A Starry Halloween

A Starry Halloween

If Halloween's a starry night

You'll see the gobelins in flight

Perched on their black bat aeroplanes

They flit about the weather vanes!

Woman Saves Four Hens From Fox

This morning I was awake at 6:30 and enjoying the fact I didn't have to get up yet. I heard my hens squawking. I rolled over on my side. The hens were really upset and squawking louder now. So I got up and looked out my bedroom window. I saw a red fox beside the coop. I knocked on the window pane. The fox looked up at me like, "Yeah, what?" The fox went back to terrorizing the hens. I opened the window and yelled at the fox, "Get outta here! Now!" I used my authoritative voice. My neighbor once told me she saw a fox with one of her hens in it's mouth. She opened her deck door and in her third grade teacher voice said, "Put that chicken down." That fox complied. Her hen limped for a week and then was fine. I must not have the same authority in my voice because this fox looked up at me and I swear it rolled it's eyes. The hens were screaming in terror. I threw on my robe and went on my deck. The fox was still at it, chasing the hens back and forth in the run. I yelled again. The fox looked at me like, "Whatever." I have a swing on my deck and I rocked it back and forth which makes a big metal noise. The fox paid a little more attention this time. It ran to the crest of the hill and sat there looking at me. I could see it's ears and the tip of it's tail. So I came back in the house and went out the front door, barelegged in the falling snow holding a camera. When the fox saw me come around the corner, it turned and ran down the hill and across the street. That is when I snapped this photo of the coop. My hens, Phyllis, Meredith, Pamela and Kelly were still very upset and squawking like the fox was still there. I talked to them and they would quiet down when I was talking but go back to hysterics as soon as I stopped. Those girls were upset. There was nothing I could do to smooth their feathers. I noticed quite a few loose feathers in the run. I wonder if the fox thrust it's paw into the run somehow. I was freezing out there in my robe so I went back in the house. The hens calmed down after 10 minutes or so. Lets hope that fox was so disappointed by the failure to have a chicken for breakfast that it won't come back again. Or, if the fox returns, it dines on rabbits and not poultry.

Nature Makes Me Nicer

Today I read an article on the Internet that says nature changes the personality for the better. Click on this link to read the article: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/33243959/ns/health. the article says that without Central Park, Manhattan would be an island of murderers. I'm not sure if that is true but I do believe my spirituality is refreshed by spending time outdoors studying our world and the creatures who live on it. I could spend my time rehashing a snide comment but I'd rather not. My problems seem so small in the forest and in the river. I prefer to keep my problems small. Lets hope tomorrow is dryer so we can spend some time outside and become nicer people.

Gratin Dauphinois

Ever since I saw the movie, "Julia and Julie" I've been studying French cooking. I rented a DVD of Julia Child's television cooking shows from the library. I borrowed her book, "The Art of French Cooking" and read all the recipes. Here is one recipe that I tried and it was magnifique!

Gratin Dauphinois (Au Gratin Potatoes)

Ingredients: 2 pounds of potatoes-peeled and sliced to 1/8 inch thick, 1/2 clove garlic-unpeeled, 5 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 4 ounces grated Swiss cheese, 1 cup milk

Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick. Place in cold water. Preheat over to 425 degrees. Use an unbreakable baking dish that is 2 inches deep and 10 inches in diameter. Rub the dish with the cut garlic. Smear 1 tablespoon of butter on the bottom and sides of the dish. Start to heat the milk to boiling. Drain the water off of the potatoes. Dry the potatoes on a towel. Arrange half of the potatoes in the buttered dish. Arrange half of the other ingredients in the baking dish. Throw on the rest of the potatoes. Top with the second half of the ingredients. When the milk comes to a boil, pour over the ingredients. Set dish on stove over heat until simmering. Move the dish into the oven and bake 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender, the milk is absorbed, and the top is nicely brown.

Bon Apetit!

Watch Where You Are Drilling!

Here is a photo of a little bird house I secured to the top of a garden fence post. Some bucket headed wood pecker was drilling a hole on the northeast side of the house. If that bird had just taken the time to go around the post, it would have noticed a round smooth hole an inch in diameter.

