This morning, the weather is so bad that I didn’t open the little chicken doors. The wind is blowing the snow sideways, exactly the sort of wet draft that is dangerous for hens.
Candy is the only one who doesn’t mind. Still, I gave her fresh hay and I’m sure that after she finishes her hop-around, that she’ll snuggle in.
Today is a good day to clean house, but I don’t mean dusting. My boys have been growing like the proverbial weeds. Sometimes I think it’d be easier to leave money at the shoe store and not bother to bring the shoes home, being as how in a couple of weeks we’re back for the next size up. Packing for our vacation, I discovered that my youngest had outgrown all but three T-shirts. (He now has a collection of tourist shop tees emblazoned with Puerto Rico.) So, the too-small clothes will be put into bags and taken to the Goodwill drop-off truck.
A jumble of stuff on shelves does more than clutter your kitchen, it also clutters your brain. I’ve tried to avoid that by putting all of those “maybe I’ll need it one day” items on a shelf in the basement. But, it turns out, that my brain is still cluttered. I blame this.
So, if I haven’t used an item for three years, it’s going off to this wonderful organization.
This is also the sort of day, and the time of year, when I should tidy up my bookkeeping. In all honesty, I don’t think I’ll get to it. I’d rather sit in front of the fire with one of my Hanukkah gifts, The Hedgehog’s Dilemma.
Reading that wonderful book is a great idea on such a blustery day. I hope it will inspire you to write another wonderful book of your own this year. We have plenty of room on the Temecula Elementary shelves for another Tillie book or two. The students love her and her friends on Little Pond Farm. Happy New Year!
Scholastic declined the next “Tillie” book, so we are looking for a new home for her. Meanwhile, my agent is shopping around a couple of other books. I’m optimistic about one of them. Yes, it has chickens! (But another one doesn’t. That has a dog.)
We’re decluttering, too. It feels so good to have space open up, both physically and mentally.
I’ve had our chicken door closed more frequently. I’m trying to think up a way to block the wind right in front of the door…a sort of chicken porch.
I am sure “The Hedgehog’s Dilemma” will make for delightful reading.
Happy (belated) New Year to you and all the animals at LPF.
Two of my “girls” popped out for a moment this morning, alas deciding their coop was the place to remain. A treat of warm oatmeal and blueberries was a welcomed treat later in the day. Winters here in Maine can be brutal.I had never head of “The Hedgehog’s Deliemma” thank you for bringing it to my attention. Enjoy your blog!
LOL – I thought you’d taken a photo of our understairs cupboard!!!
You’d scoff at the weather we winge about, but it is chilly here. A very hard frost again today and more snow forecast most days this week. Clear sky and sun this morning – at least that’s cheery.
Feeling very satisfied after giving our bedroom a spring clean yesterday. Looking around y studio this morning tells me that a major tidy up shold be top of the to-do list.
Best wishes and stay warm
Celia
I packed up three boxes of stuff from those shelves!
I left the chickens locked in the coop (all doors shut) yesterday and again this morning. The high yesterday was only 14 degrees and today maybe 19 degrees and wind chills are or have been below zero. Wednesday I may leave the door open, a “high” of 28 degrees is expected.
I throw scratch grain and dry cat food around the coop to keep them busy scratching and pecking for the treats. I have noticed the last two days they don’t eat much of their pelleted food.
My two ducks Mary Lou and Quackers don’t seem to mind the cold, they do sit on their feet often but can be see quite often “foraging” around the yard.
Meat or fish-based cat food? And do taste a difference in the eggs when you feed it?
It is a meat based and I have not noticed any difference in the taste of the eggs at all. I avoid any fish simply because I don’t want to take the chance of fishy eggs ;-)
I buy the cheapest I can find. I currently have 24 hens and I throw like 5 or 6 handfulls all about the coop, so they don’t get much. I only do this when they will be stuck inside all day, I don’t want them to get too bored as we know that can lead to other problems. I have to go out before daybreak so I throw it about and then take my rake and kind of cover it up so they have to spend time looking for it. I can tell by the straw that they spends lots of time scratching looking the cat food and the scratch. The hens really love it! I also feed several handfulls during the molting season since it is 30% protien.
I love HGRM! They took my hand-me-down table! I hope someone gets some good use out of it! Also an old, but working (not pretty, but it stitches!) sewing machine…they set up at my town’s drop-off swap-off day, and load up tons of furniture and stuff.
The stuff I send there is the stuff that no one else takes, no one I know wants, and I don’t need, but feel guilty throwing away something perfectly good, but I just don’t need it…