Chores in the Rain

It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, I was chasing white rabbits through snow and ice in the backyard. Today? Well, there's a bit of ice left in spots, but all that snow has melted away in the steady, cold downpour that took over this afternoon. All day long, I lugged gear in and out of school buildings doing my illustrious day job. (My advice for working with recalcitrant five-year-olds? Bribe them, baby. It gets the job done.) All day long, I fought the battle of water versus dry socks. I wanted to curl up somewhere with a book and a blankie, and maybe a nice mug of mulled wine. Okay, it wasn't all grim. I did go get my nails done. I am a farmgirl with a french manicure, dammit. After all that fun, and a long dark and foggy drive home, I got to check on the flock and herd.
The chickens were more than ready to voice their complaints over the wet day they had endured. Poor Rudy looked like he had stood sideways in a powerwasher. I consoled them with leftover chili and crumbled stale biscuits. The rabbits had a drier day inside their barn. They were all very excited to have their nightly dinner of kibble and hay. I am a little worried about one of the new kits. Starting a couple days ago, I noticed her holding her head sideways. Now, it is completely cranked to the side, one eye up and one eye down. She was still able to get into the water and feed this morning, but this afternoon she simply wandered in circles and bumped into her mother and siblings. When I picked her up and held her, it feels like the muscles and tendons are stretched tight, pulling her head to the side with no reprieve. She doesn't seem to be lacking spunk, though, so I'll see how she is in the morning. If she appears to be suffering, well...I'll take care of her. But if she has an injury but is doing okay, I'll let her be. I've had chickens lose toes, parts of beaks, an eye, and still be the leader of the pack. Animals have a greater tolerance for mishaps than we humans do, so generally I let them be until it seems like suffering is ensuing. I'm hoping this little bun continues to keep her "joie de vie". Stay tuned on the adventures of rabbit-herdsmanship.