Trees in Fall

Here is a picture of one of my front yard maples from three weeks ago. I like how each branch turns color at the tip first and the color moves down toward the trunk, accentuating the branch structure of the tree. Today that tree is bare of all leaves. Only my oaks and cherry wood trees have any leaves hanging on the branches. The crab apples have a small number of bright yellow leaves which contrast nicely with their tiny red fruit. Soon the white oaks and burr oaks (whose acorns have a fringe on their cap) will drop their leaves. Last night I was driving west on County Road 22 toward Forest Lake at sunset. The tops of the oaks were touched by the sun making their color vibrant and beautiful. Oaks are so pretty. Over winter only the red oaks and pin oaks keep their leathery leaves. Come February, some of those red oak leaves will float down on the snow where they will be warmed by the sun melting their outline into the crust on the snow. I wonder how many pounds each tree looses when the leaves fall off?

First Confirmed Case Of H1N1 In My Circle

I've decided not to get the flu this year, thank you very much.

Snow Birds

Usually when I think of snow birds I think of the birds I miss during the winter; the warblers and robins, ducks and geese, bluebirds and orioles. These birds fly south for the winter. I saw my first junco of the season yesterday. Right now a junco is sitting under my deck swing trying to stay dry. For the junco, this is south. They summer in the arctic circle and have come here, to warmer climes, to spend the winter.

I've Seen It

Chicken Behavior

On Thursday, Meredith, the runaway drama queen, ran away again. She was found Friday morning near the coop so I doubt she crossed the street this time. Offspring #2 found her. Offspring #2 also found Kelly laying an egg under the canoe. A total of three eggs were found under the canoe. One was warm so we know that one was fresh. I know under the canoe is a very private spot to lay an egg but I do provide a warm, dry, private spot inside the coop with fresh wood shavings. I wish Kelly would use the coop. I spent the afternoon outside with the chickens. I was husking 275 black walnuts; a job that took four hours. I wore gloves but my thumbs got stained black through the latex gloves. The chickens would come and go as I worked beside the picnic table. Usually Pamela would come close. She'd jump up on the picnic table and peck at my plastic bag of walnuts. Or she would come close to my feet and peck at the underside of the picnic table bench or at my jeans. The other hens would follow her over to me and totally come inside my personal bubble. Chickens have no boundaries. After I finished the walnuts and as long as I was all dirty, I thought it would be a good time to move the coop and run to a fresh spot on the lawn. Usually I move them to a fresh spot on weekends. Long as I was it, I decided to scoop out the bedding and put fresh wood chips in the coop. I put fresh layer mash in their food bucket. Hanging the bucket is tricky. I have a chain in there with a hook. I try to lift the bucket with both hands and hook the handle. Today it wasn't working. I was kneeling on the ground in front of the coop door trying to catch the handle on the hook with no success. I had one chicken in the coop, two on my lap, and another chicken on my calves as I knelt in front of the door. I guess they were anxious to get the fresh mash but they weren't making my task any easier by climbing all over me. Crimeny!

Pictures of a Bird Friendly Yard

Mullein - finches like to eat the seeds off these plants on the east side of the house.

Lots of birds hang upside down to eat the sunflower seeds.

Some birds like Haralson apples.

Grape vines covering the canoe.

Rose breasted grossbeaks and cedar waxwings like the grapes.

Grossbeaks and Waxwings and Robins like the crabapples.

