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The Sun

March 21st, 2013

Mr Chiots always jokes that I’m like to sun and it’s probably not for the reason you’d expect. You see, here at Chiot’s Run, everything revolves around me. Why? Because I fill the food bowls.
The Sun 3
The Sun 6
When I’m in the house, I have 2 cats and a dog that are always close by waiting for a hand out. When I’m outside, there are cats, dogs, ducks and chickens that follow me around. It’s especially evident when it’s nice outside and everyone is out and about.
The Sun 1
The Sun 5
The Sun 2
Whenever I head outside, animals come out of the woodwork hoping for a snack of some kind. It’s rather amusing actually, though it can be annoying at times. When I head up to the coop to check for eggs, I really don’t need all 13 chickens to follow me up there. When I want to move from the kitchen to the office, I don’t need to be tripping over cats and dogs.
The Sun 4
It’s funny how that is, the person providing the food somehow becomes the center of those around them. Others rely on us for nourishment. That’s not a bad place to be, except sometimes I feel like they’re sneaking up on me plotting their attack. Mr Chiots and I joke that someday, when I forget to feed the animals, he’ll find me all tied up like Gulliver!

Are you the primary food provider in your household? Do you find animals/people following you around?

17 Comments to “The Sun”
  1. Robin on March 21, 2013 at 5:39 am

    I sometimes wonder what people think as they drive by and see three dogs, six turkeys, six chickens and three ducks following me. It must be quite a sight. Inside, one of the cats doesn’t follow me, he tries to maim me. “Feed me now or I will trip you.”

    Reply to Robin's comment

    • Susy on March 21, 2013 at 7:22 am

      Good to hear my cats aren’t the only ones with the tripping trick. I try to explain to those cats that if they kill me by tripping me down the stairs their free meals are gone!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. whit on March 21, 2013 at 5:43 am

    Definitely feel your pain here. People and animals are always hanging about looking for a scrap. The funniest one though is the “feral” cat that follows me around in hopes for tuna or bread. If she wants to slow me down, she darts in front of me and rolls up into a ball at my feet. :). The chooks are pretty funny too…we have sleigh bells attached to our backdoor so we can hear if the door opens (caveman security system), but to the chooks it’s like their dinner bell and they come running in from all over their acre of pasture. Running chickens are God’s greatest joke! :)

    Hope everyone is well there and Spring Fever isn’t too bad.

    Reply to whit's comment

    • Susy on March 21, 2013 at 7:21 am

      Our feral now tame kitty does that too, she darts in front of me and lays down so I’ll pet her. And you’re so right, running chickens often has me doubled over in laughter outside!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. BJ on March 21, 2013 at 6:46 am

    Since you feed Brian regularly, I am sure that he is always hot on your heels too. Hehe…

    Reply to BJ's comment

    • Mr. Chiots on March 21, 2013 at 7:17 am

      That is the ‘annoying’ part she is talking about.

      Reply to Mr. Chiots's comment

    • Susy on March 21, 2013 at 7:20 am

      Yes, he does come out into the kitchen when he hears me out there to see what I’m making that’s good to eat.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  4. heather vahila on March 21, 2013 at 8:03 am

    Kinda of sweet, that Mr. Chiots! They know where their food comes from, basic necessity of life. My dogs are always following me around the house…it does get annoying at times, I’m always tripping over them. But then, they look at me with those adoring eyes and I can’t get mad. Lol!

    Reply to heather vahila's comment

  5. Jennifer Fisk on March 21, 2013 at 8:07 am

    Whenever I drive in or walk outside, the chickens gather at the fence. The goats follow me around and of course my dog is always right there. She is more concerned with me throwing a stick or ball than food. Given the choice between eating or playing she’d take playing. My cat is always trying to make sure I’ve filled the food bowl.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  6. Melanie in Ca on March 21, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Great Danes aren’t known for their herding skills but my pack has “crowding” down to a science. The three of them have figured out how to surround me and lean/side-step me toward the treat jar in the kitchen.

    The outside critters (chickens, goats, sheep) know their regular mealtimes and if we’re late delivering the goods there’s a multi-species clamor that gets louder over time. The bantams will perch on the porch railing and make raucous noise at us.

    My favorite is the humming birds who will fly over to peer in through the French door panes when their feeders get low. We have several that are here year-round and Chris has named one of them Jerry because he will hover at the door almost close enough to touch and seems to be saying, “Hey laaaayyydeeee” in his best Jerry Lewis voice. Last night we counted ten hummers at the feeder!

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  7. Tara on March 21, 2013 at 11:33 am

    My husband is the chief food bowl filler and an early riser. First thing in the morning when his alarm goes off, both cats come running & jump onto the bed because they know that he’s about to get up and thus feed them. It’s actually quite cute! :)

    Reply to Tara's comment

  8. KimH on March 21, 2013 at 11:42 am

    When we had animals, I did.. I had a cat who wouldnt let me out of his sight, day or night, inside or out, unless I was in the back yard with the wolf.. he wouldnt go there. That cat would climb in my lap and type on the computer, crawl between me & my book if I was reading, go to the bathroom for a shower with me & if I snuck in and closed the door before he could get there, he would cry an unholy racket at the door..
    The wolf tried to eat a hole in the house to get inside.. sigh.. I had a wonderful dog there too that I couldnt get out of my car without her jumping on the frame & giving me love before I could step out of my car, but to be honest, thats one of my favorite memories.. She lifted me up, often.
    Nowadays I just have these 2 guys wanting to know whats to put in their bellies..

    Reply to KimH's comment

  9. Donna B. on March 21, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    Those ducks definitely look like they’re plotting something – be careful Susy!
    [Oh how long it’s been since we’ve seen the chiots! ♥]

    Thankfully, both my boyfriend and myself prepare meals in the house, but my dogs both know during the warm months when I come back inside from harvesting veggies and berries, they usually will get something! My one girlie, Charlotte, is quite fond of raspberries and cherry tomatoes. So in the summertime she comes to expect it! Hehehe.
    I do have an odd visitor who ‘follows’ me around. My neighbors cat loves my patches of cat mint – and is usually seen rolling around in it. So I’ll grab a bunch or two and scatter them on the ground closer to her domain since she’s still skittish of me.
    She rolls and rolls and loves every minute of it. ♥

    Reply to Donna B.'s comment

  10. daisy on March 21, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    Wasn’t it Mr. Chiots who said he doesn’t cook? Hmmmm…

    Reply to daisy's comment

  11. Wendy on March 21, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    When I nursed my babies I sure felt that way! They used to crawl around the house after me. Too cute.

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  12. Deb on March 23, 2013 at 4:13 am

    I’m the main feeder and waterer here akthough hubby takes care of the outdoor cats in the AM. Just cats and chicks next month to take care of and of course hubby although he’s gooid at finding something in the fridge if I’m busy or not home. Love your critters.

    Reply to Deb's comment

  13. Megan on March 25, 2013 at 8:05 am

    My beef cows will follow me around the pasture. Must be quite a sight watching 5 1,300lb cows follow in a line behind me right on my heels.

    Reply to Megan's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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