FarmerDenise's journal - full on harvest time = busy, busy, busy

[FarmerDenise]

I had a hen peck me in the eye once. Boy did it hurt. And I was worried that it damaged my eye. I had a bloody spot for a couple of weeks, but luckily no damage. The hen was just curious about the shiny thing on my face, I think.
Petey has been around the chickens and knows to watch himself He loves to tease them though.

I had that same thing happen to me... I just figured it was my own darn fault for putting my face where it could get pecked. Okay, so I didn't exactly "figure" that at the time.

That's pretty much the way I felt about it! They like shiny things after all!! Now I wear glasses around my chickens or keep my face far enough away.

 

[FarmerDenise]

We had another fairly dry day today
I took Susie and her chicklets out again and did some more weeding of flower beds. Then it got cold and I brought the little ones back inside.
SO and I weeded the garlic patch and the onion patch. It was cloudy all day, but at least it didn't rain much. We both feel good that we got so much done. The chickens of course loved all that weeding, since we exposed a lot of bugs for them.
It got cold and started raining again just before sunset. It was definitely a good time to come back inside and build up a nice fire.
I still feel really good having done all that work. It is the best I have felt since I got sick
Now to have some cereal for dinner and watch the boob tube, sitting on a heating pad with the fire crackling in the stove.

 

[TanksHill]

Sounds like my kind of day. Glad your feeling better.

gina

 

[FarmerDenise]

It was another good day. I woke up with plenty of energy and got some of the mundane household chores done, like cleaning the bathroom, laundry, dishes and vacuuming.
DD and her husband took me out to breakfast, then I met with some friends to form a singing group.
As soon as I got home I brought Susie and the chicklets outside into the chick pen, so I could clean out their pen in the living room. The little poopers are beginning to be rather odiferous and I needed to address that situation. After I got their pen nice and clean, I decided to take them into the front yard again. So I grabbed my weeding gear and momma and her brood and we spent the afternoon, with me weeding and the chicks scratching and running and fighting over the big juicy caterpillars. At one time they had a three way pull going. It was rather fun to watch. When I noticed a chill, I brought them back inside, having got quite a bit more weeding done. Our yard is going to look real nice very soon, if I can keep this up.
I was able to bring some of the laundry inside, but it really hadn't dried all the way, so I draped it aroud the living room. I hope it stays dry for another day, so I can get some more laundry done.

SO bagged up the persimmons he dried. I am so glad he did dehydrate those. I love to put them in my trailmix. You'd think I'd be sick and tired of persimmons by now. I have been eating two or three every evening for months. But I really like them, and it is fresh fruit from our garden. Every now and then I thaw out some blackberries or open a jar of peaches or pears that I canned. We had my homemade applesauce this week. It was very good. I had used the apples from a friend's tree and some from my tree. So it was a mixture of different kinds of apples. I'll definitely have to make more next year. This year I only got 2 quarts made up.

I have been taking lots of pictures of the little chicklets. They are growing so fast. I just discovered that my batteries are totally dead on the camera, so I cannot upload them to my computer

Tomorrow it is time to go spend our hard earned money at the feed store. We are out of everything. The dog has been getting scrambled egg for her meals and bread, she's been stealing it from the chickens She shouldn't be eating bread, because I think she is allergic to wheat, but then she helps herself to the chicken food all the time anyway

 

[The Vail Benton's]

FD, I really enjoyed the pics of Susie & the chicks. I didn't realize Banty's made such good mama's. might have to get me a couple - I've been raising the incubated babies myself and it's hard when the time comes to do the deed.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I definitely prefer to let a momma hen raise the chicks over me doing it.
I usually buy chicks and place them under a broody hen after she has been setting for about 2 weeks. Last year I placed 4 chicks under Susie after only 8 days and she took good care of them. But she lost all her feathers, because she did not eat enough.
I am happy to say that after initially loosing some feathers, she does have some bare spots, she has managed to keep most of her feathers so far. I think by having her inside in a safe environment with plenty of food and a heating pad, she is getting what she needs to maintain her feathers. I have also been feeding her and her chicks catfood or dogfood. I believe the additional protein is helping her. On the other hand, she is also getting a lot of millet, which she really loves, so it could be the millet. We grow it ourselves and have a large plastic storage container filled with it.

Besides making it easier on us to have a hen raise the chicks, it is also a lot of fun to watch them. I also think the chicks learn so much from the momma. I think that chickens raised by a hen are smarter although they may not be quite as comfortable with people. I have made a point of handling the chicks a lot, so this group sees me as an alternate mom, but they still "scream" loudly, if they are separated from momma. But they love to come and sit on me as long as the momma is right there too.

I am waiting for the fog to burn off and the sun to come out, so I can take the little group outside. I hope to be able to put them in the chick pen or possibly even let them out in the field, while I prune the peach trees. We'll see.

