Tag: Chickens

Chicks, Cool finds and Artichokes

The chicks are now a few weeks old and growing some serious feathers. I’ve made their brood box bigger so they can run and jump and flap their wings.   I supplement their medicated chick starter crumbles with chopped up parsley and spinach and crushed hard boiled egg – they love the yoke in particular.  One of them has developed a scissor beak and I’m not sure she’ll make it.  When chicks hatch out of the egg they protect their head and beak with one wing over it as they claw/peck their way through – When they fail to do that they can develop an injury to the beak that becomes more evident as they mature – which is what’s happening with Cersei. Some live with the condition, some don’t.  She is the one on the bottom left corner – if you look closely at her beak, you’ll see the misalignment. 

Meanwhile.. out at the coop – the girls are getting out to free range more often now that the weather has improved, and they’re loving it.  Ruby is my friendliest hen… 

 

 
 Their favorite places to hang out around the yard are under the big pine tree at the front of the garage and the side of the garage where the dust baths are divine and the worm scratching prolific.  Hence all the mulch in disarray. 
 

 
I’ve been doing some Spring cleaning here at the farmstead, tackling a clutter issue I’ve been ignoring but annoyed by for some time.  The big window in the keeping room area that the dogs sleep under has housed my plants on a table for a while now. The problem is it blocked the light/cluttered the view, just looked like an afterthought.   Two days ago I came across a very old plant stand in an inexpensive antique store and had an aha! moment.
Before… 

 
 

After….. 

 
 The plants are now on the stand on the other side of the bar divider, in the dining table area.   They’ll  get the same light, so I’m hopeful they will be happy there.  I do need to raise my stained glass creation, but it’s a heavy piece and will need one of the menfolk to get the job done without smashing it. 

 
This recipe has been circulating facebook, and I’m definitely going to try this as a seaside supper at the cottage. Looks delish! 
 
Stuffed Artichoke bottoms with lemon and shrimp
 

 
 
 
Servings: six as a first course; two as main course.
These stuffed artichoke bottoms are impressive appetizers but also make an elegant main course for two.
 

Ingredients

For the breadcrumbs

  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 cups coarse day-old breadcrumbs

For the artichokes and shrimp

  • Kosher salt
  • 6 large artichokes, trimmed down to bottoms 
  • 3/4 lb. medium (51 to 60 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Make the breadcrumbs

  • Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels. (The crumbs may be made up to 1 day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the artichokes and shrimp

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
     
    In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt, drop the artichokes in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out on a clean cloth to cool and dry.
    Heat a 10- to 11-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the cayenne, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Working in two batches, sear the shrimp in the hot pan, turning once, until lightly browned on the edges and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of shrimp to a medium bowl.
    In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is just starting to foam, add 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley.Let the parsley sizzle in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the shrimp and toss.
    Oil an 8×10-inch baking dish with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and arrange the artichoke bottoms stem side down in the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pile 5 to 6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke bottom, including some but not all of the butter. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining butter and the shrimp juices over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
 
One last thing before you go – I laughed out loud when I saw this one.. 
 
 
 
Till soon –
 
Karen🐤🐣 
 
 
 

The Girlz and a remarkable story

  Great news – day 2 and not a chick has been lost.  I’ve named them… Arya, Sansa, Summer, Snow, Khaleesi and Cersei  (there’s one in every flock) –   They’re perky and chirpy and hungry and pooping an awful lot.  Occasionally they flutter/fly/sprint across the Christmas Tree Box they currently call home – all good signs for healthy chicks. 
     Cersei in my hands here is the loudest, with a wicked chirp and bossy attitude already. I hope she isn’t a he. 
     Pardon my allergy eyes – the past few weeks have been the worst my allergies have ever been, and the meds make me feel worse, so I’m winging it without.  Bleh.  Makes me look ancient and feel ancient.  Any allergy sufferers out there have tips on what helps?  I’m allergic to grass, pollen, mold, dust – and I live on a horse farm with hay fields in an old house with beams that are dusty – hahahahahaha…. it’s funny if it weren’t so.. itchy. 
Today  the sun is bright but the air still chilled… 
   It’s the kind of day where the dogs go out but come back in quickly enough because WIND!   After a quick squirrel hunt they much prefer their sun spots in the family room. 
   I let the grown-up girls free roam for most of today, and just brought them back to the coop before the hawks start circling the fields again.   They love to eat all the seed the birds and squirrels drop from the feeder… 
 When it’s time to bring them in, all I need to do is shake a can of cheerios or corn.. with my high annoying Here Chick Chicks voice –  , … and they come running. 
   If you’ve pondered having chickens in your backyard or farm, I haven’t yet met a person who dared to take it on and then regretted it.  They are truly delightful to have around, and the work is minimal compared to other farm animals.  There is the responsibility, of course, and you need to know how to properly care for them – many books on the subject – but it’s relatively easy and you don’t need a lot of space as long as they have the right living quarters and you feed and clean properly.  The fresh eggs are divine. 

