We had a hawk kill one of our hens on the weekend.
It was a beautiful looking bird. I took a couple of pictures of it from the window. It made no attempt to fly away so I went out side to see if I could get a closer shot. (picture that is)
As I got closer to it I could see that it had jessie straps on its legs and they were cough in the carcase of the chicken.
Although I think I could have easily caught the bird myself, not wanting to harm it or myself, I decided to made a couple of phone calls and find a pro to come for it.
BIG mistake. The woman that came out was a complete idiot.
She readily admitted birds were not her specialty but she did manage to get the bird and put it into a box. The lid would not clamp shut. While she was looking for another lid I picked up the box and was putting it in to a larger crate that was in her vehicle. Perfect solution I thought.
She said she wanted the bird out of the box if it was going into the larger crate. She put the box back on the ground took the lid off the box and we watched the bird fly away!
I could not believe the incompetents of this woman.
The jessie straps are not untied so chances are good that this bird will get tanged in something else and not be able to get free.
She said she had to leave and gave me the number of a fellow that has hawks and works for the same organization that she does.
Why did she not send him out in the first place!
He came out and stayed until dark trying to work the bird onto his glove. No luck
The hawk was back this morning eating off the carcase that we left for it. The hawk trainer came back but still no luck catching it.
I feel bad for the beautiful hawk but concerned for my own birds. It knows there is lots of food here. I hope we are able to capture it before it take more of my feathered friends.

I went out side the other morning to find my little bantam hen dead and headless.
The mink are back.
I have two traps set but nothing so far in either of them.
I keep the traps set at all times but became complacent and didn't keep them fresh bated, thinking it would be spring time before we saw the mink again.
It could have been a transient mink just passing through and may not be back.
I am almost hoping it comes back and ends up in the trap. I will feel better catching it than wondering each morning if it has killed some thing else.

I put 20 chicken eggs in the incubator. Only 3 hatched and one of them who was sickly from the start died this morning at 4 days old.

Sara from Farming Friends posted on her blog that she got a mucking out shovel for her birthday.
Between my birthday and Christmas gifts from my hubby I have received 3 pair of good outdoor gloves, a sowester and an electric chain saw.
Not too many wives would be thrilled with such gifts, me on the other hand was totally ecstatic!

I came home the other day to find an orange box, plus the oranges that were in it, strewn all over the sun deck.
I came into the house to find a book torn apart all over the dog bed.
Bad enough if it were my own book, however, it belonged to my neighbor who had loaned it to my daughter.
Rob went to the book store to order a new one to the tune of $50 !!!

You know of course I am writing about Princess.
We received an email last evening saying a family had filled out an application and were interested in adopting her.
Rob and I talked about letting her go to a new home but decided we have gone through too much with her to let her go. As her foster home we get first refusal on her so I emailed back and said we would be adopting her ourselves.
The paper work etc will be competed next weekend at our annual Christmas Party that was postponed due to bad weather in December.

I have been tagged by Alice.

Once you have been tagged you are to write 7 random things about your self and then tag 7 other bloggers.

1) I was born in Bristol England
2)With my husband and 3 children I came to Canada in 1972
3)I have blue eyes
4)I have one brother
5)I have a small scar across my nose and another on my forehead
6)I enjoy spinning (fiber)
7)I am not very organized

Problem now is, I don't read 7 blogs. I will tag the ones that I read. I don't know how to link them to this post so you will have to read who they are on the side of the page.

Sara, Pat, Carolynn and Danica (who is not listed yet) will be tagged. Rita is taking a brake from blogging and Alice is the blogger who tagged me.

No goals being set this year.

Last year I made a New Year Resolution.
I was going to work at becoming more organized, I was also going to work at losing a few lbs.
This time last year I was 146lbs. This year I am 150lbs.
So much for the conscious effort I was going to make at eating less.

Adding to to the list of things Princess has ruined: my cell phone, Robs new calculator.

Things I have found on her bed and saved from ruin, my work boot, watch and bracelet.