Bumbling, stumbling, Sigh!

Still going through the baby stage I guess. I tried yesterday to give Puddy a bagged rabbit. She is apparently not ready to even consider that a Jack might be something that she wants to get close to. In fact she was afraid of it. I did get her to eat off it, but nothing about the exercise sunk in or made any impression.

Tonight as I was doing my evening chores, Josie chased a half grown bunny into one of the Black sewer pipes lying in the loading chute by the corral. Great, I thought, a small Bunny rabbit is just what she needs. I hurry back to the house, put Jessie up on her evening perch, leaving Puddy tied to her perch in the weathering area. The weathering area is 10X24 feet long, covered and enclosed by Chain link. I had Karen check that there were no holes in the far end that the Bunny could get out of. I then put my hand over the end of the pipe, and stick it up in the air so the bunny can't get out. I shook the pipe until I slide the bunny out towards Puddy. The bunny runs like heck to the end of the weathering area where she is sitting. She flares her wings in surprise, the bunny makes a hard right and squirts through the chain link like its a 10 foot hole and disappears under the motor home. Sigh! Seemed like a good idea at the time.

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Tami's corner

25 August 2011

Tonight Jasper weighed 90.5 grams. I changed up as we talked about and went behind the barn to fly him. He responded really well and every time he flew to me I moved to another spot. Although I couldn't get too far away from him due to the weeds and other obstacles hanging up the creance, he flew to me every time I asked without dallying.  He is starting to leave my fist to choose a landing spot as I start to a new location, instead of me always having to set him somewhere. After calling him to me several times, he flew to the top of the gate post. I tossed the lure for him, and he got on it without hesitation. Using a larger piece of meat as you suggested seems to have drawn him much better. It took him a while to eat the wing and breast off the lure as he systematically plucked every single feather off the darn thing. We averted what I considered a near crisis, but which didn't seem to be such a big deal to him, when the cat sauntered over to see what was going on. I tossed a rock at the cat as he drew near which did nothing but spur him on to Jasper all the more quickly. I hurried over to Jasper, sure that I was going to spook him off the lure or, even worse, the cat was going to get him. By golly, if he didn't just mantle a little as the cat got close and I slipped up and stood over him, shooing the cat away. He never even tried to leave.



26 August 2011

Dave and the three oldest kids are up at camp for a few days starting more cows home, so I have to stick pretty close to the house to keep track of the two little ones. Tonight Thayen wanted to come help me and he followed me along as I walked around the house flying Jasper too me from different spots. He was very responsive even with a busy two year old running hither and tither.  When we got to where I have flown him the most, in the driveway where there are no weeds, I tried to get farther away from him, but he would fly to me before I could get very far. A good sign, I guess. We worked our way back around the house and he flew up on the chicken house roof. I considered this a good place to end the lesson, so I threw the lure out for him, but he didn't come down. Too far out with him being up on the roof, maybe? I retrieved it and swung it again. He started to fly and I tossed it, but although he sort of made a movement like he was going after it, he was too close to me and landed on my head. Again. He jumped off my head on to the lure, but it sure makes me feel like the bumbly amateur that I am. Sheesh. He continues to come to me well from the lure, but I sure would like to see him get on it more quickly.

Take Care,
Tami
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Don't worry about it Tami, apparently you caught the "bumbly amateur " part from me. Sigh!