I Petted A Mountain Lion Cub

Yesterday I was running a little late to my naturalist class at the Wildlife Science Center near Carlos Avery. I saw the rest of the group already outside the wolf cages observing the grey wolves. A man said he would help me get in there. He took me through the classroom so I could put my books down. A woman stopped me and said I had to come in there and see something first. She was in a bathroom. Questioning my judgement, I went in there. She was holding an odd looking cat with giant feet. There were a couple similar cats on the ground around her feet. "It's a mountain lion cub," she said. I reached up my hand in awe and held it's big paw. In my head I can hear music playing, "Born Free! As Free As The Wind Blows!" I could not believe I was touching a mountain lion cub. My heart pounded. It was purring. Unlike a house cat, this animal purred in baritone. The cat had it's head down so I crouched down to get a better look at it's face. "Oh, you handsome thing," I said. How many people get to touch a mountain lion and live to tell about it? I am so lucky! This mountain lion and it's siblings will always live in captivity. It will be used for research and for future biologists to practice putting radio collars on it. To ensure a more comfortable life in captivity, this cat needs some exposure to humans. Some mountain lions (also named cougars or pumas) have been spotted in Minnesota but no cubs have been seen. We don't know if they actually live here or are just passing through. Unless a cub is spotted, they're considered visitors.

Kelly - She's A Sneaky One

Tonight is a busy night. I have only an hour to be home after work before I head out to my next Master Naturalist class. I need to be there early because we're going to look at the wolves at the Wildlife Science Center. So, as I went out to take care of the chickens and collect the eggs, I TOLD them there would be no chance to walk around the yard tonight. As I opened the door to the egg laying area, Kelly flew the coop, the little sneak. Out she flew. She was going to get her exercise one way or another. What are you gonna do? I didn't let the others out though. There is no point in chasing her around the yard in the rain. I just lift her off the coop roof when I get home tonight and put her back inside. I'll have to remember to bring a flashlight so I can see what I am doing. Kelly, AKA The Sneak, is at 11 o'clock in the photo.

A Frog Came To My Door

Now that I raise chickens, I wear a pair of old green crocs to walk around the yard. Do I really need to say why I don't wear good shoes in the lawn? Anyway, the other day I went to put my outside shoes on. I keep them by the front door so I can step right into them. As I put on my ugly green shoe my toe nudged something that at first glance looked like a leaf but didn't feel like a leaf. It didn't look like a walnut either even though there was a walnut right next to it. Closer inspection revealed a big old frog at my front door. That bristly thing at the top of the picture is one of those shoe cleaning devices. The frog stayed while I went inside to get the camera but he or she hid the face in a leaf. I looked it up and this is a wood frog. It has a dark patch over the eyes and two big ridges down it's back. Wood frogs make a sound similar to the quacking of a duck. They breed in water even before the ice is gone. In winter they stay in forests under fallen leaves. They are well adapted for cold weather. Wood frogs are the only frogs in the Arctic Circle. Brrr! In the winter they stop breathing and their heart stops beating. Ice crystals form in their bodies. Wood frogs produce a special antifreeze to keep the ice crystals outside of their cells. Even their fertilized eggs are not damaged by the cold. The next time I complain about the cold weather, I should stop and consider - at least I'm not as cold as a wood frog.

Photos of Meredith the Runaway Chicken

Meredith's profile - the one who caused all the drama.

Her other side

Here are my hens looking into my compost bucket. Meredith is at 1 o'clock. See the chunk of feathers missing from her right shoulder? I think she had some excitement during her escape. Pamela is at 5 o'clock but you probably can't see her on your screen because she gets cut off. Phyllis is at 9 o'clock. Kelly is at 11. Phyllis and Kelly are almost exactly alike but Kelly has a darker face.

Walnuts

I have a black walnut tree in my yard with which I have a love/hate relationship. It's a pretty tree and the leaves smell awesome when you brush against them. The juglone drives me crazy - it's a chemical released by the tree that kills nearly all plants underneath it. A healthy, mature black walnut is unusual this far north in my gardening zone which I like to think of as zone 4 but is probably closer to zone 3. This year the fecund tree has blessed (cursed?) me with hundreds of walnuts. I'm sure the squirrels are happy. Usually I pick up the walnuts as they fall, smell them, and throw them across the yard as far as I can throw. They are SO many! I thought my maker was giving me a sign with this unusual walnut crop. So today I gathered black walnuts. I gathered 225 black walnuts. (Is it weird that I counted?) There are hundreds still on the ground for the squirrels. I used some plastic bags and the extend-a-reacher I bought for myself after back surgery. I didn't feel like bending over 225 times. I see there are another hundred or so still hanging in the tree. As I picked them up, some walnuts fell. I could hear them tumbling through the branches so I had time to hunch up my shoulders and prepare for the knock on the head. I put the hood up on my sweatshirt. I thought if my maker hits me in the head with a walnut, that would be a different sign than the one I thought I was getting. I got no knocks in my head so now I have 3 bags of walnuts to deal with. My first step is to remove the husks. I'll have to wear some sturdy gloves because the last time I tried this I had black hands for two weeks. Then I have to cure them for a couple weeks before storing them. Before I open the walnuts they have to be soaked and baked. We'll see how it turns out. There is something about using the free bounty nature gives me that feels right.

