Full House

With the colder weather, it's been a nuisance to get out of the warm house and care for the chickens, especially since below-freezing temperatures necessitate more diligence with watering, but I've been dragging my Southern self outside to do so. Sadly, one of our chickens died, owing to unknown causes, but the others are doing well and have even been laying eggs recently (though not nearly as many as during the summer). Mark and I may buy a couple more "goldfinch chickens" (i.e. Black-tailed White Japanese bantams) in the spring to replace the one we lost, especially considering that she was my favorite. With the design for our backyard garden developing a distinctly Japanese feel, I think that having a couple Japanese bantams will be fitting.

Our dachshunds, Max and Anya, are both well and enjoying the hawking season. They're out every weekend with Mark, chasing rabbits, and spend most of the week curled up together on their bed. It's usually more difficult to get them outside during the winter than it is me. Max is overwhelmingly fond of playing fetch, while Anya will whine if someone doesn't seem to be paying, what she deems, adequate attention. Both of them are sweet dogs (as Mark has said, "They're not always good dogs, but they're nice dogs"), and it is good to have them around even though I am admittedly not a dog person.

Our pet rabbits, George and Lenny, have reached puberty and realized that they're both males, so we've been forced to separate them, lest their rivalry take a more aggressive turn. Lenny is now living indoors, while George has the outdoor hutch all to himself. They both seem content with this arrangement, although Max and Anya seem perplexed to find a rabbit they're not supposed to chase.

George (right) and Lenny, the day we brought them home. Lenny hasn't changed 

much since this picture was taken, but George has gotten considerably bigger.

Cicada, a female Green-cheeked Conure, is the newest addition to our menagerie. She is a friendly little thing, and we enjoy having her around. She's relatively quiet, but when Max and Anya start barking, she's quick to join in.

Cicada, also known as Cada

Mark and I purchased six Society finches several months ago, and they've been a lovely addition to the aviary. The finches remaining from the former flock (a Shaft-tail and a truly ancient Bronze-winged Mannikin) have benefited greatly from the increased social interaction. Mark had been reluctant to introduce Societies (we would have preferred Spice finches), but he has since changed his mind about them. We had been providing shallow dishes filled with seed, but with the addition of the new finches, we opted instead to hang an outdoor bird-feeder in the middle of the aviary. It's been a treat to watch the finches feeding, bathing, and socializing. We have several woven baskets available to them, but the finches prefer to sleep in one basket together, and can often be found in close groups on the branches in the aviary.

A Society finch in the kitchen, after it escaped from the aviary. Mark was able to catch it and return it safely to its home. Personally, I was delighted by the grace with which this little bird flies; it reminds me of a hummingbird.

Merci has been improving slowly but steadily, and though she still has occurrences of antisocial behavior, they're becoming less frequent. She has taken a liking to Mark, which I consider to be quite the achievement, seeing as she has always been very wary of men. When I think back to when I first saw her (a brief flash of fur as she dashed under the bed), I am especially proud of how much she trusts me and what an affectionate cat she has become.

Merci normally prefers sleeping on our laps, but here she is on a rare occasion, 

content to enjoy her nap between us, while Mark updates his blog.