Sunny And Cold

The snow has melted, but it's still cold. The chickens all look so pretty in their winter fluffy feathers. I bundled up to make the trek out to the coop to check for eggs.

As soon as the chickens heard the screen door close they hurried to meet me and then stopped to give me the eye... food? Nope. No food... no plastic bag with veggies in sight. Smart chickens. When they saw there was no treats they scurried away to resume turning over the forest floor.

I gave them some broccoli in the afternoon.

Morgan did a lot of barking today at something. She is even barking in her sleep.

Lots of stuff that needs doing outside, but it is still too cold for me to spend time outside. I've been watching movies on YouTube and putting together quilt blocks. Fun.

Peek at the Past

(January 31, 2010)
Neat egg videos

[2 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes...

Mubarak should listen to this little girl.

Snow, cold weather, rain, chickens are fine, eggs most days, Kristine is better, I'm ok, and Morgan smells like cat pee. At least I think that's what the smell is... ? 

Hate Speech Is Murder! Gabrielle Giffords Shot!

The young girl wearing a "Peace" headband and carrying a sign that said "Hate Speech Is Murder" who came to Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords offices to show support had it right on the money.

The numbers keep changing, but the latest I have read is that 6 people were killed and 19 injured.

I found this YouTube video where Giffords speaks about the consequences of hate speech and the gun sight targeted list that zeros in on her district.

I had to turn my sound way up to hear.

