HAPPY EASTER!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

 SPRING CHICKENS!

Nothing says spring like hatching chicks. 

Boogie has Easter photos at Precious Moments Photography

tomorrow and we bring Tanya bunnies, chicks and ducklings to use as props during her Easter special. 

I ordered some chicks and ducks from McMurray hatchery as a back up (all arriving healthy and doing great!) and put two dozen of my own hens eggs in the incubator. 

Despite the cold temps twenty one days ago when i collected the eggs, it appears nearly all will hatch! 

Here they are just hatching, still in the incubator.

And the first batch hatched and under heat lamps.

They will be available for sale next week.

Here are the McMurray chicks thriving after 4 days in the mail.

Can you tell me why on earth they would ship them on Friday?

 And the ducklings, which only took two days to arrive from California. Ironically one of them died in transit.

I'm going to sell most of these, so let me know if you are interested.

 I do have some early seedlings up and going. They are destined for the cold frame. These are Chard and I'm trying a new technique using toilet paper tubes as containers.  I think they might work best for tomatoes, which I am just beginning to sow now.

 Some broccoli started in standard peat pellets.

Hoping that the warmer temps this weekend will actually allow me to get peas and potatoes planted around the 17th of the month and perhaps I can get these seedling out in the cold frame as well.

I don't think we will see the unseasonably warm temperatures we did last year so maybe my fruit trees will actually produce this season.

Why I LOVE Bullies, Bully breed dogs, that is.

Facebook is an awesome, terrible thing. I have caught up with friends from grade school, promoted my business and helped organize a local playgroup by harnessing its seemingly limitless power. It also brings me tremendous joy and sadness in regards to the plight of the many homeless companion animals in foster care and shelters. I have held AmStaffs close to my heart for 35 years, one of the breeds erroneously labeled as 'Pit Bulls' by the media and the less knowledgeable. Bully types are often mis-identified and blamed when other large headed, big bodied breeds are the culprit. The common perception is that we Bully owners are thugs and criminals that keep aggressive dogs to fight and intimidate. While that may be the case on occasion, the vast number of the millions of Bully owners are average folks that like these breeds for their many wonderful characteristics.

How did I discover Bullies? When I was 15, I volunteered at the Lake Shore Foundation for Animals in Chicago, IL. We had a young Staffordshire Bull Terrier come in that required a foster home and I took the bait. I was completely naive of their reputation and history and immediately fell in love with him. Within a few weeks an excellent permanent home was found, but I had my first taste and have been an aficionado ever since.

Boogie has grown up surrounded by AmStaffs, Clarabel is 'his' puppy and he named her after one of Thomas the Tank Engines coaches. He loves taking her off for adventures around the farm. And reading to her.

I am saddened by the vast number of abused and abandoned Bullies I see day after day on my Facebook feed. So all my friends, this is why I annoy you on a regular bases with my cross posts of dogs available for adoption. I know that networking helps find these dogs fosters and permanent placement. Please bear with me, or better yet, click on share and help find a dog a home!

A (little late) Thanksgiving Post

I'm a bit behind the times, but I wanted to share my Thanksgiving pictures, particularly the turkey. I was able to get a locally raised and butchered, free range bird.

Since the weather was too warm to cook him (yes it was a him) on the wood stove, I used the grill instead.

He got stuffed with fresh Rosemary and Sage, had a nice mayonnaise massage and a dusting of salt and pepper. I put some water in the bottom of the roaster, tented him with foil and cooked for 3 hours in a 300ish closed grill.
These birds have more natural fat so basting was not necessary and he came out moist but with crispy brown skin.

Boogie enjoyed him very much!