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Recent Posts
- Red Sky at Dawn and Dusk January 20, 2021
- More Marvelous Than Fairy Tales January 18, 2021
- Red Dawn January 14, 2021
- Is It Still Winter? January 12, 2021
- Winter Skies January 4, 2021
- Happy New Year! January 1, 2021
- Stories Untold December 28, 2020
- Blink and You’ve Missed It December 22, 2020
- Chatty Mud Birds December 20, 2020
- Getting the Mail December 10, 2020
- Soothing is Good December 5, 2020
- When Life Returns to Normal, I’ll Miss Blue Skies December 1, 2020
- Blue Skies in November November 21, 2020
- Sunshine Is Just Beyond the Clouds November 17, 2020
- Winter Returns to the Hills November 14, 2020
- A Squirrel’s Fate November 8, 2020
- November at Last November 3, 2020
- November 1 and No Swans November 1, 2020
- First Frost October 23, 2020
- Too Wet to Burn October 18, 2020
- Eyes Wide Shut October 13, 2020
- The End of Flowers October 11, 2020
- 20201010 October 10, 2020
- Am I Growing the Wrong Grapes? October 6, 2020
- Fog and Less Fog October 5, 2020
- First Blush of Fall September 29, 2020
- A Perfect Fall Day September 27, 2020
- Blue Sky to Rain to Shaggy Parasol September 26, 2020
- Six Short Weeks September 24, 2020
- 317 Days for a Miracle September 23, 2020
- We Can Breathe Again September 22, 2020
- You Can’t Help But Be Sad September 13, 2020
- Duck Serenity September 6, 2020
- August is Coming to an End August 28, 2020
- It’s Easier with Another August 21, 2020
- Hottest Day of the Year August 16, 2020
- Morning Surprise August 12, 2020
- After the Rains August 8, 2020
- An August Morning August 2, 2020
- August Evening August 1, 2020
- When You Are Insane July 21, 2020
- Summer Is Here July 18, 2020
- It Blooms, It Dies July 15, 2020
- A Cool Start to Summer July 7, 2020
- Each Flower Has Its Own Strategy June 29, 2020
- Disaster Averted June 19, 2020
- Cool, Wet June June 10, 2020
- The End of May May 31, 2020
- Newer, Bigger, Better May 22, 2020
- Summer in May May 13, 2020
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Monthly Archives: April 2015
It’s a Dog Eat Dog World
Actually, it’s more like a dog eat anything world. I woke up to find Echo happily chewing away in the middle of some definitely not chicken feathers. After some careful inspection and research at the informative US Fish and Wildlife … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow
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When the Dogs Bark
I wasn’t expecting any of this today. While putzing around the place, I stumbled upon a pink rhododendron in full bloom. It wasn’t that many days when I said, “This is going to bloom soon.” Wow! And now it is. … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Warmest Day of the Year
The moment I stepped outdoors this morning, it felt different. The morning chill was gone. The misty air was soft and comforting. The mist lifted, the sun came out, and the air warmed all morning and afternoon, topping out at … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Here Comes Skunky
Skunky’s family is taking a break on a roost, but where is Skunky? Skunky is in the brush, not too far away, roosting on a fallen branch. Here comes Skunky, wings flapping to make it up to the top of … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens
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Forced Change of Plans
I was going to go into the workshop to get something, but Hazel had other ideas. A hot metal door is like a sauna for a chicken. The door to the workshop is a favorite spot to sun. Whatever I … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens
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Fast Food
This is my idea of fast food. Around here, going out into the garden and seeing what’s for dinner, is fast food. I can have supper on the table faster than it takes to go through the drive-through at many … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Green and Purple
This is a good thing. I’ve got about 200 more potatoes to plant to finish the 400 feet of potato rows I’m growing this year. The purple potatoes I planted toward the end of March are shooting up, sending vibrant … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow
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Happy, Happy, Happy
Everyone is happy, happy, happy, at the end of the day, especially Skunky. Skunky’s mother has all her little ones rolling around in the dirt. Skunky kicks and digs in the dirt, rolling onto its back and having a great … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens
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Drab and Splashy
The last of the potatoes will be going into the ground this week. Few things look as drab as a pile of seed potatoes destined for the soil. As I cut the seed potatoes, I close my eye and envision … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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When Are Apple’s Most Beautiful?
When are apple’s at their most beautiful? When they first bloom or when they ripen? It’s hard to decide when they are in full bloom. It’s hard to believe that these delicate blossoms will, by fall, be heavy, crisp, sweet, … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow
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A Bouquet of Arugula Please
One of the hoop houses is loaded with blooming arugula. I had a patch of arugula which overwintered, and it is now in full bloom. Each time I’d pass the hoop house, I’d smell an intriguing, minty, spicy fragrance. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow
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The Power of Microbes
It’s amazing how much power invisible things have. I started a new compost bin yesterday. Using a 16 foot long by 4 foot wide piece of cattle fencing, I rolled it into a ring 4.5 feet across. I had to … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Asparagus in Mid-April
Last year, I first picked asparagus on April 30. In 2012 it was April 26. Having asparagus on April 18 is early. Asparagus picked while you prepare your lunch or dinner doesn’t need to be cooked. It has a fresh, … Continue reading
Nijihime’s Chicks Hatch
Nijihime’s chicks hatched on Thursday. I’ve had many hens hatch chicks over the years, but it’s always a pleasant surprise when I first see a chick peeping out from under its mother’s feathers. I was expecting her chicks to appear … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens
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Out of the Garden Today – 2015/04/18
Along with fresh greens and eggs, there is the first peony of the year. Peonies in April, way up here! When have peonies ever bloomed in April this far north? Ten, twenty years from now, will they be blooming in … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Jacqueline
Jacqueline’s modiste went for flair when she designed Jacqueline’s comb. A little bit more, and she wouldn’t be able to see out of her left eye. One of the reasons chickens have a comb is to help cool their bodies … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens
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Skunky and Family
Here’s Skunky and its four siblings taking a break on a log. Their mother is right by them off to the right. Watching Skunky grow is a so much fun. It’s impossible not to smile when Skunky greets my eye. … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens, Raising Chicks
2 Comments
A Hen With a Bear’s Face
This is Kuma-Hime 熊姫 or Bear Princess. I call her that because she reminds me of a bear. A hen with the face of a bear and she lays a green egg. Reality is more whimsical than fairy tales. “Once … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens, Reflections
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It’s the Unexpected That Make Life
We all have plans for the day, a schedule of things to accomplish, people to call, emails to send, calendar items to do. But it’s the unexpected things that make life. This morning there was Lucky, waiting for me to … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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What Water Becomes
Cattails, ferns, comfrey, there are so many wonderful plants shooting out of the ground. If it weren’t for the frequent spring rains, none of them would flourish. I’ve recently learned about Dr. Elaine Ingham, a fascinating microbiologist. A quote of … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow
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