chickens, hats and so on...

they're booting it up the hill

thinking I'm calling them for

something yummy...

not a photo shoot!

someone's old car-cas is my garden treasure

this is Sheilagh, garden goddess

the chooks don't pay her any mind

Jackmo is protective of the shy Miss. Prissy, his sister

and Sarah is pleased with her new hat

meow!

Jackmo the beautiful

isn't he too beautiful. His flight feathers are coming in an irridescent green and blue which makes him Crow's baby we think - John Wayne was a barred rock and Crow is an australorp. Note also (says the proud grandma) the feathers on his head are much lighter. He is a beaut and starting to crow like mad. His sister - Miss. Prissy - is shy and subservient but we think she'll come into her own soon enough.

Today I am working on my govt. project "Beyond the Pail" we call it. I'll work this morning with little knitting breaks to finish step-dots hat. I only have the ears to do - it is a grown-up version of a Kitty hat~! I'm exceptionally pleased with it and the fact that I managed to follow instructions.

kids and chickens

Yesterday I met the kids at the bus and we walked to the old stone house, past the beautiful boat becoming earth and the apple trees giving forth.

We each took Indian names - the kids wouldn't go for Aboriginal First Nation names so I compromised. I was Morning Star,

Riley was Eagle

Hannah was Moon Beam

and Sawyer was Little Frog.

today Kerol came by with her grandson Max to meet the chickens...

this is Dearie taking a peek...

Max goes off to join the flock.

this is Jackmo, a young roo we think...

Max thought they were pretty cool

living in the micro-macro - cosim

John Wayne has left the stadium. After debating how he was to go because I knew Ron was sad at dispatching a friend - he decided that he would do the deed. That it was better to go at the hand of a friend than that of a processor's. I feel like I'm a slow learner on this aspect but I'm starting to get it. I will not become a vegan - being a vegetarian is difficult enough for me - and I see that even as a vegan I would start to wonder at who's expence did I get my corn chips, my tofu burger, and so on. Any agro-biz involves these difficult choices as does living period. Would I become one of those lovely obsessed loons that only eat what falls (given) from the trees and plants. Perhaps I would become like a Jain and wear a mask to keep from inhaling smallish creatures - but then could I walk in the woods? What I now know for certain is that if I want my fresh eggs from happy cruising birds there will be culls and deaths of roosters. If one of the two new peeps turns out to be a roo - we will try everything to make sure it is a nice one but I'm not having another attack bird for anything.
I'm going to the daycare this week to set up groups of five kids coming up to collect eggs and see the tinies. Couldn't do it before.
I miss his crow though. I do.

Crow with Jackmo and Sunnybud rambling down the path...

mama in the ferny patch with peeps

t'other gang foraging....left to right - Bea, Dearie, Ruby and John Wayne

~little Jackmo is having a fine time and keeping up with her mama and sister. It is fun to watch them foraging in the drizzly weather we KEEP having. Crow scratches up a patch and they find bugs and seeds to keep them busy. Every once in awhile Crow finds a nice quiet spot and sits down so the peeps can have a little rest under the feathery warmth of their mama.

little gaffers

just put out the littlest gaffer to ramble in the weeds with her sister and ma, aunts and MEAN dad. She - hmmm...jackmo I'll call her ...seems to be doing alright. She was out yesterday and Ron brought her in after about an hour as she tuckered out and sat down in the grass peeping. So back into intensive care overnight and on chest this morning while I lay in the downstairs bed - she just peeped low and nice and we had a very good chat about having an older sib who thinks she's so smart and how this one has other dear qualities - maybe she doesn't jump over every little twig but needs to waddle around them like the tiniest penguin but hey! That's endearing eh?
I'm going to drive step-dot to her pal's for the night and when I get back see how she is doing.
John Wayne attacked me about four times today! I hate that guy! It is definitely time for him to go to freezer camp!!
later my dear readers.

when I wrote the last post this morning I realized that I wanted to take care of the littlest chick. We brought her in - put her in a big rough box for a brooder with a lamp and food and water and we are mothering her. She is stronger already.
just wanted to let you all in....

