Canadian Acres
Farming in the North
Autumn Colors & Ugly Chickens
The Peace River Valley has come alive with the season of fall. The colors of the Peace hills are gorgeous and I am lucky to have an amazing view of them outside my windows. Everyday they grow more beautiful, and everyday we draw closer to duh-duh-DUH… winter. Now winter is not my favorite season, but it’s got to be higher on my list than most since I am a Northern girl through and through and, well, have spent most of my life in the cold and snow. It’s a beautfiul time of year, but nothing screams nature’s creativity like fall.
The deer are finding their way back to the fields and the coyotes are having yipping parties at night. We are busy harvesting, preserving and working at putting the farm to bed for the winter. After sitting down last week to compile our “to-do” list before winter hits, it dawned on us that we had a 1,000 things to do and about two weeks to do them… sweet. Story of our homesteading lives I suppose.
And then… it happened. I heard a familiar noise coming from the sky. The unmistakable sound of the sand hill crane. Every spring in Alaska you hoped and wished to hear that sound. It meant the spring had truly arrived and all was well with the world. They were always a delight to see on the beach, always a special part of the Alaskan summer.
Anyway, here I was, in British Columbia, a very long way from a beach and I swear, I heard them call. This spring we had a mating pair of sand hill cranes rest by our dugout on their journey up to Alaska. I was ecstatic. Not only did it mean spring on the farm, it also meant I didn’t have to miss out on this little piece of home.
Well, this elusive sound graced our farm last week. Thousands of sand hill cranes came to stay. It’s the largest migration event I’ve ever witnessed and it was breathtaking. For days, you heard flocks and flocks arrive and pass over the house. I stalked large groups in our fields in an attempt to photograph this glorious event and came up with a few good images to share. They are skittish birds for sure.
What a very lucky place to be. I’m so happy to have witnessed it and my heart is now full of their wonderful song. Goodbye cranes, see you next spring.
In other news, I got more chicks. Yes, I know, I’m officially a crazy chicken lady and I’ve come to terms with it. I couldn’t help myself. The woman down the street had more Gerty’s, and mother-of-all-that-is-adorable, they looked like this.
In pure Katy fashion, I took the ugly one.
It has s split beak which is a deformity in the chicken world so I got it for free. And I’m in love.
I also took a few Bantam Frizzle Cochins to boot. I call them my stinky-crazy-haired bunch, the lot of them. Maynard is stoked on more babies in the house and checks on them regularly, and Wyatt is stoked on the open bag of chick food in the guest room.
We also got KITTENS! After Clay discovered a mouse had taken residence in his hockey bag, it was time to get some barn cats. Introducing Sushi (black) and Sake (tabby), the newest additions to Canadian Acres.
As Fall comes to a close in 2014, I am happy and thankful. Happy that we’ve accomplished so much these past few months and thankful my house is full of laughter, kittens and ugly chickens. Thus is life on the farm.
Stay warm and don’t judge me if my house smells like a barn, I’m working on it.
~Katy
Canadian Acres 
Well, that is one cute chicken…and some great writing! 🙂
Thanks Mom 🙂
It makes my day when you give us an update! Please let Maynard know he is doing a great job as The Chicken Whisperer, and I’m very proud of him!
Thanks Wendy! I told Maynard what you said and he got a smile from ear to ear. He sure does miss his Wendy (and your black scrubs). I’ve been amazed at his ability to accept the chickens as his own lol. Next project is getting him to like the kittens. So far so good 🙂
OH My Gosh !! Sand Hill Cranes .. Katy I know you probably won’t want to do this but when I was working in Anchorage a Friend used to go out to the Flats and kill and cook them it is probably the best the very best meat I have ever eaten .. How beautiful your place is ..Every time I see the words Canadian Acres in my e-mail I howler Leo Canadian Acres is here get me a cup of coffee … Thanks for sending look forward to them .. Love Uncle Leo & Aunt Judy ..
Oh Aunt Judy, you’ve made my husband a very happy man. He had Sand Hill Crane once in a Native community in Alaska and swears it’s the best bird meat he’s ever eaten!
I guess with all that glorious beauty out your windows and off your decks, it only stands to reason you would find and love a skinny, split lipped, bald necked chicken and call him the ‘purty one’. Love hearing from you and I hope you never get tired of sharing you life with us. LM
Haha, pretty much. I’ve always had a soft spot for the unwanted and slightly creepy critters though, so it may become a pattern on the farm 🙂