The Swallows Have Returned

 The swallows have returned and I was ready for them!  Ben had hung the sparkly swirlie things and I had ordered and put out the snakes.  The swallows are here and flying thru the porch areas but we've had only one nest built (the sparkly swirlie things blew down on the front porch).  We knocked down the nest and put the deterrents back up, so all is well at this time.  The bad thing is the hummers are frightened off also.  I'm not sure, long term, how this will shake out as the real pressure to nest is still a couple weeks off.

Also returning are the purple martins and scissortail flycatchers.  Neither are a problem.  Just good to see them return!  Turkeys have been spotted in the culvert and in other pastures nearby.  They add a "different call" when listening to birds that are around.  The coyotes are planning for future feasts.

Fancy continues to make a nice adjustment so will be turned out with the herd soon.  The Vet is scheduled for Saturday to ear tag, give shots, and do brain surgeries on the six babies.  It's going to be challenging to figure out who belongs to who as several of them could be carbon copies of each other.

We were feeding the cows in the big pasture a week or so ago and discovered major damage to the double gate into the 8 acres up by the house.  Either the bull or a cow had tried to "hop" the gates with terrible results.  We put a cow panel up over the damage in hopes they won't try again.  I guess over $1000 in damage was done.  

Praying for rain as we're about 4 inches short so far this spring.  The new plants in the fields can't go on much longer without it.  Long term, we might get some in a week or so...