Homestead Journal at Fat Turkey Farm

Critter Day on the Homestead

It seems that yesterday was the day for critters around here.  It started off with my kids finding this which was crawling up the side of the goat house.

Isnt its a pretty tarantula?  Yes, that is it crawling over the back of my left hand.  It actually kind of tickled to have it scurrying over my hand.

The day then progressed to this...

A 6 foot long bull snake that was found to be going under the goat house.  He sure didn't like me holding him and kept hissing at me in a most pissed off tone of snake voice.  He went back under the goat house after his excursion into my dining room for photo ops.

Also, scorpion number 14 was found in the rocks, and eaten by the mighty scorpion hunter Miss Rhodie the chicken.

Then....

About 9 pm last night I had to go hunting.  I went outside on the back deck to watch the lightening pop and something ran from my scrap wood pile down the field right past the goat pen.  It was smaller than a coyote, larger than a house cat, and brown.  I could see enough of it from the big pole light that is out back and, I believe, that it was a bobcat stalking around trying to get into the goat pen.  Miss Jar Jar Goats was running around in the pen, quite upset over whatever it was.  I stayed outside for a while to try and see if it was going to come back so I could get a shot off at it, but it never did.  I went out this morning when it was light enough to see if it left a trail, but alas, the ground out there is so hard packed, I could find nothing.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for any more tracks in the yard and my ears open for sounds of it coming back in the night.

My friend Vickie and I saw what appeared to be mountain lion tracks in the soft dirt of the road when we were walking a few days ago, so I know there are big cats in the area.  I sure don't want anything taking my goatie out in the middle of the night.

Time to feed the girlies!  Bye Bye!