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

Today my Master Naturalist class went on a field trip to the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and Hartley Nature Center, both in Duluth, Minnesota. I left the house about 6:40 a.m. and returned about 6:45 p.m. I carpooled with another student. It's been a long day but a good day. This was my second trip to Hawk Ridge. I was nervous about the weather because it's been so cold out but we were lucky. The temperature was in the 40's but the sun was shining and the wind on the ridge was mild. I even have a little sunburn from looking up into the sky so much. My neck is a little sore too. Let me see if I can remember all the raptors we saw: osprey, bald eagles, golden eagles, coopers Hawk (see photo), Sharp shinned hawk, red tailed hawk, kestrel, Merlin, goshawk, and turkey vultures. The birds get into these air formations called kettles which as basically an elevator going up. They circle up and up until they get high enough to get off the elevator and fly south. Some hawks are trapped in nets with a lure (what looks like an injured song bird). Those hawks are banded and released. If you pay enough money, you can release the raptor yourself, have your photo taken as it is released, and get a postcard in the mail if that hawk is ever banded again. A coopers hawk that was released today costs $30. We saw a red tailed hawk released and a sharp shinned hawk. We had a short class on how to identify raptors. They say the trick is to learn the classifications first. Hawk classifications included accipiters, buteos, falcons, eagles, harriers, osprey and vultures. Another way to learn the raptors is to volunteer at Hawk Ridge for 24 hours (minimum commitment). After 24 hours, you basically learn how to identify all the daytime raptors. We had another class on raptors and spirituality which was very interesting and covered Greek mythology, Genghis Khan, Egyptian pyramids, Winnie the Pooh (the wise old owl), and Native Americans. Owls are supposed to be wise and associated with death. Owls can be harbingers of death or can lead the dead to the afterlife. Our classes were constantly interrupted by raptors flying overhead. One kettle I saw had almost 2 dozen raptors flying in it at the same time. We stayed at Hawk Ridge for about 4 hours. Then we walked around the Hartley Nature Center where we saw an otter playing in a lake, looked at a beaver dam, searched for and found evidence of beavers, and walked in a deep pine forest. We had a good day in Duluth. The trees along 169 and Hwy. 23 were in peak formation.

If Only

I had a discussion this week with a friend of mine who proposed the world would be a better place if only we could program our dreams. He thought there would be fewer wars and less conflict if we could decide for ourselves what we dreamed about at night. Just think, what would you dream about? Remember the "Holodeck" from Star Trek? Don't you just think you could be more tolerant during the day if you knew you could plan your escape when you went to bed at night? If you could program your own dreams, what would you want to dream the first night? Would you reunite with family that have died and you miss terribly? Would you have dinner with friends that have passed on? Would you dream about being trapped on a tropical island with, oh, who knows who you would want to be with on a tropical island. No one specific comes to my mind. Would you want to be present at a significant event in history? Would you want to reenact an event from the previous day now that you have the witty comeback that you couldn't think of earlier? I know that I would start out programming my dreams about loved ones who have passed on.

I'd spend a couple months with a sibling, then both sets of grandparents, and then aunts and uncles and finally a good friend. Then, after all that catching up, I would expand into other areas because I'd know I could always go back to my loved ones when I felt a need. So yeah, a night or two on a tropical island. Maybe a dinner with Teddy Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, Margaret Sanger, and Amelia Earhart. I think it'd be fun to watch Queen Elizabeth get crowned. I've always wanted to feel an earthquake but I think it'd be cool to see a volcano too. I could travel the globe. I might spend time with a younger Osama Bin Laden just to see where things went wrong with him. I might spend a week or so in the Galapagos Islands with Charles Darwin. I could even go back in time and play with my two year old self. I totally agree that the world would be a better place if we could program our own dreams. What would you want to dream about? Comment please!

