The Prodigal Chicken

Our little hen has come home! There was no sign of her yesterday, but this morning when I went outside, she was clucking & wanting back in the pen. Joseph thinks she may have visited our neighbor's chickens. That would have required her to cross a road & walk a quarter mile to the neighbor's house. But, who knows, she may have a boyfriend! Or maybe she was just wandering around on the property somewhere new & couldn't find her way back. She's always been a bit of a loner, but today she's been staying close, even sitting by the kitchen door visiting us for a while.

There's a Frog in the Okra

While harvesting okra this morning, I noticed this little guy on one of the plants. He's just left of center; I expect you'll need to doubleclick on the picture to be able to see it. A few minutes later, while gathering basil for a batch of pesto, a hummingbird came & visited the okra flowers. I wasn't fast enough to catch that on camera. I'm a little concerned about the hummingbirds this year. I'm pretty sure I don't usually see them this late. I always miss them when they go, but I hope they leave in time to make it to their winter grounds. Once they leave, I typically take down their feeders, replacing them with homemade suet. Joseph & I were saddened last night by the loss of one of our chickens. I let them out of their pen in the morning, & one didn't show up at roosting time last night. We searched all over, but she vanished. I've been seeing hawks in the area recently, so am thinking one probably made off with her. Living with chickens, you learn to deal with predators, but I've never had one vanish in broad daylight before. Living close to the land makes you more aware of the circle of life, & how precious it is.

Harley's & Hanging Out With the Girls

This weekend, Joseph & I saw a film, "Garbage Warrior". It's the story of a man who makes structures using what most of us throw away--tires, cans, plastic bottles & mortar or mud. They're often called Earthships, as they're usually self-contained, with internal sewage, heating & cooling, & greenhouses for food. It's got us fired up to create an Earthship workshop. Yesterday, I made a batch of lavender soap. The chickens looked so cute hanging out on the pile of cedar posts, I had to take a picture of them. Of course, they moved before I could get the camera & snap it, chickens being what they are. After the soap was in the mold, Joseph & I took off for an afternoon road trip on his Harley, stopping at Camelback Bridge in Gulf. It's interesting that when you're on a bike, everywhere you stop, people want to talk to you. It probably didn't hurt that Joseph's bike is a pretty, turqoise thing.