Surprise!

Today was quite a day!

This morning, I was working in my vegetable garden when my mom came over and told me that she had found a chick in the grass near a clump of ferns. She said that she had searched the area, and that she couldn't find its nest. She walked me into the garage, where she had put some wood shavings in an old rubbermaid bin and clipped a heat lamp to the side. Inside, lying on an old rag was a feeble chick, peeping weakly. We came to the conclusion that a cat must have got him, and that he was unlikely to survive. But our assumption proved untrue, because the little guy kept hanging on, and he actually gained enough strength to wobble around his enclosure and peck at the shavings. At this point, I offered him some food and water. He accepted the food and took a few bites. I then lightly dipped his beak in the water, and he got the idea. Over the next few hours, the little guy gained quite a bit of strength. He wasn't so wobbly, and he was eating and drinking more on his own. I decided to name him Dusty Miller, after the plant. I think that he was the product of one of our hens, whom lately, I see only about twice a day. I have been searching for her nest, but to no avail. Mama has hidden her babies well. 

Dusty Miller the chick. Is he adorable or what? 

This is what the real dusty miller looks like.

Dusty is doing quite well now, and I really think that he's going to make it. :)

The Turlock Rescue

A family member just sent me a link to this site. I was so touched that I felt the need to share it with all of you. I cried while I watched this, and it inspired me. I want to do something like this in the future. I'm aware that this is an extremely short post, but I feel that the link is enough today. :)

Turlock Rescue

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

The Northwest Reptile Expo!

Today my brother, grandma and I went to the northwest reptile expo in Renton!

There was so much going on! People selling things; people buying things, raffles, shows, and so much more. I had a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed the experience. Not all of the animals being sold were reptiles; there were things like rodents and insects (as food for the animals), amphibians, arachnids, and even a few kittens! Here is a small peek at what was being sold:

Habitats, AKA terrariums:

Snakes of course!

Isn't this a beauty? I think it is a burmese python.

I wanted each and every one of these snakes.

 And lizards:

That's a lot of lizards!

A beautiful blue lizard. I forget the name...

There were lots of tortoises and some tiny, tiny turtles:

These guys are so small that they are in betta tank!

There were lots of bugs, such as mealworms, crickets, cockroaches, and whiteworms:

And some arachnids, like tarantulas and scorpions:

I like spiders, even though I am afraid of them. 

Jasper wanted to buy this one, but we knew mom would not approve.

As well as mice:

There were also some juvenile Betta fish, which surprised me:

And Bengal kittens, which surprised me even more!

The animals that I happened want most were an adorable baby corn snake:

Bearded dragons:

Babies...

And adults.

Axolotls, which are aquatic salamanders:

These ones are babies. I have wanted some for ages now...

And this baby crown tail Betta:

I settled for the Betta, as it is the only one of these animals that I actually have the proper tank for. Since Tesla passed away, his old tank and heater have been sitting around, unused. I'm sure if Tesla were still around, he'd approve. :)

Here's a better shot of the little guy, fondly named Spud. He is my first baby Betta.

I want to thank my grandmother, firstly for buying Spud, and secondly, for taking Jasper and I to the expo even though she is terrified of snakes.

Have a great day everyone!

Meet Ferdinand, the Belgian Bearded D'uccle Rooster!

Well, it turns out that I have inherited another new bird from some good friends who had too many roosters. He will complete my Mille Fleur Belgian Bearded D'uccle breeding pair, so I can have purebreds. Here he is:

The new guy, fondly named Ferdinand. Isn't he beautiful?

As with the other birds I have acquired in the last month or so, I will show Ferdinand at the county fair this year. He already seems to be practicing for the crowing contest! I'm sure this guy will settle down and make a great Dad for all of the chicks I plan to hatch.

Thank you Deanna, Eli, and Emmet, for this wonderful rooster!

A Magical Day

Today was a magical day. It was mellow, but two very special things happened.


First, I was sitting on the porch reading Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens (great book by the way) when my Dad came walking up the path holding something. He opened his hands to reveal an absolutely adorable baby cottontail rabbit. He said he'd found it while tilling one one of the fields, and he guessed that there must be a nest somewhere. He told me that the mother was nowhere to be seen.

Rabbit fur is so soft. If you ever get the chance to pet a rabbit, take it!

I put the little guy into a shoebox lined with a towel, but before I could do anything else, Dad came back up the path with another bunny. The second one was a little smaller, but equally cute. He went into the shoebox as well.

Look at those ears!

I called Wolf Hollow Rehab Center  and they told me that at this stage the babies are almost ready to leave their Mom, but she may still have a few meals for them, so if the nest wasn't completely destroyed (it was not) to simply leave them near the place that I found them and their mother should come and find them later on. So after one last goodbye, we released them in a clump of brush.

The second and perhaps rarer event today happened later on. I was wrangling chickens in one of the greenhouses when I heard a pipping nose, accompanied by an odd buzzing. I looked up to see a little orange hummingbird hovering near the ceiling. The tiny bird flew around in a frantic effort to escape, got tangled in a spiderweb, freed itself, then bumped into the wall and fell to the floor. I ran to its aid and gently picked it up. I discovered that it had spiderwebs all over it, and that one of its wings was stuck to its leg with a particularly thick strand. I brought it outside (in case it tried to fly away) and cradled it in my palm, picking off bits of spiderweb. Just as I had freed it from the last strand, the tiny creature launched itself from my palm, and with a last pip, flew off. Afterwards, I felt really enlightened. It's not often that you get the chance to help a creature that beautiful, nor that small.

The hummingbird.

Look at those feathers!

Picking off bits of web.

All done.