Sex Lives of Cannibals

I know "Sex Lives of Cannibals" is an odd title for a book. J. Maarten Troost wrote this entertaining travel story of a two year trip he took with his girlfriend to a very impoverished island in the Pacific ocean. He is funny. My entire book club agreed he was sometimes laugh out loud funny. What we shouldn't forget is that what he writes about is not all that funny. Poverty isn't funny. Ecological degradation isn't funny. Political greediness isn't funny. Reading this book, you can almost forget those things are not really funny. I felt I had a good taste for what life on a tropical island would be like. I don't think I'd make it there. I remember applying for a job in American Samoa when I graduated from college. I had forgotten about that for many years. After reading this book, I think I'm glad I didn't get that job. J. Maarten Troost is a very funny author. He has an awesome girlfriend who not only tolerates his slacker ways but appreciates him for it. You might like reading this light-hearted travelogue. Be prepared. The book is not about sex lives and it's not about cannibals - that is just a catchy title to get you to pick it up.

Meredith

Today I got a good look at Meredith after her 10 days on the run away from home. She looks fine; better than fine. She looks 25% larger than the chickens who stayed home. She's been out in the rain and the snow unprotected at night. Maybe she had to grow thicker feathers and that is why she's larger? She was always one of the bigger hens but now she is the biggest by far. Homelessness must agree with her. She probably is more physically fit than her sisters because she had all day to run around. My other hens only get a couple hours a day of freedom to roam.

The Chicken Crossed The Road Again

This time she crossed the road in the backseat of my Honda Civic. Meredith, my eloping orange hen, has been roosting on my neighbor's porch. The neighbor noticed the droppings before she noticed the hen. I got home from book club about 9:20 p.m. and listened to two messages on my answering machine. Both messages were from my neighbors who saw my sign and told me where my hen was. My neighbor, nearly directly across the street, took 8 green eggs as a reward. I scooped Meredith into my arms without a struggle. Chickens get very stupid and passive as soon as the sun goes down. I petted her and took her home. I put her in the coop with her sisters (Pamela, Phyllis, and Kelly). I'm actually surprised Meredith is still alive. She must be resilient. I'm glad to have her back. People have been asking about her and asking if I found her. I would say, "No." And then I would get a sad face look. So I would respond, "It's just a chicken." But now that she's back, I can say she was more than just a chicken. She's Meredith. And Meredith is home again.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Gee whiz, this was a good book. I hated for it to end. I've been listening to it on CD in my car for the past couple weeks and today I knew I was on the last disk. I knew the story would end on my ride home tonight. Khaled Hosseini, who also wrote "The Kite Runner" does and excellent job describing life for women in Kabul, Afghanistan. He writes about life before the Russians invade and how women's lives improved during the invasion. Girls could go to school. Women could hold jobs and make a living. When the Russians pulled out, life got hard for women again. He writes about what it is like to have a husband talk you into wearing a burqa, for your own good of course. He writes how things look without peripheral vision and looking through a screen. He writes what it is like to walk in a burqa with the ends reaching the ground and causing you to trip. This guy is an artist with his words because I could just picture what it would be like to wear one of those crippling garments. Times were really bad for women and I questioned whether I could live through times as bad as these. I don't know if I would have the strength to keep on trying. I think the women in Khaled's story survive because they are the type of women to find joy and pleasure in everyday situations and who think positively. They are my heroes. You really got to find the time to read this book - it's that good.

