The Riley Factor #58

The Riley Factor May 7, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

FORT PLAIN NY, May 7 -- Riley has become a daily swimmer and those webbed Retriever paws work like canoe paddles as he and Gabby swim around the ponds.  The pair of Mallard Ducks appears to have taken-up permanent residence in the upper pond, and can be seen paddling around the edges most afternoons.  No ducklings yet.  Although the quacks are not yet dog fans, at least they don't panic when the two pups hit the water, but they do duck for cover in the cat-and-nine-tales while the swimming canines go through their workouts.

On Wednesday, Kore was in the house (actually mostly outside the house), and he installed a pressure tank and four outside water faucets around the greenhouse, to make for easy watering of the gardens, blueberry/raspberry patch and vineyard.  Field no. 3 was plowed this week, which took most of Wednesday and Friday to get the job done.  Beautiful weather both days, and two large black hawks and one red-tailed hawk circled Chris-on-the-Kubota in search of easy-picking food.  But mice were few and far between as the earth was moved.  Although, AJ the cat did manage to catch a full-sized (albeit small) rabbit -- he looked a bit ridiculous as he carried his catch around the yard in his mouth, like a mother cat carries her kittens.  Now if we could just teach him to catch a red fox.

On Thursday morning, we had two visitors ... two unknowns, self proclaimed 'neighbors from Sprout Brook', who dropped in to chat with Susan on farming, quilting, sewing and other rural America hot topics.  To add to the excitement, Riley showed-up at the door with snake in mouth.  It appeared as if he had caught an already dead one -- no doubt a precursor to advanced hunting activities to come.  The rest of Thursday was a day of well needed rest.

Early Friday morning, the Fort Plain post office called (yes, yes, they do have telephone, electricity and indoor plumbing there) -- the keets are in, the keets are in!  Yes, Sixteen one-day-old guinea hen chicks arrived and were put into incubation for their first month-or-so supervised growth upstairs in the main barn.  Cats and dogs no longer welcomed there.  Also, it appears that we have acquired a new barn cat.  There is a small framed adult all black cat, gold eyes, living in the old equipment shed out back.  Seems very docile, but you can't get any closer than 10 feet or so before he/she scrambles away (we think he is a male)..

On tap for this Saturday is the annual Amish equipment, tack and tools auction, at the Mohawk Produce Auction Center in Fordsbush.  No doubt a good time will be had by all, including the Yoders, Zooks, Millers and various Stoltzfus/Stoltzfoos families.  The annual Amish landscaping and flowers auction is set for May 29, same place, same time.