Here's the Moose's sidekick when at The Compound, Miss Corrie. Isn't she just the cutest!
I think I have an unhealthy love for this chicken! If I could sneak her back home and get away with it, she'd live with me permanently. I can't wait to hatch some more chicks from her. She has the absolute best personality. She doesn't mind getting picked up, and will come running to see what you're up to. That's if she's not following the Moose around!
This is a site I visit weekly. Everyone should have their own Rabbi. Rabbi Lapin and his wife Susan put together a weekly post, among other publications, that I find very interesting. He focuses on the Old Testament, and Hebrew teachings, and Susan's is more about current affairs. Both well written.
I really connected with Susan's Musings this week and thought I would share. Here's the link;
As you know, we decided, against what may be better judgement, to bring Monkey back to The Compound. Needless to say Saturday was VERY eventful.
There are moments when you could kick yourself in the behind for not bringing along your video camera. This is one of those.
The Moose and I drove over to pick up Monkey. As brave as the Moose is, I'm sure he wasn't expecting the warm reception he received from Monkey. Before the Moose could even finish saying hello, Monkey made his first offensive move. Let me just say, his spurs are over 2" long, and look menacing. I stayed protected, behind the Moose.
I had envisioned a game of cat and mouse through the backyard, wielding large lawn rakes and the like. But nope, it went really quick, surprisingly. The Moose waited patiently for Monkey's next move, and then he took the offensive and pinned Monkey to the ground, picked him up and in the dog kennel he went. Just about that quick!
But the fun was just beginning.
As soon as we got back to The Compound, we took the kennel out and placed the royal pain in the butt on the ground, the entire flock started making a huge fuss. They were not happy with this newbie, and weren't sure how he was going to fit into their currently quiet establishment.
Pig Pen our Orpington rooster had his shackles up and started scratching the ground like a bull. It was obvious he was not happy. The hens decided to create a cacophony of noises all expressing their displeasure. It was quite a show and it remained noisy for the remainder of our stay.
Then the sizing up of the opponents began. We put Monkey on the side of the run, where the three small Hooligans were housed. That upset those three. They couldn't figure out why someone else was in their area, and eating their food. They paced the entrance for quite some time. Then Rooster Cogburn the youngest, already has designs on how far up the pecking order he may make it one day. He played "chicken" with Monkey, and this is how it went;
He seemed to hold his ground at this point. He didn't have to face those spurs or the overall weight advantage the Monkey would have on him. But he'll be a force to be reckoned with one day soon.
Then Pig Pen decided to size Monkey up.
After this battle Royal, Pig Pen looked terrible. He was bleeding from where his comb meets his beak. Not sure it was Monkey or the fence that cause it.
Pig Pen has the most to lose at this point, or so he thinks. With the heathen behavior Monkey is known for, and our number of laying hens is still small, we can not in good conscience let Monkey out. He has the advantage of size, weight, experience and SPURS. It would not be a fair fight, and the hens would get too much attention. That's the reason we sold him to begin with. We had too many roosters for the number of hens. The problem would be exasperated at this point.
So Monkey will remain on his side of the run, until we need our hens/eggs fertilized for hatching. I would like nothing better than to let him roam, but he's really nasty. At this point, it is what it is.
I ended up putting up a temporary wall with some plastic corrugated sheets so they couldn't really see each other and if they decided to fight again, they'd run into the sheets, not the fence. Hopefully they'll behave themselves.
It began last May. When we decided Monkey Needed a New Home. Monkey went to a young couple trying to raise chickens. They wanted a rooster to keep watch over their girls and fertilize the eggs for new generations. Oh, the horror of it all.
It so happens I was monitoring Craig's List yesterday and came across an ad for "free Buckeye rooster." I instantly knew it was him, THE Monkey. It had to be him, his evil ways must have been too much for this family and no other chicken could be that evil.
I spoke with the owner, of what is now the infamous Buckeye rooster. In a bid to rid their family of his evil presence they opted to give him away for FREE on Craig's List. "just come and get him" "We can't enter the area without a broom or rake in hand." "You can't turn your back on him for a second!". "He's just too much!"