Stream Monitoring

All summer I volunteered to monitor water quality on the Rum River in Anoka. The Pleasant Street bridge is my station. I had to buy some equipment to do this job. I needed a bucket, a rope, a long tape measure, a plumb bob, and a thermometer. Once a week I would park my car on the bridge and subjectively measure the river quality. I'd rate the appearance from 1 (clear) to 5 (muddy and green). I'd rate the recreational suitability from 1 (very good) to 5 (would not even swim in it). I would throw the bucket over the bridge and bring up a sample from the middle of the stream. Once I threw it over and did not notice some anglers in a boat. They told me they were tempted to pull back on the rope and I'm glad they didn't because that would have scared me half to death. I pull the bucket up trying not to rub the rope against the bridge. I pour some into a transparency tube. This tube is 60 cm tall. You can see in the graph above that most of the time the Rum River was very transparent. Things started out clear in the beginning of May. By the end of May, the water was cloudier. Things got a little clearer for a while until June 29 when I got my lowest reading ever of 34.4 cm. I remember that day. I even had a big green glob in the tube. By the middle of July the water cleared up and stayed clear the rest of the season. After transparency, I would measure the water temperature which varied from 58 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally I would measure the depth of the stream. I used the same place on the bridge railing to measure how far down the surface of the water was from the railing. This figure never varied more than a foot. The Anoka dam is just downriver from Pleasant Avenue so that keeps the depth of the river from changing very much. I also measured the rainfall from my home every day. My work is done for the season and I turned my figures in to the MN Pollution Control Agency. In reviewing my data, what I don't understand is why river water is less transparent in May and June. Lakes, from my experience, start out clear, worsen as the temperature increases, are at their worst transparency during the dog days of August and clear up again in the fall. Why aren't rivers the same? This week I'm starting another Master Naturalist course and I'll try to get an answer to that question. In the meantime, I'm taking a break until Project Feederwatch starts in November.

Marriage

I was talking about marriage with a friend of mine the other day. We were married about the same time. We agreed that people who are married ought to be rewarded for staying married. Who should reward them? Society? The government? Friends and family? We weren't sure who but we thought marriage out to be rewarded monetarily. People who remain married should get something at intervals. Married people deserve something that shows our appreciation for their continuing the fabric of our society. The amount should be small. We wouldn't want people staying in unhappy marriages just to get the reward. Maybe thirty or forty bucks would be enough for a couple to go out to the Olive Garden or other nice place and have a meal together. Instead of spending money on repealing same sex marriage legislation, let us reward those couples (regardless of gender) for putting up with each other, year after year.

Snow?

There was snow on the ground this morning. What a surprise to wake up and see snow out the window. Somehow the sight of the grass covered with white snow made me feel cozy and content. The trees, many with mostly green leaves, were covered with snow as well. Yesterday I planted 3 1/2 cloves of garlic, 12 pink tulips, and 12 yellow tulips. I sprinkled the tulips where I thought they would please me in the spring. I put some by the mailbox, a couple by my boulder, a few in my front garden, and more in the backyard. Now with the snow covering up the fresh bulbs they can settle into the soil and makes themselves comfortable. My black walnut tree threw down all her leaves on Friday and Saturday leaving herself completely bare except for a couple dozen walnuts still hanging on. She undressed herself as quickly as I do after a long day at work in pants that are too tight. I can't even see my sidewalk at all. I'd like to gather up her leaves and put them in the compost so they don't get dragged into the house but the walnut leaves have a little toxin in them. I might just rake them to the side and leave them to decompose outside of the compost bin. Update on Meredith - she still has not come home. I've had no phone calls and heard of no sightings of her since Wednesday.

Your Tip

I went to get my hair done the other day at a local beauty school. A sweet young student named Ashley took care of me. I noticed 4 other students named Ashley. Why are there so many women named Ashley at the beauty school? I don't get that. My Ashley was a talkative one. "So," she trills in her young voice, "Are you retired?" !!?X!! Out loud I demurely say, "No." Inside my head I say, "What! It's nine freaking o'clock on a Thursday morning and I'm standing here in a skirt with nylons on. How can I possibly look retired to you? I've got more than 10 years before I retire you, you, you youngster you. Oh, what's that sound? That is the sound of your tip flying away! Say bye-bye!" Naturally I don't want someone with scissors in her hands to know her tip is gone before she gets to work so I keep all that inside the skull she works on.

