March 18th.

Well, the weather has been very mild this past few days and a lot of the snow has gone. Not that I can see the ground yet, but there are a few places where patches are showing up. Grass can be seen down by the gate, around part of the fence and around one of the greenhouses. The chickens have been spending their time mainly on the deck when they are out as they don't care to go through the snow, and why should they, there is no ground showing for them to work over. An hour ago I looked out to check on them as I usually do through out the day and there they were down by the gate where the ground was showing and one out in the driveway. I grabbed my boots and went down to get them back up. No luck, no way were they leaving the treats they were finding. Now, normally they can roam the property but with the snow on the ground, if there is a predator about they are unable to get through the snow quickly. I come running back to the house, open the back door and yell to Roger, "I need help." He's in his dress, yes, I say dress, lol. As he has traveled all over the world he is inclined to wear what I call his dresses and skirts that men in the middle east and India wear. Not all the time mind you, but when he is relaxing. So, out he comes in his dress and long rubber boots, carrying a very long thin stick with coloured ribbons on the end. This is to herd the chickens back to the deck. You don't have to wonder why people think we are nuts. The sights they see sometimes when going by. Well, we finally got the girls back up through the snow so now I'm thinking I will have to put chicken wire along the fence so they can't get out onto the driveway.

The pictures of the Jays look like they have been cropped but they haven't been. I was seeing how close I could bring them in, in the camera, and get a decent picture. Experimentation!