COLD DAY..CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Ok so I did not get my winter garden started due to 40mph winds. But I unloaded a trunk load of firewood my dad brought out and spent time with him by the fire. I played on the internet.

I got an idea to make a warm mash for the chickens. I made it from laying mash, hen scratch, cracked corn and molassas (of which I have a half gallon left over from when my horse was sick).

I mixed the dry together in equal parts, added about a cup of molassas and covered it with water and put it on the stove. Almost as soon as it became hot I had to add more water. It filled a 13x9 pan to the brim and then I took it out to the chickens. I came back a little later and half the pan is gone! And Red who has been sick was chowing down!

Then my daughters boyfriend who was on his way back from LA wanted chicken and dumplings. We had picked up the chicken thighs and cooked them earlier. Then she and I began cooking. Now mind you it has been more than 3 years since I cooked them and we had two smaller pans instead of one large pan which I am used to. The second batch messed up because the dumplings were too small and began to disintegrate. And she wanted the broth thicker. So my suggestion was to put the second batch into the blender and blend the dumplings which would thicken the broth.

How many of you knew that hot chicken and broth explodes when you hit the pulse button? Well it gave me a reason to mop the floor. And the counter. And the cabinets. And it gave my daughter a reason to laugh at her mom....I love giving her those reasons. That is why I do it so often.

Anyway, the chicken and dumplings is done, we have a new mother daughter family recipe which includes messing up a batch of dumplings, and they are the most amazing chicken and dumplings I have ever in my life tasted. Granny Browning would be very very proud.

MY STOCKING FROM PEA ARRIVED!

I JUST GOT A FIRE GOING IN THE FIREPLACE WHEN I HEARD THE SOUND OF THE MAIL LADY BEEPING HER HORN. SHE SAID THAT SHE NEEDED A SIGNATURE BECAUSE THE PACKAGE WAS INTERNATIONAL! WOOHOO PEA'S STOCKING ARRIVED!

HOW COOL....SAUSAGES! (KIDDING JUST KIDDING)

WHAT A COOL STOCKING TOO. MADE WITH A PRETTY SANTA AND FILLED WITH WRAPPED PACKAGES!

FIRST IS A WONDERFUL CARD AND THEN OUT COMES COFFEE...MY FAVORITE OF COURSE.

A DAY PLANNER, HOLIDAY NAPKINS, WRAPPING SCISSORS! HOW DID YOU KNOW I ALWAYS LOSE MINE RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS?

TWO BEAUTIFUL SOFT ORNAMENTS FOR THE TREE, A CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE ....

A RASPBERRY SCENTED BAR OF SOAP AND A BERRY SCENTED CANDLE WITH A BEAUTIFUL SPARKLY CANDLE HOLDER AND POPCORN.

AND 2 PACKAGES OF HOT COCOA!

SO MUCH FOR GETTING ANYTHING ELSE DONE TODAY! I AM DRINKING COCOA AND SITTING WATCHING THE FIRE IN MY NICE WARM SOCKS.

THANK YOU PEA! THEY ARE WONDERFUL!

AND THANK YOU PEGGY FOR HELPING EXPAND OUR FRIENDSHIPS.

WINTER WORK

AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO STAY IN MY RECLINER ALL DAY AND DRINK HOT COCOA, OUTSIDE WORK WAS CALLING MY NAME.


IT JUST DOESN'T GET DONE ON IT'S OWN. BEFORE I WENT OUT I POSTED ALL MY GIVE AWAY STUFF ON CRAIGS LIST BECAUSE I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO HAVE A GARAGE SALE AND THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND BEGAN WORK. I PULLED THE LARGE TARP OUT AND SPREAD IT OUT ON THE GRASS.

THEN I RAKED ALL OF THE LEAVES OUT OF THE FLOWER BEDS AND AGAINST THE FENCE AND ONTO THE TARP.






THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR ME TO MOVE LEAVES FROM THE FRONT YARD TO THE COMPOST PILES.


WHEN I GOT NEAR THE COMPOST PILES, THEY SMELLED MUSTY. TO ME THIS MEANS THAT THEY NEED MORE AIR. SO I PULLED OVER THE LEFT AND RIGHT RINGS DUMPING THEIR CONTENTS ONTO THE GROUND. I WAS RIGHT. THE GRASS CLIPPINGS INSIDE WERE "BURNING" TO ASH INSTEAD OF COMPOSTING AND THE INSIDE SMELL WAS VERY MUSTY. AFTER I PULLED OVER THE RINGS I SPREAD OUT THE CONTENTS ONTO THE GROUND RELEASING ABOUT 20 LITTLE MOUSIES TO RUN OFF INTO THE FIELD IN DISMAY THAT THEIR HEATED TOWNHOME HAD BEEN DESTROYED.


