What the Heck?!

I yelled, "What the heck!?!"

Brandon heard me through the plastic of the greenhouse, where I had just entered with the hose, and asked me what was wrong.  My entire bed of chard had vanished!  Gone! There wasn't a single stalk, or leaf to be seen.  Brandon asked if it was slugs, but I've never seen a slug attack that was so clean.  What could it be?  

As soon as I started spraying water on the row of peas, I had my answer.  Baby bunnies came tumbling out of the pea vines, and raced around the greenhouse.  Aha!  Brandon and I tried to chase them through the door, but all that accomplished was to let in a chicken and Wendigo, who thought chasing chickens and bunnies in the greenhouse was great fun.  Stop stepping on everything!  By the time I evicted the dog and the chicken, I was so frustrated I just put on some gloves and grabbed the bunnies up.  They didn't try to bite either.  

I caught two bunnies by hand, and found two dead bunnies under the peas.  I think momma bunny must have come in the greenhouse through a small hole in the plastic and the babies followed.  She figured out how to leave, but the babies couldn't find their way.  It's too hot and dry in the greenhouse to survive for long.  Poor babies.  I released the two I caught so they can live to eat the garden again.  

Our recent bat catching adventures allowed me to meet this big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).  After catching those tiny small-footed bats, this guy seemed gigantic. 

After he was measured and weighed, I open my hand and he quickly flew away.  This bat had several scars, including a notch from his ear.  Big brown bats can live almost twenty years, especially a big male like this one.  His scars and fierce attitude make me think he's been in a few tight spots during his life.  

I'm happy to report that Little Buck is feeling better.  He plays with the baby goat, and fights for his share of the food.  He is still thin, but I think he looks stronger and not so skeletal.  It's a good thing he is feeling better, because he had a job to do.  Peaches was crying and acting like a maniac for several days, so I think there's a good chance we will get another baby goat in September.  Oh boy.  I stopped milking since my work is keeping me on the move and the summer looks to be a busy one.  If she's already pregnant, then I won't have to worry that I'm not going to get a chance for goat milk later.  

I'm keeping the fly masks on the donkeys, even though I miss seeing their pretty eyes.  We don't have lots of flies, but we have enough that if I leave the mask off, the donkeys will get little bloody bite marks on their faces.  Especially Hattie, who has lost the hair around her eyes where her tears keep her fur wet.  I rub vaseline on her bald spots under the mask, like the vet said to do, but I can't tell that it's helping yet.  She's getting used to it now and she doesn't run from me.  She's a sweetie, and likes to have her face hugged and her chin scratched.  

The chickens and I re-worked the stones on the herb spiral. I stood them on their ends so they make more of a terrace to hold deeper soil.  I've been reading Lord of the Rings, and I think it has influenced my stone work.  I see the tower of Orthanc at the top of my spiral.  

The gas company came to claim the large white propane tank that was in the back yard.  I'm glad it's gone.  I dug up the wild sunflowers and new England aster that grew near the tank, and moved them to a new bed.  The chickens follow me around like a pack of hungry wolves and snarf up the earth worms that get exposed as I dig.  They get so excited for worms that they dive in to my excavations head first and I'm afraid they are going to be decapitated by my shovel.  It's sometimes irritating, but I forgive them.  I can only imagine how excited I would be if ready-to-eat stadium brats popped up every time the soil was turned!  

I ordered fifty asparagus plants that will go in the bed that the chickens use for their dust baths.  I haven't given them the bad news yet - but bath time is almost over!