stuff that goes on in this month, not at all.  But I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Anyway... I continued on my way to the chicken coop to let out the chickens for the day.



As a side note... do you notice anything different about my chicken coop?



It took a lot of creative work mostly on my husband's part this past week to put this rustic chicken run together for our chickens.  Part of our plan to simplify life is to use what we've got on hand. So, this chicken run was built using trees from our property that my husband sawed into planks!



He even put up a dusk to dawn motion sensitive light for me too, to hopefully scare off any predators that might think they could get into our chicken coop!

But I digress.  Back to my story. On my way to the chicken coop, I passed the tree and saw a scary face in the tree, and then continued to enter my chicken coop to let the chickens out for the day.  As I stood there, and talked to them as I always do, Rudy, our rooster, came out of the coop and just stood beside me, and then suddenly he turned, and fluffed up his feathers, and put his head down and flew at me in attack mode.  Completely caught off guard, I lifted my foot to keep him from clawing me, and he fell over.  And the war was on.. between him and me.  I was talking to him, telling him to quit, saying no, and go away, and such... and he would not quit.  He had me backed into the corner of the outdoor run.  So I thought to try and get inside the chicken coop and close the door between him and me, and see if he would calm down if there was a door between us.  As I darted into the chicken coop, I wasn't quick enough to get the door closed (it sticks), and he came in too.  Both of us, in the coop, with him in full attack mode.  I opened the door and ran out, hollering for Annie.  She was nowhere to be found.  I looked for a stick but couldn't find one.  Meanwhile, Rudy continued to hop, and fluff his feathers up and come at me with his feet.  I continued to back away from him, talking to him, and I remember at least 5-6 times having him hit the end of my shoe, and continuing to come after me.  I cannot understand it. Finally Roger came running over and got between the rooster and I.  Annie, however, was on the porch looking at me sadly, as if to say... "why Mom, you know I'm not supposed to be around the chickens, and I'm just being obedient".  Roger, on the other hand, hopped between the rooster and I, and then my daughter heard the commotion, and came outside with a broom, and chased him off.  Whew!

I've never been so glad to close a door behind me in a long time!  After I got inside, I began to think about what could have caused the attack, and I still really don't know.  Thankfully Rudy doesn't have full grown spurs yet, so he didn't hurt me.  Yet.... now, I've got to keep my guard up around him.

My husband said if it happens again, we may be eating rooster soup.  I hope not.  I really love my Rudy, and don't understand what happened this morning, but hope it was just a misunderstanding. At any rate... I'm going to keep a stick close by now, just in case!


And since it was such a beautiful day, Annie and I took a walk.  I noticed that the tamaracks across the street were beginning to turn their beautiful yellow shade.  My grandmother always said that when the tamaracks lose all their needles, snow usually comes within a few days. I've found that to be quite true. But no talk of winter today!  I needed to be outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and settle my mind, after the unsettling morning!


Such glorious shades of color!


Is there any prettier month than October?  I don't think so.  I'm rather partial to fall!


As Annie and I walked, it felt wonderful to let the warmth of the sunshine and the joy of the crisp fall breeze fill my heart to the brim with its pleasures!


Annie always finds something to intently look at.  I pay close attention to her, because she sees and knows things that I can't.


She is a happy girl today, to be out on a walk exploring all the nooks and crannies along the road as we walked.


Back at the house, I notice that our resident bluejay was hard at work feeding the chickens.


Oh - you didn't know that bluejays feed chickens?


Our bluejay is so big that he can't stay on the feeder long.  And he is only looking for sunflower seeds, and the rest of the seed falls to the ground.  The chickens have learned that when the bluejay visits the feeder, it is a free-for-all for them below with the seed he knocks off the feeder. Stinker!  He is costing me a lot of birdseed!


But, luckily for me, I get to watch the bluejay and the chickens as the feeder is right outside my window, and they are quite entertaining.  Rudy was too busy eating chicken feed to bother with me as I watched them.


Back behind our house, the beautiful mountain ash has turned its leaves a golden shade of orange... oh how magnificent all these colors are!


We don't have many trees that turn brilliant colors here, but the few that do, certainly make things beautiful!



Can I say it again... I love fall!