FLASH LOOKED AT ME WITH LOVE AND ADORATION AS HE SCAMPERED OFF AFTER THEM. I AM HIS FAVORITE HUMAN.


THEN I BEGAN TO LAYER THE LEAVES WITH A WHEEL BARROW OF CHICKEN POO AND THEN PARTIALLY COMPOSTED RABBIT MANURE. I ADDED WATER TO EACH LAYER. WHEN I WAS FINISHED IT LOOKS RATHER SLOPPY BUT SHOULD BE HEATING UP BY TOMORROW. THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF LEAVES TO RAKE UP OUT FRONT. I WILL WORK ON THEM LATER OR TOMORROW.




BEFORE I SAT TO REST A LITTLE, I PULLED UP THESE THISTLES. TO SOME THEY LOOK LIKE WEEDS.....






TO OTHERS THEY LOOK LIKE A THANKSGIVING FEAST.







WHEN I CAME INSIDE TO REST I HAD AN EMAIL FROM A MAN AND WIFE WHO WANT TO COME AT 2PM AND GET ALL OF MY GIVEAWAYS! I HOPE THEY ARE TRULY BLESSED BY EVERYTHING.

RAINY BLACK FRIDAY

NO PICS YET TODAY. I TRIED TO GO OUT SHOPPING AS A LOT OF YOU PROBABLY DID TODAY. SOME KIND OF CLOUD MUST HAVE BEEN OVER ME. I MADE IT TO BASS PRO SHOPS AND THEN AFTER THAT EACH STORE I STOPPED AT THE SKY OPENED UP ON TOP OF ME AND IT BEGAN TO DOWN POUR!

AFTER SEVERAL TRIES I GAVE UP AND REALIZED....I HAVE 25 MORE SHOPPING DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS. WHY AM I DOING THIS?

SO I WENT TO WALLY WORLD IN A SMALL TOWN NEAR BY THAT WAS NOT SO CROWDED, AND BOUGHT 9 GRAIN ITALIAN BREAD TO MAKE INTO TOAST, AND PURE COCOA, GINGER AND CHILI POWDER. MY INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE HOT COCOA.

SO I WILL LOOK THROUGH OLD MAGAZINES, RE-VAMP MY BUDGET, PAY BILLS, AND DO LAUNDRY TODAY.

HOPE YOU ALL RECOVERED FROM YOUR FOOD COMAS!

CHICKEN RECOVERY ROOM IS EMPTY AND CLEAN

WELL AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED....THE CHICKEN RECOVERY ROOM (GUEST BATH ROOM) IS NOW EMPTY AND SCRUBBED CLEAN WITH BLEACH AND PINESOL.

SHE SUFFERED LONG AND HARD THIS LITTLE RED CHICKEN.

SHE GAVE IT EVERYTHING SHE HAD.....I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LITTLE ANIMAL FIGHT SO HARD TO STAY ALIVE.

TONIGHT THOUGH, SHE IS IN A BETTER PLACE.......

ON THE ROOST BETWEEN HER TWO BEST BUDDIES.

YESTERDAY MORNING I THOUGHT SHE WAS DONE AND I WOULD BE COMING HOME TO BURY HER OR PUT HER DOWN. WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK SHE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ILLNESS AT ALL. I GAVE IT TIL THIS MORNING AND SHE RAN FROM ME AND TOLD ME IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT SHE WAS TIRED OF BEING PETTED AND LIVING INSIDE. SO I CARRIED HER OUT TO THE CHICKEN HOUSE, WHICH I HAD CLEANED TODAY, AND ADDED HER BACK TO THE FLOCK.

IT WAS AS IF SHE HAD NEVER BEEN GONE....SHE CALMLY FIT BACK INTO THE FLOCK AS SECOND IN COMMAND, CALMLY ATE AND DRANK UNTIL I THREW IN CHOPPED CELERY TOPS WHICH SHE ATTACKED.

THIS LITTLE BIRD HAS A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? SO DO I.

I GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY WHO LOVES ME...MY PARENTS SISTER NEPHEW DAUGHTER AND GRANDKIDS.

WE WERE BLESSED WITH A TABLE FULL OF YUMMY FOOD....ABLE TO EAT TILL WE WERE FULL....AND DRIVE BACK IN A COUNTRY WHERE I AM FREE TO COME AND GO.

