It was a late spring here, but this week has more than made up for it. Perfect blue-sky weather. Buds are greening up. Flowers are unfurling. In the springtime, the prettiest tree in my yard is the Hally Jolivette Cherry. It’s moment of glory is ephemeral. The blossoms blow off in the slightest wind. But it’s been calm. It’s been sunny. There’s something both elegant and happy about this tree. It’s what a wedding gown should look like.

Here is a view across the pond. (Do you see the Beast in the foreground?)

Walk closer and this is what you’ll see. Such delicate white blooms with hints of pink and yellow. This photo doesn’t show the bees, but bees there are!

Hally Jolivette Cherry

Get as close as you can and look at the details.

This was a springtime worth waiting for.

Tomorrow Twinkydink turns 8 years old. Today she laid an egg.

None of the hens that live in the Little Barn have laid an egg since last July. In fact, in all of 2012, Twinkydink and Buffy, between them, laid about all of eight eggs. I don’t like chicks to have access to nesting boxes until they’ve learned to roost. This keeps them from getting into the habit of sleeping in the boxes. Now that the chicks were moving into the Little Barn, and because the Old Girls weren’t laying, I had Steve remove the boxes.

Last week I noticed Twinkydink on a roost in the middle of the day. She didn’t look sick. She looked confused. I opened up the cozy side of the rabbit hutch. She went in. Once. So, I thought that that was that. But it wasn’t. Today she hopped back in and laid an egg. My chickens never cease to surprise me.

Oh, and when Twinkydink was done, Buffy went broody.

Do not feel sorry for Siouxsie. The Gems have lived up to their name and have been priceless. They have not pulled even one feather off of Siouxsie’s top knot. They haven’t drawn a drop of blood. Sure, they don’t want her to join in the group,

but, they let her eat and drink. They let her dust bathe unbothered.

Siouxsie has taken to shadowing Onyx. The Barnevelder is being remarkably tolerant. Despite how obvious it is that Onyx would rather not have this tag-along, she hasn’t done anything aggressive towards Siouxsie.

The Gems are a particularly peaceful flock. Despite the wide range of breeds and temperaments, they all get along. In fact, there’s not one obvious flock queen, and no one is on the bottom and at the fringes of the flock society. I attribute much of their good behavior to how they were raised – in spacious surroundings, with interesting things to peck and do from the beginning. They’ve been handled gently and consistently, but not excessively. It’s how I’m raising the new chicks, and that seems to be having the same effect. So, when I added Siouxsie to the mix, I figured that the flock personality would win out, even over having such an annoying bird plopped in their midst. It has. Of course, the Gems had already become familiar with Siouxsie when both flocks free-ranged at the same time. Still, it’s a testament to the Gem’s good natures that Siouxsie is being left alone.

Siouxsie was banished from the Old Girls flock for a reason, as she was pummeling and blooding Buffy. Buffy is doing so much better without Siouxsie around. Now that Siouxise isn’t drawing blood, Edwina has stopped pecking at Buffy’s comb. Buffy is getting stronger daily. She’s standing more and no longer bracing herself up on her hocks.

She and Twinkydink are tight friends, and often sunbathe together.

The other day both flocks were let out to free-range. They were all happy to be on green grass and hunt for bugs. That is, all except for Siouxsie. She made a bee-line across the yard, straight for Buffy, who was standing peacefully near the Little Barn, and attacked her. I scooped up Siouxsie and tossed her back into the Big Barn. No, don’t feel sorry for Siouxsie.