Of Sheep and Chickens and Blown-Out Knees

I figured it was about time I put up some pics of the animals, so I headed out outside armed with my camera. I briefly thought about trying to get some photos of the rabbits, but they look exactly the same as the last time I photographed them. Though maybe a little fatter. Anyway, if you're interested, just click on 'rabbits' over in the sidebar. (Though the first thing that will come up is the sad story of Hopper. Just warning you.)

The sheep are another story. They loooooove to have their picture taken. So much so, that they crowd forward to be first.

I managed a quick shot of Onyx by distracting them with some tossed in blades of grass.

I had to give up on capturing a pic of Merlin - he insisted on pressing his nose up against the lens in every picture. You can't take a picture with a sheep nose pressed on the lens. Truly.

Goldie used to be easier to photograph, back when she thought we were the Spawn of Hell and refused to get near us. But in the last couple of weeks, she's suddenly gotten friendly. After a year and a half, she finally trusts us not to eat her if she gets within reach.

Now she does this.

And this.

She'll actually come up to us now and let us scritch her. In fact, she insists that we scritch her. We're flabberghasted and delighted.


On to the chickens.
These are some of the hens that we got as chicks last spring. The ones that were supposed to be Buff Orpingtons, but clearly are not.

Definitely not.

Not even close.

Mutts. That's what they are. Guess who we'll never be buying chickens from ever ever again?


And the blown-out knee? That would be Madman. Torn meniscus. Pain. Crutches. Inactivity. I think it's the inactivity that's bugging him the most. Not a guy who likes to just sit around, my Madman.
MRI and surgery coming up.
Recuperation.
Poor Madman.