Photo Friday: For the Birds

Several friends of mine keep chickens and geese, and lately they've been crowing over their newly-hatched chicks or the antics of certain birds.  All this has reminded me of the summer trips that I took to my aunt Joy's hobby farm in rural Ontario when I was a teenager.  I still miss the place.

One summer she had a rooster and hen on loan from a neighbour.  The hen was shy but the rooster wouldn't hesitate to come for a treat.  I called him Rusty.  His crow was quite loud and could be heard at dawn every day even from the confines of the barn.  There was another smaller rooster with golden feathers and a green tail that would follow Rusty everywhere and try to imitate him.

Here's a shot of me in front of the farmhouse with two of the other hens and my aunt's dog Sheba. 

Also among the cast of farm characters were a pair of white geese, seen here.  Aunt Joy would joke that they were better than guard dogs because once angered they could get really nasty.  When they became used to me they would come when I called and eat from my hands.  However only the goose would allow me to pick her up.  The gander preferred to hobnob with the other birds.

Another picture of the crew in front of the old barn.  The geese and baby goat are keeping watch over some of the ducks. There was also a small flock of guinea hens but they rarely let anyone to get close to them.