Eggs!

Well, today our eleven Sussex hens are 21 weeks old. We have raised them from 2 week old chicks (our first experience at doing so). We started with 12, but one died (for unknown reasons) about 7 weeks ago. Two days ago, I put up "Celebration Lights" (LED coloured Christmas lights, if you want to know, LOL) around the pen and coop, because it's getting dark here around 9 p.m. these days, and sometimes we're not home before then, so when ds goes to lock the chickens in, it can be rather dark. So I put up Celebration Lights so it would be a little more welcoming. (Sure, it's eccentric. But if you live in this neighbourhood, you'll quickly see that eccentric is normal!)

WELL.... yesterday we were absolutely DELIGHTED to find a beautiful little brown egg in the coop! And today, TWO!!! Just wonderful to see the kids' enthusiasm towards the hens return (it waned a little for some time there, as nothing was really "happening"!). Now I can hardly keep the kids out of the nestboxes; they constantly want to check for more eggs!! (although I'm sure, too, this enthusiasm for collecting eggs will eventually pass, LMAO)

So I guess if you want your chickens to lay more eggs, put up some Celebration Lights to honour them! :D

Other news is that we have signed up for a local organic weekly food delivery. They've recently extended their boundaries and FINALLY we're within delivery range!! So we signed up and I've enjoyed perusing their website (even on dial-up, LOL) - lots of local and in-season veggies and fruit. But you have to know your prices. Some are a little more than in stores, others less. Guess it depends what's on special each week, both online & at the stores.

Today I thinned out the raspberry canes, so hopefully this will produce more fruit (this year). I also picked 6 cups of huckleberries, which went into the freezer for later. And I've got 40 lbs of non-sprayed blueberries coming tomorrow which will also go in the freezer. (Our family goes through about 100 lbs of blueberries a year, maybe even 150 lbs. Mostly it's the kids & I eating them, and I guess you could say I eat about 60% of them, and the children 20% each). One year I put 100 lbs of blueberries and 100 lbs of raspberries in the freezer as well as canning 100 lbs of cherries, 100 lbs of peaches, AND 40 lbs of pears (yes, 440 lbs of fruit in total). And yes, it was all gone within the year. Our family LOVES fruit!! (The fruit is definitely the highlight of our CSA farm box each week for the kids. I like the leafy greens, myself. mmmm, Collards).

I'm going outside right now to plant more winter veggies, realizing I'm a little late on this, but still, it's not tooooooo late, I don't think. Ideally I should have been planting over the past 6 weeks (I *do* have collards, 2 kinds of beets, kohlrabi, and lettuce in already). We've had a good dose of rain this past week (much needed; we were in Extreme fire hazard - now we're back down to moderate); the soil should be nice and moist for sprouting seeds. So off I go!

I'm reading Thich Naht Hanh's book about Anger. I love his writing. It's so easy-to-read and yet profound in its insights. I'll admit I've struggled with anger throughout my life; I was the kid who'd run down the hallway and slam my bedroom door (until my parents removed it as punishment; THAT was humiliating - I loathed the lack of privacy). So I'll keep reading and will continue to practice engaging in mindfulness in ALL I do throughout the day.

"There you go again, derailing the meeting with another one of your obscure comments, Brett." (from Flight of the Conchords)

Enough already. I'm going outside. :D