 Are you a reader?  My mother gave me a great book for my birthday – a true story about a remarkable young woman, her memoir-  a link to a review of it HERE.   You won’t want to put it down until you’re through it. 
     
Till soon, friends –  

Chick Day

  All around this area at this time of year are the ads for feed stores and especially Tractor Supply announcing their Chick Days.  I had written a post a while back describing my plans to build a bigger coop this Spring and I even ordered 16 new chicks of different varieties to raise and increase my current flock of 14 aging chickens.  Well – the boyz got busy doing other things, work related things that actually pay the bills,  and so we decided to hold off a year or two on the new coop. I cancelled my  chick order with Cackle Hatchery, a  little bummed, because I had picked out some beautiful breeds.

    So… I’ve had to go in to Tractor Supply several times in recent weeks, and each time I stared at the chicks and ducklings and almost grabbed _just a few_, but talked myself out of it because raising chicks is work, and I’d have to create another brooder on the porch, and do I need more chores right now and especially without a bigger coop? The answer is no.. .so…. I was pretty proud of my restraint.
   Yesterday on the way home from checking on our little cottage by the sea,  the husband said “Let’s stop in Agway and get some of that dried cow manure fertilizer for the vegetable garden“. 
  I’m thinking that’s safe, they don’t sell chicks there, right?  
Wrong. 

     Frasier’s wondering why mama won’t let him sample the chicken nuggets out on the porch.

    I even left the store chick-less with the Mr… came home and thought on it for about 30 seconds more.  Then just for the heck of it  I browsed the basement to see if there were any big boxes down there that would suffice as a brooder for the time being.  The Christmas Tree Box was sitting empty, because once you pull a fake tree out of it’s box, it isn’t ever going back in there the way it came out. So… I took it as a sign.    Of stupidity? Possibly.  But here we are, regardless. 
   Last night two of the chicks looked a little wobbly – they go through a heck of a lot to get to the feedstore at just a day old.. and then to their new home.  I’m happy to report this morning all six look perky.   These are what I brought home.. 
2 Light Brahmas… 
2 easter eggers – which can come in any color at all, so those
will be revealed as they feather out. 
 One Buff Orpington
 And one New Hampshire Red
  Not as exotic or as large an order as my original order from Cackle Hatchery, but still good egg layers, hearty breeds, a nice edition to my flock. 
 Happy Spring! 


   

Fresh Air

       While it’s still definitely winter ’round these parts, and I’m about to trudge out into my “morning commute” in hat gloves, two jackets and boots to prove it,  I’ve been freshening things up inside Gracie (this old house). I asked my mom yesterday whether it was too soon to put out the Spring Things – and she said “no, I’ve put away winter already, it gets old, dull”.  
     
       So I did just that – and  then drove to the nearest crafts store – which is Joann’s Fabrics.  Their Spring Things are already 40-50 percent off, so I decided to make a few wreaths for the front double door, and I scored a few ready-made wreaths for my mom and I, too.  (Because MOMs… you only get one, and mine is my very best friend).  

