Jeepers Creepers, Look at My Peepers

This was taken when the peepers came home three days ago. Two names have been established: Xena for the B&W one (Black Australorp) and Ella for the black one (Black Sex Link). I explained Xena's name, just look at her! She's quite the girl of size. Ella got her name from her large pipes and sing-songedness. I often mistake her for a song bird. The poor lil yellow one (Buff Orpington) remains nameless. It'll come to me, I know it will.

It's been interesting to learn how little regular folk know about chicks. The people I work with were astounded to learn that not all chicks are yellow, or Easter-egg pink or purple.

Culinary Containers

Gardeners live in the most beautiful places...

because they make them that way.

-Joseph Joubert

After the pick-a-chick outting on Tuesday, I went to a local nursery to pick up some plants for container gardening. Included were a strawberry plant (there will be more planted in a raised-bed garden), thyme, rosemary, bronze fennel, parsley and chives.

I Heart Chicken Poop

One of the benefits (?) of chicken poop is the nitrogen. As one to keep a compost pile, the poo will get tossed in with other things like non-animal scraps (kitchen waste), raked & mulched leaves and shredded newspaper. All of these things, once broken down, will energize flower beds and vegetable gardens. In time, the flowers will bloom and the organic food will be harvested and to my delight, I'll say I Heart Chicken Poop!

Chickens Little

It wasn't planned but I managed to come home from Standard Feed with three peepin' chicks! Their breeds are Black Australorp, Black Sex Link, and Buff Orpington. They'll stay indoors for several weeks before a coop is constructed and they're allowed to put a whoopin' on our insect population.

It's going to take a few days before I can come up with names. At first I thought the Australorp was going to be Xena. She's huge compared to the other two, an Amazon, if you will. She wasted no time hitting the food dish and she ate a tiny gnat that found its way into the brood box. She'd only been in the box for five minutes. She's going to be a survivor for sure. They're adorable to watch, just ask Omega.

An Expensive Haircut

The last comment by this guy really gets me. He isn't, nor his family, nor his tribe are asking for an apology based on the article's content. It's all about the money... which he demeans.

3.14 = Pie

BakingSheet pointed out 3.14 on her site today and I want to look like I really have a mind for math. Truthfully, I just wanted an excuse to bake a dessert. After scouring the kitchen cupboard for ingredients I decided that Sweet Potato Pie is the pie du jour. Pecan Pie is my favorite but after one failed attempt, I've never baked another. One day I'll give it the ol' college try again. Do you have a favorite pie?

Better Off

When I'm not herding worms, watering the garden (by hand), baking bread or viewing DVDs, I can often times be found reading. One of my current page-turners is Better Off by Eric Brende. I ran across the book while perusing a shelf at Borders and it immediately grabbed my attention. Even though I never intend to get completely off the grid (but who knows?!) it's interesting to learn from those who are or have.

Eric is now in St. Louis, driving rickshaws, making soap and living life with his family. Whoever thought this MIT and Yale alum would really end up better off?

Blah, Blah, Blah

I'm So Dizzy, My Head is Spinning...
Apparently, the vertigo I've been experiencing for the last couple of weeks isn't the brain tumor I self-diagnosed myself with having. An actual professional health practitioner deduced that I have sinusitis because of the fluid in my ears and my "very swollen sinus passages".

I've Got Worms...
Sorry to have been so secretive but I know how jealous some of you were when I announced what I was getting for Valentine's Day. The worms arrived last week in the USPS mail, in a paper bag, in a box marked: LIVE WORMS. I promptly set up the Can-o-Worms as per the instructions and helped the 1,000 new residents move into their condo in the kitchen. Worm pros guestimate that I could have 15,000 wigglers within two to three years time. If you're nice to me, I might be willing to share.

I'm Girl Crazy...
I've recently started watching the Gilmore Girls on DVD and I'm crazy for the show! There's much to love: the incredibly witty dialog, the kooky and quaint setting of Stars Hollow and one word, Luke. I finished watching season one last night and can't wait to move on to season two! Since I don't have a tv, I must say, there's no better way of watching a television show than on our 20" iMac. (yeah, I kept that a secret from you, too... we bought the iMac in January because we've decided to wean ourselves from the wicked and worthless world of Microsoft).

Other DVD Viewings...
If you haven't seen the documentary, The Corporation, I'd like to recommend that you do. I have some ramblings on the subject matter but I won't hop up on my soapbox just yet. I found it as thought-provoking as Super Size Me and What the Bleep.

Until recently, I'd never seen a Kate Hepburn/Spencer Tracy film. I quite fancied Desk Set and intend to watch more movies starring these two. They really worked on those sets back then... just watch that movie and take notice of how the film isn't edited into a gazillion segments. The actors are in front of one camera for many minutes at a time. They cover pages and pages of script without the corrective hand of an editor to snip segments together. Those were the days.

There's comedy, romance and current affairs wrapped around The Girl in the Cafe. It's a reminder that we all have a voice and what the heck, talk to a stranger in a cafe... you just might learn a few facts about Iceland.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

I know this is true. I learned that while serving on a jury last Friday. *cough* I'll keep this in mind before throwing out all of his cds.

Girls Gone Wild

Last night, one of my best friends from high school called. She sounded absolutely wiped out, maybe she'd been drinking? Come to find out, she was in New Orleans, a city known for partying. Goin' wild wasn't why she was there, however. She and her Ball State daughter were there on spring break to help with the city's clean-up effort. She said they'd been mucking out homes and buildings that could potentially face renovation. There she was, on a cot with about 200 other volunteers lined up on both sides of her. She sounded like she'd witnessed the casualties of war. Exhausted and worn out, it was only the first day, she said.

I'm proud of her and her daughter.

Garden Humor

I can appreciate this now that I consider myself an organic gardener.