TOMORROW IS BLACK FRIDAY AND I WILL BE BLESSED TO BE OUT IN THE CHAOS.

BUT I AM OFF WORK FOR 4 WHOLE DAYS.....WOW GOD IS GOOD.

OH AND PS....I FOUND MY FAVORITE WORK GLOVES! IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU FIND WHEN YOU CLEAN.

COUNTRY FASHION

DID YOU EVER WONDER WHAT A PERSON ON A FARM WEARS TO GO OUT INTO THE DARK COLD NIGHT TO HUNT PINE CONES AND STARTER WOOD FOR THE FIRE?

WELL HERE YOU GO!

KITE DAY

OK BEYOND THE OVERSHADOWING OF A SICK CHICKEN IN THE BATHROOM, THE WIND STARTED BLOWING AND IT BECAME THE PERFECT KITE DAY. THE BOYS RAN FOR THEIR KITES AND I TURNED THE TRACTOR OFF, MOMMY CAME RUNNING FROM THE HOUSE AND WE ALL STARTED FLYING KITES.

FOR SOME REASON KITES HIGH IN THE SKY REALLY SCARED THE BOYS. JAYDEN SAID HE WAS AFRAID THAT ANGELS WOULD GRAB HIS AND THROW HIS TO THE GROUND SO HE WANTED TO KEEP IT LOW. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO THAT...TO MANY CRAZY CURRENTS.

DAKOTA JUST WHINED AND WHINED UNTIL HIS MOM TOOK HIS AND LET HIM GO SIT ON THE PORCH. OK MINE CRASHED INTO THE GIANT OAK TREE. HEATHER CAME OUT THE KITE QUEEN. HERS WAS SO HIGH FOR SO LONG A TURKEY VULTURE BEGAN CIRCLING IT AND FELL IN LOVE!

THE BOYS HAVE SNUGGLED INTO THE WARM SOFT BED FOR A NAP WITH MOM, THE CLOUDS OUTSIDE GROW DARKER AND THICKER, AND I MIGHT ATTEMPT A NAP MYSELF.

Cool Sunday---Chicken doctorin'

The temp outside is perfect. Not too hot not too cold. The sun is peeking out now and then. Everything is damp. I just got done picking up 5 dead rats!

Yesterday while mowing there were rats running everywhere! While I was riding around my cat Flash kept running out into the field, grabbing a rat and running back to the house with it.

Up until now I have only seen him let them go. i guess he is killing them after all. Good kitty.

Red is still in the bathroom...I have no box big enough for her to re-coup in. I will have to fix that. But for now the bathroom is hers. Thank goodness for pinesol and bleach.

I have put her on a wormer but she has stopped eating. If she is not better by tonight I will probably need to put her down.

I am worming all of the chickens for now.

Chili is cooking....getting ready to make a big pan of homemade cornbread.

SICK BIRD!!

Well I got back from getting another load of rabbit poop and sat down to watch the chickens outside and noticed that Red didn't move from behind the door the entire time I was out there.

I walked in and just picked her up. When I had her in my arms I could hear her breathing and she sounds like she has pneumonia.

I have her on an antibacterial for a week now from the feed store. It hasn't done anything.

If you know what this is and what to get her on then let me know asap. We have her inside under a blanket with Heather.

LAZY SATURDAY

Got up before daylight and made coffee, cleaned the kitchen and started the fire. It is grey and cloudy outside and about 43 degrees. No wind yet.

Grandboys woke up hungry as monsters so I made cinnamon french toast. They ate and then just hung out at the bar while I cleaned up. Very nice morning.

We went out to take the ashes to the compost pile, and stopped by and added come cracked corn and maze to the chickens. They decided to sleep on top of the nest boxes last night. Probably because I forgot to turn off the light.

Today I am going to pull up thistle plants growing around the yard and throw them in for the chickens to eat.Then I am going to take the tractor out to the field and cut a walking trail around the 2 acres with the pond. I want to go for a walk now that it is cold and the water moccasin is asleep. I may get some little solar lights to light my way.

Then I am going to pick up my sister to take her shopping. We went to the doctor yesterday and he said she is healing really well. I was a little freaked out. I guess I don't have such a strong stomach. I looked at the floor most of the time!!!

Heather and the boys are sitting on the floor by the fire and reading a book about raising chickens. (And you thought I couldn't brainwash these city kids!)

SANTA CAME TO THE CHICKEN HOUSE!