 I’ll share the finished product when done. 
My ready-wreath find… 
 Last week we repainted the bedroom –  it used to be a celery green.
Now, what Benjamin Moore calls Cake Batter, a soft buttery off white. 
I replaced the bedding too – going for a very neutral look
Belgian Flax Linens – a combo from Pottery Barn and Pine Cone Hill
The lamps replaced a few we’ve had for many years,
now living in the dining room.
Hard to see in this photo, but they are glass wrapped in a light
 black chicken wire.  Inexpensive finds at HomeGoods, 
and I love them. 
The drapes – Restoration Hardware – also belgian linen, lined, 
Keep heat in and cold out,  but they
do let some light in, which is what I was looking for. 
They are an investment, I usually go with cheap curtains,
but they’ll last if cared for properly. 
 Frasier approves. 
 The painting above the bed I found last week browsing a nearby antiques mall. 
It is an original painting by  Robert C. Benham…
a New England artist in the early to mid 1900’s. 
His paintings usually go for around $300-$400 if you find one,
and this was leaning against other stuff on the floor, dirty, with a chippy frame.
I love chippy frames – and the grime comes off with a good
careful  wiping down… 
So I offered $170, and the offer was accepted. 
These bits of paper are taped on the back. 
The painting depicts
“Trail to Burnt Head”  – which is located in Maine. 
      So, while Gracie is sporting a little Spring Bling inside… outside is quite a different story…  The view out my kitchen sliders below…. 
        And if you peer out my kitchen sink window,  my favorite doves are giving me that look –  “What’s wrong with this picture, Karen.  Seed’s awful low”. 
Notice the maple syrup collecting bag and buckets are empty right now… in order for sap to run, we must have cold temps over night, warming up during the day. If  temps remain cold, the sap remains dormant. 

So up to the barn I go, to tend these family members…
Coady is sporting new shoes –  his soft ride gel boots, which
help him  be more comfortable with a condition he’s had for years –
 Cushings Disease with a side of laminitis flare up caused by it. 

   The girls hunting for tidbits in a fresh little hay pile. 

 Just one more thing… 
Have you seen the movie – A Star is Born – with Bradley Cooper and Lada Gaga yet? If not, you must –  WOW, do they have chemistry and talent.  And I’ll warn you – it is indeed a tear jerker.  When she first made the scene, I didn’t like her.  Meat dresses?  Condom costumes?  But.. as she grew into who we came to know, she is truly a decent, caring, honest soul, a real talent on multiple levels.  She’s a song writer, a singer, a philanthropist, she’s an encourager, not a breaker-down. (those are real words here anyway…lol).  
Wishing you all a good day – 
and thank you for stopping by 

Sugar & Rainbows

  Specifically – Sugar water – from This Old House’s ancient maples.

   Our good friend, Tim, has been on a quest in recent years – He learned and honed the art of Maple Syruping here in New England and put forth a community campaign to raise funds and build a Sugar House at Parmelee Farm, a town owned community gathering place rebuild after abandonment by local volunteers and businesses.   This is also were myself and my market partner hold our annual Artisan Market. 
 Drilling a hole for the tap 
     The Sugar House has just been completed and Tim plans to teach the art of maple syruping along with a handful of other volunteers of the farm.  Residents will eventually  join in the fun by collecting sap from their own maples to  add to the many many gallons of sap used to make that beautiful golden syrup.  
   Funny thing – my husband loves the idea of the wholesome manufacture of the stuff – but Aunt Jemima forever holds a place in his heart, and on his pancakes.   I’m a purist – I love the real deal. Below is a label we created with the new Sugar House on it, and the real deal in the bottle. 
    We’ve got a few trees tapped here at the farm.  One of my morning chores is to check the bags to see if they need emptying into the white buckets, which Tim will pick up to contribute to the stash at Parmelee Farm.  When the sap is running, and there are specific weather conditions that make this happen – it’s a steady drip drip drip. a bag can fill in a day. 
   If you look real close in the picture below, you’ll see my chickens in the background.  The Polar Vortex lasted only a few days, thankfully – and we’ve seen temps in the 40’s since.  So, when we’re out working around the property, I let the girls roam. 
    The free range is healthy for them – bugs, grasses, all contribute to a balanced diet for the hens, mentally and physically.  The downside is we have plenty of predators such as coyotes, fox and hawks, so I have to be careful. 
     The accumulation of maple sap water  looks like this  at about 1/2 day.  and each tree can have several taps – it’s amazing how much sap runs through a tree.  Also – and what’s important to me – is tapping those trees does not harm them. 
    
    Yesterday morning at this time, the frost made a beautiful blanket across every outdoor surface – 
     This morning, currently  outside my office door and looking out to the road,  the warmer air has created fog, which  is beginning to lift as the sun struggles to break through.   
      It’s time for me to get out there and check the  sugar water bags and feed the horses and chickens and do coop and stall clean up.  I was told putting some of that maple water in coffee is a delicious treat – I’ll give it a go and let you know.

