Spring Is Bustin' Out All Over...

So the landscaping we put in last year is really taking off...

The pink dwarf flowering almond is especially gorgeous and seems really happy.

They're beautiful things, I'm really glad we put in three of these!

These petunias reseeded from last year, the kid's school grew them for the town's hanging baskets that line Highway 395 through the center of town, they smell amazing.

Both the Lavender Twist contorted redbud trees are blooming with tiny, snapdragonlike blooms.

The Showtime crape myrtle is gearing up...

And out in the future vegetable garden, the Sugar Tyme crape myrtle tree is being stupendous!

But all is not happy in Chickenland today.  Shake, the tiny Belgian d'Uccle, decided to get jealous and take personal offense at Alice the Barred Rock following me around as I took pictures, and picked a fight.

At first Alice politely ignored her, but you can only take so much of a microhen pulling your tail and growling and talking trash at you. 

Alice stares at Shake as if to say, 'You sure about this, little bug?'

She's sure!

Zip stands by, unhappy at the fight and growling, warning these two she's gonna break this nonsense up any second.

Luckily Alice ends things by jumping and sitting on Shake, who wisely decides to retire from the field of honor and runs off.

Meanwhile in the coop, Burger thinks it's too warm to engage in such silliness and cools off.

And egg laying goes on full steam in the nest boxes.

It's SRO, line up girls!

Pie voices her displeasure at being at the back of the line, however.

Spring Is Here...For Today, Anyway

The weather warmed and the wind died away for one day, so I freshened the dustbathing tub with lovely fresh dirt for the chickens.  Linc and CM jumped right in.  As they sifted the dirt and small rocks came to the top I'd grab them out and discard them.

Daphne joined them...

Rocket didn't so much climb into the tub as fall in.

Meanwhile, Fran the Frizzle was having her own brand of fun by accosting Weedcat, who was snoozing in a sunbeam, yanking on his cape and comb, stepping on his head and generally being an obnoxious old lady.

Back at the tub, Burger joins CM and Linc, who are apparently going for a World Record in dustbath camping.

Little known fact:  Your flockmates make great goodie/dirt sifters.  And double as a handy table!

CM is ousted from her spot by Burger.  Happiness is being covered in dirt, though.

CM avoids the Burger issue by jamming her head under Linc.  IF I CAN'T SEE YOU YOU CAN'T SEE ME.

Surprisingly, this seems to work.  Linc is puzzled, however.

...and once Burger leaves the Dustbath Twins have it to themselves again.

...until Weedcat decides that it's his turn.  When the Head Roo goes dustbathing, it's always SRO.

CM and Linc wisely decide that they are done after all.

And Weedcat gets down to some serious dirt throwing.

More big hens stuff in.  Good thing I bought the large size tub.

Zip demonstrates her dirt throwing technique.

...and she and Weeds have a little friendly dirt-throwing competition.

Crack climbs in and messes up the entire procedure by stuffing under Weedcat.

But gets it together pretty quick, becoming a beak rest for Zip..

Weedcat by now has attracted so many hens that he is ousted and decides to sunbathe next to the tub, where Bug does her best to annoy him by tugging on his cape & comb.

'Are you dead?  Are you dead?  Does this bug you?  Hey, you dead, big guy?'

Meanwhile there is a line forming at the tub.

Zip is falling into a dustbathing coma.

Bug continues in her quest to get a healthy fed-up rooster peck.

Eventually Bug bugs him enough and he rejoins the girls in the tub.

I just wonder why it is always the biggest girls who insist on all trying to cram into the tub with Weedcat at once.

The more crowded it is, the better they like it, silly chickens.