Well I stayed in the chicken house too long this morning and left for work late. That put me right in traffic so I had to work late. I got home way after dark and went straight to the chicken house from the car. And lo and behold I found out that Santa or his elves had been in my chicken house!!!

As you can see Red and Vanilla aren't about to try it out until I put some warm hay in the boxes.

STUNNING DAY...LOVEY CHICKENS

What an amazingly beautiful day. I love living in Texas most of the times. No pics today because I left when it was dark and got back when it was dark.

When I left my older chickens were asleep on the floor. When I got back everyone was snuggled up together on the new roost. Facing the wall...that is weird as I thought they would sleep facing the door. I had to wake all up to fill feed and water. I also bought chicken grit and put it out.

I plan on staying long enough in the morning to watch the sun come up, drink coffee and open the door to the run. It was too cold this morning to open the north facing door. It is 57 out now and I don't think it will be too cold in the morning.

Dinner was wonderful....especially because it was cooked by my daughter. Baked chicken with cilantro, rice, baked sliced potatos with some mystery spices, cherry pie and vanilla ice cream.

Work is good and busy but not too bad. My sister is healing. My mom is healing.

Getting ready to send a package to NC, Ft Bragg to my son and his family.

Saturday I am making a trip to Mary of Pudding Hill ( http://www.puddinhill.com/ ).

You may cringe when you hear Fruit Cake but that is only because you have never had one of hers. She has a Walnut/pecan fruit cake that is totally to die for. They also serve lunch and are fun because you get to taste before you buy. Very quaint also.

I have decided that I have 3 acres to walk around and get some exercise so Saturday I will take the mower and mow the peremeter of the farm, clearing a path because I don't like long grass, and start walking. I will have to be brave and walk in the dark.

Time to think about eating healthier also. I am tired of being tired.

NEW HENS AND A ROOSTER!

I went today and bought 4 Auraucana hens and 1 Auraucana rooster. Some are pretty and some don't have their feathers yet. The rooster has the beginnings of a mane. He will really be beautiful one day.

Each took turns laying in the sunny spot on the floor.

Oreo and Red took turns showing the newcomers who the queens were.

Then Red and Vanilla got in the next box and went to sleep. I have not seen any of them on the new roost yet. They are sleeping on the floor.

I think I will name the rooster Stud Muffin. He really struts his stuff....and then tucks his tail and runs when Red comes after him.

I figure the hens are about 3 or 4 months old so they won't lay until spring.

David got the rest of the house painted brown! Then when he was doing the trim he found some of it was rotten. So he had to stop until he could get some new wood. Next Saturday he will come back and replace the rotten wood around the windows and the front and back door and paint them and the whole front and back porch.

I feel now that I have a good flock. I don't think I will get any more for now. This is enough to produce the eggs I will need and possibly to produce future chickens if some of the hens will sit.

I have a fire in the fireplace because it is sunny but getting cold. The laundry is all done and folded and put away.

I went and got 12 very large bags of rabbit poo this weekend and added it to my compost piles.

Next weekend I need to pull out the compost from the piles, add water and put it back in to heat up. I am considering a simple pile instead of a compost ring. It would be much easier to mix.

I think I will go for a walk out to the pond and then to the oak tree to pick up limbs and then go sit in the chicken house. It is a nice evening. The cowboys play in a little while!

WARM FIRE

Ok I was not able to get as much done today as I had hoped. I always try to push myself so hard that I can't enjoy my day off. I love to work. I love to see things get accomplished. But I have a really hard time relaxing when I get a chance to.

So since I had 5 loads of laundry to do, and a house to clean, I decided to start a fire,

a pot of potato and onion soup,

a batch of homemade biscuits, and just "relax".

Yes I made biscuits while the potatos were cooking, and I washed dishes while the biscuits were baking, and am doing laundry while all that is happening, but I figured that I could mow next weekend maybe. I have all winter to mow because the grass and locust trees are not growing now.

After I get the living room clean, kitchen clean and vacume the floors, I think I will go to a toga party that I have been invited to.

Nothing like relaxation!

NEW ROOST AND A DAY OFF

I woke to a startlingly amazing day. Today in 1985, a really cool thing happened. I was blessed with a baby boy 5 weeks early. Happy Birthday Tom! He's a little bigger now! I wish you were here!

The sun was shining and I had slept til 7:30am. The only reason I woke up was because Karri, Tom's wife, called me while she was cooking him breakfast. Yes she served him breakfast in bed....she is such a good wife!



I am off today but it is COLD outside and the wind is blowing at about 30mph.