****  Update – I just returned from morning chores and wanted to share a few things…

The overnight collection of sap, poured from the bags into this bucket. It’s clear, with a texture of water, taste like water with a hint of maple sugar.

The girls don’t lay as often in winter, so we’re lucky if we receive a few gifts each morning.  This is today’s gift.. 

    And no sooner had I turned from the chicken coop to head up to the barn to feed, when I saw this…

   A rainbow… that begins on the left, right at the point mid-barn where Opie’s stall is located… and he’s buried directly underneath the arc of the rainbow.  I choose to believe he’s sent me a sign this morning, that all is well and he is at peace.   I don’t know what becomes of a soul once we depart this life, and I’m surely not religious in the traditional sense of the word.  That being said, we are clearly more than the sum of our parts, because we think and feel and reason.  So I’ll continue to hope that when my time comes, I will reunite with those who passed before me – my relatives, my friends, and especially the animals I have loved – my dogs, my horses, even Henrietta the chicken.

     Till soon, friends – 

Coop Revival

   Thank you for all the kind words regarding the loss of my dear horse, Opie.  His absence is keenly felt by both myself and the four other horses that live with us up on the hill.   Even the farrier had tears in his eyes when we told him Opie was no longer on the roster for  shoes.  They truly become family, and I know many of you understand the pain of the loss through your own experiences. 
   When we moved into This Old House after the renovation, (my name for her has always been Saving Grace, or just Grace) I decided I wanted Chickens.  Our previous three homes had the same theme, small horse farms, but it stopped at horses, dogs and cats.  I wanted to add to the menagerie and the husband liked the idea of actually producing something on our “farm”. There’s something very satisfying about growing some of your own food.   We’ve lived here for eight years now and we  hay our fields and have a decent two plot vegetable garden, and bringing in fresh eggs  from chickens that are fed wholesome quality feeds is just a good feeling.  Plus I love animals of all kinds, more for me to love, right?  
   My current flock of 14 chickens consists of a few very old ones – two from the original batch, and a handful of middle aged hens from  newer batches I brought in throughout those eight years.  Chickens only lay eggs for about three years, their first two being the most productive – and some a little longer, but they can live to be ten or so.  Many farmers either eat their laying chickens after their prime (which will not result in a plump oven roaster, as laying hens are built and fed differently than meat birds)  or send them to auction so they can bring in a fresh batch of laying chickens, where some other sucker might buy them thinking they have laying hens. About half my hens no longer lay eggs, but I just can’t dump them. 
Oatmeal with cream and blueberries in a graham pie crust  for breakfast

     They’ll stay here  and live comfortably till they pass on. My current coop only holds the 14 chickens I have, so… to bring in more chickens means I need a bigger coop.  The Mr. rolls his eyes at this, but my truth is my truth – I can’t dump or kill and eat something that has lived here on the farm. This is why we don’t have cows.  He’d love a few, but only if in two years they can be sent to the “beauty parlor”.   I can’t serve up Henry from the freezer after I’ve fed and cared for him for two years. We have a friend who actually labels his beef in the freezer –  Betsy,  Ivy,  Franny… and so on.  I want to save two veal calves and raise them, but we are at an impasse on the terms and conditions, so we remain… cowless. 
   I did convince him we need a bigger coop.  One would think since I’m married to a home builder, building a new coop would be no problem at all.  Ah, but taking time out of the work crew’s schedule to build a frivolous coop just isn’t prudent.  So we looked online at pre-mades, like the one we ordered from the Amish nine years ago.  They’ve gone up in price, of course!  There are so many options out there too, from the simple to the ornate… 

 Can you imagine?  
 My current coop below…  The EggPlant.  We added on a little here and there, so it now looks like a bunch of afterthoughts.. which it is.  I’d like to streamline it – and I have some ideas on how we can move the whole operation up to where the horses live, instead of down by the garage and house.  In bad weather or deep snow it can be a chore to get over to the chicken coop to do those chores and then trek up to the barn – with  some of the same supplies kept in two different places.   After much discussion and a little bitching (!) , I think we’re going to go with my idea… stay tuned! 
   Below are the new chick breeds (three of each)  I’ve ordered from Cackle Hatchery , one of the big operations you can mail order your chicks from.  Sometimes I have bought from local grain stores, but those are always the standard breeds and this time I want to fortify a rainbow of egg colors. The big hatcheries have a better breed selection.  They’ll arrive at the beginning of March, so we need to get cracking on the new coop build!  (fingers crossed)
   
