Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road And Why Do I Blog?

This hen is showing proper caution by checking both directions before venturing forth... no cars, dogs, cats or raccoons.

She wants to get to some choice treats on the porch. Watermelon!

I thought I better post something! I'm in the thralls of blog boredom or blog overload. Sad maybe, but I'm not reading blogs or posting and spend my time doing other things. Lately it has been stacking fire wood, raking, and sewing.

And sleeping.


 Yesterday, I had a migraine type episode with fortress lines and pain in the back of my head. The strange outcome is that after the pain wore off my sight improved and I have much more energy... not so tired and sleepy.

So, I could lay the blame for my not blogging on my migraine problem or just feeling overwhelmed.

The truth is that when I started getting over 200 hits a day on my blog it freaked me out! I couldn't handle the replying to comments and visiting blogs and just pretty much gave up. The blog is back down to about 50 hits a day and I feel much more comfortable.

I never thought people would want to read this blog but when they did I started trying to write interesting posts and the blog began not to be fun anymore.

So, I'm going to go back to just writing posts for myself and posting when I have something to record.

When winter shows up I will have much more time for the blogs.

In the meantime I'm going to take a page from Morgan's book and learn how to relax!

Raking Thursday

I spent a few hours outside raking a path and picking up down tree limbs. I got half of the driveway done and a start on the paths. It was wonderful being outside breathing the warm fresh forest air.

I hauled branches around and stacked them along the driveway where they will be easy to haul away. Some of the limbs are too heavy for me to move... maybe in the summer when they dry out they will be light enough for me to drag.

It is going to take a long time for me to pick up all the down branches. I only got a small patch cleared today.

It's been about five months since I've done any heavy outside work and I'm trying to break myself in easy without causing myself an injury. I'm too old to push myself. I'll do a little bit more every day.

Today when I started sweating and getting a little tired... I quit... came inside and got my camera and took these photos.

Hard to believe there's only about four months until Fall shows up and we start the Winter weather again. Hope this sunny weather holds so I can get all my projects finished.

I'll work on clearing the paths, driveway and picking up the debris for now. Then there is the garage roof to clear and I need to work on the chicken coop.

And there is the garden. Hmmm... don't know if there is much time for anything to grow. I'll have to talk to Kristine and see about a trip to the nursery for some plants. I think I would have better luck with seedlings than planting seeds.

Morgan  had to stay in my little green garden and couldn't run around with the chickens.

The chickens are running around loose. They are living dangerously without her protection. So far so good.



 Blogger is still acting up a bit... in order to get comments to post I have to publish them twice and one by one. And sometimes when I leave a comment it doesn't post.

Rain And Then Sunshine

There was heavy rain last night after a cold gloomy Saturday, but the sun came out to play today and everything looks so green and bright. More rain later today.

The low 60's and wet weather is not my idea of a warm sunny Spring.

The chickens are having a good time scratching up the wet leaves, Morgan is curled up in her bed resting up from her trip to the vets for vaccinations. I don't like shots either.

I'm trying to get over a chest cold or maybe it is allergies? I made a large pot of ginger tea that I hope will help.

Update: Well, the sunny day didn't last long... it's raining again.

And Hail!

Here is Morgan sleeping off the trauma of shots and a long trip to the vets. Poor baby.

I finally figured out how to view images of my iPhoto pictures (before I choose them to post) by clicking the "show items as cover flow." That option was set up on my other account, but I just realized how to get the same result on this account.  It was such a pain to try and find the photos by looking for their numbers.

Early Morning Sun, Morgan and Chickens

One of the things I love best about the forest is being out in it in the early morning and watching the sunlight make its way through the tree tops to light up patches of the forest floor.

After all the rain and snow the leaf layer on the ground is still wet and the moisture has made the moss very happy.

The chickens are digging up the layers of wet leaves to get down to dirt that they can scratch through to find some tasty grub.

I've noticed that the hens especially like to scratch around the base of the trees. There must be some really good thing to find.

Two more mostly sunny days and then we are back to rain and thunder storms. I am being very lazy and not doing much of anything and I blame it on the weather. I've got lots to do and I want sun and warm days.

Morgan And The Iron Skillet

The story goes like this:

One morning Kristine heard a strange slurpy noise coming from the kitchen.

She went downstairs and and discovered Morgan licking out the inside of my small iron skillet.

I forgot to put the lid on the skillet and morgan was busy licking out the tasty bacon grease.  I usually at least put the skillet away upside down.







Kristine told Morgan to leave it, but she didn't tell me what Morgan had been up to and I didn't use the small skillet for a week.

