Winter Fire Wood

 What have I been up to? Well, this small pile of fire wood was much bigger and has turned into a shed almost full of stacked fire wood ready to keep us warm this winter.


There is still enough wood in another pile that needs to be split and stacked that should fill the shed. This winter we will remove the far wall of the shed to gain access to very dry wood left over from last winter and use it first.

We had a very wet winter last year, not much of a Spring or Summer. It has been hot in the valley, but no triple digit heat waves in the mountains this year. So, are we going to get another wet, cold, snowy winter?

Next job is for me to get the chicken coop and pen ready for winter. I'll start by putting down a layer of wood chips and sawdust kindly contributed by all the fire wood.

The hens like to dust in the wood chips and their scratching in it 

yields them rewards. I watch them scratch and peck, but I can't see what they are finding. 

I did see when they found and chased the lizards that were living under the wood pile. I'm sure the hens would have made a meal of the lizards if they could have caught them.

I found the lizards first. Embarrassing! I was frightened and screamed because I was surprised by a lizard when I picked up a piece of fire wood. Well... I thought it was a snake. We have rattlers up here.


2 pretty brown eggs today.
There are still two broody hens (a Buff Orpington and a Black Australorp) sharing a nest box. They are in different nests at times, but together. There was an egg under them... I think they find and egg and then sit on it... if there were more eggs maybe they would not pair up?