Seems we were just here, yet it’s been a week! Things change, yet stay the same. We still have chickens on the DL (isn’t that the list of injured players? – Disabled List?), but they may be making progress. The little hen has been out of her sling a few days now and is beginning to attempt getting around; the little rooster with what we believe to be a muscle strain is moving around more easily yet still in the quarantine crate, we’ll keep him there a day or two just to make sure he doesn’t end up re-injuring himself; Leggs had her bandages removed to see how she fares – we think that the bumble-foot issues in both of her feet have heeled. It was a really long process for her, but never slowed her down one bit!

IMG_2095Today, Sue made huge progress on the tent trailer-cum-chicken tractor. The roof is completely off now and the sides are beginning to come down. Many parts were simply unusable due to rot or other damage, but some of it can be re-purposed she feels; the floor is definitely in good shape! The trailer is sitting under the carport by the back door because it offers a semi protected area for Sue to work on it. It is in shade of some sort for most of her “working hours”, it offers protection from the rain – should we ever have that sort of thing again – and the wind generally comes from the opposite direction; however, today the wind was come through from the west, down the mountains. She had to wait till I got home so we could move the roof away and weight it down with some heavy objects to prevent future flight. That kind of thing is really awkward to do by yourself, plus it was quite heavy. We dragged and pushed it out of the way. It might not have been pretty, but it worked; saved her truck from a good smack at least, when the wind came up again.

IMG_2096New acquisitions – so to speak – have been coming in from Cochise County.  Sue called and asked if  they ever had leaves that they wanted to get rid of. Surprisingly, they said “Absolutely!” They give her a call when they have leaves that have been bagged up from taking care of various landscaping on County properties, Sue heads out and picks up the bags. When they get home, the leaves are emptied into the “pond” area, where they will compost – hopefully – and we’ll let the chickens get in there are turn it over etc. It’s really the only place we could keep vast numbers of leaves without having them all just blow away. Sue has been keeping them watered down a bit and that helps with both the composting and the blowing away. When the chickens get in there, we’ll be sure to share some photos of that with you, it may be a while yet though. Until then, as always~
Thanks for reading!

Today’s Weather: It’s still been cold in the mornings, 46° today when I left for work at 6:45. My car thermometer said it was 86° when I was on my way home, but the phone says the high was only 81°; currently it is 80° and the sun has gone beyond the mountain, so I don’t believe the phone. Sunny and warm lately. No rain on the horizon, although there are clouds predicted. Completely clear today. Sunset is at 5:18 p.m. and tomorrow sunrise will be 6:59 a.m. Not really liking these short days, except for the fact that the chickens go in earlier and we’re able to do things like Vespers again.

Egg Report: Today there was only 1 lone duck egg; they, like the chickens, are slowing down for the winter. I may be able to make one more farmers market and then may need to wait until spring – when we’ll have 30 more chickens laying!!! Chicken eggs were down to 10 today (plus one that was eaten). Sue has been trying to go out periodically and check for eggs to collect them before they can be savaged! We’re thinking of adding a couple to their morning breakfast, we can use the checks (eggs that don’t really pass the test for selling) and add a bit more protein to their diet, in an attempt to stave off the pilfering. I suggested giving them the frozen turkey carcass to clean, but Sue was leery of attracting the neighborhood bear; I certainly don’t want to entertain him!

Gratefulness: What form of expression are you most grateful for? Music! It comes from the heart and can bring us closer to others, helps us understand ourselves, and serves as a wonderful medium for drawing near to God. What small thing that you use daily are you grateful for? My favorite pen. I know that it’s an odd thing, but I love communicating with others this way – sending notes, exchanging handwritten letters with my niece, and writing thank yous; creating lists of tasks and then ticking them off as they are completed, or filling in my calendar with appointments, birthdays, small celebrations and momentous occasions. My pen helps me record my life and keep track of others’.