Yikes ...rust happened. Morgan, Morgan, Morgan, tsk, tsk... My fault for not putting the skillet away with a lid.






Getting the rust off was not a problem. Add a little oil, a lot of salt and rub it all around for a bit and the rust lifts away.






The problem is that some of the black seasoning lifts away with the rust and the skillet will need to have some new seasoning layers added.

A well seasoned skillet is black, smooth, shiny and works just like a teflon coated skillet.




Here is the little skillet with a few days of cooking and a few new layers of seasoning. It will take a month or so until it is back to the way it was before the Morgan incident.

The dutch oven is cooking meat and gravy for dinner tonight.

It is still raining. No snow except in spots.

Thunder, rain tomorrow, maybe some sun so the chickens can go outside. I'm staying inside.

Fluffy Furry Chicken?

5 Chickens?

Sometimes, Morgan thinks she is a chicken. She loves chicken feed... scratch and lay pellets... doesn't matter what I give the chickens. If the chickens are eating it then she wants some too.  Morgan snuck in some chicken scratch while I was trying to take pictures. Hope she doesn't get a tummy ache.

Of course, there really are "furry" chickens... The Silkie Breed. Click on the link to go to a BackYard Chickens page about them with lots of information and photos.

Fire! Must have fire to heat the house.

After the fire got going, I opened all the dampers.

and set the kitchen timer for fifteen minutes

so I would remember

to close the dampers so I don't burn up the wood and the house.

I love building and making a fire in the wood stove. I suppose that feeling might tap into some primeval fire homage as I give thanks for the fire wood finally catching and holding the flames. I did a happy dance when the fire finally got going after several fizzles. I had a lot of trouble getting the fire to catch today because the fire box was cold since we haven't needed a fire for a few days. It is getting cold again. It shouldn't snow according to the weather forecast, but it might. Stranger things have happened.   

I just found this video and these could be our chickens.

Our chickens come running just like this from the forest to be first to get on the porch when I toss cabbage or other treats out for them to enjoy. I'll have to try and make a video of them this summer or at least get some photos. It all happens so fast it is hard to capture when I have 14 chickens coming at me from all directions. Must do some planning and enlist Kristine to help.

Fire is still going...
It's raining buckets!

Sunshine But Cold

Last week I made curtains. I know I said I wouldn't, but I needed curtains to keep the sun from shining on my cutting board and cause it to warp.  And it will be good to have the curtains there to keep the sun off my sewing machine. 

My sewing machine is under the grey cover. Not much room there, but it will have to do for awhile. The treadle, Lovey, is still in need of some repair. I need to repaint the table top.

Some of the chickens are missing feathers and look like they are molting again. I did some reading and found some mention of chickens molting twice a year, not at all, or whenever.

The chickens are out and about, but I'm waiting for warmer weather before I get out and do some outside work. We are supposed to have another sunny day, then clouds and rain for the weekend.

I'm trying out this "curtain" to block off the doorway to keep the cool air in the room in the summer.  These two back rooms stay much cooler in the summer because they are on the shady side of the house.

Well, hopefully this room will stay cooler now that I can trap the cool air. Morgan thinks the curtain is fun.

I love this material, but never knew exactly what to do with it! The fabric was hand woven by Indians in South America. My friends mother bought the fabric in the 60's+- when she was on a tour. It is a long piece (doubled here over a tension rod.) I didn't want to cut it or hang it in the window as a curtain and let it get sun damaged so this is a good use for the fabric until I can get a door. Or not.

Well, back to trying to figure out how to get to the thumbnails in iPhoto in the other user account.

Morgan May Have To Go To The Vet

Morgan stayed in the house today, but she still has a limp sometimes... mostly when she first gets up. We found what we think might be a puncture wound, but now all we can see is a small dried scab.

So, Friday she will have to take a trip to the vet unless she stops limping. Poor Morgan. She has three acres of stuff to step on and hurt herself. Maybe I should get her some dog  booties?

Morgan will have to stay inside until we find out what's wrong or she recovers. Maybe the problem is a sprain?

The chickens are not happy having to stay in their pen. I gave them lots of scratch today. They'll get some cabbage tomorrow.

I sewed the horizontal lattice strips on the four panels of quilt blocks. I just laid the four panels out on the bed so I could get a photo.Tomorrow I'll sew the panels together, sew on the side lattice strips and pick out a border color. Red? Dark blue?

I tried out every fabric I have until I found the lattice fabric that worked the best with the blocks. It will be easier to pick out a border color after I get this part stitched together. I know why people buy color coordinated fabrics for quilting. It is so hard for me to pick and mix and match the different fabrics I have.

