Offspring

Last February I came home from the Poultry Show with these two...Shelby named them Coco (the hen) and Kuckoo (the roo). I managed to incubate about 7 of her eggs...but only two made it. They are the cutest little things with their big hairdos coming in.

 

 

Here is the older one...what a cutie. I can't tell if the chicks are boys or girls yet on this breed. Harder to tell.

 

Here is a picture of the younger Polish chick in the midst of the others I hatched for myself. Can you spot it? LOL How can you not. ;)

 

It is supposed to be 102 degrees today. I am so worried about all the animals outside. I think I am going to bring the rabbit inside. I put a box fan on him yesterday...but he is getting old and I am afraid this heat is going to kill him. So far the chickens are making it through...and I keep Derby hosed down...although for some reason he seems to be tolerating it better than anyone.

Everyone please take care and stay cool and drink plenty of fluids.

Anyone ever see the movie Pitch Black? That is one of my favorite movies. Yesterday the sun outside reminded me of that planet they got stuck on with three suns...so bright and unreal.

Last year we lost Willie (named after Willie Nelson of course) to the day after day relentless 100 degree and above heat. He just couldn't take it. I was misting him with water throughout the day to try and keep him cooler...but that afternoon I found him gone. He was a sweet boy and I still miss him.  Here is a picture of Willie from last year.

 

A Correction

That song is on Brad Paisleys second album...called Part II.  Its number twelve I believe.

One Of My Favorite Songs

Too country what's that Is it like too Republican or too Democrat Is it too far to the left Too far to the right Too straight down the middle Is it too black or too white   Are the biscuits too fluffy is the chicken too fried Is the gravy to thick are the peas too black-eyed Is the iced tea too sweet does it have too much tang Are there too many lemons in Mama's lemon meringue   Too country what's that Is it too many pearls of wisdom under grandpas old hat Is it just too old fashioned is it just too antique Is the question too strong or the answer too weak   Are the roses too red is the sunshine too bright Are there too many stars in the heavens at night Are there too many fish that still jump in the stream Is the blue sky too blue is the clean air too clean   Is the grace too amazing is the steeple too tall Are there too many "yes sirs", "yes ma'ams" and "How're Y'alls" Is the message too real to close to the bone Do the fiddle and steel remind you of home Is honest and true just not in demand   Too country Too country Too country I don't understand            
 
 
 
 
 
 There are a lot of songs on Country Artists albums that never seem to get played on the radio. You discover them only because you bought the whole album. This song is on Brad Paisleys first album. It has Buck Owens, George Jones, and Bill Anderson singing with him. If you haven't heard this song you should...it is a great song. I just love the sentiment behind it.
Time to get to work now...see y'all tomorrow mornin'

Pictures to Go With My Last Entry

    

Where did their heads go??? LOL Caught them both preening, in the same position..too funny.

 

Some Quality Time With Bonnie and Clyde

These two have more personality than my whole yard full of chickens. Bonnie is a very people friendly hen. Soon as the lid is lifted off their temporary home (using a brooder bin) she is out of there and coming to see somebody. She will hop right up onto your lap and she wants the petting to begin. Now with all my chicken handling I discovered that chickens love to have under their wings rubbed and lightly scratched. Their wingpit so to speak. I work all around the area and they love it. Any chicken loves it once they settle down to enjoy it. I do it to Phoenix before he is put to bed. Its very relaxing for them and for me.

Now Clyde, be just follows Bonnie wherever she goes. For those that think the rooster is the boss...he he..you got it backwards. The hen is the boss...and don't you forget it. She dictates his very actions and moves most of the time. A rooster lives to impress and win the favor of his lady.

( I don't know what happened, I am retyping all this and will be back afterwards with pictures, sorry.)

These two have become very spoiled. In the afternoon at suppertime Bonnie knows what the dinner trays coming out means. She will make this awful noise...its a scratchy whiny noise, over and over. Its the way hens complain when they are not happy about something. She is ready to be let out...well that gets Clyde stirred up and he starts crowing over and over. So I let them out. You have to watch Bonnie because she will be in your plate in a heartbeat seeing what she can pull off of it. She isnt like Phoenix. Phoenix will stand on the floor and beg like a little dog. Clyde doesnt seem as assertive and will wait on the floor for his goodies. I will put out a small piece of wheat bread and clip a collard leaf onto the side of their brooder house. I have also sliced a thick cucumber piece and they like to pick the middle clean and leave an empty cucumber ring. Now the funniest thing is Clyde has discovered ice water. I have these little short juice glasses I use for Phoenix and them to drink out of while they eat their goodies. Clyde has gotten to where he will stand next to the little glass with water and a couple of cubes of ice in it and drink and drink. He gets this look about him..closes his eyes and will hold his mouth open. I think he is getting a brain freeze...like when you eat ice cream...lol! I guess he likes it because he will stand there and drink and drink for thirty minutes if you let him.