What kind of evil did we create? Like Dr. Frankenstein, did we create a monster? The poor family just wants him gone, and yesterday is not soon enough.
We did the normal stuff this past weekend, so nothing too exciting to relate. The Moose and Spud installed another auto waterer (is waterer even a word?) for the chicken run. We moved some mulch, but otherwise, not much.
Thought I'd share some photos from this past Saturday.
Rose, Pennie and Cogburn exploring The Compound
Pig Pen is getting really big!
There's Berta and Corrie, hanging out.
Rooster Cogburn
My garden, it's still warm enough to keep it going.
OK, it’s the holiday season.I’m having a hard time getting into it this year.Not sure exactly why.Maybe since we’ve had a tough year at The
Compound and business is slow.Is it the
economy stupid?I need to find my
Christmas “mojo”.Have you seen it?Any ideas where it hid itself?
I’ve been baking cookies, decorated the house (although not
as much as in years past), play Christmas tunes when I get the chance, and try
to sing along. It's not working. Something is definitely missing.
The Moose came across this article earlier, and asked that I share with the blogosphere. This is just another reason to learn to grow your own produce. If a goat won't eat it, why should we?
I have been remiss in welcoming new followers and those that
take the time to comment on my crazy blog.But thank you!I know you have
millions of sites you could visit and that you consider spending time here is
humbling.I look forward to reading your
comments and following your blog posts.It’s a nice feeling knowing you’re not the only crazy one out there!
You'll see the blogs I follow, over on the left, most of which come to me through other blogs, or they've joined my site. Please take a few moments and see what crazy things they're up to. You'll likely find another like minded person to follow. Yes, that means your crazy too! Isn't it nice knowing your not alone!
We’ve all had those moments, life’s little moments that bring
joy.Now some may consider
me crazy, and that’s OK, but I get such joy from raising chickens.These crazy fluff balls are thought and
talked about daily.What treats can we
scrounge up for them, should I make them oatmeal with or without raisins, how
they’re getting along with the change in temperatures... who’s going to start
laying me eggs next, etc.
This past weekend was one of those moments for me.The Hooligans were let out of their side of
the run, and had a few hours of freedom. If you just started to follow along,
we have two sets, the Hooligans and the Cotton Club.Once they realized the door was open, all
three made a beeline to get out.They’ve
watched the Cotton Club enjoy a dust bath, eat grass and chase after bugs.It was now their turn.
They made it out to the set of robellini trees, just beyond the
main gate, but for their first foray it was great!
We’ve kept them separate for the past few months from the
rest, so they wouldn’t be abused.Chickens, can really be rude.Sneaking up behind them and ripping out feathers from their
backsides.They definitely are
bullies.However, since they’ve been
watching each other for months now, the transition wasn’t too bad; only minimal
“hen pecking”.It was worse by the hens further
down the pecking order.They are not too
willing to give up what little leverage they have.So they went out of their way to bother them on occasion.Enough so, that the three of them were too
scared to walk past the Cotton Club to get back in at the end of the day.I had to pick them all up and carry them
in.Yes, laugh, it’s no easy
feat chasing and capturing chickens in general, it’s even harder when they are
smaller and quicker.The only one that
didn’t have any issues with them was Pig Pen, our handsome rooster.He just strutted past them, acting like the
big shot he is.
They are now back in their respective corners, awaiting our
return Saturday to let them all out again to forage.We will keep them separate at night and when
we are not around until the Hooligans reach the age where they can eat the same
food as the older ones.They are still
on chick/grower rations.They have about
6 weeks left.
After getting the Cotton Club last July, and seeing the
abuse the little ones suffered at the hands beaks of the others, it was very
important to us that this behavior was not continued on the Hooligans.They hold a very special place for us.Keeping them separate until they are large
enough to flee or fight back is really important.
Just couldn't pass on posting this photo of Daughter #2 and her first archery lesson last weekend. She did very well her first time! Never missed the target. Spud was kind enough to give her some basic lessons. Now she thinks she's tough!
The rest of us took some practice shots, and did well too. It's great fun. Who would have thought? I've never been the kind of gal to get her nails done, but the rest of me has been a city girl my whole life. This prepping business has made some noticeable changes.