Lavender Ameraucana (blue egg) 
   

French Black Copper Maran (dark brown egg) 

Olive egger ( green egg) 

 Faverolle (sp?  light brown egg) 
Speckled Sussex (light brown egg) 
     Austra White (white/ivory egg) 
 The chicks will arrive as days old babies – and will need to be raised until full size in what will be the new coop, away from the mature hens in the current coop.  This is for their protection, otherwise they would most likely be bullied and killed. Chickens can be horrible to each other.  Think of the sayings – hen pecked, pecking order – and you’ll understand the origin.   Once they are full size, I’ll introduce them all together in the new coop.  They should be able to live together in the new larger coop and coop yard happily. 
  More on the Coop revival to come!  
  

Snow Day

   

     Under normal circumstances they don’t like each other- they argue over who’s the boss, they don’t always perceive the same things as dangerous or even agree on who’s a friend and who’s a foe. They don’t share well with each other, but somehow the storms change things. Butt to Butt- they weather those  storms and find common ground, they find comfort in each other. We could learn a few things from dogs…..


 
     

   Something I took for granted for all these years-  Democracy. I never realized how truly fragile it is, and at any point in history, what we depend on can come crumbling down.  Maybe a dividing, lying, egotistical blowhard like Tr*mp had to happen in order to flush out all the corruption, the hypocricies, the bigotry, racism and  blind allegiances that clearly still course through the veins of our republic.  Maybe all the shortsightedness on both sides of the aisle and the less than stellar motives of some of the extremists, both left and right,  needed to be exposed in order to eventually heal what is clearly very broken. 

   I’m encouraged by the good things that are coming of this collosal mess, people are voting, for one thing.  Women are coming forth and getting elected at record rate – Republicans and Democrats are questioning some of the failings of their own parties and striving for something better.  In many places We the People are being heard.    Amen… and Amen again. 

    

    Last night we had our first real snow fall – 



       This morning it’s all pretty wet, with rain in the forecast. 




 The green thing in the upper right hand corner is the umbrella I was using to shield me from the wind and drizzle as I fed horses and chickens. That’s the thing about these adorable farm animals.  Doesn’t matter the weather, they need their feed.  My morning commute ….. 



   
   Opie, not particularly fond of selfies, waits impatiently for grain. 
     

Fiona says Good Morning!   (actually, she’s clucking ” It’s cold – where’s my F-ing oatmeal” . Yep, she swears – I’m a bad influence, I know it. )


   

      I’ve started the holiday decorating inside – not too christmas-y yet because we’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner here.  Nothing says disrespect for the Thankful holiday like Christmas up in your face before you’ve even carved the bird. 



 Miss Sally’s favorite perch ….. 




 Usually I have a coffee cake or brownies or cookies in the glass cake stand on the kitchen island. We’re all trying to watch our calorie intake ( we’re watching it, alright… as it goes in our mouths….)  and for some reason I believe we’ll eat less crap if it comes in small wrapped packages… ha ha ha… ha. 




   
  Anyway… a few chuckles for you on this dreary grey New England day…. 




I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods – 
Till soon…. 





Frosty Fields and That One Simple Word

         For the past few mornings we’ve awoken to a coating of frost over the fields.  After what was arguably the most humid, wet summer I can remember,  the cool dry air feels rejuvenating. 
   The colors are a little muted this year – Sometimes we experience a blaze of glorious color, and some seasons, it’s just -meh.  The summer weather determines what we’ll get. There have been a loss of many big old trees in our state this year also, so very sad to see them come down. We’ve lost a few here on the farm, and along the roads there are many dying, or that have already been cut down.   It’s amazing and heart wrenching,  the hole left in a landscape  when a big old tree is removed.  The reasons are several in these parts – severe storms in recent years,  pests like the ash borer beetle and gypsy moth infestations.   I’ve always looked upon trees as our friends, and truly they are in so many ways – how many uses do we find for them, besides their important ecological value.  I see them as sentinels of the past, present, and future. 

