Excitement in Chicken Land

Holy smokes... we've had our chickens since April, watching them grow from tiny little fluff balls living in our closet to tiny chickens moving into the chicken coop to sizeable pullets roaming around in our garden.  Today they became laying hens!

We've been waiting for the past 6 weeks for an egg to appear, and I'd just about given up hope, thinking they wouldn't lay until next spring... but today, I went out in the drizzling mist to let them out of the coop, give them their morning snack, and fill their bowl inside the coop with grain and mash.  When I opened the side door, wowza... there sat a beautiful egg in the corner, large and brown and just waiting for me to reach in and grab it.  Oh my gosh...was I ever excited!  So was John, who, after admiring it, cooked it for his breakfast.

This evening, we went out to the garden, as we usually do, to let the chickens out to stretch their legs and peck around, carrying our glasses of wine and the dinner I'd fixed for the girls.  John had been gone for most of the day, making damascus steel with his knife-making buddy, and he'd brought home some guacamole and chips from our favorite Mexican restaurant.  We took that with us, and we had to shoo away the chickens who thought they were entitled to a share.  After a while, I saw Lucy go into the coop, but she didn't come back out.  I poked my head in, and she was laying in the corner in a little burrowed out area, so I knew what was happening.  I was beside myself with excitement and curiosity!  I kept peeking in through the stained glass window, trying not to disturb her.  Alice, however, wasn't worried about disturbing Lucy, and she marched up the ramp and went into the coop.  We have never heard such a ruckus from our chickens.  Lucy got up fom her nest in the corner and barked at Alice, who promptly hurried out and scrambled down the ramp.  A little bit later, Lucy came out, and John and I looked in the side door, and there was a brand new egg.  It was still warm to the touch.  I'd been wondering how long the entire event took... about 30 minutes, give or take.  So Lucy came out into the yard, wandered around a bit as if to say, "Okay, I've laid my egg... now where's my supper?"  I got the hint and gave them their snack of persimmons, shredded potato, mushrooms, pizza crust, and corn and mash. 

What a day... one to mark on the calender!  This was a first for me, and I'm quite excited about it.  I'll be having that egg for breakfast tomorrow.

Until next time, enjoy what you have, sing a little song, and let the good times roll!

The Girls Have a New Home

After three weeks of having chicks living in the big bucket in our utility closet, and after a long week of coop-building, we finally moved our four girls into the new home, located within the fence of our garden.  The coop features the first stained glass window I ever made, as well as an elevated nesting box for when the chickens are old enough to lay eggs.  They have a roosting bar, which you can see in the photo, and their feed and water are served in elevated dog dishes under the nesting box.  Chickens are not the cleanest of critters, so this way, their feed stays a little cleaner, as does their water.  On May 12, John finished the wiring around the coop, and the next morning, we maneuvered this rather heavy home into the confines of our garden space.  The chicks lived inside their new cozy home for a week in order to get adjusted to this space before we let them venture out into their own little yard.  We kept a light on for warmth at night, and they always huddled under it.  Now, it seems that it will finally be warm enough in the evenings and they are big enough that they will no longer need the lamp.  I will, however, miss that light because it made the stained glass window glow which looked very cool indeed out there in the garden at night.

Last Thursday, on May 19, I opened the little door leading from the home to the ramp and the outer yard.  They were curious, but not sure what to do.  The ramp proved a little steep for them, and they did a little sliding around and there was much flapping of wings.  I added some grass to the ramp, thinking that it would perhaps help them make their way down.  I quickly discovered that they liked eating it.

  

 

 

 

Finally, with some hands-on help, they made it to the ground.  It took them a couple days to get use to making the trip outside, but now they do it with ease, all on their own.  So they spend the better part of the day outside, and I often visit them, sometimes sitting in a chair parked next to the coop where I will pass some time reading and enjoying the sun and the antics of my girls.  Foster also likes to visit.

 

Now that I have been out amongst the chickens on a daily basis and they have grown enough to develop certain characteristics and even personalities, I have chosen names for them.

Lucy is the reddest of our girls, and she is also the most adventurous.  She's usually the first one out of the coop, anxious to get into the daylight and explore what might be new in the yard.

Ethel is right behind Lucy when it comes to getting out in the morning or going in at dusk. She's a little ragged around her head feathers, but she has a very fine set of tail feathers.

Flo is our only girl with black legs and feet.  She's not as red as Lucy and Ethel, and she has beautiful coloring on her beak, orange at the top, with a pretty black triangle on the bottom point.