While I'm not ready to sit in a tree stand, far from it, it's cathartic in it's own right. Hey! I even pulled the bow back this time! I didn't look like a complete wimp, thank goodness..
Earlier this year I made a resolution of sorts to try my hand at some "old school" home-ec projects. I took up sewing, knitting, crocheting and canning. I'm better at some than others; crocheting over knitting. Knitting takes too long as far as I can tell, and I'm not very patient. It also bothers my hands more, as I've developed carpal tunnel over the years.
Part of my resolution was not only to learn the basics of these skills, but use them. I decided to try and make home made gifts this Christmas for my family. That may mean someone ends up with a jar of pickles, but they'll get something.
I wanted to share with you a small project I did for Daughter #2's dog Winston. I couldn't wait to see it on him this past holiday weekend, and figured he would get better use out of it this next month through the holiday season. Let me know what you think. The buttons are actually jingle bells.
I personally like the definition for grateful, versus
thankful.I know, I’m splitting hairs,
they’re synonyms of each other, but the definitions at www.dictionary.comprove my point.
thank·ful
adjective
feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative
grate·ful
adjective
1. warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received;
thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.
2. expressing or actuated by gratitude: a grateful letter.
3. pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome;
refreshing: a grateful breeze.
I’m not just “feeling or expressing” gratitude. I’m deeply appreciative of the blessings I’ve
received.That’s where I think the
words, the meanings are different.
Are we as a nation just thankful for the turkey dinner, and
a day off from work? Don’t get me wrong,
I look forward to them too, but is that how we look at our holidays? We can get caught up in the planning, and traveling, and we should want to be with family. But now that the Black Friday sales actually
begin on Thursday, what are we allowing to happen to us?We’ll be too busy planning our shopping
excursions, how soon we need to show up to stand in line (have you seen those
already camped out in front of Best Buy?), to really reflect on those things
that are important or spend time with our family. It's just another tradition based in history, white washed by society.Do our children even
know the history?For that matter, how
many adults could really tell you why we celebrate this coming Thursday?How can we be thankful, or grateful for the
upcoming holiday if we don’t even know what it’s about?
I’m grateful for those that in 1620 put their faith in God and decided to get in a little ship, travel across the Atlantic and start new here in America. I’m thankful for a laundry list of things, but I’m
actually grateful, deeply appreciative of God’s blessings in my life.
I thought I'd lighten this post up. After this past week, I need it!
I dub this post; Pillow Fight! It's exactly what it looks like in the chicken run. White feathers everywhere! This shot is actually under a set of roosts the Moose built the original Hooligans. Up until the past couple of weeks, they barely used it. Now all but Miss Corrie and Berta sleep here at night (they still sleep inside the actual coop).
A lot of preening has been going on lately, and Miss Berta is definitely in her molt stage. No eggs and she has a couple of bald spots on her head and neck. I also see some new fluff in others. I can tell because it's bright white, and she hasn't been bright white since she moved in at The Compound.
Corrie and Berta enjoying a dust bath
The Cotton Club is sure coming along! Other than a couple of chicken, chickens they are all much more calm around us. They are all healthier and happier. They wait impatiently at the door when we arrive, just waiting to get out and run around. They are so much fun.
Here's a few other photos from Saturday;
Miss Dolly our new egg layer!
The three Hooligan's
Rose and Pennie, seem to be all legs at the moment.
Pig Pen, is really getting big. So far he's a very calm rooster.
Be sure to keep all doors and windows locked, even when home
Remove every last item from our vehicles and carry them inside each day and/or trip
Lock the door from my garage to the inside of my house
Manually lock my garage door from the inside, at all times
Here's why;
Some thugs, punks, sorry s.o.b's, decided it was OK to break into our truck. Since it's too big for our garage it gets parked in the driveway. Wouldn't think this would be a big deal, since it WAS locked. We are neurotic about locking our car.
It along with my MP3 player, the corresponding cords and cables, were all hidden inside the glove box, not out in the open where they could see them. So even though we hid them, it is still not enough!