My little pumpkin, the only one that grew for me this year.  I've got it in a place of honor with some fall decor :)



And I just thought I would show you the happy moment this past week when one of my new girls laid her first brown egg!


So far, it seems we have two of our baby chicks that are now laying brown eggs. I hope the rest start laying soon!


Goldie has no intent yet, it seems, of laying eggs.  She likes to follow me around the yard, and climb around on the furniture if I am sitting outside reading the newspaper.  She is the sweetest of all our hens, and I hope that she takes no lessons from Rudy!

Well, as if my day wasn't eventful enough, can you believe that the "attacks" weren't over?  Do you notice how some days things just are like that?  The craziest things happen for no good reason!

We had an unexpected visitor from the county tax assessors office pull into the driveway to take pictures and measurements of our new little home (I had no idea they were coming).  Roger didn't get the memo that you are supposed to be nice to these kinds of people.

As the two ladies got out of the car, I told them to watch out for Roger, as he likes to nip and play. Then without any warning, Roger darted over to one of the ladies and nipped her right on her ankle.  At first we just thought it was a warning nip.  But then the lady looked down at her foot, and she was bleeding!  Oh my!  Roger bit the tax lady - not a good thing!  She had a Band-Aid in her car and put it on the bite, and got the bleeding stopped.  She was rather upset about it all, and I certainly can't blame her.  I asked her if she ever had this happen before, and she said "never".  Uh Oh!  Please pray that the situation with the bite will not result in any further action by them in a negative way.  I scolded Roger, and he knew he had been very bad.  However, he is a funny little guy, and why in the world, out of all the people who come to visit our house, would he bite the tax assessor???  Roger, oh Roger!!!

Well, that ends my story for the day, and I do hope it is finished!

Oh.... and just for the record....

I am not going to look at that tree tomorrow when I pass by it... lol!

19 comments

  1. Oh, my word! This is just awful! Bless your dear heart! I just had Zach come in to read this, and he said for me to tell you that maybe Roger saw what you went through with Rudy, and he was paranoid, and when he saw the ladies, he was taking up for you. My, what a horrible day you have had! I am so sorry! I trust there will be no repercussions with the tax lady and nothing will come of this. Oh, my! God bless you and give you a peaceful night's rest, with all of this put behind you. I cannot get over that tree. It was very scary looking....it definitely looks like a face, and not a friendly one, either. I don't blame you for not looking at it in the morning! Praying for you and sending you lots of love and hugs, sweet friend. :)

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    1. Oh dear Cheryl, you know I did wonder that about Roger. tell Zach that was a great thought! He just usually likes to play, and has never bit anyone before, so I have no idea what caused both him and Rudy on the same day to feel the need to go on the offensive! I'll probably never know, but just thankful that so far, we haven't heard anything from them, so hoping that the lady is okay. And I carried a stick with me today, just in case! No attacks today, thank the Lord! Yes, that face on the tree is just wild. It was downright eerie, and then with all that took place, things that you will never understand for sure! Hope you are doing okay, and that you are drying out from all the wet weather there. Take care my dear friend! :)

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  2. Oh my goodness! You DID have an eventful day, didn't you!
    I hated it when our roosters started to come at us with their talons. I always wore my army boots when working around the chicken coop. Roosters feet are more dangerous than their beaks! The closer you get to the hens, the more fierce they become. I never let my girls collect eggs when we had a rooster....ever!
    It sounds like Annie was being really obedient this morning....good for her!
    I bet Roger was in "time out" for his behavior today...lol.
    Yeah, I would avoid "the tree" if I were you, too...haha.
    Happy Wednesday!
    Debbie
    xo

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Debbie for sharing your thoughts on your rooster experiences! I see that I am not alone in difficulties with roosters. I was so hoping that since I raised him from a chick he wouldn't do this, but I guess you just never know. I will be carrying a stick with me from now on, just in case. Yes, Annie was being quite obedient at a time when I could have used her help, but I was glad that she was doing what she was supposed to, and it ended up that Roger got between me and the rooster and protected me. So yes, it was quite an eventful day! Today was much better, thank the Lord! And yeah, that tree... I just can't get over it. It is wild. LOL! Appreciate your visit, and taking the time to share your experiences! :)

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  3. Oh boy. I don't like those kinds of days at all. I hope that the rest of the week is better!

