I Got Fun Stuff Today

Well, today had some fun in it.  Got up, did the cockers, yada, yada.  Jim fixed us a yummy breakfast of poached eggs in grits (his own ding dang recipe).  Very good.  Then he and my nephew floated down south river in a canoe, while my daughter and I floated up wine river in a glass.  

We went to the winery in Rose Hill with my two aunties and an auntie inlaw inlaw (mother of my aunt's son's wife)?  Is there a name for that?  Since I'm a member, I got to use my discount for their case of wine.  We all had a tasting and I got my free glass of wine as a member and my daughter got a free glass of wine for knowing that the black river red was named for black river.  It's a winery, the questions have GOT to be easy.

While we were there, we found out that the annual chicken fry in the WORLDS BIGGEST FRYING PAN was happening today.  It's an annual event and I've never seen it.  So we rushed over, slowly, after the winery, cause I wanted some pictures.  We got there just as they were fixing to start cleaning up.  I totally missed the frying part!!!  But I got some pictures of the pan after the fact.

The chicken was HOW big?

The rest of the girls all got a plate of chicken.  I got a tee shirt.  Next year, I am gonna get the picture since I know now when they do the big fry.

After that we buzzed down to Wilmington to the Fresh Market (like a mini whole foods) to get fixin's for my spring rolls that I am making for homecoming.  Shitake mushrooms, fresh cilantro and basil, bean sprouts and green onions.

Home to drop off the groceries then to the church to set up the tables in the fellowship hall.  Yet another reason never to do things by committee.  We discussed table placement for 15 minutes.  Arranged for 20 minutes.  Rearranged for 20 minutes.  Finalized and realized that we had the same arrangement that we started out with, save one table.  But it's done.

The shed looks great.

The "Manse"

Came home and discovered that Jim and the kids had taken the puppy over to it's new home.  So I started in to cook for tomorrow.  I got the carrot cake done, I got the beets done and I got the eggs boiled for the deviled eggs.  I got the spring roll wrappers thawed out and will get help for the filling tonight.

The baybays, I assume, spent the day with MB2 learning life lessons.

So the day was not too bad, Ed.

Now will wait for the others, have dinner and do some porch setting.

Oh, one more pic of the spooky dogs:

OOOOOOOOOOOh

bak bak

Hi Holy Day

Well, since Homecoming at the church is on Sunday, today was hammer time.  My daughter and my nephew got here at 4 am this morning from Texas to attend.  They brought a dog.  A puppy.  A female puppy.  With Muskett who is not fixed.  I couldn't go back to sleep, so, 2 hours lost.

Then time to loose the chickens.  It takes me twice as long since I have to fill four watering spots, throw three scratches,  fill 3 feed trays, two with adult food and one with kiddie food, let the adults out, let MB2 and baybays out, and attach the ramp to the brooder house.

Then time for a quick breakfast.  After that, we had to check the riding mower and the push mower to make sure they still run after sitting for 6 months.  The push mower was fine, just needed a little gas.  The riding mower had issues

1.  flat front tire
2.  would crank but not start.  So Jim took the hood off to check the air filter and the hood fell apart.  OOPS.  My bad.  I ran it into a pine tree in 5th gear last year and cracked the housing.  I SWEAR the pine tree just jumped out in front of the mower.  I didn't have time to swerve.  Anyway, we cleaned the air filter, which was totally clogged and used a little ether to the intake and she started right up.  We took the hood from the donated mower for a temporary fix and put it on the old mower.  Fortunately, they were both murrays so were interchangable.

Jim loaded the mowers and the kids.  He was to  drop the mowers off at the church yard then come back.  I was to go later as Muskett was acting strange and I didn't want to leave Gmar with a sick dog, a puppy and Buddy, who was grumpy.  So I lost another hour.

I finally made it to the church and did the outer yard with the riding mower.  That took about 2 hours.  Then I did the grave yard with the push mower.  That took about 2 hours.  In the meantime, my neighbor lady arrived to help me finish painting the shed.  She started in to paint while I finished mowing.

Jim and the kids went to Etown to get my 150 ft roll of chicken wire (two weeks late, gotta love the country) for my garden.  They also picked me up some hay and newspapers to combat the weed problem.

By the time I finished the yard, they had arrived with more paint and brushes to help.  So we caulked the missed places, put another coat of paint on, painted the front, which had not been done and made and painted the shutters.  I left in the middle of the shutter project as I hadn't eaten in 6 hours and my feet were KILLING me.