It gets even scarier! Then the jack balls, decided to take our garage door opener from the truck, use it and gain access to the SUV in the garage. They proceeded to steel the GPS that was in there, as well as the Moose's prescription glasses. What in the world would they do with his glasses? They skipped over his shotgun. I guess it wouldn't fit into the pockets on their pants.
We count our blessings they decided to keep to the cars, and not work their way in to our home. This happened while we were sleeping. You see, we don't lock the door from the garage to the house. What for? The garage door is down when you go to bed at night! Who would think to keep your garage door opener on your person? If these are "just kids" as the police seem to think, then why are they brazen enough to not just stick to the easy target outside on the driveway, but actually enter our house as we slept!!
We and our dog, did not hear a thing. It's on the opposite side of our house, and unless you are close to the garage, you do not hear the garage door. I'm creeped out!
Of course, the police think we left the car open. Then may I ask, why did it happen again the next night? We cleaned out any remaining items and double checked that the car was indeed LOCKED! Of course we took the extra step, after already knowing you were violated to begin with! So how, did the truck end up open again this morning? Creepy, and disgusting all at the same time.
I had to file a police report, change the remote garage door openers, and get the Moose some new glasses. The other stuff is inconsequential. But really?!
I know, generally speaking I'm naive about many things. I want to believe the glass is half full, not empty, and that people are generally good. I am having to re-evaluate my interpretation of the human race. If this is living in 2012, I can hardly wait for 2013.
OK, I realize I'm no spring chicken, and that my age and lifestyle have played a part, but geesh! I couldn't pull the string back on a compound bow yesterday. How embarrassing!
A couple of dear friends, who I would consider experts in the field of archery, were kind enough to give the Moose and I a beginners lesson. Let me tell you, Dragon Lady, and Spud sure know their stuff! They came well equipped. Compound bows, arrows, and the accouterments needed.
Have you seen a compound bow lately! They are bad ass looking (excuse the french)! There's no other way to describe them. Definately menacing!
The Moose did just fine with his $5.00 yardsale compound bow find. Spud did a little tweaking of it, and he was good to go. Great for a beginner, especially since we're new at this, and can build our skills from here.
I on the other hand ended up having to use a recurved bow the Dragon Lady brought along for me to try. Reminds me of Robin Hood. I think I did pretty good but I won't be robbing from the rich and giving to the poor anytime soon! No fancy gadgets for sighting, etc. Just you, the bow, arrow and target.
If I ever consider trying the compound bow again, I need to do some push ups! I just didn't have the upper body strength to pull it back. I was so embarrassed.... something else I need to work on..
It was great fun! Thanks again to Dragon Lady and Spud for all the instructions. Now, if I can just remember..
With a little help from our friend Spud, the Moose is the
proud owner of a .22 caliber rifle.We
don’t know how old it is, but we got it for a paltry sum of $50.00.How can we go wrong?!The ammunition is inexpensive, especially in
comparison to some of the other guns we own.It’s also something I can comfortably handle.I am frankly a bit leery of the 30.06
rifle.That thing sounds like a small
cannon when fired!I’ll stick with the .22
and my .38 special.
So of course, it was waaay off, and needed to be “sighted”
in.I lost track of the number of shots
and trips between their shooting table and the targets.I think they shot a few extra rounds just for
the fun of it!Now, I’ll look like a
better shot the next time I take a turn at the targets!
The World’s going nuts for walnuts apparently. 82,000 lbs or approximately $300K has been stolen recently out of
Northern California.What would you do
with that many pounds of walnuts?
I
checked on the price for a pound of them this weekend and here in Central
Florida they are going for $7.49/lb at our Walmart Neighborhood store, and
$8.49 at our Publix store. How about your neck of the woods?
I guess my Christmas cookies will
be minus walnuts this year.
Remember it only takes 3 days for desperation to begin, and that's what we're seeing in NY. I don't want to ever have to live like this. I can deal with cleaning up a mess, but being hungry and cold is not an option.
Being prepared is not as hard as trying to find food for you and your children after the fact. This is a wake up call for those still sitting on the fence, thinking preppers are nuts. Living like this would make me nuts.
