Laying Hen Update: Tragedy in the Flock

One of the ways to provide our family with healthy food and practice self-sufficiency is to raise laying hens in our back yard. My homemade chicken coop/yard has worked out pretty well and it's been a journey of learning, work, and happy eating since we have been urban homesteaders.

In June the "flock" of hens that I acquired in 2008 was reduced by 1 to 2 . While I was on my trip to Atlantic City Anne, my favorite layer, died of unknown causes in the little chicken yard. (She used to eat out of my HAND!) Cecilie actually witnessed the death, which was traumatizing for her. 

So the question has been, what to do now? Two hens isn't really enough to provide enough eggs for our family, and it's irritating to have to BUY EGGS. Or beg them from my friends. Actually, 3 hens really wasn't even enough to supply us with eggs. (The number of family members living here keeps contracting and expanding. Mostly expanding.)

Cecilie suggested expanding the yard into the unused area under our deck. She and I spent an afternoon creating a new area and are ready to add a few more to our flock. 

Now to find them....


Addendum: I will be acquiring 3 or 4 more hens this very evening in Silverdale after the Ward Picnic. Boy will I have work to do today to get ready!!

Home-Grown Herbal Tea and Reusable Cloth Tea Bags

In May I had the pleasure of harvesting some of my herbs for teas. Chamomile and Sweet Mint were the biggest hauls, with Rosemary close on their heels. They were dried in my new (to me) food dehydrator in just a couple of hours, and gave the house a wonderful fragrance. Here are the loose dried herbs in their jars waiting to be made into something. The jars were completely filled when I finished drying. 

Volunteer mint bed ready for another harvest

My biggest dilemma has been how to prepare the teas. Loose herbs in a pot? Kind of messy and difficult to clean. In a metal tea-ball? Either too big for the pot or too small for a pot. Disposable tea bags? Those are great for gifts, but I hate the waste. I came across a site with instructions for reusable cloth tea bags http://lillyella.blogspot.com/2009/05/crafting-reusable-tea-bags_19.html. 

I have made a few and they work out just great. Since it's summer, I make a quart of tea at a time and pour some over ice. It's a refreshing beverage and an alternative to water, sugary non-foods, and diet-drink chemicals. 


How is your summer harvest? What are you doing for yourself this summer? 

Plant Marker Art

A few weeks ago another Master Gardener suggested I put some larger markers in the herb beds in our local teaching garden. Well, the markers she had in mind look good in her formal rose bed, but are a little too formal for the beds where I work. Boring. To me, anyway. So I went online and searched out some free-ish, more interesting (to me) options, preferably that could be made at home.

My daughter Cecilie and I made these.(All the super-cute ones Cec made. Mine are pretty basic.)
What do you think? We are having a great time making them and sharing with the community garden and decorating our own yard, too.












Here are the steps to making Plant Markers.

Materials: Rocks, acrylic paint/craft paint in a variety of colors, paint pen (opt), paint brushes, spray urethane (clear spray paint).

1. Collect rocks. Our rule has been: If someone paid for the rocks for drainage or landscaping, we may not use them (no matter how awesome they would be). We find ours at the beach, in ditches, along the side of the road, wherever.
2. Make sure the rocks are reasonably clean. I soak them briefly in a bucket, then rinse and air dry. Sometimes they have needed a bit of scrubbing.
3. On a table covered with newspaper, paint background color, if desired. (Some rocks are beautiful as background.) Let dry.
4. Using paint pen or brush with acrylic paint, paint the name of your plant. Let dry.
5. Spray with clear spray coating; let dry. Place near chosen plant!!

Do Chickens Eat Spaghettios?

Here are the spaghettios after the hens had retreated for a break.

I happened upon a can of Spaghettios in our storage, which I didn't buy. No one was going to eat it, because it's, well, hardly food. I thought I would try it out on my chooks.

Indeed, they did eat, albeit sporadically. 

I put the dish out in their yard, and they started gobbling. Then they stopped. One girl kept wiping off her beak on the straw, somewhat distressed. Or it seemed so to me. But they came back and came back. When I went out later it was all gone. So, yes, I believe chickens DO eat spaghettios. I don't think it was a huge hit, and I don't believe I will make a habit of feeding it to them. But in case you wanted to know, now you do.

Handling Growing Older with Grace

         Lorraine, Age 51

I took my teenage son to breakfast recently. Never one to shy away from an opportunity to tell his mother the truth about herself, he commented on the horrible bags under my eyes. Upon checking in the wall/mirror there next to me at the restaurant, I noted that, indeed, he spoke the truth. Ouch! And, of course, the crowning blow: The Senior Discount. At the register I checked the check, calculated the tip, and when I received the final receipt noticed that the total (before tip) was lower than the original check. "No, I don't actually qualify for any discounts." The hostess laughed. "Well, you're saving a dollar today!"

I choose to keep my life simple by staying with my current natural hair color, and using minimal cosmetics. What do you think? And when does one become a "Senior?"

My One Weakness

Bleeding Heart

Sweet Woodruff

I am enjoying my garden, the community garden where I volunteer, and PLANT SALES! I put the Central Valley Plant Sale on my calendar, and it worked out that I was able to attend, albeit briefly. Which was a good thing, since I got there 20 minutes after it opened and the inventory was quite diminished..

Candy Tuft

Red Tulip

I spent $8.50 and came out with catmint, pineapple mint, 2 scented geraniums (gerania?), and a native plant called fringe cup to replace the one that I killed last year. It was a short, delightful, rather cheap activity that will hopefully give me much joy in the future.

Bluebell

Yellow Tulip

Borage

Calendula

Johnny Jump Up

Strawberry

Grape Hyacinth

Here are some plants from my garden that are doing well and giving me hope for the future of my little plot here in the space we live between East Bremerton and Silverdale, WA.

Infant Gift-Giving on a Budget

I am being invited to many baby showers right now, for some reason. Many of my young friends are multiplying!! I love these parties, but it can be expensive and sometimes limited if you simply look through the register (if there is one) and get something on the list. I have loved receiving hand-made gifts, and give those whenever I can. Right now, with our gift-giving allocation in the budget at about zero, it's a great time to brush up on my hand-making skills and make the shower gifts for friends' babies.

A young mom told me how much she liked some hand-knit washcloths I had given her in the past, which made me feel like my little bit of trouble was appreciated and the gift was actually useful. In the past couple months I have made some flannel blankets with crochet edging [modified from http://sewchic.blogspot.com/2007/07/crocheted-edge-blanket-tutorial.html ] . Pretty easy and fun, and I thought very cute, too. (A great friend of mine made these many years ago, and I was thoroughly disappointed not to get one when I had my last baby!) Also in my repertoire have been burp cloths, of which Mom can never have enough. Not really a keepsake novelty, but practical and (possibly) cute nonetheless. Bibs are another reliable standby. Even sweet toys are beginning to pop up on my radar.

What do you enjoy giving as baby gifts? What is the favorite gift you received when your babies were born?