Tomorrow is World Read Aloud Day. I’m taking part by donating four Skype visits to classrooms from California to Maine. Skyping is a live-streaming video tool. Because Steve has put WiFi in the coops, I’m able to video chat with the kids while surrounded by hens! For WRAD, I’ll be sitting in the Big Barn, and you’ll be able to watch on the BarnCam. I’m going to try and read Tillie Lays an Egg, but chaos might ensue. The hens are fascinated by my iPad, and who knows what Agatha will do! My first visit is set for 11:15 am EST, and the last will be at 2:30. Each visit will be about 20 minutes, so stop by to see what’s going on.

Snow is expected tomorrow, so I might have to step outside and show those southern California children what our weather looks like. The last time that I visited that school, it looked like this:

They’re in for quite a surprise!

If you are interested in booking a Skype visit to your school, check my school visits page. And, speaking of events, I have a number coming up. Check my upcoming events page for a complete listing.

My Über-talented friend, Lauren Scheuer, did the art for the Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour, and was invited to be part of the festivities. She’s going, and I’m tagging along! We know that we have HenCam and Scratch and Peck fans in the Lone Star State, and we’re hoping that some of you live near enough to Austin so that we can meet in person. To that end, Lauren and I will be at the Driskill Bar on Friday night, at 5:30 pm, and we’d like to see you there! Yes, we know it’s a fancy place, but, we’re tourists! And the Driskill has a Friday night happy hour with half-price margaritas!

On Saturday, Lauren and I will be at the Buck Moore Feed and Supply, which is where the tickets for the coop tour are picked up. She’ll have her book, Once Upon A Flock, to sign, and I’ll have Vintage Chicken Photographs. Stop by and chat for awhile.

Lauren has to fly home on Sunday, but I can’t pass up a chance to see the bluebonnets.

It’s something that’s been on my wish list ever since I was a little girl and saw photos in a magazine. AND it’s the week of legendary flea markets in the Hill Country. So, I’m going to take a day and go. Anyone else heading out that way?

Please let me know if can meet us in Austin!

It’s late winter, so here in New England you can be sure of two things: it’s the beginning of mud season,

a

and maple sap is running. Trees are tapped. Literally. A spigot is screwed into the trunk, a bucket is hung

and liquid drips.

The sap is boiled down until it becomes syrup. It takes 10 gallons of sap to make one quart of maple syrup. Maple syrup is precious stuff. It’s always been expensive, which is why maple was one of the first synthetic flavors developed by food scientists. Most people have never tasted the real thing.

On Sunday I went to a special maple sugaring. There are fields behind Henry David Thoreau’s birthplace.

They’re farmed by Gaining Ground.

Generous donors built a sugaring house.

You need a building devoted to this seasonal task and its behemoth evaporator.

The fire has to be constantly stoked. The syrup tested. Farmers have been known to stay up all night keeping the fire going. Maple sugaring has long been a reason for a community gathering. There was maple cotton candy at this one.

The maple syrup made at this party, though, did not go home with the celebrants.

It will be tucked into bags of groceries at area food pantries.

The goats’ paddock is mucky and slushy and hemmed in by piles of snow. They have nowhere to go and nothing to browse. Life is boring. I knew something that would help keep them busy. I went out to the woods behind their summer pasture where there are white pine saplings.

I’m planning on extending their fence out there this spring, so this is a good time to use up the only green forage in sight.

The goats are bored, but obviously not underfed!

While the boys were enjoying their pine needles, I visited the girls. Agatha came right up and got her face into the camera. Of course.

I spent only five minutes in with the hens. When I came back to the goats’ stall, they wanted to know what I was going to bring them next.

They’d already finished their pine trees.

The boys showed off a bit.

And then Caper let me know exactly what he thought about this winter.