Update On Meredith

My "Mary Had A Little Lamb" plan was actually a "Little Bo Peep" plan. Neither nursery rhyme plan is working because Meredith still hasn't come home. Offspring #2, upset and worried, put a notice on facebook about Meredith. Lo and behold, she has been spotted in the tonier part of my neighborhood down the hill and along the river. Meredith may be lost but she's not stupid. If I were to choose a new neighborhood, I'd choose the riverfront property as well. I went looking for her but couldn't find her. A neighbor allowed me to search his back yard and to set out some chicken feed for her. I hope she comes back to that spot. I think I'll make a sign that says, "LOST CHICKEN, orange hen, call Sue, Reward."

Guess What I Did This Weekend?

Guess what I did this weekend? Can't guess? Here's a clue.

Another clue.

Here's your third clue.

If you guessed I did some painting, you were right. Be warned, dark red is the worst color to paint with because it shows splotches. But it's done and looks nice. I got 38 hours of moderate exercise and a job done to boot.

Fall Harvest

Last winter I had the idea to go underground in planting my vegetable garden this year. Turned out that was a good idea. Here are a couple photos of my harvest I dug out on Sunday (plus one egg from the chicken coop-not underground) displayed in my trusty, rusty red Radio Flyer wagon. I got lots of carrots and lots of potatoes. I bought seed potatoes for Adirondack Blue, red, and Yukon Gold potatoes. I am not seeing any red potatoes here. I guess I ran into some false advertising or a shipping mix-up. In any case, I think I'll serve some blue mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving this year along with some plain russet mashed potatoes for the less adventurous. I will let the potatoes air out in the garage for a few days to toughen up their skins before bringing them in and storing them in my lower level. I had a good harvest this year for potatoes, carrots, green beans, jalapeno peppers, lettuce and sunflowers. I had a terrible year for tomatoes, bok choy and pumpkins. I have yet to clean out the garden, plant the garlic, and cut off my bean plants. I want to cut off the bean plants rather than pull them out because their roots have nodules of nitrogen which will leave the perfect spot to put tomatoes next year.

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Meredith still hasn't come home. I've looked for her on foot and by car. I named her after Meredith from "The Office," a promiscous, fun-loving, alcoholic working mother who would probably quit her job if only women worked there. Hmmmmm, hope she is okay.

Dwight and Angela Gone, Meredith Missing

Having two roosters in the yard was not peaceful. It was bad. It was worse than living with the Bickersons. It was the freaking Jerry Springer show every single day. Dwight was the dominant rooster but Angela developed her/his masculinity too. Dwight is the rooster with the bigger comb. Angela is the silver and black rooster. They would crow. If Angela crowed near Dwight, Dwight would buffet him with his wing. So eventually Angela learned to crow in another part of the yard. One rooster would crow in the front yard and the other would crow in the back yard. Back and forth they would crow. Angela's crow was huskier and smokier than Dwight's shrill crow. If one rooster mounted a hen, the other rooster would mount her immediately. This was hard on the hens. One day I found a big pile of feathers in the yard. I thought a chicken had been killed. No chickens were missing but Phyllis had a big bald patch and a severe limp that lasted almost a week. I suspected the conflict level and emotional distress caused the hens to quit laying for over a week. So I decided to get rid of both roosters. A sibling came and got them today. She reached in the coop and pulled them out bare handed - what a farm girl! I'm so proud. The roosters will make a good meal. Dwight and Angela have had a good life with lots of good food, friends, sunshine, exercise, crowing, and sex. They've eaten enough of my parsley and basil to taste good from the inside out. They were pretty living lawn ornaments but the conflict got to be too much. So today I let the hens out without the roosters. They seemed more anxious. Usually they stay together as a group but today they went separate ways. Offspring #1 came over and mowed the lawn. The uproar of the mower scattered them as usual. Pamela and Kelly came back first. I went walking through the woods and scared up Phyllis who joined the other three. I wasn't too worried. I used the "Mary Had A Little Lamb" plan - wait for them to come home wagging their tails behind them. At sunset, I still had only 3 chickens. Meredith, the orangest chicken, is still missing. I went looking for her with a flash light. I walked all around the yard scanning the ground and the lower branches of the trees. I couldn't find her. I hope she didn't try and find the roosters. Is she walking to Zimmerman? Did she join the neighboring flock? I didn't see her on the road. Was she eaten by another creature? I hope she comes back tomorrow. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea for them to stay in the run for a day or two to reconstitute their social order before letting them run free.

