Morning Chores--and a Teeny Adventure of the Creepy Kind

 Herb put out scratch for the hens (layers) and opened their pen before I found the camera and got outside.  When Esmerelda saw me come out, she ran to meet me, but all I did was shoot her.  :)

 I caught up with Herb in the barnyard where he had already fed and watered the ducks.  He had a bucket of scratch and was ready to feed the meat chickens.

 Hero and Zephyr came into the barnyard with me and leaped helpfully about Herb's feet.  As he headed across the barnyard toward the gate . . .

 . . . the ducks started following him.

 Make way for ducklings!

They abandoned their scratch to enjoy the fresh green grass.

Herb was already moving the chicken tractor to a new patch of grass--or should I say, jungle?

It's funny how these flighty, silly chickens have settled down since we moved them out of the safe, enclosed brooder house into the chicken tractor!  Some of them have gone from the silliest birds we've ever seen to being pretty smart--notice the rooster in the front corner catching a ride?

Zephyr is watching this smart girl riding in another corner.

A few of the chickens pecked at the scratch, but most of them spread out to enjoy their new patch of grass.

Since the cows and horses are out in the big back pasture with the pond, except for the new duckling and the barnyard cats, that's it for the morning chores.   I'm usually a little more helpful than I was this morning, but hey--taking pictures is hard work!

I made up for it later in the day by mowing the front lawn, about a 2-hour job.  I put on my long-sleeved sun-blocker shirt and a hat to be sun-smart.  Unfortunately, there are other kinds of smart to be, too!

Chugging up a steep hill on our Kubota riding mower, I heard a sharp whirring sound in the grass, and something BIG flew right down the open neck of my shirt!  Of course, I shrieked--not being sure what it was--and tried to steer the riding mower with one hand while beating my chest and shaking my shirt with the other.  Somehow I managed not to overturn the mower, and I heard a clunk--really!--as something hit the deck of the mower between my feet.  I brought the mower to a stop and looked down to find this cicada dying at my feet.  When I was done shivering with creepy horror, I started laughing.  It's a good thing our neighbors don't have a view of our front yard, or I might find a video of myself on "America's Funniest Home Videos!"  I scooped the big bug up with a leaf and carried it safely in the cup holder until I finished mowing, then brought it in for Herb to see.  He had heard the shrieking from down in the orchard where he was mending fences, but I guess the fact that the mower kept going steadily assured him he didn't need to come to my rescue.  He was too nice to say it, as he held the bug so I could shoot it, too, but I'm sure he was thinking exactly what you're thinking, "THAT'S what all that commotion was about?"  Well, all I can say is, YOU have one of those things shoot down your shirt and see what YOU do!