Caper says, The grass in the pasture is brown.

But, the goatmaid did some raking, and look what’s growing! Goat candy!

I love, love, love prickly briar runners with the big leaves. The big leaves are better than the smaller ones. Totally different flavor. Trust me. These things matter to goats. We are gourmands, after all.

The next best thing to goat candy is having the goatmaid give me a good scratch. A little more to the left, please.

I love spring.

At 7:30 this morning a woman from the state agriculture department drove up, pulled on protective gear and booties, and tested my flock for two serious poultry diseases, Salmonella pullorum and avian influenza. It’s Massachusetts state law that birds that are transported anywhere off the premises must be tested. It’s a free program.

We were ready for her. The chickens were inside and easy to catch. Lily Dog said that she was a blue-suited alien, but after a couple of tossed cookies, decided that blue-suited aliens are fine with her.

The procedure is a simple prick of the skin under a wing, and then the blood is collected in a vial. It’s a bit messy, but not a big deal for the hen. You might notice some blood on the girls today. Don’t worry about them!

Each hen gets a silver band to prove that she’s been tested. It’s rather like a rabies tag for your dog.

Because it’s been so rainy and muddy and the girls have been stuck inside, they were a bit dirtier than normal. The state tech had on her blue suit. I had on my jeans. After she left, I decided that I might as well clean the barns. When I came inside, my pants and jacket went right into the wash. So, that’s one clothing change for the day. I’ve a feeling it won’t be the last…

I appreciated all of your cheerful send-offs for my road trip. It was a really, really long drive, but worth it. I haven’t had a visit with my friend, Melissa, for years. I arrived early afternoon, met her new dog, took a short walk, and chatted. Ate dinner. Talked some more. Mostly, we talked about animals. I think I finally got around to mentioning my children sometime after dinner. Did I mention that she’s my best friend? I’ve known her thirty years and we’re still not tired of our favorite topic.

On Saturday I drove through some gorgeous country to get to the Wild Center.

As I was leaving, near dusk that afternoon, at this very same spot, a bald eagle was flying across the frozen lake.

I brought my camera, I even had it charged up, but I was so busy that I didn’t use it! First, there was storytime for a crowd of children. Then, I got a backstage tour of the Center’s animals. Otters! Ravens, a porcupine, a muskrat, fish, turtles! Then, it was time to do my chicken keeping talk. There was a big crowd who listened attentively, laughed in all the places I’d hoped they would, and at the end had good questions.

Meanwhile, volunteers were busy making masks with the children. I’d hoped to join them, but was still deep in conversation. I did manage to snap this, though, with my iphone.

Each child got a feather from my flock, and then a handful of craft feathers. Look at how stunning Petunia’s wing feather looks here!

The drive home was 300 miles, almost all in pouring rain with gusting winds. Oh, and there was freezing rain in the mountains. But, it was all worth it. I hope they invite me back. I’d love to see The Wild Center in the summer. Besides, Melissa and I haven’t finished talking about animals.

We’ve been having torrential rain for three days without a break. Snow piles are melting. Ice is disappearing into what are now raging rivers. School was delayed several hours, and the children living on North Road were given an excused absence. The bus can’t reach them. The wind is gusting. In short, it’s a mess out there.

Goats do not like to get wet. They’re bored. Chickens don’t like the wet either. They’re cooped up inside, annoyed with each other. The dogs are sulking. But, the Beast is swimming in her now much enlarged pond. At least she’s happy.

I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning on a road trip to the Adirondacks. I’ve got a 300 mile drive. The weather won’t be great – it’ll be raining, but that’s better than snow in the mountains. Despite the lack of sun, I’m looking forward to the trip. My best friend, who I met at UNH when we were both working towards a BS in Animal Science, lives in the southern end of the Adirondacks. I’ll get to spend the night at her home. Melissa lives in a house that she built herself (really built, as in did the hard work with hammers and power tools, etc). I can’t wait to put my feet up and have a long conversation.

The next day, I’ll be giving a talk at The Wild Center. Check out their web site. I love nature centers. And nature centers with otters? The best! I’ve never been that far north in New York State, but I’ve heard it’s one of those places that gets into people’s hearts.

On the way home, I’ll be stopping here. Good thing I won’t have a chicken in the car with me. I’ve been to the King Arthur store before, and I always tend to get carried away. Without the chicken crate, I’ll have room for all of those interesting flours, and five types of chocolate chips! I have the $10 from this week’s egg sales in my wallet. I’m thinking I’ll use it to splurge on baked goods at the King Arthur cafe. Then again, I might find something on my drive tomorrow. You never know with a road trip.