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Friday, November 29, 2013

Hurrah! The molt is over!

After weeks of 1 egg every other day, we just had four days of 3 eggs each and today...5 eggs! I never was able to catch the opossum that killed two hens though once it tripped the live trap. I've been diligent in locking the coop down after dark and all are doing well.

On a personal note: during this week famous for excesses of food and drink I've been living on diet 7-up, crackers and chicken noodle soup. It's been a rough time and though I'm still a bit weak and feeble, the stomach is finally settling. I noticed that comprehension was badly affected; either due to the fever or messed up blood sugars. Curiously, even my sense of smell was dampened. Anyway, if you hear of anybody out with illness - stay far away!

A dishwasher would be nice...but not enough to give up the cabinet space for. Maybe I'll wash them tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Busy with all sorts

Yesterday we received 5" of heavy, wet snow. So, of course, that's the day picked to deliver three cords of firewood. Everything was unloaded and stacked in the appropriate place, they could have charged for helping us stack, but I think the fact that we were working just as hard with them caused them to waive the fee.

In the evening we tromped through the snow and up the hill to the elderly neighbors house. They had called asking for help with their email. Although I could figure out that the internet wasn't working, I wasn't able to fix the problem, even with the help-line. At least I was able to arrange for a service visit. Today they called again with an update: the internet provider had turned it off! No explanations on why or how come the help-line couldn't tell. Very strange.

Good news: when I opened up the chicken coop this morning there weren't any tracks around it or in the pen so nothing has been trying to get in. Grace emerged to see what I brought them, but nobody was too thrilled about the snow.

This is the first month my son's new insurance took effect since he got his job. Today I went in to pick up one of his insulin prescriptions and discovered that where my insurance would have covered all but $85, this company was going to cost us $300! And this wasn't even the most expensive insulin! Fortunately, he has double coverage this month so I was able to switch it back to the original one and quickly arranged with my work not to take him off my policy.

We did make another investment today. Something I've wanted for quite awhile is a fire-resistant gun safe. A local business has just started carrying them and we got ours today. Not only do I like being able to lock up the guns, but storing the ammunition where fire wouldn't be as dire a problem makes me feel better. Getting it from the back of the pickup into the house and then standing it up was an adventure with just the two of us, but we did it.

I also learned that my wind turbine has finally been ordered. Things are really starting to mesh now.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Sad post

I lost a hen to a predator. I'm not sure what it was but it got her inside the chicken coop.
Losing one makes the others even more precious.
Grace
Cumulous
Nimbus
Old Ninja
Old Duchess
Frodo
Zen
Penny
Sherlock
Astrid
Ninja Twin 1
Ninja Twin 2
Young Duchess
3 Princesses
Mycroft
8 chicks/hens

And that's my flock. Five geriatric hens with strong personalities, Frodo - head rooster, ten hens that were hatched in 2012 and seem to all be moulting at the same time, Mycroft - rooster-in-training, and the eight young ones who are still discovering their names. It does seem odd to have so many birds yet only get one or two eggs a day.