I hope this tragedy will bring about a true change in the way beliefs are espoused.

~~~ 

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Peek at the Past

(January 8, 2010)

The chickens are big and fat

again this year. Just no eggs.

Click on the photos in last years post and they will enlarge.
I can't get the new editor to open.

[0 eggs today]

The chickens got more

cabbage and carrot peels today.

Sad Day

Christmas In January, February, March... ?

The christmas tree and decorations are still up and will stay up until Kathleen and the children can come for their second christmas.

I enjoy seeing the decorations and the lighted tree every day. First thing in the morning I let Morgan out, turn on the tree and then get the wood stove filled and burning.

Every year I say that I'd like to keep the tree up all year, but end up taking it down when the days warm up and there are lots of sunny days.

The bright christmas tree helps keep my spirits up against the dark, gloomy, cold wet depressing weather. I like cold weather, but I don't do well at all without a lot of sunlight.

I took this photo yesterday trying to get a good picture of the myrtle that is growing very nicely through snow, ice and lots of rain.

I sure wish the myrtle would take over the forest floor and cover up all the leaves. Love how the myrtle grows through the leaves and hides them.

Chicken coop webs. Love the webs!

I took these cobweb pics yesterday after I cleaned the chicken pen. Cobwebs are beautiful, but these poor webs are rather a mess. I should save these pics to post on Halloween.

I leave the webs up in hopes of them catching flys, mosquitos, etc., but in the winter the only thing I see crawling around are spiders.


Put more wood ash in the chicken coop for the hens to walk through when they go in and out of the coop. I like to think the wood ash helps keep the hens feet dry and healthy.

Morgan is happy. I washed her bedding. The wet weather makes for muddy paws and the bedding doesn't take long to get smelly. Morgan is getting older and appreciates a clean, warm bed. Me too!

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Peek at the Past

(January 6, 2009)

Holly and Danny

Wedding Photos

Hope to see them this year!

Loved the wedding!

[0 eggs today]

Lonely and the rest of the chickens

were out today

and

they got cabbage treats on the porch.

Smiles

♌

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On The Tree Tops Not A Leaf Is Stirring

Well, there are a few leaves hanging on for dear life, but almost all of them have finally hit the forest floor.

The chickens and Morgan were out most of the day. The chickens had a good time turning over the leaf litter. Morgan is all tired out... she is asleep at my feet as I type this post. She had a good time too running around checking out all the smells and looking for squirrels.

See the white dot in the photo below.

That's Morgan.

I can't get all of the tall trees in one photo.

So, I took the bottom photo first and then walked down to where Morgan was waiting for me by the tall oaks.

Then I pointed the camera straight up to get a shot of the tree tops and the little bit of open sky.

We get a lot more sunlight now that the leaves are off the oak trees.  I'm so much happier on sunny days.

There is still lots of green with all the pine trees around the place. I had a good time too: I cleaned the chicken pen, raked leaves off the porch and even started raking and clearing the first path this year.

I've got a lot of work to do trimming trees and picking up downed tree limbs. Good thing we are supposed to have a week of sunny days.

Bill is sending delicious chicken soup home with Tom that Kristine can eat... along with unsalted crackers, jello, water, apple juice and real juice popsicles. When she was little and sick I used to give her the BRAT diet... bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. She has a tender tummy when ill. I'm such a failure... my chicken soup just doesn't measure up to Bill's.

Thank you, Bill!

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Peek at the Past

(January 6, 2009)

I still haven't made this quilt for Kristine.

My excuse...

The sewing machine is on the floor.

I need a sewing table

and I'm afraid of cutting up the beautiful fabric.

Not much of an excuse.

[0 eggs today]

But Lonely and the hens

all went out and had fun in the sun.

And Lonely ate all her scratch.

Smiles

♌

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More Down Tree Limbs

Short post because I have spent too much time trying to get the new editor to open. I finally gave up and went back to the old editor. Don't know whether it is a glitch with my computer or Google is having a problem?

There are a lot more downed branches after the snow.

I walked along the longer branch and counted over 16 feet.

And I just noticed the branch sticking into the ground.





I found a dead branch ready to fall, but I don't know when it will take a dive.

The branch has lost its bark, but doesn't look like it wants to fall.

It has been like this for the 10 years I've been here.








The moss is very happy and seems to love the wet snowy rainy weather.

Lonely is not broody.

I wish she was, but she doesn't do any of the broody things like puffing up when disturbed or clucking.

She is quiet and I'm not even sure she is eating that much.

Hope I can let all the chickens out tomorrow. Lonely too!

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Peek at the Past

(January 5, 2010)

Sore throat remedies aren't working for Kristine
this time around.

The doctor said she has a

spectacular case of bronchitis.

She has meds to take.

[0 eggs today]

Smiles

♌

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Peek A Boo - Sick Chicken?

 This morning all the chickens were milling around in the pen
eager to grab some chopped up cabbage pieces,
but I didn't see Lonely.

I finally found her snug and warm in a nest box and happy to stay there.
I had to reach in and pick her up.
She was not getting up!

Lonely is either not feeling well

or is a
very smart chicken

and has decided to stay warm and safe from the bullies

until the other hens have all finished eating.

To play it safe I fixed up the dog crate with straw, water and feed

and put Lonely in the crate.

At least she can eat in peace. Sure hope she is not sick.

I covered the crate with the plastic drop
to make sure there are no drafts.
There are places for air to circulate.

Most of the leaves have finally hit the ground,

but it was a bit too cold today for me to start raking.

The thermometer read 38 ∘this morning.

I'll wait for the leaves to dry out a bit and for the temp to get warmer.

There are still patches of snow
in very shady spots. 

My paths are all covered with leaves.
What paths?

Peek at the Past
(January 4, 2010)
Oh, dear, seems we were sick last year too.
Kristine is going to the doctor tomorrow.

Tom had to go to the store to buy a working thermometer.
We have two, but one doesn't work
and the other is celsius.
Kristine may have got it when she was in Australia?
We don't do celsius in the states.
Well, at least I don't. 

[0 eggs today]
Tom bought another dozen eggs.
Sigh...

Smiles

♌

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Chicken Eats Alone

Poor Lonely. She is the only Dark Brahma we have left and I think she is the victim of chicken racism.

I find it a bit amazing that the hens seem to form clicks based on color. The Light Brahmas are chums, so are the Wyandottes, the Buff Brahmas, Australorps and the Orpingtons.

There are mixed groups and the hens move around together, but the hens do seem to recognize what breed they are. I should spend more time watching the hens interact before making any blanket statements.

Lonely used to hang out with her sister Dark Brahma, but once we lost that hen... Lonely was all alone. The two Buff Brahmas will sometimes hang out with her, but one of the Buffs picks on Lonely and the other Buff.

And the other hens are not nice to her at all. There are no missing feathers or peck damage, but the other hens run her around and they don't let her eat with them. Bullies!

So, this morning I made a place for Lonely to have a quiet meal all by herself. Poor girl.

Lonely is a big girl and I don't think she is missing any meals, but I do think she has to wait until the other hens are finished eating or have gone to roost before she can eat. I'll be so glad when things warm up and we can let the chickens out to free range during the day.

It has been too wet, rainy, snowy, cold, etc., to keep Morgan out all day watching the chickens. The weather is supposed to get up into the 50's later this week... so maybe we can all get outside. I'll move the leaves around with the rake, the chickens can scratch up the leaves, and Morgan can run through the leaves. Well, not really... the leaves are too wet to do anything but squish.

Come Spring I think we should expand the flock a bit and get a few chicks to help with egg production and we'll be sure that some of the chicks are Dark Brahmas. That ought to even up the score around the coop.

Kristine is still sick. I'm eating blueberries and drinking lots of tea. Not that I think that will help... I just like blueberries and tea.

Peek at the Past

January 3, 2010

(no peek - no post last year)

Wonder why?

[0 eggs today]

Smiles

♌

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Christmas Noodles

 Kristine woke up without a fever, but it came back. Rats!
I'm the walking wounded.

I made chicken soup today to chase the sick away. Hope it works!

Over the holidays I made noodles. What fun!

Instead of mixing the 4 eggs, a pinch of salt and the flour in a bowl I thought I would try the counter method.

I made a well in a mound of flour, put the eggs and salt in the well, mixed the eggs up with a fork and gradually worked in flour until I had a dough ball.

The idea is to just incorporate enough flour to make a workable dough, but...

Too much flour! That's what I think happened. Next time I will use a bowl because I didn't like scraping eggy flour off the counter.

But it was a lot of fun mixing up the dough on the counter!

And I will try to get the dough rolled out thinner, because the noodles increase in size when they are cooked... about 2 to 3 times.

But... they tasted great and these were yukko store bought eggs. I'm looking forward to using my chicken's eggs. Don't think that is going to happen for a while.

The noodles may not look pretty, but they sure tasted great.

Peek at the Past

(January 02, 2010)

[0 eggs today]

chickens are still locked up

because everything is wet and very cold

 ♌

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Smiles

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year!

Home made tomato soup for Kristine. She is sick. I'm trying to get sick, but I'm fighting it off so far.

Kristine got me the immersion blender for Christmas. Hope the soup will help her get well quicker.

Snow outside! Cold! Not reading blogs yet. I don't want to get sicker. Yuk!

Peek at the Past

(January 1, 2010)

[0 eggs today]

♌

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 Smiles