Still Storming

Rocky the Rooster wandered into the kitchen one day.  I kind of miss that crazy ol' bird, and no hard feelings...

This morning it had stopped raining when I went out to the hen yard and it seemed relatively calm, though quite cold to me.  I made sure to check the "pond site" and found there was some standing water.  Not much, but to have any at all is encouraging to me.  

I spent the afternoon away from home and when I got back it was nearly dark.  I went out to check on the flock and found their door had blown shut and snapped the stout stick I use as a barrier to keep the door wedged open.  Unfortunately this meant none of the flock made it into their house.  And there I was trying to find my entire flock in the fading light.  Only 6 had taken shelter in the metal shed, which is where they like to lay eggs, but never spend the night in.  The other 8 had roosted in trees.  I was able to reach 7 of them, and brought everyone to safety eventually.  I considered leaving them, but the wind was coming up again, and I could see many of the hens quite plainly in the bare branches of the willow, lit up by the neighbor's pole light.  I've had owls in the yard at night, and didn't want to take that gamble.  Listening to the wind roaring outside right now and the rain pelting down, I'm glad I spent the extra hour rounding them up and getting them into shelter.  

Though I'm still pulling twigs out of my hair.  ;)