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the birds and the bees

August 29th, 2008

 

“A rooster,” my 14-year-old exclaimed when I casually mentioned our dude-looks-like-a-lady blunder. “What are we going to do?”

Do? It’s not like the flock had come down with a virulent strain of avian bird flu. I didn’t think there was anything to do.

Paul was there when Big Mama let …

switched at birth

August 28th, 2008

Well, call me a city girl.

Everything I thought I understood about chickens has just been thrown out the window. Imagine our surprise this morning when Big Mama, the largest of our brood, threw back her shoulders, stretched her neck and let out the most magnificent cock-a-doodle-doo.

And then another.

And another.

I quickly realized that all the aggressive feather tugging I’d mistaken as an establishment of her dominance over the other girls were merely attempts to mount them.

Forget the fact that …

chicken wrangler

August 27th, 2008

 

 

We brought home eight gorgeous hens and pullets yesterday. Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire Reds, Ameraucanas, Jersey Giants. Each breed is so distinct. It’s so funny to watch them settle a pecking order. They began that the minute we put them in the carrier to leave the fair.

Last night was tough, as none of them new where to roost or trusted us enough to come …

one man’s trash…

August 24th, 2008

So, although Paul didn’t win an award, he did sell a piece. (WhooHoo! One mortgage payment down, about 1000 to go.)

As promised, he began making a hearth for the cook stove this morning. The previous owners left us a huge pile of trash out at the back of the property, something that irked me to no end until I realized that hidden beneath all the junk were bricks. Brand new bricks. Piles of them covered with old doors, …

frump

August 21st, 2008

Tonight is the first night since we bought the farm that I’ve had to “dress.” Paulie submitted several photos to the State Fair this year. Not a place we’d usually display work, but the Professional Bull Riders world headquarters moved to town last year and they’re going to buy one of the winning entries for display inside their new building downtown.

We’ll be attending the artists reception in about two hours. Not exactly a black-tie affair, but still, a …

a new life

August 19th, 2008

Looking back on my life and my work experience my choices look like those of someone who is easily distracted, jumping from one thing to the next. But the careers I’ve explored over the years have created a rich and varied tapestry upon which I’ve built an equally rich and fulfilling life. Both my writing and my love of nurturing the lives of others through food have led me down this path, melding together to create a unique …