Let the hatching begin!

Last night I figured I would test out my new candler I made to fit over my husbands big flash light and I had a surprise!  The first egg I picked up peeped!  I thought I was hearing things, because after all, I gave them the hatch date of March 19th and that is not until Monday.  I had a closer look at the egg in my hand and sure enough there was a pip!

Of course, my curiosity got the better of me, and since I had my home made candler set up right there, I had to pop it on to get a look at it!  Usually I don't candle during lock down. Usually it's right before I put them in lock down to remove any dead eggs.

Turns out that I counted wrong when I gave them their hatch date.  I recounted, and the 'new' date is supposed to be March 15th.  I counted several times to be sure this time.  So the eggs are actually starting to pip on day 19!

There was one polish egg pipped and one cochin egg pipped, as well as peeping coming from an Easter Egger egg.  You can only imagine my excitement and surprise!

Broken into the Air Cell.  Polish Egg.

This one isn't there yet.  You can still see the blood vessels in this one.  It was alive and moving around.

Cochin egg, into the air cell.

This is an egg that has not been incubated.  Freshly laid.

So I took the racks out and put them on their sides.  I usually would put them fat sides up in an egg carton for hatching, but didn't want to take the extra time to do this with the lid off.  So I hope this changing of position at this stage doesn't have a bad effect on them.  

I also put added more water to the water troughs and a couple wet sponges to try and up the humidity.  The humidity has been about 40% lately.  It went up to 55%, and a little while ago I cracked the bottom open and squirted some warm water in there to try and up it more.  I hope it isn't to dry in there.

Oh, Yay!  Just now as I was typing, I heard exciting peeping and went and checked, and there was an Easter Egg chick out of it's egg.  I checked about 15 minutes before, and it just had a fair sized hole pecked!  And the polish egg that I first saw pipped last night is starting to zip!  

Here's the first Chick!  An Easter Egger wins the race!

The polish egg that was pipped last night started to zip right after the Easter Egger hatched.

And zips some more...

A little more zipping, and it gives a stretch...

It gets it's foot up...

And out...

Getting ready for the big shove...

At last it lifts it's head.

Hatching is hard work...

Stretching the wings for the first time!

And at last the Easter Egger chick has a friend!

As of now there are 4 hatched, and 23 eggs left to go!

Let the hatching begin!!!!

Thought I would add a picture of my home made candler.

Snow Avalanches!

With all this snow we've had this year, CN has blasted the snow on the mountain a few times.  On March 3rd, I seen the CN snow plows on the tracks near the house, and heard the helicopter flying around the mountain and knew they were going to do another blasting.  Of course I got all excited because I had just got a camera the day before, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to figure it out some.

Well, the day was quite overcast, so it's harder to see the snow come down, but I went out anyways.  It was rather disappointing, thought because hardly any snow came off the mountain.  I've seen it where massive amounts of snow come billowing down the mountain, and it is extremely exciting.

Here are a few pictures anyways of one of the blasts last week.

First off, here is a picture of the mountain that I took a few days ago while the weather was nice.  Kitselas Mountain.

They fly over the mountain and drop an explosive, then take off.  A few minutes later you will see a puff of smoke, and then hear the big "Boom!" when the sound hits you.  It's quite loud.

The cloud of smoke and snow gets bigger,

and bigger.  Then snow starts down.

More snow comes down the rock face.

Pouring like a giant waterfall.

And then it's just kinda like snow clouds.

That was just a small one.  Hardly worth taking pictures of.  But when you see a huge one that looks like the whole section of the mountain is coming down it is very impressive.

The other day while coming home on the cable car, we seen one of these huge ones come down.  This was not one caused by men dropping explosive, but by mother nature herself shaking snow off her mountain.  We watched as the snow boiled down the mountain, billowing and swirling.  About the same time it came close to the bottom, we watched a train come around the corner at the base of the mountain.  The avalanche must not have quite made the bottom and the train came through ok.  It was very exciting to watch, and the first time I've seen one come down from the cable car hanging over the river.  Also the first I've seen a big one with the train going by.

Then this morning, while I was getting the kids into their jackets to take the cable car across the river, I could hear a train coming in the distance.  You can hear the engines long before you see the train.  All of a sudden, we heard this terrific boom!  Looking out the window you couldn't see much because it was quite overcast today, and the clouds hugging quite low on the mountain.  But a minute later, the train went by with snow plastered over the front of the engine.  WOW!  There must have been an avalanche that crossed the tracks ahead of the train, and the train hit it!  I can only imagine how the conductor was feeling.

I tried to take a picture of the train, but I had my camera on the wrong setting from taking pictures of egg candling the night before so it came out way to bright.  But you can see the snow stuck to the front and top of the engine. ... kinda.

I tried to take a picture of the base of the slide this morning when I took the kids to the bus.  Roy, the operator running the cable car was kind enough to stop for me to hang out the window and take a picture.  I pointed out where I think the snow crossed the tracks, but there may have been other areas where we can't see from there because of the trees.

As much as I would love to go and see exactly where the snow crossed the tracks, I think it would be wise to resist the urge to go for a hike down there.