I did separate the fabrics into color groups, but it is still hard for me to tell which fabrics will work together.

Peek at the Past

(February 9, 2010)

[2 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Sweet Dreams!

Nothing quite like a clean bed. Morgan is happy with her freshly washed bedding and so am I.

I finally realized that a lot of the smell was coming from the dog bedding. It was smelling worse than she was.

Morgan smells better today. I guess all the fresh air today took most of the smell away and she didn't do any rolling in smelly stuff. At least my nose isn't burning.

Morgan takes a good photo when she is asleep. The bottom photo shows how Morgan feels about getting her picture taken when she sees me coming with the camera raised to my eye ready to snap a shot.

See her back paw. She has her nails out gripping the floor. She turned her head and tucked in her front paws. Gee... all I wanted to do was take her picture.

I figured out the quilt block instructions after I cut out the pieces and moved them around until the illustrations made sense. I'll finish #10 tomorrow.

Tom picked up Chinese food for dinner. Neat! 

 Peek at the Past

(February 3, 2010)
Wash eggs?

[1 egg today]

~:>

Smiles

September Dog Day On The Stairs

Morgan spent the day half way
up the stairs. I think she is
cooler on the metal and
she can see out all the
windows from up there.
After all she is a watch dog.

The chickens are locked up.
No coyote sightings.
Hot quiet day.

I learned a lesson

about what type of container

not to use when feeding chickens.

The chickens never messed

with the  paper plates I used

to give them kitchen scraps,

but they tried to eat

the styrofoam picnic plate.

Goofy chickens.

  

My daily outside footwear is in the photo. I slip a plastic bag on each foot when I wear the muck boots to make them easy to remove. In the house I wear socks. Comfy and they shine up the floor.

My dog days

have been spent listening to old radio shows

and enjoying the classical music

that is played between the shows.

I came by my love of classical music at school.

In the '40's the schools used to play classical music over the speaker

into all the classrooms after lunch.

We would rest our heads on our desks and be quiet and listen.

Some days instead of music we would rest and

listen to our teacher read to the class.

This morning there was a terrible rotting fruit smell in the house that I finally tracked down to a innocent looking cantaloupe. It was just ripe not rotting. My father wouldn't allow cantaloupes in the house because he hated the smell. The chickens don't mind the smell they love cantaloupe. 

Kristine says the reason I have lost all my energy is because the weather is changing. Could be. I think it is a combination of me staying up late reading and the hot weather. I'm looking forward to some cold winter weather and getting back to doing stuff. 

Peek at the Past

It's not cold now.

It's in the 90's.

(September 30, 2009)

[3 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

New Floor In the Shed

Well, it is a new floor of sorts. Really, the new floor is made up of old deck planking that I have cut to fit as though it was all some great big puzzle.

I'm not nailing the planks down... just cutting them to fit tightly and making sure they lay fairly level.

Level? Well, there is a plywood floor under the planks that is falling apart in a few places and not level in others.

Tomorrow, I only have four or five more cuts to make and then I can start putting the things I want to keep back in the shed. I had to put the feed barrels back in the shed before I locked it up for the night.

I don't expect the plywood and whatever it is resting on to last much longer, but it is still too well hooked together for me to pull out. So, I'll just wait until it falls apart and then I can pick up the planks, pull out the plywood and ?, and then put in something to put the planks back on. Well, that's the plan. Who knows, maybe the floor will last as long as the shed?

The only thing I didn't take out of the shed was that large box of nails. I'm afraid if I move the box the old cardboard will fall apart and there will be nails all over.

Morgan is checking out the area of the shed where the smell is coming from. Something died under there or there is some horribly smelly critter living under the floor?

I'm going to have to nail some boards up on the outside of the back of the shed where some small critters have made some holes, or maybe the holes were made by falling branches?

I let the Buff Brahma hen out of the pen because she isn't broody anymore. So neat! I'm so glad I found out the trick of breaking the broody hens from sitting. Locking the hen out in the pen where she can't get to the nest boxes but has lots of food and water seems to give her time to reset her hormones.

Peek at the Past

Some of my favorite things!

(September 11, 2009)

[3 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Day To Stack Wood

Today was my day to move wood and stuff around. First step was to put on my boots. 

In the photo you can see the tops of the plastic bags sticking out at the top of the boot.

I always put on two pairs of socks then put my foot in a large plastic bag and then put on the boot.

The plastic bags make it very easy to take the boots off. I'm too old to wrestle with getting boots off and the plastic bags solve the problem. They do make for sweaty feet, but if you put lotion on your feet you get your feet moisturized.