I ate a little something then sat on the porch with my feet up.  For 3 seconds.  The puppy peed on the rug, Buddy was snarling as she was trying to eat his treat and Muskett tried out for the part of young stud.  So I solved all that and Jim and the kids came home.  They had mostly finished.  It needs touch up here and there but only minor stuff.  They ate dinner then I showed my daughter around the gardens.  Jim and the kids headed out to show the puppy to it's future owner.    FINALLY, quiet.  For about 2 minutes.  Then it was time to shut the cockers up, remove the ramp and shut the brooder house up.

It is now 8 pm and time for blog.  This is the first time today I have sat down for any appreciable time.

Today's pictures are at the end:

ooh  ooh ooh pick ME pick ME

buck up little materoos

Hey, guys, we're in the spotlight, take a bow.

I'm now going for a soak.  A LOOOOOOOOONG one.

Bak Bak

Ducked Again

Well we weathered this round of storms.  We got the same cells that killed people in Alabama.  There were high winds here and 3 tornados touched down within 10 miles of us, but we took no damage.  Got 2 inches of rain out of it.  The pond is FULL.

bad ass sky

I transplanted all my maters this morning, as per the good book.  They were all wilty so I turned the irrigation on.  Then they were all wilty from all the rain.  Can't win.  But maters are tough so they should bounce right back.

Mom's roses are in bloom and are very beautiful

white florabunda

pinks and fushias

fushia

pinks

fushia old fashions

pink old fashions

white florabunda

Spent the rest of the day, after the storm looking over the gardens and the little cockers.  I adjusted their house so they can come out with MB2 into the mini wide world.  They seem to be very happy, except when MB2 decided she needed a dirt bath.  The baybays got EXTREMELY dirty and flung and rolled every which way since they insisted on climbing under mama during the process.  It was really very funny.  They seem to be made of rubber cause they roll then bounce right back.

mom, mom, mom, mom number 4 is playing on the fence.

what's this black stuff you're rolling in?

I am amazed that they are already getting their wing feathers after only three days.  It seemed that my first flock took a week.  How quickly they grow up.

It's getting dark so time to shut the old cockers up in their clean coop.   MMMM new hay smell

bak bak

Curses, it's Verses

garden is weedy

doggies are needy

cockers are tweety

I need some mirth

chainsaw is busted

not to be trusted

plants sure need dusted

with diatomatious earth

microwave’s blinking

lunchtime I’m thinking

water needs drinking

to decrease my girth

bridge crowd’s amassed

games go so fast

I come in last

not much am I worth

weekly shopping for food

to feed our small brood

the piggy’s imbued

with things that we need

Back home we then go

There are rows to hoe

So I can grow mo

Of each nasty weed

Doggies to walk

must check the flock

of those things that go bak

Chickens to feed

OK, I'm tired of this.  I just can't do the last verse.  the BayBay's are fine.

Farmer Ann out

Bak Bak

And One to Go

I got one more BAYBAY today.  I actually got to see it hatch.  It was very cool.  The last egg didn't make it.  There was a hole in it but no movement.  But I estimated about 4 chicks out of 8 eggs and was accurate.  Actually, I read, after the fact, that 4-5 chicks is max for one mother.

I couldn't watch them much today as it was rainy this PM.

I went to the church to paint the shed this morning with one of my neighbors.  We got the first coat on the two sides and had just rolled out the back when it started to rain.  I think most of the paint on the back wall will end up on the ground.  Oh well.  We need the rain.

Back home, between showers, I got my first garden harvest.  Snow peas.  yum yum.  I will stir fry them up for dinner tonite.  I think I will pick some of the red lettuce as well.  A few plants are ready.

first harvest.  good for one meal

Unfortunately, I planted my garden peas, my snow peas and my sugar snaps willy nilly along the fence so I have no idea which is which.  I have to be more careful in harvest cause the snow peas have a more tender hull.  So dinner tonite may be somewhat chewy.

I shut momma and baybays up early today as the rain is really coming down and I don't want the little cockers to get wet.  They are so cute.  They will come out and peep and eat and drink then will worm their way under MB2 very quickly.  This is the only way to hatch eggs.  Up with live incubators, Down with light bulbs!  Where are the chickens with choppers? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMbXvn2RNI

love the above link

It stopped raining so I couldn't resist a couple more pictures.

got all my cockettes in a row

investigating sibling's shell

That's all the cuteness anyone can stand for one day.

bak bak

Best Monday EVER

IgotbabiesIgotbabiesIgotbabiesIgotbabies.  I GOT BAYBAYS.

here's one

Here's THREE.