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I climbed a little ways up the base of the slide.  I took pictures and blogged about it here:

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/2012/03/hiking-last-weekend.html

Here's a couple video's I took last year when they were doing the blasting.

And another one, slightly longer video

In the spring time, as the weather gets warmer, the mountain starts waking up, and you can hear and see lots of avalanches.  It has to be one of my favourite times of year.

Rotten Ronnie Strikes Again!

Yes, the little bugger was up to no good!

Well, I guess, I should take some of the blame my self.  After all, I should have done a rooster count last night when I tucked everyone in.  But I will admit it.  I didn't.

It all started yesterday when I let the roosters and guinea fowl out, so the run-a-way guinea fowl would be enticed back into her coop.

The roosters came out and went down the trail.  Now if you have read my poem about Rotten Ronnie, you would have seen that he and The Fonze my polish rooster, were enemies.  But now they are fine friends, hanging out together when you let them out.

A few days ago when they were out, they snuck into the Mini coop which is buried in about 3 feet of snow.  The door to it was open about 6 inches enough for them to squeeze in, but not enough for me to get in to get them.  So I waited until night when they went into the little house part.  I could open that door enough to reach them.  So I got them when they bedded down and returned them to the main Rooster/Guinea Fowl coop.

Well, yesterday when I let them out, they remembered this little get away, and snuck back in there.  A while later the wayward guinea fowl was captured, and I herded everyone back into the coop.  The Fonze was on the trail, and I had to literally pick him up and carry him in, because he was refusing to go in his self.

Now, I had company over while this was all going on, so I finished up and went back in to resume visiting.  They left and I made supper and what not, then later in the evening, I went out to shut the hens in.

At this point, I just want to say that since fall, I have kept my roosters separate from the hens, so come spring, I can pair them up and begin collecting eggs, without the 6 week waiting period for one roosters rooster juice to run out and the proper one's to take over.  I have been very careful about this.  Warning kids with in an inch of their lives to never open both doors at the same time, or to let the Roosters get in with the hens.  I have seriously had nightmares of this and woken up in cold sweats.

So today was a bright and sun shiny day, and I figured since the Roosters have been out everyday since last Thursday, it was the hens turn at some freedom to soak up the rays.

Just now, I went out to shut the hens in, and who did I see so proud amongst the hens?!  Why that Rotten little Ronnie, all standing tall like he was the king and had every right to be among the lovely ladies.

It seems, he didn't go in yesterday with the roosters.  Instead he opted out to spend the night by himself in the mini coop where I couldn't see him, because the snow is so deep around it.  Yes, he must of thought he was in heaven today when he climbed up out of the snow surrounding the coop and seen the hens.

This little dude is like the Energiser Bunny,  and he's had a little lost time to make up for (not counting the short time I had him paired up with a silkie hen a few weeks ago).  He's not picky on the size of the hens, so I can only assume that he was getting while the getting was good.

I am shaking my head at myself, for not remembering him yesterday.  Now I will have to wait another 6 weeks until I can pair up the chickens to collect eggs for hatching.  That takes it to April 16th.   Oh my!

Caught My Run Away Guinea Fowl

On Thursday (March 2nd)  I took my new camera out and let the guinea's loose to try and practice taking pictures of them.  Well, one Guinea fowl took flight, and landed way, way up in a spruce tree, and refused to come down for the day.  The next few days I let they guineas out in hopes that she would see them and come down to them.  Not so.  Actually the next day after she took flight, I couldn't see or hear her at all.  I went looking and couldn't find her.  I thought her gone for sure.

Then today while I was outside I heard her, and could see her scrawny neck and head sticking up over a branch.  We through snow balls for a while to try and knock her out of the tree, but she kept ducking until we gave up.  I let the other guinea's out thinking she may fly to them, and a while later she went to the chicken house roof.  We were looking out the window, all excited hoping she would land on the path, but the kids went out to the chicken house and when she seen them coming, off into the tree's she retreated once again. Darn.   A while later she was across the road on the snow bank.  I tried to head her but she flew over to the green house and I finally caught her when she fell inbetween the glass windows and the snow that slid off the roof.  It was a deep and narrow space, and I had to lay on my belly to reach her, but she was jammed up pretty good, so there was no getting way.  Off into the chicken house she went.

I'll have to do some wing trimming again.  I did it last fall after the first snow when I had a stubborn guinea on the telephone pole, but I see that they can fly quite well already again.

I'm so glad to get her back!

Hiking Last Weekend

Last weekend, we didn't have the kids with us.  They were gone for a sleep over at Papa and Grandma's.  So my husband and I thought it would be a good weekend to go for a bit of a hike in the neighbourhood.

So on Saturday, We headed down the tracks to go to the avalanche slide at Kitselas Mountain, and see how much snow came down.  This winter there has been both natural avalanches and controlled ones.

The slide where we are walking to is on the right hand side of the barn.  It doesn't look very big from here, but it is a fair size once you get up to it.

Of course we had to have a look at the river.  The ice is so thick this year.  The pictures really don't do it justice.

Looking back up the river towards home.

