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Recent Posts
- 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
- Apple Blossoms and Magical Shoots May 2, 2020
- Where is Kaku 隠? April 27, 2020
- How Does a Bee Pick a Flower? April 21, 2020
- Dog or Bear? April 18, 2020
- What Sunshine and Warm Air Brings April 5, 2020
- Where Everyone Gathers March 29, 2020
- Enjoy Them Today March 21, 2020
- The Snow Geese Migration Is On March 18, 2020
- The World is Curvy March 7, 2020
- Little Known Connections – Japanese Curry and Vermont March 4, 2020
- Hello Again March 1, 2020
- Edison Chicken Parade 2020 February 24, 2020
- Apple Aged February 15, 2020
- Swan Heaven February 8, 2020
- Winter’s Last Day February 3, 2020
- Take a Shower for Six Months February 2, 2020
- How Does a Trumpeter Swan Wash Its Face? January 26, 2020
- Mystery Solved January 19, 2020
- One Last Wintery Dawn January 18, 2020
- Winter Interlude January 14, 2020
- Worries Away January 11, 2020
- A Mystery Rose January 3, 2020
- An Auspicious Start January 2, 2020
- December Blue and Green December 29, 2019
- Frosty December 28, 2019
- Too Wet for the Ducks December 22, 2019
- For Mid-December It May as Well Be a Sunny Day December 17, 2019
- OK, Boomer December 15, 2019
- Know Your Body – Know Your Feathers December 8, 2019
- Chaos Must Work December 1, 2019
- Not Ready to Grow Up November 26, 2019
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Monthly Archives: March 2016
Not in Her Usual Nest
I can hear Special. She’s not in her usual nest. She’s decided to try a new nest for a change. It’s something hens often do. They get bored seeing the same things, gossiping with the same hens when they settle … Continue reading
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It’s a Beautiful Morning … But
It’s a beautiful morning, the cherry trees are ecstatic, Special is on her nest, I saw the first swallow of the year, who could possibly be cranky today? Midge is cranky, that’s who. Pepper is on her nest, never mind … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens, How Things Grow
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You Can’t Have Too Many Tulips
Each year I keep planting more tulips. You can’t have too many tulips, can you? When you have free roaming chickens, you need two to three times as many tulips because they like nibbling on tulips when they start pushing … Continue reading
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Tread Lightly Like Deer
I love the forest floor this time of year. It is green with false lily-of-the-valley and bleeding hearts. I lived once in a desert and learned that I can’t live where it’s not green and moist. Every day, just a … Continue reading
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Size Doesn’t Matter
You never hear people say, “I can’t wait for the maples to bloom.” I never thought much about blooming maples either, until I saw these scarlet blossoms on a Japanese maple. They’re rather stunning. They’re as pretty as the cherry … Continue reading
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No Dressing Needed
The greens this time of year have so much flavor, adding dressing would desecrate them. After going through a winter, the kale is tender and sweet. The ruby streaks are so mustardy, they clear your nose. When you eat an … Continue reading
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The Aliens Have Landed
Oooo! What is that? This is why walking in the woods is important. You get to see the alien life forms that live among us. I guess this is what happens when all you eat is wood. You turn into … Continue reading
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So Fleeting, There’s No Time to be Sad
A gust of wind this morning filled the air with swirling petals … a blizzard on a spring morning. Petal blizzards. No need to bundle up, and put on a coat, and a scarf, and a hat. Cherry blossoms are … Continue reading
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On This Solstice Day
On this solstice day, the pears open their flowers. On this solstice day, Tangerine checks to see if the old doghouse is good for laying eggs. On this solstice day, a potato wakes from its long winter’s sleep. It’s a … Continue reading
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So Much Happens in Just One Day
So much happens in just one day, it’s enough to make your head spin around. Biking home, I noticed a “No Trespassing” in the middle of a flooded field. Is trespassing really a problem in this case? Maybe people are … Continue reading
Posted in How Things Grow, Reflections
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How Much Does a Chicken Poop in a Night?
How much does a chicken poop in a night? I know it’s a question that has crossed your mind many times. Here’s the answer: A Handful. The picture above is proof. There is a single chicken who spends its nights, … Continue reading
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And Then We Die … or Not
We do all this work, and then we die. At times you wonder what the point is. We might as well die now and be done with it. But then the plum tree blooms, and the bees fly onto the … Continue reading
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More Than I Can Count
All the blossoms on the cherry tree are now open. On a sunny day like today, it’s a favorite spot for the bees. It would take one bee days to visit every flower on a tree like this. It makes … Continue reading
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Mother and Daughter
Mother and daughter, Hazel and Special, shared breakfast together this morning. Hazel, the dark hen, raised a clutche last year. She was an outstanding mother, and I hope she raises a clutch or two this year too. Special will be … Continue reading
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Something New to Be Happy
The thimbleberry’s are unfolding their new leaves. This time of year, there’s something new to see everywhere you look. If you have a flock of hens, don’t forget to give them new nests from time to time. It’s not enough … Continue reading
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Down Her Hatch
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Add a little blue to the sky, and it takes your breath away. If you’re outside, it’s impossible not to be entertained. One moment, it’s the cherry blossoms dancing their hearts out in … Continue reading
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No Shame
The bleeding hearts are spreading their lacy leaves. This morning their leaves are jeweled with yesterday’s raindrops. Before long, their pink flowers will dangle gracefully. Back in 2006, when we brought BB and Echo to live with us, Echo had … Continue reading
Posted in About My Chickens, Reflections
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Eggs in a Cap
A cap comes in handy if you leave the egg basket in the house. You can get a lot of eggs in a cap. I brought in fifteen this afternoon in my cap.
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Do Nothing for a Change
Rosemary blossoms are among my favorite flowers. Small and whimsical, clown-like really, they must attract insects with a sense of humor. The white Satsuma plum blossoms are far more formal. The serious insects pollinate them. You’d want to put on … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Spring’s Green Illicit Sweetness
The best vegetables never find their way onto store shelves. I left some cabbage grow after plucking their heads last fall. This spring, tender shoots of cabbage greens sprouted from their stalks. So green and mild, they make the sweetest … Continue reading
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