And there are still two eggs under her.  I got home from caulking the church shed (more later) and heard them.  One had gotten out of the enclosure and was wandering around the grounds so I have to put a large lip on the brooder house to keep them in for a while.  They are SOOOOOOOOOO cute.  How am I ever going to get any work done?  I keep running out every 5 minutes to look.

I also got a really BAD peck from JW when I was showing gmar the chickies.  Came out of nowhere and drew blood this time.  Didn't touch Gmar, who was right next to me.

Ow

I think it's time for a show down at the chic K corral .

baby in the wings (look left)

I also got the shed at the church caulked thanks to the help of one of my aunties.  It took us all day and 8 tubes of caulk, but we got it mostly done, except the very high places.

post caulk, pre paint.

We were kinda messy, but it's only a shed.

I didn't do a thing with the garden today cause I didn't have time cause I have BAYBAYS!

And, here is a pic of three of the five eggs in the oyster shell bag, just to top off today's news.

these eggs are really tiny.  about as big as my little fingernail.

Got to go now and look at my BAYBAYS

bak bak baby

Sunday Afternoon Sleepytime

Well, I got caught napping again.  It's hot and humid outside and I was full of church lunch and I just closed my eyes for a second...

Sir Cluckington sports bunny ears

This Easter was pretty uneventful.  Checked up on MB2 this AM and she seems fine.  She was panting a bit on the nest since it is so hot, but she's out of the sun.  Expect babies tomorrow maybe.  JW wasn't too bad even.  I only got pecked twice.

I made a jello with the last of my freezer strawberries, but I hope to wheedle all the leftovers from our neighborhood organic farmer.  I help pick when I can.  I also made a gumbo with the last of the freezer yellow squash, corn and pablano peppers.  That leaves only some beets, beet greens, soy beans and okra in the freezer and a can of tomatoes and 3 cans of sauce in the pantry.  Oh, and LOTS of pickles and jam, and one quart of moonshine.

I also had some fun with deviled eggs.

Angeled eggs 

Stuffed angeled eggs

The crowd at church loved them.  Nobody wanted to eat any, just look at them, but they did all get eaten.  I got the left over strawberries.

they taste as good as they look...

We talked a little about plans for Homingcoming at the church next sunday.  There's lots to do so this coming week will be pretty hectic.

Got home and did walkies and boy was it hot!  The doggies took a dip before, during and after the stroll.  I'm a little worried about taking them near water this time of year as the cottonmouths are out, but dogs will be dogs.  

Muskett in the front and buddy in the back

That reminds me, on the way home from church I saw a very cool thing.  A juvenile redtailed hawk had caught a snake along the side of the road and just took off with him when I drove by.  I couldn't tell what kind of snake and I wish I could have gotten a shot of it, but I did stop the car and watch until they were out of sight.  Gotta love the country.

I irrigated the garden all day.  When it gets this hot and sunny the collards start to wilt.  I don't know if I am going to get collards from this garden as they don't like hot weather.

Mom's roses are starting to bloom and in a few days they will be glorious.  I will include pictures then.

Now about that nap....

bak zzzzzzzzzzz bak zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Happy Easter

A special little slide show to wish you all a happy Easter

Happy Easter from Sir Cluckington

Happy Easter from the Cockers

Fun with Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs on Easter?  Surely Not, These are Angeled Eggs

He rose that we might also

Bak Bak

One is the Loneliest Number

I      Just      Can't      Keep      Up.

Started this morning at 6:30, letting the cockers out.  Sad news.  One of the eggs under MB2 hatched early.  I guess the chick was dead.  She had drug it into her yard.   It was three days early so it must have been dead.  But at least I know some of the others may be fertile.  Monday and Tuesday are the ETA.  And I have another broody hen, maybe MB3 again and I am trying to get her sorted out early.  Locked all the cockers out of the coop for the whole afternoon.

****************************

Well !*@&#(@*!!!.  I went out to check on MB2 and JW had somehow gotten into her yard!  I didn't think he could fly that high.  This could be a problem.  I got him out by opening the door and grabbing another chicken.  She clucked loud and that brought him out.  I gave him the chicken and closed MB2's gate.  Damn, this is getting complicated.

****************************

Then I sewed my new hoop house where two pieces joined.  I tried duct tape, but the rain loosened it, so I had to sew it.  I don't even sew buttons on.  It took me 5 minutes just to thread the needle.  But it is whole now.

my first hoop house.

I hope this will deter the squash borers.

Then I planted my other row of potatoes in the row next to the hoop house row.  I also filled in some holes where JW got into the garden and ripped up my chiogga beets.  I swear it only took him seconds to  scratch out about 6 hills.  I was so mad I ran at him, he jumped up and I actually grabbed him in mid air and threw him out of the gate.  I think he was too startled to try to peck me.  He landed and stalked off.