      The ponies are growing their thick winter coats, the horses frisky from the chill in the air when turned out into the pastures each morning. 
      The chickens have slowed down their egg production, a natural process as the days grow shorter.  I used to leave a heat lamp on in their coop at night for heat, which left them with light all through the night.  I just don’t think that’s an awesome thing to do to them, so last year I discovered through another chicken keeping friend – the Cozy Coop heater – it works beautifully without disturbing their natural clock.  Here they are enjoying oatmeal with raspberries (although blueberries are their favorite)  which I give them occasionally on a really chilly morning. They love it and it helps them keep bodyweight on.  You’d be surprised how skinny layer chickens are under all those feathers.  They do not look like your Perdue oven stuffer roaster! 
      Eager to celebrate this favorite time of year, we’ve had our first fire in the fireplace and brought some fall decorations up from the cellar and in from the yard –   I’ve cut some hydrangea  and dried it – the fall hues are just a gorgeous dusty rose.  The trick to drying hydrangea blooms that will last for a while is to cut them when dry – not in the morning covered with dew or after rainfall.  Then, just prop them in a vase and don’t touch them.   These will last for as long as we don’t disturb them too much. 
 The kids have carved pumpkins and roasted their seeds, and I’ve pulled out the fall recipes and found a few new ones.  I always gravitate  to the comfort food favorites, like homemade mac & cheese,  beef stew, Turkey noodle vegetable soup with thick egg noodles, and the pies.. apple among my favorites.   This is not good news for my chubby self, who has yet to lose that extra 25 lbs.  UGH – the lack of willpower is something else entirely, I’m thoroughly disgusted with myself there. But – I’ll soldier on, hoping to find that magically combination of will power and exercise, which I already do regularly, that helps me shed the extra pounds.   
ANYWAY… 
    Here’s a  fun fall appetizer  on a blog I recently discovered.  I plan to make it this weekend for my daughter’s birthday dinner celebration …  Link to the blog/recipe HERE. 
   
  Fall also means cozy clothes – and BOOTS!  Which I love, but don’t always love ON me, because short people and boots don’t always look like they’re made for each other – just sayin.  While I’m not a fashionista in any sense of the word, occasionally I find something that really excites me, like Freebird boots by Steven.    Yep, they’re pricey, but they’re made really well and are comfortable.. so they’re an investment you’ll have for a lifetime if you take care of them.   I just bought my first pair… the Stair Boot – and they are so comfortable and functional, with an edgy look.
    I’m also coveting these… my wallet? Not so much.  Maybe next year’s birthday 🙂 
   I hope you’re finding more kindnesses than adversity,
more genuinely good people than those with darker intent. 
It’s out there – look for the good
and encourage it where you can.
In this time of  political divisiveness I am reminded of
a very small word that if applied by all the powers that be,
and by each of us no matter what our myriad of differences,  
would solve literally all our problems.  
All of them. 
 Till soon, friends – 
  

Soggy

     Holy humidity, Batman!  We’ve had a long stretch of rainy humid days but thankfully the sun will return shortly –  The ground is soggy, the air feels like – well a friend described it best – a wet dirty sponge.  I’ve got the fans on in the horse barn and the A/C on in the house.  It’s too wet to trust the fan outside the chicken coop so they’ll have to make do with the puddles that have formed in their coop yard.  We haven’t been down to the cottage because the weather is just too yucky.  On occasion the sun peeps out and I take the dogs for a quick walk, only to witness the clouds fold right back in and another shower appears. 
   Our lone bunny, Cloud, she’s not the friendliest – her brother Harley liked people better, but he passed on last year.  She lives next to the chickens  and has her own yard to run around in, when it’s not storming out.  I’ve explained to her multiple times that her life quality would improve if she would only learn to trust us, but she’ll have none of it. So, her hutch and yard are a no cuddle zone. 
      Some of the girls are molting and look like hell right now.  I also discovered mites in their coop and had to treat the whole thing, and them, with diatomaceous earth and I bleached the coop throughly as well.    DE is an all natural way to rid them of the mites that sometimes infest a coop, some people even eat it for digestive health.  It appears to have worked on the mites, two weeks later we are mite free.  I hope. 

 My giving tree – the ancient pear that stands in the mini’s paddock, has more fruit than ever this year.   Considering the tree is half hollow and has lost major limbs in recent storms, that she still bears fruit is simply amazing.   The mini’s love the fruit as it drops, some of which I have to scoop out each morning lest they get sugar overload from eating them all.

1,000’s, I’m telling ya.  