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    1. Today was much better! I carried a stick, lol! Hoping this will be the "cure"!

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  4. Good Morning!
    Gosh, I am so sorry, what a scary day... Really rooster soup, as once a rooster starts attacking they never stop! We had a friend that their rooster attacked their sons eyes. Very scary! The chicken coop looks great! I do hope that lady that the dog bit is not going to retaliate!
    Thinking of you!
    Hugs, Roxy

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    Replies
    1. Thanks dear Roxy for the kind words. I'll pass them on to my husband. He really has so many other projects to work on, and the chicken run was not on his priority list, but once we got going on it, it was quite exciting for him to make it so rustic and unique :) Rudy never bothered me today, I carried a stick. But, if his unprovoked behavior continues, my husband has already threatened soup as the final end. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I have heard many bad things about roosters who attack, so I will definitely keep your advice in mind! So far we haven't heard any more on the lady who was bit. Praying that is all is well there. Appreciate your visit today, it always means so much :)

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  5. Oh my, Marilyn! Your rooster attack reminds me of last spring when we started our book tour and my female cat got sick and set off my male cat into attack mode and I was the target! Still have scars from that. It hurled us into a month from hell with sick cat that needed to be separated and both of them at opposite ends of the house and I was fearful the male would attack me again. The Lord is good--all settled these days. Hope your Rudy settles down. Sounds like that tree may need to be turned into another chicken run. Your acreage is stunning! What glories of His hand you behold each day. Joy to you, milady!
    Kathy

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    1. My goodness, attacked by a cat? I've heard of such things, and can only imagine how awful it must have been to feel like you were being terrorized by your own animals in your own home! And scars from it? Oh my! That is just awful! Well, I'm glad that all seems to be better now, but it does seem that animals sometimes can cause a lot of trouble! But then, we love them so much, that we just forgive them, lol! Today no problems with Rudy - I carried a stick. :) Appreciate your visit today, and praying the Lord blesses you with all that you have to do in the little time you have to do it. He can! :)

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  6. Oh dear Marilyn,
    That really is a bad day....I had a weird day today too! Several things went wrong during the course of the day but then later this afternoon I took my dog out on her long leash and we startled a squirrel who ran up a very tall tree. When he got to the top, he fell out of the tree and landed with a thud (and I mean a loud thud) on the grass. He actually landed on his back and I cannot imagine how he survived since he had to be 30 ft in the air. Scared the dickens out of me but he did flip over quickly and ran off. My nerves are shot for the day! But your day was much worse! I hope Rudy behaves himself! Things will get better....xo
    Linda

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    1. My goodness, that is amazing that the squirrel fell out of the tree, and still managed to run off! That would really upset me too! I often joke that the squirrels and chipmunks must really talk trash because our dogs just get so upset whenever they chatter overhead, lol! I'm glad that it all turned out okay for you, and that you were able to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea, and do some more crafting. Your talents with a needle and thread are amazing :) May the Lord continue to bless all you are doing :)

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  7. What a lovely parcel you received! Wasn't this exchange fun?! I am greatly anticipating next year's. :)

    Love,
    Ashley
    creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to write that comment. I thought you participated in the tea cup and mug exchange. I got you confused with someone else. So sorry!!!!
      I love those fall colors and I can't wait till it starts getting cold here. :)

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    2. Hi Ashley, thanks for your visit! I did write a post on the tea cup exchange, and you can find it right here: http://mountaintopspice.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-tea-cup-exchange.html I will be over to visit you shortly! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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  8. Yikes! Sorry to hear about your rough day. Your resident bluejay made me smile. Go Jays Go!

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    1. Yes, it was a rather strange day for sure, but thankfully things seem better now nice I'm carrying a stick with me, lol! I love watching our blue jay, he is so funny perched on that little feeder! Appreciate your visit today :)

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  9. Oh, no! You had a very bad day, didn't you? I remember the rooster in my mother's chicken run was such a menace. I think it's their nature. I assume you have a rooster because you want to raise your own chicks? I think Rudy is cool, but keep that stick handy! xo ~ Nancy P.S. Roger, you naughty dog! It's not nice to bite -- especially the tax lady!!

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  10. Finally eggs! Hoorah! Your chicken coop looks really nice too.

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