I better get my feed store run done and do some grocery shopping too, we're out of coffee , I could use some more nuts too, to make my trailmix.

 

[FarmerDenise]

So the fog lingered...
I really wanted to take Susie and the chicks outside, but it was jus too cold.
I figured I better go to the feed store, and I had to get coffee as well. I didn't even change out of my farm clothes. The "smoke shop" is right next door to the grocery store and I figured I might as well pick up a couple of packs of cigs for SO. His doc recommended he try "American Spirit" in order to at least smoke something healthier. They even have organic ones. So I got a couple o'packs for him. Outside the store I was accosted by an older man. He had a bicycle. He appeared clean and didn't smell. He asked me for spare change in order to buy a pack of smokes. Usually I walk away, but this time I looked into his eyes and saw an individual who could be a contemporay. He was a bit older, but dressed the way I do, sometimes and had a nice bicycle for transportation. He didn't have a lot of baggage, like a homeless person, nor was he looking shabby like a homeless person might.
I don't smoke. I don't like cigarette smoke. I don't aprove of smoking.
SO smokes and I know lots of people who smoke and at one time I smoked.
This man struck a chord and I stopped and gave him a dollar. As I walked away I looked back and saw him ask the woman behind me for change. She walked away. I thought about the money I had in my pocket ... more than enough to buy what I needed to buy, I had a 5 dollar bill in my pocket still, and turned around and gave him the $5.
You should have seen his face light up! I said: "I haven't worked in over 3 years, but I think I am better off than you." He blessed me and thanked me, but really, his smile said it all, as he ran into the smoke shop.
As I continued on my errands, I kept seeing his smile and it made my day. By the time I got to the feed store the sun was shining. I thought to myself: see, good deeds do pay!!
I returned home, SO helped me unload the car, I took Susie and her chicks outside for a few hours. We cut up wood. I let Susie and her chicks out into the field with the rest of the chickens and nothing bad happened.
Now we are planning dinner. Merril, our old cermudgeon cat is rubbing against my legs (wanting canned food,no doubt), the chicks are huddled up around their momma, and the fire is going.

Yup, it was a nice day!!

It's supposed to rain again tomorrow. We are ready!

 

[The Vail Benton's]

FD, I loved your story about the man in front of the smoke shop. In Tucson there are people, many of whom are obviously homeless, who stand on the corners and medians at intersections selling nespapers, or at the freeway off ramps holding signs asking for money. I don't often carry cash, but when I have a little on me, I try to be generous. Sometimes all I have is an extra bottle of cold water, but even that is appreciated. Mostly, I just try to smile, make eye contact and wave. If they approach me and want to chat, I'm more than happy to engage in some light banter while I wait for the light to turn. The smile on their faces as I pull away from the light makes my day too. To think that a smile and alittle light conversation is sometimes all it takes to make someone feel like they matter.

 

[FarmerDenise]

FD, I loved your story about the man in front of the smoke shop. In Tucson there are people, many of whom are obviously homeless, who stand on the corners and medians at intersections selling nespapers, or at the freeway off ramps holding signs asking for money. I don't often carry cash, but when I have a little on me, I try to be generous. Sometimes all I have is an extra bottle of cold water, but even that is appreciated. Mostly, I just try to smile, make eye contact and wave. If they approach me and want to chat, I'm more than happy to engage in some light banter while I wait for the light to turn. The smile on their faces as I pull away from the light makes my day too. To think that a smile and alittle light conversation is sometimes all it takes to make someone feel like they matter.

I agree with you 100 percent. When you think about it, these are people down on their luck. They get treated like dirt most of the time. And if someone takes the time to be nice just once in a while, it makes them feel better.
Although there was something different about this guy. I have helped others, who weren't nearly as tidy and together as this guy was.
I always remember the saying: "There, but for the grace of God, go I" I may be a pagan, but I strongly believe the saying applies to any one of us. I merely translate the word "god" to apply to my personal deities.
And I hope and pray, that neither I or anyone I hold dear is ever in the position that this person is in. I mean this nice looking guy was standing outside a cigarette store begging for money in order to buy himself a pack of smokes. How desperate would I have to feel in order to do that. !!! I think I have been there, except I have had family and friends helping me, so I am way better off than this guy!!

Yes, I could afford to give him the $6.00 to buy cigarettes. It is not my business, that he has a nasty habit. I am not his judge. I made this guy's day. He felt better for a little while. And so did I.

 

[FarmerDenise]

By saying that I could afford to give this guy the $6.00, I don't mean I have enough money. I will have to do without something in the next week or so. But I do have enough to survive and to have essentially what I need and possibly then some. I can buy myself a bottle of wine and SO can buy his cigarettes. We can also buy our coffee.
I don't have to go and beg for money to buy my coffee, ... yet