     On days like today, when the weather may call for thunder and lightning,  I leave the horses in their paddocks where they have easy access to their stalls (and fans), shelter from any severe weather.  They prefer to be out on pasture, but I don’t like to leave them out in the fields with potential lightning.  So they are bored as they wander around the smaller paddocks and their stalls, picking at their hay, while the much greener grass is on the other side of the fence.

    Opie peeking in the feed room, asking for a treat, please.

 

   My daughter’s retired show horse, Max, likes his creature comforts.  If the going gets too buggy or hot or soggy  out in the fields, he much prefers the fans and soft shavings and hay offerings in his stall.

     The dogs nap as the rain falls, asking to go out occasionally, and only when it’s not raining.

  Dear old Ben isn’t fond of the rain or humidity either –  He’s now on five heart pills –  living  on borrowed time, but he’s comfortable and with these pills he’s leading a decent life.  So we’ll spoil him until his final day.

  One  good thing about all this rain is the lush gardens outside my doors… 

  I’ve made several batches of pesto from all the happy basil plants, my freezer is now stocked well into fall.    (This picture taken a day before the rains came – what a difference)
  The recipe and card I use was given to me at my wedding shower 30 years ago.   I love that idea.  Each guest to the shower brought a favorite recipe.  I still have most of them! 
 There are several variations of pesto out there, but this one is my favorite.  What’s missing on the card is 2 teaspoons of pine nuts, and 2 cloves of garlic.  I make big batches and use lots of garlic. 

Delish! Fresh from the garden –   If you like pesto,  give it a try – 

Glorious Day!

    Glorious morning turned to a glorious day! – even the chickens were excited when I turned them out for a few hours while doing barn chores.  Bugs everywhere ! – a chickens dream come true. 
    It feels so darn good to  MOW THE LAWN again!  I wasn’t sure mother nature was ever gonna let that happen , like.. ever.. again!  I don’t mow the lawn here at the farm – it’s acres worth so I leave that up to the menfolk.  But Stella – well, her little postage stamp grass plot is totally doable – even with a manual push mower – you remember those, don’t ya?  I get a lot of satisfaction out of that little chore, believe it or not.  
    Once the water is turned on for the season (any day now) we’ll spend more time down there giving her a thorough Spring Cleaning and some repair work to the cement dock/launch pad. 
  I did this again too – 
I actually felt guilty sitting down at waters edge for no more than 15 minutes, knowing I had chores waiting for me here at home – how silly is that?  Truly – we all need to grant ourselves permission to stop and smell the roses – for more than 15 seconds. The recharge is necessary for our well being, our sanity.  Why all the effort if we can’t relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor?  Does it sound like I’m trying to convince myself here? Yep and yep again.  
I discovered there are now FOUR eggs in the porch nest at the cottage – and they are Robin eggs, not a catbird.  Momma Robin was there today very annoyed with the racket I was making. 
Meanwhile, back at the farm – this picture taken just minutes ago of the Purple Finch babies in the nest behind the lantern porch outside my office door.  Can you believe the difference in just a few days?  Birds are amazing for so many reasons. 
   Do you like to cook?  I  ordered this cookbook on Amazon, have already made three recipes out of it, and it is my favorite already.  This is gooood home cooking from scratch but not too complicated.. absolutely delicious, fresh food.  I am not paid to say anything on my blog, no ads here, just honest recommendation when I find something I love. 
  So far, the Parker House Rolls (so damned good they oughta be illegal – you know, that buttery, crusty, salty combination of a good roll that melts in your mouth – so good it’s bad! ) , Beef Chili and Chicken Cacciatore are divine! Delish!  Picky Husband approved!  And there is everything in this book, from apps to soups to salads, dinners, desserts and even drinks…

Some moon shots I took the other night – still learning some of the more technical settings that would require manual reading – bleh, not a strong suit of mine,  map reading, ditto – thank the lord for Nav in the car.  …. .
   Today – My husband just returning home from a long day of work, and this is what I saw  –   
   Apparently sometimes those last 30 steps to the house are just too much…. 

    So go… sit for a spell – somewhere that brings you peace of mind.  Someplace that lets you breathe deep and exhale slowly. Thank the powers that be and your own power – for all that is good. Don’t forget to record the moment and  take a selfie without worry of no-makeup and unbrushed hair and wrinkles and fat rolls  .. and.. and.  Because we’re just so damned lucky to be alive and relatively well.  That’s the cake –  The rest is icing. 
     

Till soon –