I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 28 years, disabled daughter, adult son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!So Queen--you all remember Queen, right? The one who sulks if you put her back in the pen if she doesn't want to be there.
Queen Sulking
So Queen has apparently noticed my absence outside in the last two days. I've been sick and so not been out to see her since Thursday. Even though the kiddos went out and talked to the flock apparently it wasn't good enough for Queen.
About 3 o'clock I hear an unheavenly racket going on outside my bedroom window. I thought one of the chickens had flown out and couldn't figure out how to get back in. That still happens with a couple of the heavier chickens. I opened up the curtains and looked out and there was Queen, who of any chicken besides Curious and Georgie, can get anywhere she wants to except the roof (that's still Georgie's claim to fame, none of the others have managed it yet).
Boy, when she saw those curtains open, she got so excited. She started jumping up in the air. She was getting a good three feet of lift with her wings and was chattering the whole time. As soon as I opened the window and spoke to her through the screen she started cooing at me. It was so funny. She settled right down and after about five minutes wandered back to the fence and hopped over. I guess she just missed our daily chats?
The girls seem to be very happy this winter, probably because it hasn't snowed yet and the ground is thawed at least for part of the day so they can still scratch. Egg production is going well. It is nice not to have to buy eggs. A few days ago I noticed the going rate for organic, free range, sustainably farmed eggs at the grocery store was $8.99 a dozen.
We're getting between 7 and 10 eggs per day. I'm going to have to take a couple dozen to my physical therapist and have SIL and MIL stop by for some, too, soon. The backlog in the fridge is getting so big.
Mom is talking about getting ducklings again in the spring. She might as well, since Fort Knox is sitting there empty, but I'm not doing them in a brooder in the garage again. They can be raised in the spare bathtub just like the first set were. It socializes them better when we can spend more time with them and pick them up more frequently and that only happens inside the house.
Speaking of ducks, Lady is doing well at her new farm. I still miss her, but she and the widowed drake are getting on famously, beyond all of our hopes. We'll try to go visit her next weekend if I am better by then. I miss having duck eggs for cooking, but I'd much rather she be happy.
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There isn't much to talk about on the financial front right now. Everything is ticking along on autopilot until 1/11. That's a good thing, I guess. And it'll give me time to finish up writing about the food stamps challenge. No, I haven't forgotten about it.
Also wanted to give a great big thank you to all of my readers. My blog hit 1.5 million hits this morning! That's half a million since April. It still amazes me how many people want to listen to (erm...read?) me blathering on, even when I wander off topic *coughs* chickens *coughs* But I am very happy that you do!
January 6th, 2013 at 05:07 am 1357448830
Just wonder could you donate some eggs to a shelter that serves food?
January 6th, 2013 at 05:16 am 1357449364
No, unfortunately our food bank will not accept unpasteurized eggs.
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Sleepinghorse, they are both adorable!
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