Role Model or Horrible Example?

Have you ever heard the saying, "You can either be a good role model or a horrible example?" I've been thinking about that today. Someone I know and care about made, in my opinion, a mistake and I've been feeling sorry for their mistake. On the other hand, making a huge mistake can be a good way to allow others to learn from your example. I've never forgotten to wear underwear since that night Lindsay Lohan was photographed getting out of a car. I don't turn on a light switch if I think I smell natural gas. I've never sent anyone to look in files at the Watergate Hotel. As the oldest kid, oh, that reminds me, how many readers out there are the oldest kid in their family? Raise your hands. OK, put your hand down now. It's not easy being the oldest kid because, say it with me you oldest kids, "You have to be a good example." Structuring the destiny of all your siblings can be a huge burden. WAY too late, I realize a horrible mistake can be a good/educational example. If I had known then what I know now, would my life be different or would I have made the same decisions? Having an option would have been nice.

Chickens Went To Bed

The chickens must have felt cold tonight. I usually put them to bed about sunset. When I went out at 7 p.m., they weren't perched on top of the coop like they usually are. Normally they're all sitting on the peak of the roof. They see me coming but they don't move. Chickens get groggy and slightly stupid when the sun goes down. I tell them, "Time for bed, " but they don't move. I walk up to them and pet the feathers on the hens. They still don't move. I shove Dwight and/or Angela (the roosters) off the roof. They flutter to the ground with a squack. Once the hens see the roosters have gone down, they decide to stir. I wait for them to walk around a little bit and decide which way to fly down. Angela will take advantage of the hens at this time and mount them. Dwight gets upset and chases Angela. Eventually they all make it into the pen and I say "Good night," and shut the door. Tonight was different. No chickens were perched on the roof of the coop. They were all huddled together inside already. All I had to do was say good night and shut the door. And I threw an old, peeled banana in their run so they could have a fruity snack in the morning.

Example Why We Need Health Care Reform

Yesterday I decided on a prescription. Backwards, right? I'm working with two medically trained professionals. One was a licensed pharmacist. The other was an eye doctor. I myself have very little medical training. I can give you CPR and rescue breathing but that is about it. Yet I decided which medicine I should take to treat my allergic conjunctivitis. This is why we need health care reform. Several weeks ago my physician gave me a sample eye medicine to try. The sample worked great. My eyes were soothed immediately. I asked for a prescription. I went to pick it up and they said, "That will be $110." !?!! After some discussion and the showing of my cards for the two medical insurance policies for which I pay big bucks, she got it down to $60. That was still too much for me to pay per month. I'd rather have red, itchy eyes than pay $720 per year. The pharmacist offered to call the doc and ask for another medication that would be on my insurance company drug formulary. The pharmacist did not have any suggestions as she does not have the formulary to look at. She called my doc. My doc calls me later and says she got the request but the insurance company refused to tell her the formulary. She said the only option was to keep calling in prescriptions and having the pharmacy fill them and finding out that way which drugs were on the formulary list. She mentioned one other drug name before the tape on my answering was full and she was cut off. I wasn't sure what to do so I googled my insurance company drug formulary and saw the name of the medication she mentioned on my answering machine. I asked her to prescribe that for me. She did. I picked it up today. I'm only paying $360 a year but my eyes feel great already. This system is crazy. The difference between paying the entire cost of both medications is less than two dollars. How much did it cost to take up the time of the pharmacist and the eye doctor? Certainly more than two dollars. I think we need reform. I've written to my congresswoman about it and asked her to keep my position in mind when she votes and when she makes public speeches. From the sound of it, Michelle Bachman didn't get my message.