Weird Events On The Farm

Today, we had to go and get feed. We borrowed the neighbor's truck. We are still praying for one of our own. We stopped at a couple of really good thrift stores in that area. They had both moved into new facilities that were right across the street from each other. They were so nicely layed out and so clean and fresh. We found a few bargains, nothing big though. At the one store Michael bought 3 sleeves of tennis balls. That is Star's favorite game of choice. =) Michael keeps her well supplied.

We buy our feed in Holmes County (Where the world's largest population of Amish are). The entire center of that county from top to bottom is a huge swamp. With all the melted snow that we had and our rain earlier this week, it was more like a huge lake in areas. I remembered to take my camera along with me. We had already picked up the feed and were headed back toward home. The one road we go on is a steep hill on one side and the swamp on the other. The swamp was on my side of the road. The road is really winding and the speed limit is 55, when you can get up to that. Needless to say, it is not a good place to stop and take a picture. We had been seeing lots of Canadian Geese on the water. Then all of a sudden swimming along gracefully right next to the road was a HUGE white swan!!! There was no way I could get my camera up and take a picture before we went by and there was no way to stop, so I did not get a picture, but it sure made my day.

Also, we had a funny here this morning. Now you city slickers will probably be grossed out. Country people understand that a mouse in the house is not that unusual. The mice don't seem to like regular mouse traps in our house. We have put out poison, but then they end up dying in the wall and smelling up the entire house for 2 weeks. So, we have put out sticky traps. We have not had a problem all winter, as I think we got them all in late fall. Now that we have had some nice weather, they are a bit more active. This morning about 4 o'clock I heard some commotion. I lay in bed listening trying to figure out what I was hearing. I wondered if it was a mouse stuck on a trap trying to get away. I got up and went to look. One of our dogs was back by the hot water heater, so I figured that is where the commotion was coming from. There was a large paper bag on the floor that I keep other paper bags in. It was moved out, so I knew that Star had been searching. I got a flashlight and checked all the sticky traps and did not see anything. I thought there had been one by the hot water heater, but I did not see it, so figured I was wrong. I went back to bed. A little later, I heard Star making a licking sort of noise and wondered what was up, but I did not go check. When I got up this morning the house was cold. We turned the fire up and I got in the chair with a quilt over me to get warm. Michael had come over beside me to give me a kiss and then he turned around to put more wood on the fire. We heard a squeak. He stopped and we both listened. He wondered aloud if that had been a mouse. Then he moved again and we heard another squeak. We knew for sure it was a mouse, but we were not sure where it was. He looked down and got startled. Evidently, Star had found the mouse on the sticky trap (the one that had been by the hot water heater) and brought the whole thing into the living room by the fire where the dogs sleep. The trap was stuck on the bottom of his slipper and the mouse was right beside his foot. =) He pulled it off his slipper and went outside to take it off the trap and give to the cat. He could not get it off and the cat didn't come when he called, so he sat it on the picnic table to deal with after he got dressed. We forgot about it and when we came home we saw the cat. We looked and the mouse was still on the table and still alive. He took the cat over to the mouse and he killed it right off and then set about trying to get his prize off the trap. He carried the whole thing over into the driveway. He pounced on it and came up with the trap on his face. We were laughing so hard. The other cat finally got the mouse and the trap and carried it off. We have no idea who got to eat the treat.

Last night we had another weird incident. I was up late doing a co-op order. I was in the office on the computer about 12:30AM and heard one of our dogs bark and then immediately I heard our goat's bells ringing as if they were running. I went to the back door and could hear them running around, but could not see them. I woke up Michael and he went out to check it out. Something had spooked them and they jumped their fence and then jumped in with the sheep. That is really unusual for Honeysuckle, especially being pregnant. He checked everything out and could not see anything that might have scared them. He put them back in their pen and they were there this morning.