oh canada

tis canada day and it is ....drum roll...raining! I don't give a care because this family (other than me that is) is dudsville when it comes to holidays. so I'm going into town to visit someone and perhaps bringing step-dot, Ron might be going out for a sail during the canada day sail parade with a bunch of folks...maybe I'll have something red and white to eat...maybe not.

life with baby chicks is fraught. we are tossing four eggs as they are too long overdue and nothing happening and mama not sitting on them. One of the chicks is slow on its tiny pegs and has been picked or scraped on its back. it might not make it as mama has to chase the vibrant one around and the other one stands and peeps forlornly. we both thought we might bring it in and put it in its own brooder but that seems wrong on many counts - it would be all alone for one and then we'd have to re-introduce it. hmmm...as I say that I am thinking so what? we give it lots of attention get it caught up and re-introduce it at night under mama and she'd be fine. Or we just let nature have its way and it could be good and it might be bad.
it is nice to see the lively one leap up the ramp and jump (!) over the barrier into the coop like it is maybe fourteen days old instead of four.
gosh.
alright. to clear up any misunderstandings - the egg pictures below were of eggs for Linder's birthday breakfast. I did not give her eggs to hatch - she's got enough things to take care of with her house hoicked up and a foundation poured underneath and a zillion fantastic gardens as usual! I just brought her eggs for her birthday and they looked so nice on her butcher block with all that wood that I had to take a pic of it. So there you go. All mysteries solved.
I'm off to think about tiny chick again.
later with news.

which came first...

these are our Linder's eggs.

that is I gave them to her for her birthday on

Sunday, June 28th.

While I was giving them to her the second chick was born.

so it will be called Jackson.

both chicks will be called Jackson until

further notice.

one for Linder

and one for

Michael.

don't ask...

and further to that

a dear reader asked

why no more?

this is not unusual when hatching a brood...

they weren't all laid on the same day so...

but

we are a bit concerned

because

Crow took the two chicks into the run and left

the eggs for an indeterminite time

yesterday so?

we'll see.

if two is what we get we'll be fine.

later you all.

we haven't been out this morning so cross your

fingers.

I have some things to do.

love ya.

the fuzz butts are here!!! the fuzz butts are here!!!!

Crow and two peeps!

look! they can stand and everything!!!

Peeps!!!!

'Let's go and check the eggs before I go off to Linder's, OK? Maybe if we're wrong and Crow didn't leave them too long there might be pips since they're due in the next day or two.'
And out we go to the coop, my love and I. One of the reds - Ruby, Bea? - jumps off the proper nest box with much fussing. I pop a warm brown egg into my pocket. Sweet Patootie takes the top off the special nest box (a small doggy carrier) and gently lifts Crow off the brood. I see a broken shell and think 'damn, an egg got broken' and that is my addled state of mind. SP says 'look a little black chick and one egg pipped'

WE HAVE A BABY CHICK!!!!!

I wanted to rush in and get my camera but Ron, who is the dearest chicken rancher ever - says 'No, let's not bother her again' and so I desist.

Now I'm going on line to find out how soon we need to get water and food for the wee ones. They can't reach the containers we have for the big guys.

ah...
pictures on Monday...

The Rock Walker

I am restless and fidgety. My internet is soooooo slow that I could choke the neck of my computer if I didn't know better. I've worked a tonne on The Rock Walker and it feels so scary. The more I work - the more I realize I have to do. John Wayne crows and crows. Perhaps he knows his days are numbered. Latest on the chicken front is that Ron has once again agreed to let Crow sit out a clutch giving us some chicks in a month or so. As soon as we go with this we will send JW to freezer camp. Ron told me he would do the deed and doesn't mind. JW has taken the fun out of having chickens for me. He stalks me - his beady eyes twirling in his head - always so paranoid and weird. He jumps his gals in front of me to show what a big shot he is as if that would impress me. I suppose, in his defence, how could he show me his superior nature? Reciting Jane Austin? But he is a brute and I am tired of his particular form of maleness. I don't think the hens will be all that disappointed at his departure either. Several of them have bare spots on their backs from his aggresive ways. They cower when he bullies and I see them as battered wives with sad little kercheifs on their heads and net bags with the week's groceries in them. They mutter to each other. Perhaps they are like those plural wives of fundamentalist Mormons - happy with each other and happy not to bear the full brunt of their husband alone. We could trim his spurs and clip his beak but really...why? I will have to square this with my belief system somehow. I suppose just eat the karma that accrues with sentencing a being to death. Like all those big fat dozy flies Anita and I killed up in Quebec when we stayed in a motel at the age of 15. What were you thinking you parents??? Killing those flies was, fortunately, the worst we got up to. We rode horses and ate at this weird chip stand. The fly killing really stands out. We must have been bored. Stephen King would have loved us but he was probably doing something similar somewhere else.

later my lovely readers...

Free Day

And what is a free day? A free day is when the thing you've been paid for and planned for is cancelled for a reason not of your making so all guilt associated with such a day is expunged. Therefore it is well and truly free - liberated from constraints of any sort. And how does one approach a free day? With a light heart and a fulsome desire to make it worthy of its freedom.


I kept abed this morning so that my sweet patootie and I could have some time unencumbered (free to wit) after the steps had gone off to school. We had some communicating to do that requires such a time. Then some coffee more reading of Death Comes for the Fat Man - a Pascoe and Dalziel mystery (Reginald Hill - a total favourite). A few calls of a casual nature and then breakfast - Montreal bagel, peanut butter and pears on top, apple juice followed by dessert - a Blondie - oh I don't often have dessert following breakfast but today is a free day remember? Now to get to work. I'm actually going to tackle all those still floating bits of papers and my weird not working filing system. Easy to do in this lovely clean environment and I will intersperse it with feverish writing on The Rock Walker - for dear readers - I am entering the home stretch - with eight or nine or so measly thousand to write and then my favourite - the first edit - I love that part!

The other possible activities for the day include:

1. looking into broody hen care as SP asked me if we thought we should give it a try!!! - I cannot tell you how ecstatic this makes me and I didn't ask him. I waited. Oh I love that man!
2. Cleaning the front closet and entryway - I moved boots and coats downstairs but it is filthy! And with this rain probably will remain somewhat so but I'd like to clean one level of gunk before the next hardens.
3. Organizing papers and possible ways to go with the workshop I have tomorrow - 18 (!) youth with disabilities and a seven hour day. Yikes!
4. Some more baking. As this too gives me mucho pleasure.

So dear readers, I will keep you abreast. And for you winners of the ALL ARE WINNERS contest recently held - I am going to list some possible sorts of prizes - you tell me which sort you are keen to receive:

1. Knit ware
2. a book
3. bizarre trinket or odd jewelry
4. photo that you have seen on line and like (if this one please send me email saying which one you want.

ps - the pic is of me finishing the Dublin Marathon in 2002. That is how I feel today although perhaps I don't look this way...hmmm...don't go there Jan's head. Just don't.

Frugal Living

I am thinking that I need to address the different parts of this blog. One of them is living simply. What the heck does that mean? I think it means greenly and frugally for me. I have been immersed in various sustainability blogs in the last few days - some that I've been reading for awhile and some that are new to me. I think, just like I post my goals with writing, that I need to repost some of my living simply goals. So here goes:

1. Stick to buying very little clothes buying. After a year of no buying this seems quite easy.

2. Quit eating out during the work week - this means lunches, snacks and coffee. - so far so good.

3. Bath only every second day - that is established and easy.

4. Get garden going - on the calender, plans are afoot.

5. Keep hens - done!

6. Be part of the barter economy - already happening - hats for writing consulting, therapy for wool, and so on...

7. spend more time using my library card above any other card!

8. Make the market a routine.

Oh and newsflash - I just got rid of my phone at work! The thing is riddled with calls from telemarketers, rarely used by my clients or me and when I asked the phone co. if they could put the number on the "don't call" list they said they couldn't for business phones. Why? I asked. I'm not sure. They answered. Fine then - cancell my phone. Done! Feels good.

Alright - enough for now but will keep you posted ...

Iivestock

slea head, dingle peninsula, ireland

Saturday morning sometimes I like to sleep in bed past ...oh...7:30 say. But the livestock get restless. John Wayne starts crowing around 4 am but it doesn't bug me til later when I think, just maybe, they are dying for their water. We're still bringing it in these cold nights. Then Hoagy starts in. He needs out. He hasn't peed. It's all about water in or out. So...I put the dog out...I make coffee. Ron has a shower (water again). He puts a wash in. He goes down and brings the dog in and puts the water out and lets the birds free. Then we have a cup of coffee only I'm only having a bit because I'm weaning myself off caffeine again. Time to get serious with my sleeping habits. Maybe I shouldn't watch Cracker before sleeping. Last night I was tormented by thoughts of the horrible duo that were in the show we watched. They were REALLY mean and scary. Those british shows do not hold back. No. At any rate back to the livestock. The chickens are out pretending there is life under the duff so they're good. Two eggs so far... and now it is the dog's turn again. Suffer suffer suffer. I go off with step-dot to the market where we once again have a good ole time then I'm back lying around eating my fave Saturday lunch - fresh sourdough with big hunks of 'darn hot pepperoni'. Ya! And reading the paper which is getting a bit tired to me. I know those Globe & Mail writers must think that all the dear readers they have do nothing but sit around on their fat keesters thinking about the economy and how their lives are ruined - News Flash - some of us aren't really that affected. I don't need to stop eating filet mignon, drinking Dalwhinnie and not buying Manlo Blahniks. I haven't stopped - ok once in awhile with the scotch but not enough to give it up -. Ditto the over-use of the dryer, the always buying a new car - wouldn't dream of it - don't own a dryer. NEVER ever bought a new car or even a 'gently used' car. Only OLD cars.

To get back to the point - the livestock - Hoagy that is - gets so restless when I'm muttering at the paper. He wants his walk. Is he going to get it? Yes - I finally give into his dogged determination and out we go. OH my the world is much nicer than the Globe & Mail. Much.

later with a word count.

Chores

What a glorious day! Gawd! I took the step-dot to the market where we had a very nice time and I got to talk to her a bit about her general attitude. I think it is always quite a surprise for her to find out that folks (meaning parental and teaching units) don't particularly enjoy her rich sense of sarcasm and irony or as our own parents might have called it - rude and saucy behaviour. So all was good and fun at the market and then I spent some time cleaning out the coop. As I'm using the 'deep-litter' method this is the first time I've scraped down to the bottom - shoveled into about ten or twelve wheel-barrow loads and started the garden compost pile on the other side of the wood pile. Yay - piling stuff! I had to take a few breaks because I'm old and tired but I got it all done. The gang was in immediately to check out their new and improved digs. They are so curious. Then I wrenched her highness off the computer and told her no more until the room is clean. She spent about ten minutes upstairs and then I found her again on-line so I said "if I go upstairs now and find the room is still a mess you'll lose the computer for a week - want to chance it?" apparently she didn't as she went up to dig out her own deep-litter. We'll see. Could be another FUN night around the house. Ron just went to get the lad from the movies. He is off the computer because he "forgot" to get his report card again. While he was at the movies his mother phoned - she found his report card hidden under something in the front hall. It stinks and he's lied a whole bunch. Ron went to pick up the report card and then him. Glad it isn't me in either seat.

I don't remember this exact pain with my bio-boys but it could be like the veil that covers one around memories of child-birth. I mean would I have even gone out on a second date with Ron had I given this aspect my full attention? I am unsure. Glad I did for all sorts of reasons and the kids are one of them but man it is so-o-o painful sometimes.

Chickens are more reliable all in all and only nominally stinkier.

each day afresh...

I feel an upsurge of spring energy. And I see the buddha's head arising from the snow that has covered it for weeks now. John Wayne crows every second. Ron wants to whack him but I say he is just an adolescent who is thrilled to find his power and he'll calm down shortly. I like to hear him. This morning I got up with Ron at six and made lunch type stuff for the kids. I'm turning over a new leaf - I'm going to try and be a nicer more nurturing step-ma and partner and friend. The kids seemed glad if somewhat confused. I didn't actually get to make Jake's but he did with what I'd pointed out. ah....

Now Gwen is here and I'm going to write on one of the three books. Feel ill with fear. my mind my mind my mind...

This picture is of one of Dearie's eggs laid on Sunday - big as a goose egg! The one beside it is one of the RRIs' - Ruby or Bea.

hmmm...

I'm writing a book called "egg by egg" - no I'm not...

But I could if I wanted to. It would be the tale of a plucky old heroine who battles ice and other folks indifference to her plight yet she perseveres. Yep, our white-haired freckle-faced gal goes out into the world with her wee basket of eggs (hats or poems...not sure yet) and finds that the city-folk (craft council, publishers) don't care for her home-grown (spun or focussed) work. So she trudges back home and crawls into bed (bottle or funk).

Whadya all think?

Today is supposed to be ANOTHER BIG STORM ACOMING day so trying to rebook my appointments and maybe I'll muck out the coop as dear one says it is starting to be a fire-hazard - apparently that deep-litter technique is working and the good stuff is all composting. So I might do that or at least heave it around a bit and wipe my brow alot and sigh and bond with the birds. And I'm on the home-stretch with Val's hat AND maybe I'll write a bit. Feel like getting back into the first one - Feckless - and seeing if I can't do another hard edit and get it out selling its ass to publishers. Yep, both the birds and the literary efforts are talked to like I'm their very own chain-wearing pimp. "What am I feeding you for? Make eggs (deals) Mama wants a new pair of shoes!" or something like that. Actually the hens are way ahead of the literary efforts. I'll show them - I'll show them all! or me. or nobody...

Signs of Impending Doom or Glorious Salvation!

I sat. I wrote. I have very nearly finished my taxes. I am still in fear of being a grown-up but I'm dealing OK. Maybe by the time I'm 60 I'll be a little friendlier with that side of life. I am going to knit a hat for Val so when she walks Hoagy in the bitter cold, her dear ears will be toasty. It'll be done in Kim's handspun in dark grey and chocolate with maybe just the tiniest bit of cherry popsicle. I'll do it in the style of the one I wear most often - the wooly mammoth. I can't wait to start it. The one I finished last night that I'm calling Heavenly Stash has been desired and promised to Gwen. It is very light but should be warm enough. I just need to sew the ends in.

My dear one is home because he pulled some muscle. Good thing because he definitely could help Trav and I with the stooopid tax shit. And I'll make him a fine dinner of baked beans and home-grown eggs - got 3 so far today.

Later dear reader...

Sunday with Perry Como

Where is Perry Como? Is he dead? I think he is. I loved him and his show so much when I was little. "letters...we get letters" or "yellow bird, way up in banana tree" I wanted to marry him - so sweet and gentle and handsome. ah....


Last night, dear reader, my one and I went to the Taj Mahal! Well, the restaurant with that name. It was so good and fun like it always is. Today we did a blitz on the house - dog hair - euuuhhh - I made scones, yummy, and Ron started his bread. Bones, Cal and the boys came over.

I took Riley out to the hen house and he found an egg. We sat around shooting the biz and drinking coffee and juice and eating warm scones. Very nice Sunday activity. The dog is now giving me the look - because - hey - it is still maximum ice and I haven't walked him yet. oh.












I fell down yesterday aft. carrying the newly cleaned chicken watering thingy - went down - smacked my head, dropped the water which ran under my and pooled to make even more ice in front of the coop door. Meanwhile the chickens are looking at me like this is some sort of new entertainment they are supposed to appreciate.

(Did I mention that I'm just the wee bittest tired of ice? I won't go on though.)

Calvin decided that my favourite hat was just right for him and he is my dear boy so with a little tugging I let it go. It looks very nice on him - the turquoise bits are good. I'd like to make another one similar to that one. Going to look through my stash and start another one - oh oh forgot to mention - I felted the tam o'rasta or the rasta o'shanter or the whatever it is and it did felt a bit but instead of the band getting tighter - it shrunk up so that it is narrower but the opening is wider if that makes any sort of sense. I wore it last night folded and pinned and now call it a rasta o'turban.

I'm not finished yet!