New Things

It stopped raining today!  We even got brief periods of sunshine when the clouds parted at the right moments.  And the thermometer made it to 60 for the first time this year.  I'm feeling so much better.  Actually, I'm still fighting this "boomerang" virus that's been plaguing me on and off all month, but nice weather sure helps my mental attitude.

While I've been under the weather (gee, I think I now understand how that saying came about), Goosey has been laying another batch of eggs.  She now has 19 in the same nest she made for the first batch.  She even tries to sit on them this time, but no matter how she arranges herself or the eggs, she can't cover all 19 at once.  I decided to let her keep the eggs for awhile this time.  No one around here seems interested in cooking with goose eggs, but I'm thinking they might be fun to put in Easter baskets in a few weeks.

I also acquired a 6-month old chihuahua about two weeks ago.  Goosey and Cupid are still in the process of learning not to chase each other.  Cupid is also learning not to chase kitties, not to jump on people, not to tear things (like quilt batting) to pieces, not to remove laces from shoes, not to irrigate the floor, and a host of other "nots."  He's supposed to be a foster dog in training for a forever home.  We'll see.  The real problem is not his lack of training but his size.  Cupid is like a Greyhound in a chihuahua suit.  He's a deer head chihuahua with a long nose, long body and long legs that didn't stop growing when they were supposed to.  Standing on his hind legs, he's tall enough to pull things off the kitchen table.  If he had spots, he could easily pass as a fawn.  Prospective doggy parents take one look at him and run!  Too bad, because he has a sweet personality, he's intelligent, friendly, loves kids, and is quite happy to to sit on a human's lap all day.  I think Sophie (my little chihuahua) better get used to sharing her bed with a dog nearly twice her size.

Mother Goosey?

The weather turned wet and cold again a few days ago, so I've been staying indoors hugging the heater - well, I would if I could!  But today was shopping day so I had to venture outdoors.  The sun had actually made an appearance before I returned home, so I poked around outside to check on Goosey's eggs.  Goosey has been a busy lady: there are now 12 eggs in the nest that I rarely see her sitting on (I can see it from my office window).  Either she hasn't got much in the mothering instincts department or she knows that sitting on those eggs is a complete waste of time.

Monday is garbage pick up day.  The eggs will mysteriously disappear this weekend.  I won't feel so bad knowing that Goosey doesn't seem to be much of a mother goose.  Of course, if I had to sit on eggs in 30-degree weather with snow and rain falling on me, I would be shirking my duty, too.  I wonder why Goosey chose to lay eggs out in the open instead of in a sheltered spot under cover?  There are plenty of sheltered spots around here to choose from, including the one that was especially built for Goosey.

UPDATE:  Goosey caught us in the act of removing her eggs.  Although she gave us quite a scolding, she didn't attack anyone.  Half an hour later, she seemed to have either forgiven us or forgotten the incident.