Storm Report

The howling wind took us by surprise last night. A rip-snorting storm front had come upon us, bringing high winds, pounding rain, and pea-sized hail. The wind was so fierce it was blowing the roof's rain run-off sideways. Spouse put on his rain gear, ran outside and turned off the electric poultry netting. The light showed the geese all standing at attention, facing into the wind and letting the rain run down their backs. Bandit was soaked to the skin, and scoured up some good sense in that doggie skull to hang out and guard from the covered porch. Maggie was nowhere to be found, and calls to her went unheard. I fretted about the chickens roosting high in the cedar trees, and hoped there'd be no injuries.

Almost as quickly as it came upon us, the storm was finished. The radar on the local weather web page showed a front that looked like a long, red gash sweeping its way across our area, almost 200 miles long. As usual, satellite television got knocked out, but we were able to keep track of storm progress via local chatter on Twitter and various weather web sites.

This morning found the chickens hale and hearty, mostly dry and with no visible injuries. The geese were fine as usual, and Maggie was waiting along with Bandit for her morning treat. The dogs' fur was soft from the rainwater soaking.

The fowl & poultry feed was wet despite its weather covering, but there's not much you can do about sideways rain. The newly transplated berry canes were fine, and probably loved the additional soaking. Same with the trees and pomegranate bushes. We received about an inch of rain, total.

The grass seed and soil cover we laid down yesterday? Totally trashed. We had put down a mix of clovers, bermuda, and native grass seeds, and they all washed down hill. It's not a complete failure - the seeds will grow wherever they've settled, forming mini terraces and rain breaks - but it does mean that Spouse and I will need to re-do all that work. Between his shoulder recovery and my stitches, it will be slow going, but it needs to be done before the next rain event moves through at the beginning of next week.

So, today's tasks (slow and steady, as I'm still recovering): transplant the six lavender plants into the front flower bed, and re-seed/soil the front and side yards.

Despite the challenges, I love this place and the work we do here.

Book: Enslaved by Ducks

It's taking a bit longer than originally planned, but I'm healing apace. Ever practical Auntie Jan sent me a book to take my mind off the enforced bed rest, and I've about split my stitches reading it. It's the first time in a long while I've read a book straight through.

"Enslaved by Ducks" by Bob Tarte talks about the dangers of having a spouse who loves animals and can't seem to hear the word "no". It doesn't help that the author seems to have the backbone (and physical stamina) of a wet noodle, but at least he makes a good faith effort to get along, and grows to love the charges who eventually rule his life. Their menagerie consists mainly of indoor and outdoor birds, poultry, waterfowl, and rabbits, although two cats are grudging allowed space as well. There is "the love that dare not speak its name", gender confusion, love-hate relationships, and enough sibling drama that would have given Shakespeare many years of writing material.

A fun book to while away hours, and one in which I'm sure many of us would see a reflection of ourselves in relationship to our animals. Now, off to a follow-up doc appointment...

OMG! Goose Eggs!!!!

Went out this morning to take a photo of what had been looking suspiciously like a goose nest site, and found this:



Ohmigawd! Ohmigawd! Ohmigawd! SqueeeEEEEE!!!!

Miraculously, none of the geese were around, so I quickly stuffed the eggs under my shirt and rushed them into the house. Here's how the two goose eggs on left compare to our chicken's eggs, with the largest Ameraucana chicken egg (approximately Extra Large sized) being the greenish one in the middle:



And geek that I am, I had to measure the largest chicken egg against the largest goose egg:



Wow! I mean, I know this is nothing to folks who have raised geese all their life, but just wow!

EDIT: Just cooked up the smaller egg, over easy, with a little salt & pepper. It tastes absolutely divine. Not at all gamey like some folks have experienced.

Posting to be Erratic

Posts will be erratic for the next seven days or so, as I'll be recovering from surgery (no worries, it's all good). It'll be a great chance to catch up on some sleep as well. And then there's the grass seed that needs to be sown, vegetable seeds to be ordered, berry plants that need transplanting, and...

[wait, aren't I supposed to be resting and recovering at some point?]

Garden Planning Class

Sharon Astyk ("she's my favorite doomer!") is starting up her on-line course on designing and working on a food garden this week. This course will cover everything from having your own country property to container gardening on an apartment balcony. My money is currently tied up in other things at the moment, but Sharon generously posts class content on her web site, and her co-teacher, Aaron, will be posting on his web site as well.

So, why join the class at all? The cool thing about joining the actual class is the chance to talk with others who are doing the same thing, and getting direct answers back from Sharon and Aaron, as well as a phone meeting with Sharon to discuss issues more in-depth. She still has a few spots available, so snag one if you can. Even more than Sharon's & Aaron's information, the participants always bring a wealth of additional information and experience to the conversation. Enjoy!

EDIT: corrected Aaron's name... sorry 'bout that! *sheepish grin*