"The ground's still white, kids."

While I know that our livestock don't actually speak English, and communicate only in their animal speak way, I often wonder if their minds actually framed words in the way we understand what they would say.

When I took this first photo this morning, the three turkeys were the only ones intrepid enough to brave the outdoors this morning. I can imagine their report back inside the chicken house: " The ground's still white, kids. And forget about checking out the fresh straw next door, you'll just get your feet wet and poopy." After a short walk around the barnyard, the two older turkeys, Thomas and Essy, went back inside; they've done this rodeo before.

Leaving Ginny, who apparently suffers separation anxiety, to wander the cold, white fluff by herself, which leads to frantic, ear-splitting shrieks as she discovers that everybody went back inside without her. I used to think that she did this because she was shook up from being separated from her brothers. But its been almost 3 weeks since she was separated which is a long time in poultry understanding; I'm beginning to think she's just a bit of a drama queen. Lucky for you I don't have a good way to record her "song", but listening to her on your computer wouldn't do her justice. So anyways.

All the other first timers don't seem real excited to get out and cavort around in the stuff. Hamburger and T-Bone are pretty well snuggled down. When they hear me out taking pictures, Hamburger peers around the edge of the door way as if to say "Are you serious?"

And then moseys his way out to get a drink out of the super-insulated stock tank (Just had to slip a photo of Ryan's fine handiwork in here.)

And while it's not his first rodeo either, Herschel the rooster decides he'd much rather rule the barnyard from the turkey roost looking out the window. "Somebody's got to keep an eye on the action while all these hooligans are sitting around laying eggs and eating corn!"

And then there's me in my snow boots, for the first time this year. Noting the quiet, the cold, and the still gray sky.

I think Checkers has it best of all in her throne on the couch . . . though I think she asks God on a regular basis in the wintertime why He didn't have her adopted by doggie parents that live in Florida. Snow is not her idea of a good time. Though I guess I wouldn't like it either if my belly almost touched the ground like hers does.