Monday, April 28, 2014

Top ten things I should do regularly, for my health and serenity!

10. Take care of my feet. They are the only ones I have and I use them every day! This I do! I get a pedicure every month, scrub them with a sugar scrub 3 - 4 times a week, moisturize them almost daily, and scrub nails and skin with a nail brush if necessary. Soft, beautiful feet are a pleasure.

9. Get "dressed" to go out, even with close friends. This means shower, hair, jewelry and make-up. I usually shower and wash my hair, put my jewelry on, but skip the blow-dry and the make-up. But, to be honest, I feel much better about myself when I do the hole enchilada.

8. Blog, if not daily, at least every other day. As you see, I have not been doing that. This is more for my family and friends' sake. I like to tell my story, discuss my feelings. If I write it in my blog, people can choose to read it... or not. However, if I tell people, I end up shang-hai-ing everyone to tell them. They have no choice. I think sometimes my daughters don't answer when I call, because I don't let them off the phone. They say, "Mom, I have to go to work," and I say, "Okay." Ten minutes later, I am still yammering on. Or someone drops by to get eggs, and I start talking, and, pow! they are trapped in my story! Blogging helps relieve my need and relieve my captive audience!

7. Floss. Daily. I do. Every day. Without fail.

6. Eat regularly. And healthily. If I am going to be gone for 3 hours or more, I should take a healthy snack with me. When my blood sugar drops, I get cranky. And no one likes it when I'm cranky!

5. Go to a 12-step meeting, at least once a week. Self-explanatory.

4. Tell my wife I love her. Every chance I get. For obvious reasons.

3. Exercise regularly. At least yoga, but yoga AND cardio would be best. I am very bad about this. Although I work around the farm and am active, it is not the same as targeted exercise. 

2. Get your hair trimmed every 2 or 3 months. It keeps the hair healthy and split-free. 

And the most important thing to do regularly, each and every day, for health, longevity and happiness. . 

1. Pay more attention to the things you are grateful for than to those that irritate you!

Peace

Monday, April 14, 2014

Spring Chicken Inventory

Spring inventory.

We sold some roosters to a nice home. We hatched two batches of chicks gifted from a friend. A few hens fell off their perches and died. We butchered the meat birds, but ordered new ones. A friend moved away and gave us a laying hen. One pen got the pox and a few of the hens died. The rest recovered nicely. The ones that died had swollen eyes and couldn't see to eat. Sad...

Anyway, we thought we'd better take stock of what we had. So last night, when they were all sleeping, we took inventory. (They're not moving around when they're sleeping.) 

Bottom line: 111 chickens

Main pen: 3 roosters, 26 laying hens
Transition pen: 1 rooster, 5 laying hens
Cocoa's pen: 2 roosters, 7 laying hens
Tonto's pen: 5 roosters, 2 laying hens, 7 pullets (young layers)
Brother's pen: 2 roosters, 10 laying hens
Portable pen: 1 rooster, 2 hens
Rooster cages: 2 roosters
Meatbird pen: 23 lunches (6-week olds)
Chicks in the brooder room: 15

Total of 59 hens that can potentially lay eggs. We get 25 - 35 eggs per day. I don't know if that's good or not, but it works for us. We do have to thin out the roosters; we have too many again, but there are only three that we don't want. We become too attached..... 

It's good to take stock.


Friday, April 11, 2014

The three little piggies!

Yes! We have pigs! And they are cute! And they eat like, well, pigs! Surprise! We now have a new channel on our farm network, Pig TV. We can now spend our free time watching Chicken TV, Dog TV, or Pig TV. Hours of live, G-rated entertainment, at our doorstep!
Mohawk and Mother, waiting for their food. "Hi, Mom! What'd ya bring us?"

Pork Chop, waiting for his food. "Mom, Mom, what's for breakfast?"
Well, this particular morning, it wa a mix of brown rice, butter leaf lettuce, chopped mountain apples, a tablespoon of molasses, and soy milk. Mmmmm. And then I gave them some piggy pellets and cracked corn to round out the meal!

They love it!
Pork Chop does, too! Thankfully, he hasn't wondered why we call him that yet!