This year, my garden has had to cope with wildly swinging conditions that started with a chilly spring, then segued to a brutal heat wave, and onto a stretch of hot and steamy, and now bone dry earth and chilly nights. One plant that has thrived despite (or because of?) the fluctuations has been basil. I’ve snipped and snipped, and it keeps on coming.

I’ve already harvested enough to freeze for use in winter’s soups and stews. (Directions on this blog post.) But, the plants keep growing back, and the leaves are as tender, fragrant and delicious as ever. However, this late in the season, If I leave this patch for a few days, the basil will bolt, flower and turn bitter.  It’s time to store more away for future use. This time, I’ll dry it in the microwave.

First, I cut back the plants so that a third remain, which leaves me plenty of fresh basil for late-summer cooking!

Next, I put the harvested basil in a big bowl of cool water, and swish it around to loosen attached dirt. I lift out the basil, put fresh water in the bowl and rinse again. I do this as many times as it takes to remove every bit of grit. I’m careful to handle the basil gently because any bruising or creasing of the leaves turns the basil black and unusable.

Once the basil is clean, I pick off the leaves and discard the stems (into the compost it goes, the chickens love it!) I spin dry the leaves in a salad spinner. Next, I put the basil, in a single layer, on a paper towel on the microwave platter. Don’t crowd the leaves!

Cover with another paper towel and place in the microwave. The basil takes less than two minutes on high to dry. Microwaves vary. Mine is 1200 watts, and the basil took exactly 1 minute and 45 seconds to become perfectly brittle. The first time you do this, start with one minute, and then continue to microwave in 15 second increments until the leaves crumble in between your fingers.

The aroma was heavenly! Realtors say that the smell of fresh baked cookies helps to sell houses and they have a trick of baking off a batch before open houses. I think they should dry basil in the microwave instead.

I had enough basil to dry five batches in the microwave. I filled this jar.

Now I’ll be able to put a little bit of summer into my winter meals.

Did you know that all hens come fully equipped with a Chicken Global Positioning System, otherwise known as CGPS? Yes, indeed!

The CGPS comes with a highly accurate search capability. For example, the hen thinks “raspberries,” and in no time at all she finds the site!

The CGPS is linked to every member of the flock, so that all individuals can meet at the location.

Once the site is found, the coordinates are never lost or forgotten.

There is no limit to the number of locations that the CGPS can download and store. This flock’s database is soon to be expanded to include the search for grapes.  What’s in your chicken’s CGPS?

Last month I was asked to do a Tillie Lays an Egg Storytime for a special group of preschoolers. These children either wear cochlear implants, or have siblings that do. Their parents were having a much-needed night out at a hearing loss conference, and I was there to keep the little ones engaged at the end of a long and busy day. The children wore pjs and sat on blankets. One girl wore pink CIs that matched her pajamas. I wish that I could color-coordinate my CIs and outfits!

I couldn’t bring a hen to the hotel, so I brought a few stand-ins. Everyone talked chicken and one boy even knew a chicken dance!

It was a fun evening,

but all too soon it was bedtime. There were a few children saying cluck, cluck cluck on their way to sleep that night!

I have two leghorns. One is big, one is little.

They often forage together.

One is better at catching worms. They might be friends, but they don’t share.

You can tell a lot by looking at a hen’s head. Young laying hens will have full red combs and shiny eyes with an inquisitive glint. Sick hens will have darker, muddier-colored, often deflated combs and glassy eyes. Old hens have their own look.

Edwina has always been a sturdy, no-nonsense hen. She has managed to reach the ancient age of eight, and although slower and no longer laying eggs, she remains as sturdy and no-nonsense as ever. Much to her chagrin, she is no longer the boss hen.  Her comb, though not bright red, is full and still has color to it. This is a hen who knows what’s what.

Twinkydink has also survived past her eighth hatchday. Most chickens don’t, but she has; perhaps this longevity is due to her steady temperament and naturally strong constitution. Lately, though, her comb has turned a dull, almost grey color and has shriveled up. I don’t see any other external signs of decline. Hens like Twinkydink don’t let on to weakness until the end is very near. However, I’m sure there must be major internal changes for her comb to look so pale. She’s lived beyond a normal lifespan, and so I’ll let her be to leave it on her own terms. It could be quite awhile. Or not. You never know with old hens.

The other day she spent an afternoon free-ranging with her flock. Twinkydink took a sun bath while the others ran hither and yon. Then she had a walk-around, foraging on grass. Steady as she goes. No wonder she’s survived so long. The younger hens like to graze near her. I think that Twinkydink, who used to be a bully, has taken on the role of the wise old hen. Which just goes to show that personal transformations can happen at any age, and it’s good to stay open to changes in your companions.