Then I transplanted some chives into the second cold frame.  I noticed there were volunteer toms all over the frame.  These are probably hardy like last year's volunteers so I will plant these in the old garden next to the basil and hope they won't get the wilt. 

Then I finished putting the hay I had left on some of my back beans.  I need more hay and more newspaper.

it's a hay's bean

Jim did help me put up the pole bean trellis, then he headed off to work on the church shed.  I followed shortly in my car.  I helped him with the bits he couldn't handle by hisself, then headed to Burgaw for chicken scratch and more oyster shell, since my other bag is a temporary nursery.   I picked up a few things at food lion as well.

Then I swung back by the church to check on Jim and met an new young lady who moved here from NY.  She is thinking of joining the church.  Very interesting.  She rescues horses.  We talked for a bit then I had to go.

Back to the house.  By this time it's hot and humid but there is more to do.  I gathered the eggs then walked out to the back forty to check on things.  My melons are just coming up.

Then time to tackle some of the weeds so got out the old Mantis.  I drove down through most of the rows and got what I could.

More weeds!!!????

But they'll be back.

Then I went into the house and took some veges out to thaw so I can make a gumbo for Easter sunday tomorrow.  I also need to make some curried eggs and something with strawberries (last of the frozen).

Walked outside again and looked around.  Good God, the whole place needs mowing.  The field grass is as high as a nelephant's eye, and I haven't started the mower since last year.  

I     Just    Can't     Keep    UP. 

I need field hands.  I need Scarlett.

Time for a glass of wine.

bak bak

Happy Earth Day

Since it has been raining most all day (yay), today will be pictures in honor of earth day.

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them

A wet JW.  Not so proud of your tail now, are ya?

my weeping bald cypress showing some green

Bouganvilla in bloom and out of focus

big bug, little bug

tent spider.  Love these webs in the morning with the dew

my simmon tree.  It's aliiiiiiive!

Buddy does shark face

dogwood in full bloom

Cypress in the cove swamp

I don't know what this tree is but the leaves come out of buds.

wonder what lives in here?

Kiss the ground,  it's all we've got.

bak bak

PS.  the bag bird, I think it's some kind of warbler, is sitting on 5 eggs

A Bird in the Bag is Worth...

Nah, a bird in the bag is priceless.

MB4?

This is the birdie that built the nest in my oyster shell bag.  As far as I can tell, there are 2 eggs in the nest.  I  now have to get more oyster shell and more scratch as I don't want to mess too close to this nest.

Well, went to E-town this morning to pick up my garden fence and the truck didn't come yesterday or this morning.  Apparently a new driver and got lost and the only phone number the store had was for the old driver.  So I got 50 ft of four foot fence for MB2's enclosure, and a pair of my very own bolt cutters.  The hardware store is classic.  It has been in operation for probably at least 50 years.  The aisles are so crowded you can hardly get down them and they sell everything EXCEPT what you need at the time.  But go back three weeks later, after you have it, and they got millions.  Today, they were grilling on a Webber in the back.

I went across the street to the neighborhood farm and garden center (the same people MUST own both stores) and got some potassium, phosphorous and calcium for my toms to keep them healthy.  To Wally World to get 10 tomato cages.  I had a hard time getting them in my car, but made it.  10 is not enough, but I figure if I buy 10 at a time, eventually I will have enough.  Also got some bins sos we can recycle at the church.

Then home.

When I got home, I decided to do walkies in the middle of the day to avoid any turkey hunters.  It was kinda hot, but we got on fine.  Saw the first snake of the season sunning on the sand and had to keep the dogs from getting too close.

Just a black snake

got this shot just before he crawled through my legs.

After that I set up MB2's compound with the four foot fencing.  She is now incarcerated with only one nest to inhabit.  I raked up the yard and piled the old leaves around the fence so the chicks (if there are any) will have nice dirt to scratch on.  JW disapproved of the whole production.  I have a couple of new and painful pecks on the backs of my legs.

Then I attempted to set up my insect barrier over the squash.  The bolt cutters worked really well, but it was too windy to put up the barrier.  I tore it in a couple of places as it is a very flimsy non woven, so I just put the whole mess in the shed to await a calmer day.  Anyway the gnats were enough to drive me from the garden, even with insect repellent on.  Hopefully the squash borers will stay away another day or so.  It's clouded over and cooled off so maybe we will get some rain.

I'm off to do laundry and drink some champaign, nicely chilled.

bak bak