Well, the skunks are awake. We’ve been warm enough that the skunks have come out of their semi-hibernation. One o’clock in the wee morning, really nighttime, our farm was inundated with skunk perfume.
Gag!
Terry thought the dogs must have stirred one up; not our dogs as they were sleeping inside.
I got worried about the poultry so the dogs and I headed out to see if everyone was fast asleep and safe! They were. I have Night Guard lights on the house, but one never knows what a hungry critter will risk.
The poultry house is extremely safe, locked door, cement floors, wooden walls — still I like to make sure those things that are in our keeping are secure.
They were.
The smell was horrid…lasted until morning when the air shifted as the day warmed up.
That evening, when I was gathering firewood for the night, a string of birds (I couldn’t tell if they were Canada Geese or the Sandhill Cranes) lifted up from a field about a mile from us….very swiftly they flew closer and closer to our farm, forming their v, on their way to some other corn field for the night.
These birds sure do make winter bearable. I love watching them as the stream across the frozen heavens, calling loudly to one another—gather up, gather up, we are heading over there, come fly with us….come fly.
The sounds fade as they get further away. I then load my wood and head back to the house. The winter shades of pink, lavender and shadowy blue fading into dusk.
Your farm friend,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
No skunks here yet, thankfully, although possums have been spotted. The birds help me through the hard season too, although we don’t have anything as exciting as sand hill cranes. Saw some geese this morning though.
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we had a touch of skunk activity here yesterday morning as well. thankfully the dogs only brought back a whiff of it. i’ve seen a few skeins of geese flying north thru here, too. 🙂
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Well, shoot. We have had warm weather, too. Hope the skunks don’t wake up yet around here. Nothing like waking up to their “perfume” in the middle of the night. Barf.
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You got some good pictures of the birds in flight. We sometimes get skunk perfume in the summer, which is when we have all the windows open. It sure does linger!
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Ah yes, skunk breeding season! I’ve seen them dead along the road this past week. Cats have the same season, they just don’t make a stink about it.
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I love the flying birds. We dont get them here where I live only in the fall and spring, On their way to up north or heading south for the winter.
As for your skunk…yuk. I hate that smell…once one of the them got under my mobile home and wow, it stunk up everything inside, we had to leave for a few days and let it air out, and then all our clothing had to be washed…it was horrible.
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You do see life in all its strange forms on your farm…..skunks, yuck, poo, what a stink but the birds in flight look beautiful
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I so agree about the birds in the sky, our geese often fly over head on the way to somewhere and then on the way back, though we are back below freezing so we may not see them for a while.. SKUNKS! Well, I am not looking forward to them coming back.. you must have warmed up a bit, and now i had better go out and load up on wood, dinner is on the wood stove and needs a hurry up! morning linda!.. c
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I’ve never had the “pleasure” of seeing (or smelling) a skunk. You wonder how they can stand the smell of themselves 🙂
We love watching the winter birds as well. The geese, ducks and cranes flew south a while ago (later this year because of the mild start to winter). We live on the migration route of several species, so I enjoy watching the skeins of birds as they pass. I’m always sad to see them go, but rejoice as they return each spring.
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Oh dear! Stinky kitties! YUCK! Thank goodness they are not around here much. Lets hope it stays that way! 😉
I love the geese on the reserve. And the ducks crack me up. It sounds like they are laughing all the time. 10,000 ducks can fly over you and all you hear are their wings and that chatter. 10 geese fly over and you’d think there were 10,000!
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Skunks are the worst. Ours are in hibernation yet..and so are most of Minnesotas elderly population:)
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Skunk smell! Yikes! In the city I have never checked on any chickens. Except when Mom is cooking them….
Love and barbecue sauce,
Cupcake
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Well, at least that means you had some warmer weather. But skunks? Yuck.
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Every once in a while we get a whiff of skunk here, but fortunately nothing serious.
We quite often see them like your second picture. 🙂
Have a wonderful evening!
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That stink is a sure sign of warm weather. If our skunks have been out our windows are shut too tight to get the drift. Your photos are great. Those big strings of flying birds are always uplifting and remind me of a book I read called, “The Adventures of Nils” about a boy who was magically shrunk to a size so small he could ride on the back of wild geese.
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That sure is not a smell that you want to wake up too!
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We also had a skunk 2 or 3 nights ago 😦 I swear he is under a pallet Ron has our generator on 😦 I do not need cat or JT or even us to get it!
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What I would do for weather warm enough to smell a skunk about now! 🙂 We’ve been so spoiled by several warm winters in a row, that this cold stuff we’re having is a shock to the system, and makes the barn work more difficult as well!
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I’ve not seen or smelled a skunk in a while….really glad for that. Hopefully, yours’ won’t return any time soon.
Your high-flying birds pictures are pretty! Lubbock is covered over with Canada geese!! Can’t hardly see the water in the lakes for all the geese!
Cold front coming tomorrow afternoon. Temp in the 20’s on Thursday with a chance of snow!
We’ll take the moisture, but hate the cold winds.
Take care….blessings!
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Your timing is perfect. Our house got skunked this evening. We’re hoping it didn’t get the dogs (they are outside) and the smell is seeping into every corner of the house.
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We almost always catch a whiff or two of skunk on our travels to our daughter’s home. I can’t imagine having it close by. I do love to watch the birds in formation, though you have a much better shot of them with all that wide-open space.
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Ugh, skunks! Good luck with that. I’ll take a goose or a crane over a skunk any day! Great pics 🙂
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Linda, your bird photos are so beautiful. I always find these migrating birds very touching; their journey is so long in many cases. Just say a beautiful BBC documentary about the migratory animals. I’m also really happy to see Anonymous’ comment about “The Adventures of Nils”! I read that too, and am now thinking I should try to find it for my children. Have a beautiful day.
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No skunks in Ireland! But I sure remember that smell.
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The birds are so lovely in formation! Skunks sometimes invade our daughter and sils place…not fun at all.
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I’ve never smelt a skunk, and never want to! The birds are beautiful, like a Japanese painting against the sky.
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