Alice is our darkest girl, with the least amount of red in her feathers, and her beak is almost entirely black. She also has rather blue eyes.  And does she ever love kale!  She's usually the last one to venture out in the morning, and the last one left in the yard at dusk.  I usually end up helping her back into the house.

So you won't find me online too often these days.  I'm loving the warmer weather and I'm usually outside soaking in the sunshine, spending time in the garden, and enjoying our new family members.

New for April

Can you believe it?  April is here!  Warm weather will soon stay around for good!  And I'm so ready for it.

But before I go any further, let me announce the winner of my Springtime Giveaway... Monica!  Congrats to her.  Her new watercolor is on its way.  Thanks to all those who entered... and stay tuned.  There will be more giveaways as the year rolls along.

I've been busy lately with lots of music.  Our band has a gig this evening, another at the end of the month, and also on Mother's Day weekend.  And I've got a solo gig in mid-May too.  But I've been working on new paintings, and I've even added a new section to the Etsy shop... photography.  Here's what I've been up to in the visual arts arena.

Oriole Dreams of Sunlit Trees....

Waxwing in the Forest Light...

 

Shy Summer Grosbeak...

Afternoon Shadows... a fine art photograph... quiet mystery.

 The Journey... a fine art photograph ... soul travels



Okra Blossom... a fine art photograph... a true beauty from our 2010 veggie garden

Sharing the Garden... a fine art photograph... a surprise in my summer flower garden in 2010

There will be more photos to come, and of course more paintings.  Until then, enjoy the month of April, love the one you're with, and share a smile with a stranger.

Finding Fine Art in Spring

This year on Etsy, I was accepted into a new team... Finding Fine Art. It's a terrific group of fine artists who sell original work and who work together in a variety of ways to support each other.

Here is what this team is all about: The Finding Fine Art team was created to provide a unique shopping experience for fine art collectors seeking original art on Etsy. Members of the team are visual artists with outstanding, gallery quality original artwork, a high level of professionalism and presentation, and a positive standing in the Etsy community. Buyers are encouraged to look through our members list to discover new artists or search the tag “findingfineart” on Etsy for a dazzling, virtual gallery experience.

I spent some time looking through the amazing art this team has created and decided to feature some work here... with a theme of spring, of course, in honor of the first day of spring. I considered subject, color, and title, and came up with this mix of abstract and realism, watercolors, oils, and acrylics. Follow the link to see the work up close in the artist's Etsy shop.

Wild Garden by JessicaTorrant
Renovation by heronkate

Ladies in Spring Rain by karensfineart

Spring Fantasy by watermediaworks

Happily Ever After by aliherrmann

Spring Scene by PrankePaintings

Signs of Spring by MDaisleyMoffitt

Little Chick by WaterInMyPaint
Stay tuned for more fine art... and until then, enjoy the new life growing all around us, and kiss the ones you love.

Salsa and Sauce for the Cooler Months Ahead

While the Blind Boys of Alabama sang their gospel and soulful blues and Abby and Scout napped, John and I peeled, chopped, simmered, and canned... and laughed, sang, and sweated... and thankfully put a dent in the tomatoes that had lined our kitchen countertops in every direction. Oh yes, there are still tomatoes sitting there in the windowsill and in the sunlight around the sink, waiting to turn wondrously ripe, waiting for their time to be turned into pico de gallo or sauce or quiche or to be simply sliced for sandwiches. And there are still tomatoes on the vines in the garden. But at least we got our first day of canning done yesterday (or as our Southern rural neighbors say, we "put up" some tomatoes) and are proud of our fresh, homemade sauce for pasta and hot, lively salsa for autumn afternoons and winter evenings. And there's some fresh, chopped tomatoes on hand in the fridge for other uses this week, including tonight's meal of shrimp and linguini and salad.

We spent several hours at this project. It's definitely a labor of love for fresh, organic, and homegrown because it takes a lot of time and energy. Our yield yesterday won't last us too long, but we'll enjoy every bite of it.

Here is the first batch of tomatoes, mostly Romas but we also used Mountain Pride, German Johnson, and Celebrity, waiting to be parboiled and then dunked into ice cold water so their skins could be easily removed.

Here I am at the sink, peeling away and peeling away and peeling away. I can't tell you how many tomatoes we went through, but it was a lot!

Now everything's been peeled, chopped, blended, and ready to be lightly boiled... oh wait... not quite enough garlic. John and I adore garlic. After this step, the tomatoes and their various counterparts will be placed into sterilized jars and dropped into a hot water bath for approximately 45 minutes. That's when we can sit down and enjoy a glass of wine (me) or another cup of coffee (John).

