Pine Trees and Poison Ivy

We are drowning in pine needles over here.
While I love the giant pine tree in front of our barn, I am not loving the down-pouring of pine needles all over our yard. (I also was not loving the pinesap that it dropped down on everything, especially my dogs, this past spring.) The chicken run used to have green grass everywhere. Now it has a carpet of needles. And the hawk-netting that hangs over the run is now covered in needles, too. Sigh. It makes picking up the chicken poop much more challenging. So challenging in fact, that I've kind of stopped trying. Beware if you come visit our chickens, you will almost definitely leave with chicken poop on the bottom of your shoes these days. But the pine tree is truly magnificent. Giant. Can't imagine how old it is. And if it ever falls, well, at least it's leaning away from the barn.

Beautiful, giant pine tree next to the barn

Carpet of pine needles

ceiling of pine needles

Speaking of the chicken run... We noticed this giant hole the other day. 

Clearly *someone* was trying to dig their way into the run. 

Luckily, we had buried the mesh wire around the run to deter such behavior. 

Thank goodness it worked this time.

That's a pretty big hole that someone dug trying to get in the chicken run.

My guess is that this is the work of a groundhog (we have many in our yard), 

instead a chicken predator (please be true.) 

But it does make me worry. 

Especially because we saw a coyote in our neighbor's yard recently.

Can you see the coyote in the middle of the picture?
That little brown spot on the edge of the grass along the bushes?

With our property 90% fenced in, we've been lucky that many larger animals don't come through our yard. Our neighbors get deer often and a few coyotes, but not so much for us.

It could also be that our dogs help to deter the wild animals from coming close. Cooper is quite the hunter (he's already killed a few snakes, a groundhog and a racoon) and Jessie, while she's not much of a hunter, is a renowned barker. She can bark with the best of them. 

Although, I have to say, when Jessie saw Cooper kill that racoon, I swear she was like "Dude, this is the suburbs. I don't know where you came from, but here in the suburbs we just bark and chase. What the heck did you just do to that animal?!" 

Yup, Jessie's all bark. But Cooper means it.

The dogs chased a squirrel up a tree this morning.
They stood guard for *hours* waiting for their chance to catch that poor animal. 
Today the squirrel won.

We also have been very lucky that because the deer don't come up through our yard,
we have not had a major problem with ticks. I thought we'd have it much worse.
With that being said, guess what I pulled off the back of my neck today? 

Yup, a deer tick. 

First time in a year of living here, so I really can't complain. But blech.

And while we're on the topic of dangers in the chicken run,
here is the biggest monster in my yard, and the run:

Yes, I'm not even the tiniest bit afraid of snakes, mice, bugs, coyotes, etc.

But I am now terrified of POISON IVY.

And it's everywhere on our property. 

Everywhere. 

Growing up trees as vines. 

In the woods as bushes. 

It's even growing in our chicken run. 

And when we moved in last year, I somehow got *covered* in poison ivy.

All over my arms, my legs, my back, my neck, and my face.

I felt like I was fighting an invisible monster because I knew that I hadn't actually touched the plant.

My guess was that the dogs must have had it on their fur, and every time I touched them, I would get it in a new spot. It almost caused me to have a nervous breakdown.
I finally had my dream property...
and I was scared to leave the house because of the damn poison ivy.

Happy to say that it has been much better this year. I sort of always have a patch of it on me somewhere, but nothing as bad as it was that first time.

And guess who EATS poison ivy?
Goats.
Just might be a good reason to adopt a goat?

Emily riding Aisling. 

Jessie in the fall.

Yes, my videos where the animals are going crazy are fun to watch,
but most of the time everyone has a nice time just hanging out together.
Not sure Cooper could be any more relaxed than this.

Love these ponies.

Most of my day is spent dealing with poop.
Horse poop, chicken poop, dog poop.
So glamorous!
Good thing my kids are done with diapers. :)