June Lightning 6/3/09 - Placer County, California

Here is Hen/Roo staking claim to the top of the rock pile this afternoon and perhaps celebrating survival of all the lightning we had last night. We did get dumped on by the clouds (13 inches an hour) but they moved over us so fast that there are no puddles left. 

I gave the hens some corn to help with the celebration. They were happy to work over the corn to show their appreciation. I see that Wyandotte sitting over by the fence... I will have to check later to see if she left an egg in the pen. [no egg] And I have to remember to bring in any left over corn because more storm cells are supposed to show up tonight and tomorrow. [no corn left either] We do need the rain, but I could do without the lightning.

The lightning didn't seem to upset the hens

because they laid 10 eggs today!

They must feel safe in their coop.

Happy chickens!

After the lightning started we unplugged the computers and then turned off the lights so we could enjoy the light show. Wow! It probably wouldn't seem like much if we lived in the mid-west but we had over 1400 lightning strikes in an hour in one weather cell that moved over us. Constant booming and light flaring lighting up the trees.

If you can stand to sit through the commercial before the lightning video part starts this news video gives a good idea of the non-stop lightning. It was pretty amazing. But much louder where we are and more rain.

The lightning rattled the windows and shook the house. Lightning is not that unusual up here, but I never experienced so many lightning strikes in such a short time. Spectacular!

My video clip is only 6 seconds long because the lightning strike was so close that the bang came at the same time as everything lit up. I was so startled that I backed up into Kristine and she grabbed hold of me because she thought I was going to fall and I tensed up and my finger pushed the button and turned off the recording. Phooey!

There were lots of lightning flashes during the dark part of my video, but the camera could only get the very brightest flashes. I do have other videos but they are rather boring to watch since there is a lot of black screen in between the biggest flashes.

This was the brightest and loudest that I caught. My poor little camera did the best it could. Sorry the video is so short. Later if you want you can click on the video button and drag it slowly and you can see the big bolt of lightning.

I know it's black! Go ahead and click on it!

The noise you hear is the rain and then the thunder.

Treat Time!

This link and this link both explain and show poultry that have sex changed.
This link has the info on egg laying.

Kristine was watching Dr. Who and I was getting ready to make popcorn when we heard a bunch of chicken noise at the slider. I thought it was Hen/Roo and I went over to the dirty rained on, snowed on, dog nosed slider to check and see what the problem was. I think that's a chicken...

Well, hello! I thought it was the Hen/Roo

but the Australorp above went away and then the Hen/Roo

came over and complained too. Gee, I think they want a treat. Duh!

So, I gave them some lettuce which they gobbled up.

If you have time click on this photo,

because Hen/Roo looks like a cartoon rooster.

"Who, me?"

Kristine and I got to talking about sex change in poultry and Kristine found some great links and then I found a site that shows how an egg is laid. Interesting stuff. But don't go there if you never really wanted to know how an egg gets out of a chicken. 

You can see how the Hen/Roo's comb and wattles have grown larger and you probably can't tell from the photos but the tail feathers are starting to stand up and curl a little.

This link has the info on egg laying.

Beware if you are squeamish.

There are videos of hens laying on Youtube

if you want to see the real thing.

But the info on the link is probably enough

for most people.

Mostly.

[11 eggs today]

I took a photo of the flower I made today

for the wall hanging

but Iphoto ate it.

The photo was there but the numbers are gone.

?

Like I said I was making popcorn.

Kristine said, "Wait! Take a picture!"

So, before I dumped the popcorn

in the big yellow bowl I ran and got my camera. 

We like making, or rather I make popcorn in the

cast iron chicken fryer.

I haven't tried making it on the wood stove

because it is way too hot standing that close.

Tastes great and it is fast on the cook top.

Smiles

~:>

Teddy Bear Chair

This is now the teddy bear chair and I expect the teddy bears to behave and stay on their chair. I didn't like moving them off of the bed or off of the other chair every time I wanted to use them so now they have their own spot.  

The new arrival, Lavender Bear, was Donna's bear we gave her one Christmas. Now the bear is Kristine's keepsake bear to keep Donna's memory close. Lavender Bear will hang out with the rest of the bear gang until Kristine has a special place for her when we get her room finished.

Today I have actually been doing a little sewing

of scraps trying to come up with some blocks.

On the way to collect eggs this morning Hen/Roo was acting up and so garnered my attention and got her/himself another video spot. I really need to come up with a name for this chicken.

Have a good day!

Smiles

~:>  

Up On The Roof

I'm up on the garage roof

getting ready to start raking the leaves.

The leaves have dried up enough to come off easily,

 so here I go...

I noticed that the roof has a support

that is kinda sticking up a bit

where a tree crashed through the roof

a few years ago.

But since it is going up instead of down that seems OK.

 Maybe my brother built it that way when he did the repair?

Ahhhh!

Isn't that pretty!

I'm taking a break.

So fun to lay on my back

on the roof

and stare up through the trees.

Wow! They are leafing out fast.

Soon you won't be able to see

hardly any sky through the leaves.

All finished!

That really didn't take very long and I even had time to go rake more leaves off off my paths. And I took the movie of the hen/rooster. Kristine says she isn't laying. There is one other hen who is doing the rooster thing. I'll have to have Kristine show me which hen it is. This is what happens when you don't have a rooster in the flock. Somebody takes the roosters spot.

The black Australorp has decided she is a rooster! She has grown a large red comb, bigger wattles and she is endeavoring to crow. I followed her to the pen and finally captured her strange cluck/crow. The Buff Brahma is clucking along with the growly Australorp crow/clucking. What a strange sound. Enjoy!

[10 eggs today] + 1 = 11

Smiles

:)