Black Bellied Whistling Duck. Closer in relation to geese than
a duck.They waddle a bit, heads are definitely
duck like, but they do not quack. We had
a flock join us on Saturday, and as they flew in, it was a showdown at The
Compound!Just look at these
characters.I think the ducks would win.The
Cotton Club is a bunch of chicken, chickens!
I hope you can hear the sound the ducks make, it’s really
strange.They spent around an half hour
or so, digging in the wet areas of The Compound.
I'm sure you've heard or read about a little storm that passed by Florida late last week, named Sandy. I know the Northeast is bracing for the effects, but we spent the better part of Saturday cleaning up the mess she left behind. We've never seen this much debris laying around!
Water everywhere! We were already saturated, and Sandy didn't help. Needless to say, our pile of ash from the burn is several wheelbarrows full. Overall Saturday was nice, breezy and cool. The Cotton Club had an absolute blast outside. They even ventured further from the norm, which was nice to see they are growing in confidence. I don't think they stopped but once or twice for a quick nap. Just too many bugs to be found!
The Moose made a pork butt roast in the outdoor oven, that turned out really well. It really hit the spot.
Of course, cleaning up the mess, and after the chickens is never enough for us! We had to move the three large piles of mulch and wood too! This:
Became this:
Spud, the Moose and I shoveled, moved and raked this new drive area, as well as the entrance to the chicken run. The Compound has some low lying areas, and the drive in is one of them. There was always a path coming in, but it stopped at the end of a row of oak trees, then you had to drive across the lawn to a parking area. When it rains it gets very soft, and since there was no clear path, we just drove willy-nilly. In time this will compact down, and it makes a very clear distinction on where we should be driving. Yeah, no more mud and deep tracks! Other than labor, it was totally free!
I've got some other posts in the works for later this week. I hope you'll continue to follow along. For those of you that continue to read and comment, thanks for making a crazy old bag happy!
Thought I'd share this link, since we've lived it first hand the past couple of days.
Miss Izzy had a rough Thursday. She was so excited to get out of the Vet hospital, and cried most of the way home. It was her excited cry, the "I'm so glad to be going somewhere", or "I know there's a lizard in there" or "let me at that squirrel" kind of cry. Not of pain, since she just had her pain med before we picked her up.
Her afternoon was miserable. She was in pain. For this I was sorry. It's part of nature for an animal that is in pain to not cry out. It's a sign of weakness, and makes them a target. So if your dog is actually crying or whining in pain, please don't ignore it. It's serious!
Izzy's swelling continued to go down, but her puffed up face made her normal sassy self almost unrecognizable. She ate chicken, her favorite food, and drank a LOT of water. She did a considerable amount of sleeping too. I'm sure she didn't get much in at the hospital. Her nightly walk was just an amble down the sidewalk. She actually turned around to come home. She was not herself.
But after a good nights sleep, in our bed which under normal circumstances is not allowed, she and the Moose went around the lake this morning and she led the way. Not as fast as normal, but she is getting her strength back. We gave her the antibiotic medicine and I'm guessing she's not feeling well as a result. She seemed to get an upset stomach right after and just wants to sleep. We can't blame her. The company mascot is resting up in our office on the futon, snoring of all things.
She's already spoiled, but getting even more attention now. All well deserved. Thank you everyone for your kind words and prayers. How many dogs do you know that have people from all over the U.S. praying for them? She is blessed, and so am I.
Miss Izzy is home, but still has some swelling and obvious pain, even with meds. She was very happy to come home, and is now sleeping at my feet under my desk. Thank you for your prayers, she's one of the luckiest dogs!
I am sitting in the waiting room of an emergency vet, while they treat Miss Izzy for what appears to be a pit viper bite from a Pygmy rattlesnake. Her face has continued to swell these past 2 hours or so, and she's in some pain.
Our options were to ride it out and see, or start an anti-venom treatment. We had a baseline set of tests run, and so far it has not affected her internal organs. The only option to treat pain and swelling is anti-venom. We started that about 30 minutes ago. She'll spend the night in the hospital on IV. If all goes well, she'll come home tomorrow. If not, it's another dose of the anti-venom and another night in the hospital.