Last night I worked on my room for 2 hours and after cleaning it and the bathroom I felt much better about the giant bed. Now I have room. I am working today on about 5 loads of laundry, I got pine shavings for the chicken house, brought it home and then decided that the chickens would do better on just a dirt floor. Dad came over and we built a roost! We also fixed the hole in the door that Bull made when he broke in. I am ready for more chickens.



I unloaded a trunk load of firewood, and also filled up the gas can. I am getting ready to go get a load of rabbit poop and put in the compost pile and then I am going to start mowing the field. Although I like the look of a wild growing field, this field has about a hundred little locust trees growing in it. I have to mow to keep those from spreading.



Well it's not getting mowed with me sitting here.

BULL

For the last year I have been from in love with my dog to frustrated to downright hating him. But over laying most of it was guilt about having a really good dog who with a little training would be a really wonderful dog...and just not having the time to train.

So when, after being alone for way too long, Bull killed 2 of my chickens, I had to make a decision. I had to find him a new home.

I sent an email to his sister's mommy. Her mommy told her friends, who told their friends and so on. I had almost 60 emails in two days of people interested in this beautiful dog.

Waiting for the first couple tonight, I sat on the swing with my arms wrapped aroung him and hoped that I was doing the right thing.

Then when they got to my home, and Bull fell in love, I felt better. Just like the kind of dog he is, Kellie sat down on the step, and Bull came and sat in front of her and laid his head on her shoulder.

Bulls new parents have horses and trail ride almost every weekend. Bull loves horses and because he is so loyal, I believe he will stay with them even when they go to the mountains.

They will let him bond good first though. I made a good decision even though it was hard. I can see him as an "old dog sleeping on the front porch...his ear just a twichin.." so the song goes.

Best Wishes Bull dog.

WEREWOLVES HOWL AND KITTIES PROWL

ON NIGHTS LIKE THIS WHERE THE MOON IS AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN, AND AROUND IT IS A RING HALF THE SIZE OF THE VISABLE SKY, I WISH I WERE AN OWL.

HOW GRAND IT MUST BE TO FLOAT SILENTLY ON THE NIGHTS COOL WIND CURRENTS, IN THAT SILVER LIGHTED SKY.

IT IS HAVING AN AFFECT ON THE CHICKENS TOO...IT IS 9:55 AND THEY ARE NOT ON THE ROOST YET.

RED IS FEELING MUCH BETTER. THE LIQUID ANTIBIOTICS WORKED WELL.

THEY ARE IGNORING THE TOAD LIVING IN THE HEN HOUSE BUT HE KEEPS TRYING TO GET OUT...AND WHEN I RESCUE HIM....HE GETS BACK IN THE NEXT DAY.

MY SISTER IS HOME AND THE DOCTOR SAID THEY THINK THEY GOT ALL OF THE CANCER.

PINK LIGHTNING AND FLOODED CHICKEN HOUSE

WHAT A STORM! WE HAD A STORM THAT STARTED WITH GREEN LIGHTNING TO THE SW AND ENDED (KIND OF...STILL GOING ON) WITH PINK SPIDER WEB LIGHTNING NE.

AND ABOUT 2 OR 3 INCHES OF POURING RAIN. I HATE MUD! I TOOK A SHOWER AND WENT OUT TO REFIL THE CHICKEN WATER BECAUSE I AM GIVING ANTIBIOTICS DUE TO RED BEING SICK AND FOUND THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHICKEN HOUSE UNDER ANKLE DEEP WATER. THE ROOST AREA WAS DRY, THE FEEDER IS HANGING AND DRY BUT THERE IS STANDING WATER UNDER IT. THE MIDDLE OF THE CHICKEN HOUSE IS DRY.

THE CHICKENS ARE WALKING AROUND THE DRY AREA SCRATCHING AND PECKING LIKE NOTHING BOTHERS THEM.

I REALLY LOVE CHICKENS. I GAVE THEM SOME CRACKED CORN AND BIRD FOOD IN A BOWL IN THE MIDDLE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SO FORGIVING.

WE HAVE A DOOR!

DAD CAME OVER AND WE WORKED FOR HOURS STRINGING CHICKEN WIRE AND PUTTING IN THE DOOR TO THE RUN. THE GIRLS THAT I HAVE LEFT ARE OREO, RED (RENAMED FROM CHOCOLATE) AND VANILLA.

I AM SO GLAD THAT VANILLA SURVIVED THE DOG ATTACK. SHE IS MY FAV.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL DAY. BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SORE I AM.