Cats and coop doors

It’s a busy time on the farm, but those pictures will have to wait until next week while I catch up on last week.

After keeping Gracie and JJ in isolation in the kitchen for a week, I opened the door on Thursday after the cleaning ladies left. Banjo, not surprisingly, made the first attempt to make friends while Bingo backed off down the hallway. Banjo crawled into the bookshelf. Gracie gave him a nose kiss and then hissed just to remind him that she was boss. In this photo, JJ is next to Gracie under the chair, not sure what he should do. He soon discovered the store room and has pretty much stayed there the rest of the week.

Banjo and Gracie stand off

It is interesting to note that our cats now seem to prefer the company of our guest cats to us. Whether or not they are BFFs, Bingo and Banjo are spending more time downstairs with Gracie and JJ than upstairs. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that Terry and I are spending most of the day outside.

When our cats are upstairs (where Gracie and JJ have not yet ventured), they are endearing. Banjo has changed his alliance and sits on my lap a lot these days, forsaking Terry. He rolls right over for belly pets. I know I’m biased, but he is the cutest cat in North America.

My new lap buddy

Bingo also is turning into a good lap cat. Although he took his time about, he now understands that when I pat my lap, he is supposed to jump up. He likes to snuggle in the crook of my arm. He is the second cutest cat in North America.

Bingo snuggle buddy

When Jane is not in Florida, she has too much time to spend cruising the Internet. She is not selfish about it, though, and, bless her heart, found a good deal on a solar coop door for Coop 2. Before we moved the chickens to summer pasture, Terry installed it.

Step 1: Measure the outline and drill holes in the corners.

Outline with drill holes

Step 2: Cut the horizontal lines.

Cutting horizontally

Step 3: Cut the vertical lines.

Cutting vertically (harder)

Voila! The hole for the door.

All done!

Step 4: Screw the door in place.

Door installed. The door rolls up when it opens

I charged the battery by plugging it in for 24 hours. We positioned the tiny solar panel on the roof and checked to see that it opened at dawn and shut at dusk for two days until we were convinced that it was really going to work. So far, so good. The best part is that I don’t have to run out at the crack of dawn to open the door or remember to go out before bed to shut it. The second-best part is that the opening is a lot smaller than the other door, which has to be large enough for me to get inside to clean and get the eggs. The coop stays A LOT drier when it rains.

The weather continues to be chilly with frequent frost warnings. Nevertheless, spring progresses. Some goldfinches have finished molting to their sexy summer yellow with their dashing black berets.

Hey, baby! Check out this plumage!

Others lag behind, although they are probably not aware that they still have a patch of green-gray on their necks.

Not quite there yet.

Wild ginger is up and blooming.

Wild ginger blossom

The mayapples are beginning to unfurl.

Mayapples

You probably know how much I admire plants. Their will to live is so strong. The box elders than came down in the ice storm on February 22 have not yet gotten the message that they are dead. The twigs attached to the cut-up logs have broken bud and flowered for one last chance to get in the gene pool. Plants are amazing.

I'm not dead yet! It's just a flesh wound!