Woodshed

(you can click on the photos to enlarge them)

[8 eggs]

I'm going to start an egg count everyday and keep track for awhile of the girl's egg production. The hens have started laying again after the winter slow down. Yesterday they laid 11 eggs.

This morning I went out to the woodshed (see photo on sidebar) to pick up some firewood to put in the wheelbarrow. I am so puny lately that instead of wheeling the wheelbarrow over to the wood I just carry a few pieces of wood at a time over to the house and fill the wheelbarrow. How pathetic is that...  Anyway, I noticed that we only have one course and a small amount of wood left stacked against the far wall. To make it through the winter we need to start with the woodshed at least half full. We will have enough wood, after all it is Spring, of course it just snowed, but we will have enough. It is dark in there so I had to use the flash which made the colors of the wood very light. It works out best if we can stack the green wood in the summer so it has time to dry, which makes for much better burning wood. 

The woodshed was originally built as a place to store building materials during the time that my brother built this house. The right half of the shed is still for storage. That is where we keep the chicken feed, paint, garden tools, dog crates, etc. The other half of the shed was turned into a place for a horse. You can see the left door opens in the middle, up (see photo on sidebar) and out so a horse can stick its head out and look around. At that time they kept the horse feed in the right side of the shed and there is a cut out in the adjoining wall so the alfalfa flakes can be shoved through saving a trip around the outside to the horse feeder. 

Then I went out and picked up the eggs. Egg! There was only one egg, but there was one dark Brahma hen laying, so I have hopes the hens will come back and lay after they have run around for a bit. Yesterday, they laid 11 eggs, which is quite good for the 16 hens that I think are laying. There are two hens that have taken up the idea that they are roosters, so I don't count them as layers. That's what happens when there is no rooster. A hen or hens will take the roosters place

in the flock. They don't crow, but they sure do make a loud crowy cackle kind of noise. Silly hens.

I think the dark Brahmas have such pretty markings. This hen was not bothered at all by my taking the photo even when the 1st photo was with the flash. (I forgot to turn it off) The Brahmas are such calm, gentle chickens. The Brahma roosters we had were such pets. Unfortunately, roosters don't last very long around here. They rush in to protect their hens and they are the ones who disappear first when there is a predator attack. We have decided not to have anymore roosters for awhile. The hens are much more settled without the rooster's attentions and we really don't want to have to worry about the crowing bothering the neighbors.

On the way back to the house I snapped this photo because everything looked so clean and bright from the snow and rain. Soon the oaks will leaf out and everything will be green and shady. I hope we get some bees this year. I don't remember seeing

any last year and the fruit trees didn't have any fruit that set. Of course that could have been from the late snows and frosts. 

I still haven't got up on the garage and gone after the leaves. My excuse is that they are too wet and I'm waiting for them to dry out so they will be easier to get off the roof.

I called Jean yesterday and she was having another of her bad days. I'll call again today before lunch and hopefully they will have her medication regulated better. Dear sweet Jean. I hate to think of her hurting. Tom is supposed to come home tonight.

[I called Jean just before lunch and she said she is doing better today. She was in her chair when I called and had done about half the work to get there. When she tried earlier in the week she couldn't do anything she was so weak. Her arms must be getting stronger. Tom and Dolores will be there to be with her while she has lunch and to visit. Sure hope the medication keeps on working and she continues to feel good. I told her she had well wishers from Japan and Texas and that cheered her up! Thanks.]

[Tom called and he won't be coming home until tomorrow]

Smiles