Initially when I put their treats down Bonnie is very demanding and wants Clyde to pull off little chunks of bread for her, and he does so willingly with little insistant noises saying look here look here, I got you a goodie. Who needs tv when you got all this funny action going on? ;)

We also keep a basket on the couch. It has various controllers in it, for the Wii game system to the DVD to the tv contollers. Bonnie insists that you must take all that out so she can get in there and root around. Clyde will get in with her, but she pushes and pushes to get under him all the while both of them making clicking noises that they make when they are going to nest.

Don't let anyone tell you that chickens dont have a language. They make a wide variety of sounds and they all mean different things. I have yet to figure out the guineas language, but I can speak chicken fluently. ;)

Alright, now, I am going to make a seperate picture entry of their antics that goes with this entry...so look above here in a few minutes! See ya in a few!

 

     

and Did Some Canning

This year Ian has come through quite nicely on the garden...we have SO many cucumbers...you can see on the table...I already did bread and butter pickles and kosher spears. Now these two loads and the vegetable drawer slam full in the fridge get knocked out.

 

 

Slicing slicing slicing and then more slicing...

 

The first batch I went by the directions, well almost. Good grief it says to boil the cucumbers for ten minutes in the brine! I only had it going for about 5 and they looked like they were about to fall to pieces...and they were. When I tried to pick them up out of the pot to put them in the jars they were mush. So..the next two bunches I soaked in the hot brine for about ten minutes and those were firmer. I have to say, I used the recipe on the cannister for dill pickles. I tasted some I left in the brine and didn't can...and OH they were TOO salty to me. I don't know if I will make dills again. The kosher turned out perfect. I don't like bread and butter but Ian said they turned out great.

 

 

 

This is my first time canning. I enjoyed it. I went through two cases just making the dills. I need another case as I have tomatoes waiting in the fridge. I am going to make spaghetti sauce and salsa next. I hope the tomatoes will keep until I can get some more jars on Thursday!

 

Bugs and Blooms

I finally went out and took some pictures...Lisa had wanted to see cotton plants up close and I got a few nice shots to look at.

Here we go...here is a beautiful new bloom...

 

 

As the bloom gets older it turns pinker...eventually closing up and falling off...which leaves the bulb...and it will eventually open and you will see the cotton. When this happens I will take pictures...there are many seeds inbedded in the cotton. Here is a picture of the pinkening flower...

 

 

As I wandered on down beside the rows I crossed the front and went out to the mailbox. This view is across the street. I have been told there is over a hundred acres in just this one field that they plant each year. You may see the little green thing on a post there...

 

I am not exactly sure what these things are. They are spaced every so often down the sides. Maybe a weavel trap? To moniter the weavel population? I am not really sure what they are. Maybe someone else can tell me. Here is a closer picture of it.

 

As I was walking back up the driveway I noticed a small bole weavel. You can almost always find one on the driveway...but moreso after they have come through and sprayed for them.

 

 A couple more pictures of the cotton plants next to us...

 

 

 

An interesting side note about the property across the street. A few years before we moved here Tip Top Poultry bought the property. They were going to build a chicken processing plant there. Now I don't know how many of you have passed a chicken processing plant before...but you will know it when you do. It STINKS. The town raised three kinds of hell and Tip Top backed off. They DO still own that property though...which is scary. The property next to us is owned by a long time farmer, Mr, Lovell. He owns a lot of the land around these parts and farms it. I was told originally he had bought the acreage for his children so they could build houses for themselves on the land. They had other plans from what I heard tell. Moved and became citified. So he farms the cotton there. Fine by me...its just beautiful to look out and see. I like the hum of the tractors in the Spring tilling up the land...I know those little plants will be sprouting before long and it will be just beautiful like it is now before long.

Hope you enjoyed the cotton entry...and I hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday afternoon. We are. :)