jmgoyder

wings and things

Jan 14

Learning about loss

by jmgoyder

This morning Ming had to put our beautiful Malay rooster out of its misery because it had been injured by one of our dogs who somehow got to him despite pen arrangements.

Malay was one of the chicks that hatched here under a shed and grew up to be majestic, proud and confident. He was able to fly up into a tree if he sensed danger. He must have been taken by surprise and I feel a sense of devastation and guilt.

Blaze (miniature dachschund) and Jack (Irish terrier) have never attempted to kill any of the peafowl or guinnea fowl, or even the geese. They go for the chooks, so I have decided that it is too risky to have chooks anymore. The wild foxes get them too despite all my protective methods (fox lights, sturdy yards etc.)

I am learning a lot about loss lately.

http://www.mamamia.com.au/social/i-am-a-murderer-but-i-do-it-for-love/

Animal Friendship Wings

61 Comments »
Jan 13

Peachick poop

by jmgoyder

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Now that Gutsy9 is a bit over a month old, he is producing poops that are larger than the size of a pinhead. He still spends a good part of each day on my shoulder, but so far he has only had a couple of little accidents there.

But this morning the thing I’ve been dreading happened. I was on my computer and Gutsy9 was fast asleep on my shoulder with his little face curled into my neck when he suddenly woke up and emitted a strange SPHLATT noise and my entire arm was suffused with heat. Arghhhhhhhhhhh!

I flicked him off and he flew to the ground, then I raced into the shower and washed his humongous droppings off my arm. So now I have my thinking cap on (and a towel on my shoulder because of course Gutsy9 has flown straight back up there), and I am wondering….

He is now accepted by the adult peafowl due to our daily outside integration sessions, however he is still too small to leave with them (a) because he is imprinted on me, and (b) a fox or crow will kill him.

Mmmmmm!

Animal Friendship Wings

47 Comments »
Jan 12

Shortlived

by jmgoyder

During yesterday I kept an eye on the mother peahen and her chick and all was well, but in the late afternoon the chick had disappeared. I looked everywhere I had seen them together during the day and the mother followed me silently. At dusk, I gave up and sat at my picnic table with Gutsy9, feeding the throng of peafowl bits of bread, still hoping the chick would reappear, but it didn’t. It would have been killed by a crow, and it would have been quick, so I am trying to be okay with having let Nature take over. That mother and child had a beautiful day together.

Today Anthony was brighter. Ming and I went in to the nursing lodge and the visit was full of hilarity for a change. Ming was in good form but he has a very loud voice so at one point a male nurse came into Anthony’s room and asked Ming to quieten down or he would give somebody a heart attack. Then we all got the giggles!

I didn’t tell Ants about the missing peachick.

Animal Family Friendship LOVE STORY Wings

35 Comments »
Jan 11

Another peachick!

by jmgoyder

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Yesterday my youngest brother’s family stayed the night with us and the twins found another peachick! They were terribly excited, but it presented me with a dilemma because, even though the mother appeared to be looking after him, it was getting dark, so we kept him inside for the night with a very nonplussed Gutsy9.

This morning, after my brother’s family left, Ming and I were sitting outside on the front veranda with both chicks when the mother peahen approached us making little clucking noises, so we put her chick on the grass and off they went. I followed them for awhile and it was obvious the mother and chick were inseparable so I have decided to hope for the best and reassess the situation this afternoon. (Months ago around 20 guinnea fowl chicks hatched under a shrub and, thinking it best to leave it to their mothers to look after them, I didn’t intervene. The next day they were gone.)

So we might bring the new chick in for the night again – not sure!

Animal Family Friendship Wings

55 Comments »
Jan 10

Peaceful peafowl

by jmgoyder

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Peace.

Animal Friendship Wings

32 Comments »
Jan 9

A peacock’s crown

by jmgoyder

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Apparently, in Hindu culture, the peacock’s crown symbolizes the music of the heart via the head. It’s interesting to watch Gutsy9’s little crown grow.

Animal Friendship Wings

38 Comments »
Jan 8

Bouncing back

by jmgoyder

It’s a bit difficult to bounce in yet another horrible heat wave, but Ming and I saw the doc this morning, agreed to undertake some treatment, including further counselling, then went to a restaurant for breakfast.

While we were away, a father/son lawnmowing team gobbled up 5 acres of overgrowth at a very reasonable rate, so the place is once again back in shape.

Yesterday, Ming and I went to see Anthony because I hadn’t seen him for a week due to not being allowed to bring my flu into the nursing lodge. We sat outside but the scene was not BradyBunchish; Ming plonked himself at a distance, scowling, while I sat on the grass next to Anthony’s chair with Gutsy9 (the baby peacock) scurrying between us and flying on and off Anthony’s lap.

I asked Ants to give Ming a pep talk but this didn’t work because Anthony’s concentration is now so poor. Oh well, he did try! It reminded me of when he was home because he was always the buffer if Ming and I had an argument about homework or eating vegetables etc.

Anthony’s big-hearted solidity often turned arguments into hilarity and taught us a lot about bouncing back, even though he can’t bounce at all anymore.

I missed him so badly last night that I almost couldn’t bear it, but today I am bouncing back.

Animal Family Friendship LOVE STORY Wings

67 Comments »
Jan 5

I’m not eating THAT!

by jmgoyder

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As a baby, then a toddler, then a kid beginning school, Ming had absolutely no interest in sustenance. It was a nightmare trying to breastfeed or get him to drink from a bottle and he seemed to be able to survive on air. It all worked out in the end but argh.

And now Gutsy9 is doing the same thing – so funny!

Animal Family Friendship LOVE STORY

34 Comments »
Jan 5

Close your eyes!

by jmgoyder

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The other night I was watching a thriller on my laptop (before it died). Gutsy9, the baby peacock, was, as usual, on my shoulder and wide awake watching the screen. Suddenly, a scary scene erupted unexpectedly and, without thinking, I covered his big, innocent eyes with my hand.

I have always been a bit overprotective!

Note: Still using minilaptop while big one gets fixed so not keeping up as well as I would like to with other blogs and commenting, alas.

Animal Family Friendship

38 Comments »
Jan 4

A haiku-ish poem

by jmgoyder

These small fingernails
Whisper up and down the spine
Of an opened book

Are you rose or weed?
Or are you an applecore
Filled with arsenic?

I don’t do poems
I can’t seem to write poems
This is a poem

Yesterday is grey
And tomorrow is today
There is a blue wind

A baby crying
The howl of a wolfling
Until the huge smile

The grass seems greener
Just outside my sunglasses
And a glass of red

Peachick near my heart,
Son away for his birthday,
Husband not here now

There are a few hells
And ours is extremely small –
A rotten peanut

Why? is a mute word
Are my sunflowers growing yet?
I didn’t plant them

A string of haiku
All of the syllables perfect
Full of emptiness

Until the storm blows
A big hole in the window
And now I can breathe

We have wings of steel
Lost and found in the debris
Of a blossom rain.

Animal Family Friendship LOVE STORY

46 Comments »
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