We are so late that we will have to call our summer garden our fall garden. We just got about 4 pounds of peas planted before the rain this weekend. Our peppers are just now starting to come on, the first round of tomatoes are about to finish, Madge says " no more" for the freezer ( we are just not able to put up a lot of food ).

I have ground ready for fall, but no plants started, but do have seed.

You still got a chance of getting in some greens ( Collards ,etc) and turnips later when it cools down a bit.

rick

Your opener made me laugh Rick.

Yes, that was a grand opening, Rick. To be truthful, though, I never did catch up with gardening after the cold weather and rains in May. I sort of just took a pass at most of the garden stuff, figuring I might recoup a big for fall. That's still the plan, providing I can clear out some of those waist-high weeds.

Yes, I do want to get collards in! Tomatoes--nothing here, really. Lincoln is producing some, but not prolifically. I have no idea what is going on there--it has been 10 days since I've been there. Maybe tomorrow.

You say your garden is late, Larry, but from the pictures you've posted, it looks like you've had great results.

We're having our first summer squash this evening (Meot Jaeng), and I look forward to that. Peppers are putting on like crazy now. I don't know what I'll do with them all--I best get a plan.

It has been a very strange year for butterflies--just not that many. I figured they might be late. . . now I'm thinking not only late, but just not many at all. I have had no complaints about the rain here. . . we've had just enough lately to keep from having to water. Unfortunately, though it runs off beautifully in OUR yard, not so much for the lake. The lake level is still up too high for us to find a place to put the boat in.

I got a kick out of your muddy puppy, Danny. Where do your community pots of flowers go?

I have a pot jungle..where all sorts of pots live. It's incidentally in the middle of the back yard and must be moved when I mow ;)

I've noticed with Rags (who was kinda feral when he came), that there are stages in gaining a dog's trust. And strangely, the shower and blow dry seems to have mellowed out Jasper. He's at least 20% better than yesterday in everything but peeing in the floor (well he has THAT down).

Yeah, the spring really did a number on getting anything going...but at least we didn't HAVE to water ;)

Nancy, not everything is late, but a lot of my stuff is late. I bought 7 tomato plants when I first saw them being unloaded at Walmart, because I was unsure what the plant market would be like this year. Those plants went into the ground ahead of my started plants.

My daughter was over today and a nice load of veggies, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, onions, garlic,pattypan squash, and maybe potatoes.

We got 7" of rain in the past 2 days. We were dry before, but sure not now. The peas we planted before the rain are already coming up.

I bought a push type Chapin planter earlier in the year. My neighbor and his grand daughters are trying to wear it out, the kids think it is fun to push. If you are in western Arkansas, and see peas growing in the ditch, it is more than likely where those kids were playing with the planter. I think the neighbor said we had 16 rows of okra, some of them 100 ft long, and plants about 1" apart.

Nancy, you were looking for healthy meat. This popped up on my newsfeed. Supposedly the heritage breed chickens are raised in Arkansas on 800 acres and processed in Oklahoma.

I haven't researched it fully, but thought I would share it while I'm thinking of it.

meat

Ok, time for some fresh moaning and groaning. I planted the winter squash I mentioned last week, like Monday...and now seven days later, it hasn't showed up. In this heat, I figured it would be the next day...if at all. I'll water and wait for another week.

Nancy

https://grassrootsranch.com/

Hello All, so good to read from you and hear your stories! My garden is doing ok - got some tomatoes but I am fighting fruit worms (? if that's what they are) Got lots of peppers and my 4 spaghetti squash have produced 11 so far. Debating whether I should replant tomatoes but it is probably to late, the mortgage lifter look so spindly. HJ - how are your Arkansas Traveler coming? Mine are starting to actually grow up instead of along the ground lol.

I am really hoping for a good fall garden but feel like I am already behind. I want to start leeks and kohlrabi - anybody know an approximate timeframe for those? Besides that I have planned for bush beans, peas, carrots, lettuce and some beets. OH and garlic - this year I promised myself I wont forget. Where do you all get your bulbs?

Everyone hopefully has a great week, no more chicken drama, no more rain, and lots of fun in the dirt!

