Why is it still the rainy season??? I have work to do!

We had two glorious days of 85 degree temperatures, and now it's back to non-stop rain. But while the sun was shining, I did manage to get most of the plants in the greenhouse repotted, since everything is growing at an alarming rate. I really, really need it to warm up enough to plant. Space is at such a premium in there that I had to line the aisle with plants, then move them outside every time I want to go in there. On the plus side, the jungle growth gives the baby mantises plenty of spots to hide from Willard. The mantis egg sacs finally hatched! The babies are tiny, smaller than a dime. I love watching them hopping about, and so far they seem to be faster than Willard since they've lasted a lot longer than the ladybugs did.

When the weather finally cleared, it was pretty funny to watch the change in all the critters. For the most part, the chickens abhor rain. They sit and sulk in their coop, or run underneath the deck where it stays mostly dry. Jimmy the Guinea is particularly vocal regarding his distaste for all things wet - he sits under the deck, right beneath the sliding glass door, and proceeds to squawk and complain for hours. But once the weather got warm and sunny, it was dust baths and foraging as far as they eye could see. One of the lady turkeys got particularly happy about the sun, and decided to go exploring in the front yard. Unfortunately I didn't realize she was out there when I released the proverbial hounds for a potty break, and watched as Ceri treed the turkey on top of the roof. Luckily that's not the first time she's been up there, and after taunting the dog for awhile Constance meandered her way back to the pasture.

The only one happy with the rain is Bess Bess, who came up for her yearly visit. Last year I put her to work in the garden, and doing various other projects, and she felt a tad exploited. This time around she gets to curl up on the couch with a book and have a real vacation. Her favorite part so far has been playing with Raphael, although he seems to enjoy giving her random chomps. She must use tasty soap or something, because he doesn't do that to anyone else.