The results? Five pints of salsa and four quarts and a pint of pasta sauce. They might look the same in the jars, but trust me, they are not. Oh no, they definitely are quite different.

And one last photo... blueberries picked yesterday morning while it was raining and the temperature was bearable. I brought them in, dumped them on a towel across the table, and spread them out in one layer to dry.... probably about ten cups, and more on the bushes still.

Fortunately these are much easier to deal with as they freeze so well, and many of them will be made into another Blueberry Streusel Cobbler that we will take to our son's house when we go to enjoy dinner and a visit this weekend, and to bring Empi back to Camp Dresser while our son goes to Las Vegas... for work!

It's Canning Time

Our tomatoes are coming in strong and heavy. Looks like Monday will be canning day for us. These photos show the yield from a couple days ago, which means that there have been two more collections made since then. We'd thought our plants were looking rather shabby with their spotted and dying leaves, but after much worry and lots of tender care, I think they'll be okay. So homemade salsa and pasta sauce will be available through at least part of the winter.

We've picked a few poblano peppers, my personal favorite. But the pepper plants are being a little slow... they need lots of sun and heat... which we're now getting again, after a lovely little cool spell. Our beans and squash are still looking good, though not quite ready for harvesting. We got a late start on those because our lettuce was so productive this year and we waited to pull those up before we planted other veggies.

The blueberries bushes are loaded, and I've picked a few pints, but I'm waiting a few more days for the berries to get a little bigger, a little darker, and a little bit sweeter; the rain we had this week should help with that.

The apples are growing like crazy in my neighbor's meadow where I've been walking his dogs, so there'll be plenty of those for more apple pies, baked and fried. Our grape vines are amazingly full... gotta figure out what to do with those come September. Same with the pear tree.

On another note, it's been a good week for wildlife. Birds seen both here at home and at my neighbor's home, three miles up the road where I am dog-sitting, have included, with much excitment on our part, Scarlet Tanagers which seem to be regular visitors, at least this week, in and around the blueberry bushes. Making regular appearances as well are the Indigo Buntings and Eastern Bluebirds with their beautiful flashes of blue feathers. And we have the usual, or shall I say oft-sighted, Goldfinches and Purple Finches, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and many more.

We have had our part in six Box Turtle crossings. And we have seen several deer in our yard, including this beauty yesterday evening.

Happy harvesting, and remember to count your blessings!

Good Things Grow in Gardens

This morning I took my camera and my coffee out to the yard to enjoy the morning air and birdsong and to take some photographs of what is happening in our colorful little garden plots. I'm sorry to say that the photographs just can't truly capture the beauty of the morning with the breeze blowing through the zillions of trees surrounding our home and the song of the Wood Thrush cheering me along, the pale blue morning sky and the sheer peace of it all. It simply made me sigh with a deep contentment not often known for far too many people in this world, and I felt truly blessed and at one with myself, my creator, and my little piece of the world.

Here's what I found in the flower garden, which has a few fruit and veggie plants mixed in.

Hydrangeas, which I planted shortly after we moved here, so they went in the ground about 5 years ago... and finally, finally, they are blooming and filling this space with glorious bursts of color. If there was nothing else, these beauties would be enough.




And she isn't much, but this little volunteer marigold is dressed in such beautiful rich jewel tones...


Next... the veggies...

A new star in the garden...

And the tomato forest... we went a bit overboard, but we had visions of salsa, fresh tomato sauce, canned tomatoes with garlic and onions and peppers, and of course, tomato sandwiches... a summertime favorite! At the far end of this forest are the pepper plants, and we're looking forward to several varieties including Poblanos which I use for Beer-battered Stuffed Peppers (with cheese only or occasionally with corn too)... scrumptious!

And these babes in the woods... I don't know what variety they are since we planted several kinds.

Purple Cherokees on their way... if you haven't had this kind of tomato, seek it out... they are the best!

And our Beanie Babies, newly planted from seeds just last week, alongside the remaining romaine lettuce.

On the deck, we have two volunteer yellow squash plants, and we also have some baby squash in the garden, a few of which took a beating when we had a pretty harsh rainstorm come through.

And blueberries galore on our two bushes next to my studio... they won't be ready for another month or 5 weeks, but when they are... oh my goodness, fresh blueberries with yogurt, blueberry streusel, blueberry muffins, pie, jelly, and several bags frozen to enjoy throughout the year. There are even blueberries on the bushes we planted for Bruschi just a couple months ago. I was sure they wouldn't produce this year, but I think the spirit world is looking out for dear Bruschi!


So anyone for dinner?