There are two piles of wood that have been drying in the sun all summer and are ready to be put in the wood shed before they get rained on... not good.

I made a start on this cut wood and stacked some next to the house ready for use when we run out of wood in the wheel barrow or when it is very cold and it's night time.

I also moved and stacked a lot of cut lumber and some metal fence poles. 

Tomorrow I'll stack wood in the wood shed. At least I hope I will if I'm not too tired out from today's fun.

I slacked off and didn't lock

the broody Buff Brahma hen out in the pen tonight.

I did push her out of the nest

so she would go get something

to eat and drink.

Tomorrow, I'll lock her out tomorrow.

Sigh, goofy hen.

P.S.
Kristine has more fishy adventures to report.

Peek at the Past

Henny Penny and Duct Tape

Click on the these
Peek at the Past photos

and they enlarge.

[3 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Chicken Waterer Gets A Fix

The chickens manage to turn the top over most days, so I  attached the chain hanging next to the fence to a wire with a dog clip in hopes of keeping the top right side up. If the hens still manage to flip the top I'll try raising the lid up a few inches.


The lid is there to keep the chickens from roosting on the waterer and pooing in the water.


Screamer is the white Brahma and she is telling me off. I think she is the boss hen. At least she acts like she is in charge and she is telling me to buzz off.


The top does keep  a lot of the dust and sticks and stuff the hens scratch up out of the water.

But it still does get some dirt in it that I remove by turning the water all the way on and running the hose  in the waterer.

Here is a photo of how the waterer is hooked up to the water faucet. It is nice not having to carry water around.

Coop and pen cleaning time is coming up again. I'd like to wait until we have a rain to cut down on the amount of dust I'll raise when I start raking and shoveling all the chicken dirt. Well, waiting for the first good rain is my excuse for not working out there now.

The faucet is wrapped with foam and tape to protect the pipe from winter snow and ice. I'm going to have to remember to empty the waterer before the water freezes. I'm sure that water freezing is what cracked the old waterer.

Peek at the Past

Chicken Herding Video

(September 5, 2009)

[3 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Chicken Knocking At The Door

I was in the back room sorting through piles of old Christmas cards, letters, keepsakes, thank you and hi cards, business cards, piles of fabric, and lots of other stuff that was in the boxes.

Why do I keep all this stuff? It is so hard to throw away a loving message in a card or letter, sweet drawings the children made for me, a card from a dear friend, etc. I didn't come from a family that read cards and letters and then threw them in the trash. So, I guess I will blame all this stuff on them.

...and then I hear tap, tap, tap,... tap, tap,

so, I hurry up to the front of the house and what do I find.
Yep, Morgan and the big Buff house hen.
(I had to hurry back for the camera but they were still waiting)

The big Buff is the chicken who spent several weeks in the house recovering from a fox attack and decided she liked living in the house just fine.

I thought someone was tapping on the window. Someone was... a chicken who wanted a treat and Morgan has learned that when the chickens get treats she gets to come in the house and get a treat too.

I gave in and chopped up some cabbage for the chickens and gave Morgan some kibble. I just can't believe how well they have me trained.

I went back to work and managed to only keep a hand full of cards and things. Then, Kristine helped me move the large table out of the sewing room. My plan was to set up a smaller table to use as a cutting table and she was supposed to give me an old desk she is using for me to use to hold the sewing machine.

It is a small room and at least with the smaller table there is enough room for me to walk all the way around it which will make it very nice when I am cutting fabric with the rotary cutter.

Well, that's the plan. For now the sewing machine is on the floor. The small table is a drafting table that I can set at level and is ok for cutting fabric, but not strong enough to hold the sewing machine. Kristine said she needs to get some thing to hold the stuff that is in the desk drawers. There is always more stuff.

I'll post another photo when I get this sewing area set up to where I can actually use it, but I already like it better with the long table out of here.

Peek at the Past

Paths and Barrels

One barrel is now full of empty egg cartons

and the other one is full of

straw in the chicken coop.

And I am way behind

on raking paths this year.

[4 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

September's Here!

The chickens got cabbage treats.

I tried to hang the spice rack, but the molly bolt just twisted in the wall. Arg! I had to give up. I need help or I'm going to have to leave that screw in the wall and start over higher up.

I went out to take September photos for the blog and sidebar.

I like the shadows the trees make across the road and Morgan kindly picked this time to enter the picture.

