Easter, time for new mothers and mother wannabees

Our snow is nearly a distant memory as this Easter morning dawned bright and sunny with calm winds. We had early church and then breakfast afterwards, so all the chores were put off until we arrived home later in the morning.

Bruce found an Easter surprise in the cow yard, #78 had a bouncing baby boy (He thinks!).

(I know the photo leaves much to be desired but new cow mothers are not eager to show off their babies, instead they paw the shucks under foot and throw snot on you. Tomorrow will be a better day.)

We were surprised because we did not expect a calf this early, Bruce shoots for mid April by turning the bull down on July 4th. This year the big bull decided it was time to go visit the ladies, put his head under a gate and lifted it off the hinges, went down the lane, wrecked the gate to the pasture and went about the business of spreading his seed around. Obviously he was quite successful.

So baby watch 2016 is officially on and off to a great start!

Baby watch indeed as the mother wannabees line up at the gate......

....and wish for a glimpse of the future king. (Oh, sorry, I was thinking of when the new baby was born at Buckingham Palace.)

They do so love a new baby!

Back at home I watched the little frizzle chick, give in to her hormones and attempt to incubate 3 normal size eggs. She went into a nest to lay her tiny, pigeon like egg, and came upon the bounty. She settled in over one egg, carefully tucked her beak around another and maneuvered the second egg under her and tried her darndest to cover the third one also, but there was no more room at the inn.

She fluffed out her feathers and concentrated on the job at hand, to produce one of her own. 

"There now babies, I'll keep you warm."

Later I found that she had just been playing house for awhile when I spotted her out scratching for bugs. One broody hen at a time is good for me.

The dogs and I decided to check out the pond and, as I was driving out of the lane, I spotted another sign of spring, the first striped gopher of the season. He was a fat little guy and looked as startled as I was and dove down his hole.

When we came home and I turned in the driveway, I saw what looked like a pile of fur in the same vicinity of the gopher and did a u-turn. Then the pile of fur moved and Bruiser looked over his shoulder at me!

He saw the gopher too and was envisioning fresh meat for supper.

Happy Easter, everyone!