The shaking-out-the-tablecloth at the end, right?

All I can think of is the picnic scene in Mad Men.

Thanks!

Wait, there's a sub for that?

SUNY's not far to the west and UNH is an easy sprint down 89 and as far as I know they both still have real books.
Way to drive people away.

Someone's feedstore business or farm just took a pretty big hit. I hope they have the useful kind of insurance. :(

Mine too. Couple of dark spots on combs that may fade -- but if the points get rounded off a little more that just makes them more weatherproof for the next time.

My floor's got nice thick pack too - keeps them well sealed but whoo it's gonna whiff a bit when the thaw comes.

I've been wimping out on bringing out warm soaked scratch in the mornings and I'm paying for it - egg production dropped like a stone. Time to get my but in gear again.

:)

>7-8 years old

Apologies for assuming you were a newbie in your first year. :)

(I just talked a colleague out of digging out the infra-red heat lamp leftover from from the chick stage and setting it up in her coop tonight, hers is pretty close to the house and I really don't feel like hearing the fire sirens go off in the wee hours.)

For what it's worth, I have had friends with elderly ladies who expired gently but suddenly in big swings, so we both know it can happen - but hopefully for you it won't.

I've got one who molted wayyy late, still filling in some of the fluffy bits. We'll see, hopefully she'll get herself into the middle of the perch lineup and draw heat from her neighbors.

Tall combs or rose type? Mine are in their second winter, last year I had the same worries but honestly they were fine. The ones with the tallest combs lost the very tips of the points to frostbite but it didn't seem to bother them near as much as it worried me. Adequate ventilation, block off drafts, add some fresh bedding to their night coop to make sure it's good and dry, they'll take care of the rest. Moisture management is key. .

Well, yeah...it's been there a while. I was hoping you'd been to a planning meeting and heard something a little recent/hopeful.

I'm old enough to remember when it last existed, was actually planning my first trip when it stopped, so I'm cynical :(

What do you see as the most likely upgrade in local resources , to make getting around w/out one's personal vehicle feasible once at your destination?

I can see the ski slopes and major hotels/upscale bnb's/breweries running shuttles, but what about "normal" towns?

Good train platform - to residence - to attractions - to trailheads options don't exist yet on any meaningful, dependable scale - what's being discussed at the planning level?

How likely is the Montreal extension, and how soon?

I'd be SO freaking happy to see it in my lifetime.

I see you've chosen to avoid resurrecting the Thirty Six Miles Of Trouble. :)

Any reason to believe either the BF/Rut or Rut/WRJ won't also be a bit of a PITA?

And holy cats, that yellow line from Albany to Concord - we thinking tunnels outside of Wilmington?

<sigh> I feel your pain. There's a reason I know that (VERY LARGE VERY LOUD) Great Pyrenees will happily warn off coyotes ALL NIGHT. The sheep-guarding breeds will sometimes just do that, which is why PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS SHOULDN'T KEEP WORKING BREEDS AS DECORATIVE PETS DAMMIT whoops sorry I digress..

but anyway, the below-20 isn't going to ring any alarm bells on its own. Plenty of dogs can be just fine down into the single digits if they have a dry spot and wind protection.

You're probably going to have to do this from the reasonable-expectation-of-peaceful-enjoyment angle.

If you own your home, the town needs to help you out as a taxpayer. If you rent, is your landlord on board with going to bat for you? Landlords don't like to lose money/good tenants over this stuff, and you're back to the taxpayer thing again.

Here's why: some dogs bark because they're desperate to get back inside, some because they're bored, some because they've been confined for so long they're starting to go bonkers, and some because that's what the breed does.

How your neighbor addresses the issue will depend on if it's a working or guard or pet type, and how you approach it might benefit from leaving a little wiggle room -- not saying that the noise is acceptable because it isn't, but just saying that it might not help to assume that the dog is being abused. If it's a dachshund or spaniel, it might be very frigid and unhappy. If it's a Maremma or Pyrenees, it ain't cold and it's probably telling the coyotes to piss off.

What kind of dog is it?

Not surprised at all. I have friends that work on our infrastructure. You don't want to know what they know.

I wish we had some sort of system -- maybe big red flags that can be hung from any window? -- that could signal "I NEED HELP" -- without depending on any technology at all.

We too often assume everyone has a med-alert button, that every pulled-over car has a healthy driver inside with a working phone/cell coverage and a triple-A membership.

There's nothing that beats actually checking. Maybe think about knocking on some doors tomorrow morning?

Mneh, bunnies are a renewable resource.

You only need to worry about one thing: building the correct structure the first time.

Solid night coop, no cracks, weasel-proof wire on all outlets, 3 feet per bird minimum, so say 8-12 birds in a coop made on a 4x8 base.

Outside roofed-over day run, hawk/coyote-proof, can be lightweight with very open wire, just make sure it goes down into the ground.

Be faithful about when you let them in/out.

Free-range when the timing is right - when there's enough human activity to keep foxes away, when the sun is out -- hawks will hunt on overcast days when they don't flash a shadow for warning.

There's still going to be a nature-tax to pay, you will lose a few birds to your own learning curve and theirs, but in general you can keep a flock safe and happy, you just have to be realistic.

Adjust this plan to slightly-more-relaxed if you're around more people; add in more precautions like electrified wires at night if you live further out in the boonies. Everybody loves the taste of chicken, and putting your coop ten feet from the puckerbrush is more or less setting out a buffet. :)

But don't let this dissuade you! It's worth it. Chickens are cool. :)

<lol, literally>

I was busy earlier, sorry. Have now caught up, see other comment.

>cougar

You spelled "catamount" wrong

>future habitat

You spelled "current" wrong.

;)

Mine have just picked up again in the last few days. Wait for it!

<groan>

Why did you need to say that?

OP said they're willing to drive, the poster here specified it's in NY, Plattsburgh is a reasonable distance from certain Vermont towns.

Everyone here is just trying to help, no need to laugh at them.