Category: farm
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Real life Easter egg hunt
The thing about raising free-range chickens is that when they begin laying, they might not always choose the nesting box in the coop.
All our new chickens are old enough to be laying, but we haven’t seen an increase in egg production. This means the chickens have found other places to lay. This usually sorts itself out over the winter, as the snow forces the chickens to lay in the coop, and then it becomes habit. But until then? It’s a bit of a mystery.
Tom tipped us off that he kept seeing the easter egger, Jasmine, making a run for the pole barn in the morning, which is prime laying time. Neko led the charge, and off we went to hunt for eggs. I hadn’t even made it to the pole barn when they’d already found the stash.
We sent Ellery to retrieve the eggs, as she was little enough to wiggle her way in to the tight spot. We counted 15 gorgeous green eggs. Everyone was delighted and ran around, retelling the story and fighting over who got to carry the eggs back to the house. Not that we can eat them, as we have no idea how old they are, but, good golly, they look lovely on the counter.
Every now and then I bemoan how long it takes me to get to Target or that I don’t have every fantastic amenity at my fingertips. (Oh, to have good Thai food in our neck of the woods!) It is then I try to remember moments like these.
Mornings in muddy pajamas and boots, conquerers of a real life Easter egg hunt. Posing victoriously on the tractor, chicken in hand. Giggling at Mother Nature, and how she likes to keep us on our toes.
I realize they might end up city-dwellers one day, but I hope these little bits get woven into who they become. I hope that someday, while they wander amongst skyscrapers, every now and then they’ll chuckle about 15 green eggs, one rogue chicken, and a whole lot of laughter.
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Halloween and the last bits of fall
It’s been a busy October.
We got pumpkins, but had yet to carve them. Tom had to scoot out of town, so Nancy and Mary Beth came to join us for one of the last amazing fall evenings we’re going to have around these parts. One of those spontaneous evenings you never could have planned.
Neko and Mary Beth went to work on this amazing campfire scene, creating a fire pit out of kindling and spare gravel and a fire out of shavings from the pumpkin rind. We cozied up to the faux fire and got a start on pumpkin carving.
Silliness, good conversation, and magic light ensued.
Turns out chickens think faux pumpkin fire is delicious.
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Chickenvision
About once a day I pass by a door and notice the chickens staring in at us.
Usually I feel a little sad that they’re stuck outside and we’re inside, with all the comforts of our home.
But every now and then, I suspect we people are actually like animals in the zoo. I think the chickens are staring in the window, thinking, “Now that’s a peculiar bunch.”
Those dirty windows? Please have a conversation with the dogs about that.
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Hobo city
While I was mowing the lawn, I noticed Tom and the kids working on something in the high tunnel (someday we really are going to grow things in that thing). They were stringing up tarps and tacking plastic sheeting around the soccer goal.
They invited me to come in to their tent (I barely fit), and I discovered that a plastic sheeting tent produces the most lovely light diffusion. Really—every photographer should have their very own plastic hobo tent.