We climb the bank and cross the tracks, then start up the slide, and pause to look up at the rock bluff.  Everyone around here calls the rock bluff, The Castle.  Sometimes you can see the moon set just over it in the morning.

We continue up the slide.  This is pretty much all snow that has come off the mountain.  On the steep incline just above us, we could see where the slides had sort of passed over and around a few knobs, and the force of the air must have snapped the trees off.

Looking at some snapped off trees in the snow.

Looking down at the view, you can see Gitaus across the river on the right hand side on the rise.  On the left hand side of the slide, there is a partially burried big cotton wood tree.  The snow is so deep, and packed!   You can also see an Island (river bed is dry this time of year) that has me wondering if it is the island talked about in the history book Men of Medeek, Wars of Medeek.  There is a story of a big bad chief who tried to steal two young boys hunting grouse on the island...  

Looking up river, we could see Usk in the distance.  Surprisingly, we could hear the cable car all the way up there, and we could see the tiny blue dot as it crossed.

Then we cut across the slide.  The snow balls would have been the perfect size for a snow ball fight, but we weren't going to hang around.  We surveyed more trees down form the force of the avalanche.

We started back down the avalanche.  

We cut into the bush on the way back to follow an old road.  The avalanche had actually went wider then it had for quite some time, going over the edge of the road, almost reaching one of my favourite trees.

This is a Cultural Marked tree.  These trees are protected.  They were altered by Natives back before settlers came to the area.  This tree is quite big.  You can see chop marks on it and where the bark was stripped away.  Perhaps to be made into clothing, rope or even roofing material on a house.  I would love to know how long ago it was done, and what it was done for... 

Along the way we pass a pretty waterfall.

We also pass this sign along the old road.

We pass an old tree with a spring board notch in it, and a tree growing out of it.

We headed on home, very happy with our walk.  Next time though, I won't wear so much layers.  I was pretty hot by the time we got home.  To finish off the day, we ordered Pizza for the first time ever out in Usk, and they actually delivered as long as I met them across the river to pick it up.  Of course I was more then glad too!  I think it was the best pizza delivery we've ever had, all nice and hot!  Usually I make my own pizza, so this was a real treat.

The next day was even nicer.  Though it was slightly cooler out, the sun was shining.  The snow was still frozen nice and solid, with only a couple of inches of soft on top of it, so it was perfect for walking on.

We decided to take a hike up the hill behind the house through the woods.

We followed the ridge until we came to an abandoned mine shaft.  It's not a huge one, and just goes a little bit into the side of the ridge.  Story has it that the owner of the mine, lived in the house that is next to us.  And one day, he hung himself in the woods near the mine.  Kinda gives you a little shiver to think about.

I was thinking perhaps the cave was to big for bears to hibernate  in, but I say to my husband anyways, "You go in first and make sure nothing is sleeping in there."  He replies that he has no desire to look in the cave, and it was probably empty, so I could do it my self if I wanted to see.  So I cautiously look in and listen.  No, no breathing...

A little further, and I can see the end.  Nope, no bears... or ghosts.  

Going to the light at the end of the tunnel!  

We climb up the little ridge and cut back through the bush to a road, and then down to the creek.  The creek bed was dry, so we followed that until we came to another old road which took us to the swamp.  Along the way we seen many tracks, such as wolf, coyote, fox, moose, martin, weasel (even seen weasel tracks dragging something), mouse, rabbit and squirrel.  Here you can see wolf tracks going one way, and coyote going the other way.

The road cuts through the middle of the swamp.  Pretty alder trees line it.

The swamp was mostly dry with just a stream of water flowing through.

We cut through the swamp on the other side of the road.  The snow is so pretty sparkling in the sun.  We thought it was funny how they logged the tree's standing in the swamp.  It must have been difficult to get them out of there.  We also noticed that the beaver had chewed down evergreen trees.  

On a stump was a beautiful clump of moss

We cut through the bush some more, and came out on the train tracks near a place called Hegstad.  Now, I know I've heard the name somewhere, but can't quite remember where.  Maybe a history book?  Or perhaps it just the name of the side spur of tracks that used to be there.

Near by, is a little road that cuts down to the bank of the river.  I wonder if there was perhaps a ferry there at one time, or the boats stopped there.  The river is low this time of year, and so clear you can see the rocks almost all the way across.  But it looks so cold.

The view of course is very beautiful.

We hiked back along the tracks, and along the river.  You cold see where big tree's were cut down many years ago right along the banks of the river.  You would never get away with that these days.  There was one cotton wood that was an impressive size.  Of course, pictures just don't do it justice.  Some guy was standing by it.

We went down to our fishing hole and did a little search for some fishing weights.  We were lucky enough to find a few.

Some of the ice chunks were massive.  

One of the neatest things was watching the little dipper birds.  It would hop down off of the rocks into the water to walk around completely under it.  It popped up with this little fish, and proceeded to beat the fish on the rock.  We were a little ways up river, so we wouldn't scare it, but we could hear the "Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!" as it slammed the fish.  Then it ate it and went off down the river.  We went to look at the rock where it was beating the fish, and all that was left was a little fish head and eyes.  Pretty neat.

And so ended a perfect day of hiking.