After waiting about an hour, and getting the results from the tests, it was definitely NOT a dry bite. If we did not treat, she would risk dying flesh around the bite area, and organ shut down.
I've watched too much TV. It doesn't happen in a 60 minute program. It can take days, and we are not willing to risk her health or wellbeing by waiting and seeing how her little body may or may not react to the venom. The vet also explained that it is not likely that a dog of her size would do that well long term without the anti-venom.
There is also a risk of infection, as snakes mouths are not the cleanest around. She's getting a broad spectrum antibiotic in her IV.
So, please say a prayer for Miss Izzy, and me. I'm worried sick..
OK, I think we have swarming bees, but not 100% sure. We stopped out at The Compound last night to feed/water the Cotton Club and Hooligans and came across tens of thousands of bees flying in random direction and order, over the entire property. They were more concentrated around one oak tree and a pair of robellini's. No ball of bees to be found. As soon as the sun went down, poof, they were all gone. No idea where too, just gone!
We decided to get going first thing this morning and see if they by chance formed a ball or not. What we found (after Miss Izzy went to the animal hospital for a pygmy rattlesnake bite), was the same thing. No order or reason, and no ball of bees. Any ideas?
I cleaned out the old hive I had, and placed a dish with some honey inside, hoping that it might entice them to visit and stay awhile. They quickly found the honey, but so far, have done nothing but bee be a bunch of freeloaders.
I also saw this activity by my hive, it looks like fighting. Not something you'd see from a well established hive of working order. If you can help answer my question or know someone that might, will you please let me know?
If this is the scene a few months back when we lost our original hive, I can see how they were taken over. There are just so many bees! They didn't stand a chance.
OK, I posted his picture just because. Not much to say other than, ain't he cute!
Remember earlier this season we used water troughs to plant lettuce, up off the ground. Well, I have to say, I don't think they are doing all that great, compared to lettuce I've previously grown in the ground. While working and not having to bend over is REALLY nice, the growth of the lettuce is much slower. It's even planted in great from the bag soil! I haven't yet been able to even take a cutting for the dinner table. I don't have a picture of the spinach, but they came up and stopped growing altogether. So far, thumbs down!
We had some new friends over, including the Dragon Lady who worked all day, and they wanted to cook dinner in our outdoor pizza oven. I should have taken a photo of the marinated venison and veggies. It was awesome! Slow cooked for several hours. The oven performed magically. Now, we're just waiting on some cooler and drier weather to stick around, so we can finally finish/decorate the outside.
Our new friends have access to mulch and wood. These three piles are all oak. It's from the cuttings by a local power company, and they drop it off at The Compound for us. Did I mention FOR FREE! First of all, yeah, we no longer have to run to the local landfill. Second, it's actually chopped up much finer than the product at the landfill and third, we don't get oak logs for the fire pit or stone oven from the landfill. This is definitely a win win. Now it just needs to be hauled to the garden. I'm not complaining. The Moose and Spud figured out a way to make our lives easier. They made a larger door opening on the side of the garden. Now we load up, and drive a trailer load into the garden. Nice..
Berta and Miss Corrie
I mentioned last week that these two are now best buddies. Rarely do you see one and not the other close by. We stuck around until late Saturday, and spied on the Cotton Club and Hooligans with a flashlight before we left. These two girls even sleep next to each other at night! I mean, right next to each other, and no one else is on either side of these two. We're still trying to figure out how Pennie of the Hooligan's got up on top of the roof of their shelter. It's up at least 6' high!
It was an easier weekend for us, more socializing than anything. I think we all needed the break. Besides the weather was wonderful, cool breeze, low humidity. We're finally heading in to the really nice time of year to live in Florida. Now, if I could just find a way to get some apples from Sista's tree..
We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary today. A milestone for sure. We spent part of yesterday and today in Savannah, GA. Ate dinner a The Olde Pink House, circa 1771. It was fantastic. Here are a few photos from our trip.
The Moose is one lucky guy, getting hooked with the likes of me!
