Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!

[tortoise]

We lost 2 hens in 2 days. DH trapped a raccoon! But last night there were 3 raccoons on the game camera. And another hen missing. Of course, the tame one we like. Only 3 hens left. DH is getting serious now.

 

[tortoise]

Our second hatch of chicks has started. 3 hatched, 2 pipped, 25 to go!

The 4th chicken presumed dead has turned up again! I'm so happy! Her name is "Sweetie Pie". We only have 2 chickens with names!

DS8's school curricula is arriving. We're so excited! He is asking to start school several times every day! I'm delaying him and offering 4H project materials which also just arrived.

The county fair starts tomorrow. I'm excited to enter vegetables. My onions look amazing! They're HUGE! 2013 we had Grand Champion cabbage, 2014 1st and 3rd place for lettuces. ... High hopes for this year!

 

[Denim Deb]

Good luck!

What kind of 4-H projects is he doing?

 

[Britesea]

Going back to what to do with a bumper crop of kale (sorry- I haven't been able to get online for 2 weeks because of my bad back)
You could dehydrate the kale and crush it to powder (or at least really tiny flakes). I add a half-teaspoon or so to my scrambled eggs, to squeeze in a little more nutrition. If you don't like the flavor, you can mask it with a judicious sprinkle of shredded cheese. I've also been known to throw some into soups, stews, pasta sauce, smoothies. It reconstitutes pretty much immediately.

 

[wyoDreamer]

great ideas for the kale - I really like the dehydrating idea. It should work on spinach, right?

 

[Britesea]

I imagine it will work with any greens.

 

[tortoise]

Lots of stuff happening around here:

• I bought a ram lamb while DH was gone on a fishing trip. haha! I love his fishing trips! When the cat is gone , the mice will play!
• We still have Jeremiah (the ram who rammed me). DH wants to breed him this fall. Fine with me as long as I NEVER have to go in the pen with me. It's been 2 weeks since he got me and it STILL hurts when I walk.
• I also got a rabbit from my brother while DH was gone.
• DS8 somehow tipped over the incubator during "lock down" and destroyed most of a hatch of 30 eggs. 4 chicks had hatch before his incident. Only 1 chick hatched after. I gave the surviving chicks to my brother.
• Our 2nd hatch is doing well, out of the brooder. The meaties are growing ridiculously fast! It's unbelievable!
• The hens and first hatch (10 - 11 weeks old) are locked in the coop and a very small fenced area outside it. We haven't had any predator losses in the last week. DH still has traps set for raccoons, but hasn't caught any more.
  Our baby rabbits (first litter) are out of the nest. So cute! It will be hard to cull. They're all bucks, so only one stays here.
• Garden is OVERWHELMING.

 

[Denim Deb]

Sorry you lost your chicks. What are you going to do w/the lamb you bought?

 

[tortoise]

We're keeping Jeremiah's daughter(s). The ram lamb is to breed them in the future.

We canned green beans last night! Our first time canning and I'm so nervous! We just did a batch of 12 pint jars. First thing on my to-do list: BUY MORE CANNING JARS! like a hundred or so.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sounds like you're keeping busy! Oh....and as soon as you buy a hundred canning jars - go buy another hundred, lol! You can never have enough.