These good news/bad news days just don't stop!

This is yet another good news/bad news day: the good news is that we have welcomed Kevin, a 5 year-old male pied cockatiel, to our family. Kevin is the only bird who gets to live in the house (the chickens and ducks have too-big poops, FarmWife explained) and he's also the only bird that will whistle a pretty little tune right back at you when you whistle at him. He is not going to fill the Pickle-sized hole in our little person's heart, but he is going to create a cockatiel-sized hole right next to it.

The bad news is that I turned up 3-legged lame this afternoon! I can't even set my right front hoof on the ground, which has FarmWife pulling her hair out at various ideas ranging from a broken bone to a hoof abscess. We are hoping very much for the latter rather than the former, and we are having a vet out first thing tomorrow to help us narrow it down. Wish me luck, affordable health care, and a comfortable recuperation with lots of sweet treats and Disney movies.

Arrietty has been very excited by all the worry. "Whee!," she says, each time FarmWife comes back into the paddock. "You're here to see me AGAIN??" She is all sorts of cuteness, with her squeaky nickers and warm furry lips, and makes a very good nursemaid when FarmWife can't be present.

Stay tuned for what I hope will be a clear, simple, and treatable diagnosis in the morning!

Ears,
Fen