Peek at the Past

Things look kinda the same

(September 1, 2009)

[2 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Dug = Morgan

Kristine and I watched an UP DVD today and when we saw Dug look for the squirrel we both quickly came to the conclusion that Dug is Morgan in disguise. Morgan does the squirrel head move just like Dug does and she acts like him too when she wiggles and gets excited. Yep! Morgan and Dug are definitely closely related.

This is "Lonely," a Dark Brahma hen, at the bottom of the pecking order of sixteen chickens and is sadly put upon by the rest of the chickens.

The other hens chase her away from any food she finds and generally keep her off by herself.

She has taken to staying on the porch by the slider in hopes I think of being first at any treats I toss out and also because she is out of the way of the bossy Wyandottes. Sometimes a Buff comes up and spends some time with her. I gave her some apple slices today.

One of the Wyandottes is molting! She looks so terrible. Hope the chickens manage to get through their molts before the cold weather begins. It is already starting to get cold at night.

Illinois University Extension has an informative web site full of questions and answers. Lots of things I didn't know.

 This whole sorting through boxes for stuff to keep and stuff to give or throw away is turning my brain to mush.

I tried doing the sorting inside today and this is as far as I got before I had to quit. I don't know what it is but I can't seem to do this inside, but when I take the boxes out on the porch I can empty the boxes quickly. Strange but true.

Peek at the Past

I forgot about this fire last year.

Hope we don't get any fires this year.

(August 30, 2009)

[4 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Rain? August Rain Passed Us By

This video is worth watching at least twice.

A voice of sanity in the midst of political power moves.
Speak up!

There was thunder, loud booming mountain thunder but not that much rain. Gee and I was all prepared for a deluge. Makes me feel kinda cheated after I did all that work getting ready for a downpour.



Birds on the line...

I like how clothespins look sitting on the line like little birds waiting for some laundry to clasp in their claws.

Part of getting ready was to bring in or cover the things I couldn't move. Things like the clothespin bag and the lounge cushion can stay dry outside hanging on the side of the house under the eave overhang.

I covered other things like the porch swing with plastic tarp and may just leave it on for Winter this year. The snow is not doing the plastic any good and the plastic is getting dark.

There were several wind chimes I brought inside that are really not made to withstand weather. I hung the biggest one on the hall tree because I didn't know what else to do with it. It can stay there for now with all the dog leashes, the veggie shopping bag and the egg basket.

I really did a job on myself moving all that heavy stuff yesterday and spent a lot of time today trying to convince my aching muscles to forgive and forget. I'm feeling better now and hope that tomorrow I'll feel like I can go back to sorting the rest of the boxes.

The chickens got out of their pen towards the end of the day.

Morgan is tired too.

That's the arm on my computer chair.

She is sleeping here near me as I write this post.

Peek at the Past

Skunk in the coop

(August 29, 2009)

[5 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Photos Of Chicken Aprons And Getting Rid Of Stuff

I'm really enjoying my open shelving with the apricot interior. It makes the kitchen bright and happy. I may or may not add back some of the cupboard doors. I have some of them knocked apart trying out fitting plexiglass in the middle instead of a solid wood door. I'll see how it goes... how many mistakes I make.

Dog Hair In My Coffee asked about the chicken aprons... here is a photo of my two chicken aprons. I love them! They make me smile and feel happy just looking at them. Don't know if it is the chicken print, the color or the fabric... but I think it is the chickens.

We found the cow and Wilber the pig in some boxes that got packed many years ago. These little guys are survivors.

They survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake which was an 8 something up in the mountain where we lived. They do have some ear tip damage but it's not too bad. We will be enjoying seeing them in the kitchen. I wish we had a farm with real cows and pigs, but chickens are as close as we can get.

It was very hot today at least 100 or above and what with sorting through boxes and moving stuff it was a very bad day for working outside. So, yes, I'm very tired and am in great need of a shower, but I'm going to make this short post first.

I didn't even make dinner even though I took the chicken out to thaw this morning. I just never got back to spend time in the kitchen.

I had to make Morgan lay down on the bricks in the shade so she could cool off a bit. She doesn't like to stop moving, but when it is so hot we worry about her having heat stroke. She could watch me so she was happy. The chickens were all under the house where it is cool. I thought about joining them, but I'm too afraid of black widow spiders and snakes.

The last photo is of the pickup with part of a load for Goodwill. There will be many trips. I'll be so glad to see all the stuff gone.

I wonder if I should have researched how to make decisions on what to get rid of? Are there rules? I'm keeping valuable stuff, stuff I can't replace and things I love. I suppose I will be sorry down the line that I got rid of some things.

Peek at the Past

mmm... chicken and broccoli

(August 25, 2009)

[5 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles