RIP Eddie

It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of one of our hens.  Last week one day I went out to collect eggs and there she was.  Sad.  She had seemed so lively and full of life earlier in the day when I had gone out to toss some scratch grains for them.  Poor thing was just shy of her third hatchingday.

Ah, Eddie,  you lovely, rich brown eggs will be missed.

Barnyard mysteries

Hmm... it has been an interesting morning.  We have sunshine and moderate temps today.  The lull between storms.  A couple of inches of snow yesterday afternoon and more ice and snow expected tomorrow.  Oh, the joys of winter in the midwest.  At least the temperature seems to have gotten over this sub-zero nonsense.
But the cold has taken its toll.  Our frost-free hydrant in the barnyard is frozen.  So I had to carry the waterer for the chickens into the house to fill it in the bathtub in the basement.  Justine, I will be sure to clean the tub well after the hydrant thaws.
But more mysterious is the heat lamp in the chicken coop.  We have a ceramic heater (just infra-red, no light) on a thermo-cube that only comes on when it is cold (I forget the cut-off temp, I think it is 25 or 30).  It helps but isn't terribly effective.  So, with the really, really cold temps we've had, I replaced the regular lightbulb in the coop with a heat lamp.  We've only turned it on when the temps are forecast for below -5F because it produces enough light to keep the chickens awake all night (even though it isn't supposed to because it's coated red) and they eat us out of house and home!  But, back to the mystery.  I know the light was off last night when I closed up the coop for the night.  However, this morning, it was on and no one else has been outside.  And it is on a pull chain that we have tied to the side so it doesn't make contact with the bulb.  Mystery!
V's guess is that there was a bit of frost built up inside the fixture and the last time it was turned off the switch didn't fully switch to 'off' and the warm up was enough to melt the ice and turn it on.  That is possible but I find it weird that it happened at night and not on some of those sunny days when the coop has been fairly warm.  Who knows.  Maybe one of the hens was cold and too smart for her own good.  Or just fluttering too high off the roost.
The ladies have been laying well.  We have been getting 8-10 eggs/day.  Not too shabby from 13 hens, 9 of whom are 3 years old.
I've got some little seedlings up under the grow lights.  Some chard, kale, bok choy, lettuce and spinach destined for the greenhouse.  I'm itching to start my main season crops but I know it's still too early for that. But, just having little seedlings up helps with the winter blahs I've been having.  But sooner than the tomatoes and peppers I long to start, I'll be starting my cool season broccoli and such.  I ordered some romanesco seeds and I'm excited to see how it does.  They look so awesome in a fractal-ly delicious way.
I hope you are all 'weathering' the winter well.  The weather seems to have been so extreme just about everywhere this year.

Hurrah!

The ladies are back in form!  At least a few of them are.  We've had 14 eggs over the last 3 days.
Finally!!!  Eggs are back on the menu!

Just a quick post to celebrate!!

AWOL

Yep, I've been out of the loop again.  My bad.  I feel like it's been busy here but then again, not much is going on... and... I'll admit it... Justine introduced me to the evil that is Pinterest.  I had been avoiding it like the plague because I knew it has the potential to be a time-sucking kind of place.   So far, I've been good... we'll see how long that lasts.
The weather has been frightful.  Monday our high for the day was -7F.  The poor chickens were cooped up for a couple of days but they seem to have fared pretty well.  And, after a couple of weeks of no eggs at all, I've finally started getting a few.  Two today. Excitement!
Today it was finally above freezing for the first time in seemingly ages.  It hit the mid 40's!  So Justine, I16 and I went on a long walk (about 2 miles). It felt great to be out and about in the fresh air again.  I even opened a couple of windows in the chicken coop to let it air out in there since it was warmer outside than in.
Otherwise, it's a pretty slow time here.  I've been plotting the garden for next year.  I think I'll have my seed order ready to go soon. In the next couple of weeks I plan to start some cold weather stuff inside to try out in the greenhouse.  The greenhouse was a bust this winter. It got so cold so soon that everything froze off.  Last year I had fresh greens in mid January.  This year they all froze off in November.  sigh....  But I'm hoping that if I get some spinach and kale started inside that I can put them out in late February and have them survive in there. We'll see... it's an experiment.
Justine is home for only another week and then will head back to Philly for her next semester of classes.  We have been seeing a LOT of her fiance in the last few weeks but that's OK.  He is a great guy and we're all happy to see them both so happy.  She plans to move out of the dorms next year so we've all ben brainstorming things that she/they will need in an apartment and picking up things when we can.  We found a great 12 piece set of T-fal pots and pans yesterday.  The good stuff- stainless with copper bottoms: pans that will last a lifetime.  Got them on sale with an extra 15% off the sale price plus a mail-in rebate.  So we ended up paying just a little over half price for them- not a bad deal.  That girl has a good head on her shoulders and is always thinking ahead.
Otherwise, things are going.  I16 is finally taking Driver's Ed so we've got him out driving with us.  School is going well for both boys.  V is busy writing and now has a new client in addition to his old one so things are going well.  Construction is slow this time of year so it's a pretty laid-back time.

Hope you all are well.

So... I lied

I have obviously NOT been posting more regularly like I promised last post.  Yeah... I lied.

But, in my defense, things have been really hopping around here.  In the past week I have processed 17.5 dozen ears of sweet corn, weeded the garden, done bulk shopping at Stringtown (an Amish store near here), traveled to my parents to help around the house with things they can't manage anymore (K13 and I washed all the windows), attended a 50th anniversary party, helped hang ceilings in the basement, worked my paying job (while short staffed and supervising a student as well) and have done all the usual household 'stuff'.

The tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I made my first batch of salsa yesterday.  Mmm!  The peppers and tomatillos have been ready for a while but we finally had tomatoes. And I'm a bit frightened of one of my peppers.  Our friend Roger gifted us with a Ghost Chili (Naga) plant this spring.  It has been growing in the garden and now one of the peppers is beginning to ripen.  Considering that these are reported to be the heat of police grade pepper spray, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it.  I have heard that you need more protective gear than just rubber gloves to process them.  Hmmm....

And one of the new ladies has started to lay!  This afternoon there was a lovely, little, brown, pullet-sized egg in with the others.  My bet is on Bettie Page but Ishtar would be the second guess.  Beatrice and Tabitha still look not ready yet.  Bettie was always much bigger than the other chicks so I'm thinking she was a few days older and as a black sex link, she is likely to mature faster than the others.  And they are just over 4 months old now.

That's about it.  Justine has only a few weeks left at home before she heads back to school. This week she is off in the evenings as she is helping as a stage hand in a community production of Rent that one of her friends is acting in.

So, things are still moving here.  I'll try to keep up.  You know, sometimes I really, really just want a day to do nothing.

Putting on the gloves

I've resorted to welding gloves to gather eggs.

Zeva, our gold laced Wyandotte has gone broody.  However, since I just added 4 new pullets to the flock I'm not really eager to let her try to hatch out any more chicks.  Hence the welding gloves.  She is pretty vicious when I try to steal her babies... or at least what she thinks are her babies.  poor thing. I hope that she'll get over it soon.  At least I noticed her out with the others when I opened the coop.

In other news, we are frantically doing landscaping/weeding/yard work as well as cleaning the house.  We're hosting the Iowa Steampunk group on Sunday afternoon for a Tea/Garden Party.  You know, croquet and cucumber sandwiches. It should be fun... assuming the weather cooperates. We're currently forecast to be in the mid 90's on Sunday afternoon.  That's awfully hot to be wearing a gown outside.  We'll be sure to take lots of photos.

I'm still battling rabbits and deer in the garden- and chipmunks.  Grrr.... chipmunks!  I planted my three sisters.  And then, a few days later, noticed that nearly every single seed had been dug up and eaten.  I've had hardly anything planted from seed survive in the garden this year.  sigh.  But at least my tomatoes have recovered and are doing well.  But I need to weed.  Always weeding.  it never ends.

A day trip to the farm

We took a day trip to see my parents on the farm yesterday. With all the rain and storms they had three trees go down, falling from the creek bank into the orchard.  Dad had worked to get them cut up already but at his age, he doesn't need to be hauling that much wood.  So, we all loaded up and made the trip.  Many hands make light work and with all our teenagers and V and I working, we had the brush moved and the firewood hauled and stacked in seemingly no time.   I teased Justine that it was our strength training workout for the day.
Speaking of training... Justine and I have been doing training runs, getting in shape for the zombie apocalypse that's coming sooner than I imagined.  We're doing a 'trial run' next weekend and doing the Mud Run in Des Moines.  I think it's supposed to rain next weekend so that will mean more mud to run through.  Joy.  We did invest in trail running shoes that have better than average tread.  Good for running through mud and up and down slippery hills.

The garden is growing.  We did manage to get everything planted last weekend.  And I noticed a few little cucumbers popping up out there.  Mom gave me a few extra eggplant and tomato starts that she didn't want.  Not that I NEED more plants but one of my deer ravaged tomatoes isn't coming back very well so I may replace it.  Now if only I can manage to keep the baby bunnies from devastating the rest of the garden.

The fab four pullets have integrated pretty well into the rest of the flock. They're not exactly mingling yet but they appear to have achieved a 'mutual tolerance' policy.  Abbie (our dominant hen) took it upon herself to bother them for most of the week.  Not exactly picking on them, but standing there, giving them the 'stink-eye' if they moved toward the feeder, chasing them off the roost, things like that.  But, we made sure they had plenty of unmolested time to eat and she seems to have gotten bored with watching them so they're becoming more adventurous with the flock, even running into the mix to grab strawberry hulls when I toss them in.

Yesterday's harvest:  8 eggs, a bowl of strawberries and a handful of radishes.  I've replanted lettuce but it may be a challenge to keep it from the bunnies.

We continue the battle with chipmunks.  V has been picking them off with the air rifle but they continue to create havoc.  I've pinned deer netting over the strawberry bed but they still manage to get in and eat the strawberries.  Grrr!  And they dig in the plants on the porch.  sigh.  But we will persevere.

 And... it's raining again today.  Looks like my garden plans will be put on hold and Justine and I will be running in the rain this afternoon.

Photos from the day

A few photos of the morning to brighten your day.

 The Red Emperor Tulips are putting on quite the display.

 A lonely daffodil.  They don't seem to be multiplying very fast.

 A flat of beauty yet-to-come

 Syrphid Fly larvae!  I've been struggling with aphids on the spinach in the greenhouse and, since the weather has warmed up and it's HOT in there, the spinach has started to bolt.  I was going to pull it when I discovered dozens and dozens of syrphid larvae (Hover Flies) devouring the aphids.  Woo Hoo for beneficial insects!!  I've decided to leave it go for a while to give them time to develop.

 River is hopeful for a snack

The ladies line up, hoping I'll toss them some tasty treats.  They love their clover!

And now, the chicken coop awaits.  Off to more fun!

Still kicking!

Long time, no post.

Things have been a bit busy around here and blogging has taken a back burner.  But life is still rolling along here at Troll Bridge Acres.  Here's a quick update.
On the garden front: I've got lots of little seedlings up!  But I'm having germination problems with some of my peppers.  Seed that I just got last year so should still be good is having terrible germination this year.   I'm also struggling with aphids that have migrated from one of the houseplants onto my seedlings.  Grr!  I thought we had them under control on the houseplants but I guess not.   I was hoping to till at least part of the garden but it has been rainy here lately so it is still too wet. Maybe later this afternoon... we only got a little shower this morning and it is sunny and windy this afternoon.  But I'm not holding my breath- I was out a little bit ago and it's still pretty squishy.  But, I'm not complaining about the rain- we're finally out of drought conditions!!  I15 helped me clear off flower beds last weekend and we planted a wisteria vine to climb up the pergola on the deck- something a bit more permanent than the morning glories.
On the work front (paid job): Today is my one day off after a 6 day stretch.  It has been a really, really long week and I'm dealing with a pretty tough patient group right now so it has been really sapping my energy.  I've got 4 days to work and then I get a 4 day weekend with the alignment of my Friday comp day for working Saturday and my usual every-other Monday off.  I can't wait!
Chickens: The big girls are finally back into the swing of things and we're getting 6  or more eggs/day.  I'm going to have to see if I can sell a few at work since the fridge is quickly filling up!  The little girls are growing quickly and are at that awkward 'teenage' stage.  But they are healthy and appear happy.  I came down this morning to find them all snuggled up roosting on the stick I put in there for them.  I did change the wood chip bedding I had in the kennel for them.  The downstairs bath was getting a bit stinky!
Sewing: ugh.  I haven't had much time to spend at the machine.  I've got a blouse that I started weeks ago that still isn't finished.  I don't have much left to do but just can't seem to get it done.  I've got a jacket for I15 cut out and ready to start.  Next weekend I'm hoping to spend some quality time in the sewing room.  I've also got to do another baby quilt for work.  One of the social workers I work closely with is expecting in August.  I had hoped to have my business website up and running in April but I'm rapidly losing the month.
Zombie training:  I was doing really, really well until I slipped on wet grass and twisted my knee last weekend.  It hasn't so much been painful as much as it just feels unstable and like it wants to hyperextend when I run. It is getting better but I've taken the week off running because I don't want to injure it further and REALLY do some damage.  But, I'm registered for a 5K run/walk next Sunday afternoon, the Rehab Run, sponsored by the Physical Therapy department at the University.  Even if I have to walk it I'm going to do it.  And Justine and I are going to do the Mud Run in June and our big race is in July.    I'd really like to do the Color Run but our most local race is the same weekend as Run for Your Lives.   Oh well, maybe next year.
Family:  V has been busy writing so house stuff has slowed down.  But, he's continued to put up more ceilings in the basement on his off days.  It is so nice to be doing 'finishing' stuff!  Now that it is starting to warm up, I'll probably be doing some painting as well soon.  I think I'm going to be going through LOTS of primer in the basement.  The boys are charging along through the school year and Justine will be finished with her first year of college in mid May.  Hard to believe that it's just over a month away.  Wow! Where has time gone.

Well, now that I've wasted some time here, I've still got lots on my to-do list for today that I've been avoiding.  Back to work, although I'd really much rather just sit and enjoy the weather....

I'll try to work through my blog reading backlog sometime soon and will really try to post more often.

RIP Marilyn

After a great day Saturday when Marilyn was eating well, active and running to be fed when she heard the door open, Sunday morning she refused to eat.  She continued to not eat much, if anything, all day and by evening she was looking pretty weak.  So, I was not terribly surprised to find that she had died in the night.  We believe that there was more wrong with her than just her vision as she seemed to have some GI issues as well.

We gave it a good try and had her with us for just over a week but it was not to be.

But, the upside (I'm trying to put the positive spin on it) - chick care will now be MUCH less time consuming and maybe I'll be able to get things accomplished again.  It seems like the last week she has been taking lots of my time.

This and that

Yeah, I'm big on creative titles tonight, aren't I?
It's been a busy week here.  Even though I had Monday off, I still feel like I haven't gotten much done.

Marilyn has been taking quite a bit of time and care.  Not that I regret keeping her alive, but she is a lot of work. V has really stepped up to the plate while I've been at work since we've been feeding her every 1.5 -2 hours during the day.  She was just beginning to be able to find the feeder but then we moved the chicks into the dog kennel and she isn't adapting very well to the larger space, even though I tried to keep the distance and position of the feeder and waterer the same from the brooder lamp as when they were in the box.  We're still putting her into her little box with a dish of mash and she eats and eats and eats until her little crop is crammed full.  She seems to do better with the mash than with the dry feed, I think because it is more uniform and she doesn't have to aim accurately to pick up a crumble.  She does this sad but funny head bob trying to figure out the depth she has to peck to eat.  Sometimes she is to shallow and misses the food, sometimes she pecks too deep and buries her beak up to her nose.  She is still very, very small.  She is growing quite slowly. The other chicks are easily twice her size now, but they aren't picking on her, not even Bettie who is older and bigger than the rest.  The don't even pick on her when she tries to snuggle underneath them.  Sadly, the bathroom is cooler than Justine's room and Marilyn doesn't venture too far from the brooder lamp.  She can find the waterer on her own and even though she she can sometimes find the feeder she doesn't do well with either the dry food or the little holes she has to find in the feeder.  We'll keep at it and see how it goes.

In garden news, last night I finally got around to planting my tomato, pepper and eggplant seeds.  My little brassicas are growing nicely under the grow lights already getting ready for Spring which I hope will truly arrive soon.  We had salad from the greenhouse but sadly, I discovered I've got aphids on my spinach.  So, since it's supposed to be fairly warm this weekend I'm going to try to get out there with some soap/garlic/hot pepper mix to try to take care of them.

I haven't had time to sew since the weekend and I really need to get busy.  And I really need to get onto the exercise bandwagon since I've only got 106 days left until the big race.

The boys and I will be heading down to my parent's for Easter.  I'm looking forward to going but also realize that it's a day out of my weekend that I really need.

Marilyn 'The Blind Chick'

I know you're all on pins and needles waiting for the latest Marilyn Monroe update.  If you remember, she is the chick we got who is blind.  Well,  we've got good news and bad news.
First the good news:  She's eating!  Woo Hoo!  And she is now eating like she's been starving for a few days.  Oh, wait... she has been....
But, the bad news is HOW she's eating.  I finally got her to eat this morning by making a mash of the chick feed and warm water, holding her in my hand and essentially shoving her face into it.  She was looking pretty peaked this morning so this was literally going to be do or die.  And she ate a little.  Amazingly enough after eating, she was scratching around and pecking the floor, which she had never done before.  But, I put her near the food and she still couldn't find it.

The solution:  I'm feeding her in a box.  Yup, I've got a small box (actually the one we brought the chicks home in) with a small container of mash in it. I put her in the box and she pecks around until she finds the food.  By putting her in a small box her chances of finding the food are greater and without the wood shavings in the bottom she isn't picking up non-edibles all the time.  But it's really kind of sad to watch because she often 'loses' the food dish and then pecks around the bottom of the box until she finds it again.  She also is so small that she isn't holding her body temperature well and gets cold quickly.  So feeding her is a chore of putting her in the box for a few minutes, putting her back in with the others so she can warm up under the brooder lamp and repeating the cycle a few times.
At least she is getting quicker at finding the food dish in the box the more times we do this.  Of course, I wonder what I'm getting myself into.  Just what I need, a high maintenance, special needs chicken.  But, at least this is giving her a fighting chance to figure out how to fend for herself.

Yeah... I'm sure there are many people who will tell me I should have just culled her or let her die.  But she is awfully sweet.

And then there were five

We have concerns about Marilyn Monroe.  It appears likely that she is blind or at least has very poor vision.  She tends to run into things like walls.  She can only find the water if she runs into it and she isn't eating.  Sigh...  If she doesn't start eating she won't make it.
But, I called Orscheln's where we got the chicks and spoke to a clerk and then the manager about my concerns. She had me come in and get another chick, no charge, and we can take our chances on whether Marilyn makes it.
So, meet the newest addition:

 She is an Australorp.  I'm glad I got there when I did yesterday because they were out of all the breeds I brought home.  They aren't expecting any more Ameraucanas in until next week, at which time it would be more problematic to introduce a new chick, so the manager gave me pick of the breeds they have. What amazing customer service!

Here she is with Marilyn who just kind of stands around peeping and doesn't scratch or peck at things.
We're keeping our fingers crossed that Marilyn figures out this eating thing but regardless, now we have another chick to name.

More chick cuteness

They aren't all very willing subjects to photograph.  But here are the newest additions to our little homestead.

 Bettie Page looking for all the world like a little raven.  She is the biggest and obviously oldest chick we got.

 We haven't decided on a name for this one yet.  K13 suggests "Tabitha the Insane".  Another friend suggested "Aphrodite".  Justine suggested "Sasha Grey" while V thought maybe "Joan Crawford".  I love the brown and grey markings on her face.

 Beatrice.

And I believe this little sweetie will be Marilyn Monroe. She is the tiniest of the bunch.  Smaller even than her hatch-mate.  She's probably only a third the size of Bettie.  But she is by far the loudest chick.

Meet the new ladies

Here they are.  The new Fab Four!
One Buff Orpington- pre-named Beatrice by my darling daughter.  Why Beatrice I'm not sure.
One Black Sex Link- named Bettie Page by my dear V who was amused about "sex link".  Guys....
And, finally, two Ameraucana chicks.  They don't have names yet although we're leaning toward other 40's/50's pin up girls. Yeah, I'm a sucker for pretty colored eggs.

They are in a temporary box in Justine's bedroom until V and the boys finish the bathroom and I can set up the dog kennel that will be their more permanent home until they're big enough to join the flock.

I can tell that Bettie is a few days older than the others since she's already got some little wing and tail feathers where the other three are just fluff.

I know, I know, I said I was going to wait until they finished the bathroom.  But that will happen today and I was already in that part of town.  No sense making two trips... right?  Besides, this gives the guys extra motivation to finish.

I think...

I think tomorrow is the day for new chicks to arrive on our little homestead.  Our current girls are 2 years old this spring and while they're laying nicely again after a winter lull, I know that age will begin to catch up with them.  So tomorrow a few new chicks will come to live with us.
We were at one farm store last night picking up a new drive belt for the motor for the door opener for the shop and I checked out what they had.  Not too impressed with their selection.
But this evening, we stopped by the other farm store on the way home from picking up a few things after I got home from work to check it out.  They've got Ameraucanas, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds and Black Sex Links as well as a batch of 'rainbow layers'.  I think that is the catch all for 'what the hatchery had left over, not sorted! Two of our original Fab Four were from that bin.  They turned out to be RIR.
But, before I can get new chicks, V and the boys have to finish the ceilings in the downstairs bath.  That was on the agenda for the week but got delayed due to V being busy with paid writing work.  However, it is on tap for tomorrow!  I've got everything I need for chicks, just not the chicks or the space to put them.  The room isn't big and it won't take long to get the sheet rock up and mudded and taped.  We'll worry about painting it when it warms up.  But V doesn't want to have to work around the dog kennel that will house the chicks while they grow big enough to introduce to the rest of the flock.

Anyway.  I'm glad it's the weekend.  It seems to have been a long, long week at work.  The boys have been off on spring break but I've been at work.  I've been good at working out but not so good at sewing this week.  This whole balance thing is tougher than I thought.  I've got my day off on Monday so I've got a three day weekend.  Let's see how much I can accomplish....

Sprouts!

I finally planted my first little seeds on Tuesday night.  My early stuff: cabbage (red and green), chinese cabbage, kale, broccoli, bok choi, and a couple of herbs (rosemary, parsley and summer savory).  Today, I got home from work and I've got bits of green!  Baby choi!  And it looks like the red cabbage isn't far behind.  It was so wonderful to be cleaning dirt out from under my nails again.
It seems that since Winter finally started to kick in, it doesn't want to leave.  It has been cold and snowy here off and on, although today it was nearly 50.
The lettuce and spinach that survived in the greenhouse all winter is finally really starting to take off.  I'll probably go plant a few radishes out there soon, maybe tomorrow.

I rearranged my usual day off so I had an extra day last week when Justine was home so I'm doing tow weeks in a row of working 5 days straight.  Blah!  I didn't realize how much I love that every other Monday off.
I've taken the week off sewing since the photo shoot on Saturday but will probably be back at it on Saturday.  It has been nice to have a little time for things like seed starting and a few more elaborate meals.
The boys are off on Spring break next week so V is going to have them help put up ceilings in a couple more rooms in the basement, including the bath.  Once the ceiling is up, I'm going to pick up a few more chicks at the farm store since they're in. Not too many, maybe 4 or 5.  I had thought about ordering some fancy breeds but I'm feeling too cheap (or cheep!) to pay that much shipping.  And last year one of our local stores had Ameraucanas,  And I know Justine wants another buff orpington.  We'll see what they have.  My coop and run are sized for up to 16 birds (4 square feet/bird inside, more outside) and I'm at 10 at the moment.  And they're finally laying decently again after molting and the winter.  Averaging 5-6 eggs/day again so eggy dishes are back on the menu.

Gotta run close the coop and take the quiche out of the oven.   Gotta have something with crust for Pi Day.

Roller coaster weather

What a wild ride we've been having and are still in for. Sunday was nasty with freezing rain.  An enforced day of stay-at-homeness.  Today, it was 57 when I got up at 5:30 this morning, breaking all sorts of warm weather records here.  This afternoon, it was already down to 38 with a winter storm moving in with 4-7 inches of snow predicted.  Yowza.  What a ride.
I'm still recovering from my eye appointment this afternoon.  I had my eyes dilated and it always seems like it takes me forever for them to return to normal. Everything is still a bit blurry so forgive me if I miss any typos.
I was really hoping to have photos of a new jacket to share.  I got the jacket shell finished Sunday, the lining on Monday (my day off) and last night I did some handwork and hemming on it as well as covering the 22 buttons that will go on it.  I had hoped to be able to do buttons and buttonholes this evening but unless my eyes recover more quickly I don't think i want to do much with sharp needles.
V has continued to struggle with upper respiratory infection and I15 came home from school yesterday (and was home today) with the stomach bug that has been going around. Hopefully they won't share their germs. We've had too many people off sick at work and i've got too much to do to be sick.

The hens have started picking up with egg laying after a long dry spell.  Today we had three eggs!  For most of the winter we've been getting only about 4 eggs/week.  in the last 4 days, with molting over and the days lengthening, we've already had 7.  A definite improvement- I'm geting tired of feeding them with not much to show for it.

Other than that, not much going on. I'll post jacket photos when I get it done.  I'm not sure V will let anyone else wear it.

The game is afoot...

Hopefully... good things are happening here!  V is negotiating with a potential new freelance client.  Woot!  This would be a fabulous thing for us.  His freelancing work has been steady but minimal since he lost a subcontract (the original contractor lost the account because of the client's financial outlook) last year.
So, because of that finances have been tight recently, especially since we're helping Justine with tuition.  (Good thing we've got a pantry and freezer full of food!)  But, an additional source of income would be quite welcome.  So send good thoughts his way.
We're happy that Justine's package arrived yesterday.  She evidently has declared me 'the best mom ever', LOL!  Amazingly, the thing that touched her most of everything I packed in there was not the cookies or the package of dark chocolate... it was the little bit of candy from the HS homecoming parade.  Awww....

Other than that, not much is going on here.
Work has been busy and I'm looking forward to a 4 day weekend coming up.  We hope to be painting in the library since V has finished the drywall back there and it's ready to go.
Many of the chickens are molting furiously.  V and I got one chicken saddle deployed on River (who needed it the most)... he held her, I snapped it on.  We also put one on Abbi but it was too loose and she kept pulling at it, so we took it off.  I've shortened the straps but we haven't put it back on her yet.  I need to get more snaps and make a couple more.  I've noticed that Helen is looking pretty bare on her back as well.  Egg production is WAAAAY down.  I only got one egg today and only three yesterday.  But at least they should be feathered out again by the time it gets really cold.
It's raining again.  Hoorah!

A rainy day

It has been raining today.  Hooray! This is the first real rain we have had in over a month again. We got less than 3/4 inch but I'm not complaining. Especially since I was at work all day- my 6th day straight.  Ugh.  And I've only got tomorrow off before I head back on Monday.  But I have a 4 day weekend to look forward to next weekend.  I've got Friday as my comp day for working today and next Monday is my usual day off.   I love it when they string together!  But I'm tired!  6 days of work is rough, especially when you throw in our late night on Thursday.  The movie/concert was fabulous!  And it was the opening performance of the celebration series for the Englert Theater's 100th anniversary celebration.
But, even with work at my paying job, I've been working around here as well.  Things are slowing down a bit but I'm still reporting on my progress on the Independence Days Challenge so here goes:
Plant something- Garlic, that's about it and that is later than I would have liked.  But at least it's in the ground!
Harvest something- hmm, eggs, a few herbs, radishes, nothing much more out there.  But I'm still slowly using up the ripening tomatoes and the last of the peppers.  And my lettuce in the greenhouse will soon be ready.
Preserve something-  Made a huge batch of broccoli/carrot soup and froze it in little containers for me to take for lunch to work. Not much else.
Waste not- using up last of the veggies before they go bad.
Want not- Got rice but really haven't done much shopping other than dairy and apples.  THAT feels good!
Eat the food- I've got some sauce cooking down (counter tomatoes and peppers) for enchiladas tonight. I ate one of my little frozen eggplant casseroles for lunch today and I've been having lots of yummy soup from the freezer for lunches during the week (not only the broccoli- I made some roasted tomato a while ago as well).
Build Community- Took eggs to Jim and have an egg order for next week.  I've been 'liking' several local organizations on Facebook (although I'm trying to not let it turn into a time-suck!) not that it means much.
Skill up- um....  I got nothing.

Other updates...
Our transplanted/potted pepper plants are doing well.  I cut them back pretty severely and they are happily shooting out new leaves and branches.
A few of the hens are looking rather bedraggled due to a combination of an overly zealous Magnus and moulting) I caught several of the girls ganging up on River yesterday afternoon and picking at her back so I'll be making some chicken saddles tonight- both River and Zoe need them badly.  I think I've got 4 or 5 hens moulting right now as well as Magnus. Poor rooster has lost almost all of his beautiful iridescent tail feathers.  With moulting hens egg production is down but we've still got plenty.
Tomorrow will be a day of laundry and trying to catch up on all my usual weekend stuff in only one day.  Wish me luck.