Leeks and kohlrabi can be started indoors as seed between now and the next couple of weeks and set out as plants around Sept 1.

https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/fall-gardening.html

https://territorialseed.com/blogs/spring-growing-guides/kohlrabi-growing-guide?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxdSHBhCdARIsAG6zhlVA_UawgVb2KVvxHkb9k30Uuv11gEtN7I6G7a4gPqZnwtvbypzyPwMaAqBiEALw_wcB

https://territorialseed.com/pages/search-results-page?q=garlic

Rick

https://territorialseed.com/blogs/fall-winter-growing-guides/fall-winter-basic-growing-guide

"Delaying planting a few days in the summer can translate to delayed fall or winter harvest by weeks"

"For the most part, days to maturity (DTM) listed for each variety are for spring planting; to adjust DTM for fall/winter harvest, take stated DTM and add 2-3 weeks to account for slower growth due to shortening days"

The sun swings the other way.

Rick

Thank you Rick for that reminder. I need to get in gear. I have to put up hoops with insect netting to grow anything.

On a great note my butternut squash came back from the first grasshoppers attack and now has over 8 fruits on the vine.

The heat and the bugs has always been the biggest challenge for me when trying to start fall plantings in the August heat.

In some years Sept can be hotter than August.

Aside from grasshoppers , cabbage worms have done a number on my fall brassicas.

Along with rabbits. I've even made chicken wire cages to go around the brassicas to keep the rabbits off.

Rick

Thank you Rick for the advice! My entire garden is fenced with chicken wire now but I had learned my lesson last year.

And same here Kim, I think I'll stick with hoops and insect nettings for anything that does not need to be pollinated

I just took pictures. I put my flipping fingers over the camera on more than one occasion. Here's the thing. I've never been able to grow squash and haven't even tried for several years. Ron bought plants and except for the zucchini they've done great (knock wood). You don't think Lowes could be selling squash with a systemic do you? I don't know if that would even kill the dreaded pests, but I have been shocked. (Me who thought let him plant them and be frustrated as I was...) His purchased cucumbers are also doing ok. (Another thing that won't grow for me.) Meanwhile my native bed is full of grass.

Regina, I know it's a no no here to spray anything, but I usually hit tomatoes and brassica with BT a couple of times a season. The birds have done a good job on caterpillars, but eventually I get fed up with fruitworms.

I tried to get Ron to build me some screened in boxes. (Though tomatoes would be too big). But then I could grow some kind of squash. FB had a picture of a "Butterbaby" squash today that I fell in love with. Winter squash is hard, because it's too nigh for one meal for the 2 of us. I think it would be great. They were growing it on a trellis.

HU, I once put tulle over the fall brassica after I set the plants in the ground. I then ignored it because, you know, it was covered. Well the eggs were already on it. I thought they were all goners, so planted more (and sprayed). Then the first ones rebounded, so I had a crowded bed of brassica.

Danny, we put some weedblock fabric under our pot jungle this year (known as pool row, because most of it is in kiddy pools.)

There was something else I was going to say, but I've lost it.

I've been beset by a kind of malaise. . . the doldrums of hot July days with the constant noise of the dog-day cicadas.

And I think my days at the school may be winding down, at least for a while. There just is not that much for me to be doing there now. And with the uptick in Covid cases again, I'm not comfortable being with so many who are unvaccinated (Same with church.) and so. . . . . . nonetheless, that will leave a huge gap in my schedule. But as I told Garry, I have enough weeds here to keep me very busy for a good long while.

We have some cedar rust on the apple tree--BUT . we also have TWO pleasant-sized apples! Woo-hoo--I believe it is the 4th year for those trees. Way to go, Garry. Those are his trees, as are the pear trees.

The summer squash are coming on strong. I usually get tired of them after about the seond week of eating them. Same with cucumbers. I love both of them, for a while.

And ho-hum, I don't feel like cooking much. Spose it's all part of the dog days syndrome?

The grasshoppers are the worst I've seen since I moved here. Every time I walk near a bed, there is a swarm of them rustling through the plants. I was thinking of you, Kim, and the damage they did to your plants. I can't imagine!

We're seeing a few more butterflies and a few more hummingbirds, finally, but not as many as usual, still. But there are huge numbers of bees. Not so many other pollinators (wasps, flies).

And well. . . . now time to wonder what we feel like having to eat this evening. . . .

I can feel crankiness coming on. The crankiness I feel when it's super hot and no rain.

And of course Ethan's gf is coming next week. We have a hard time keeping the house cool even with the AC when it gets so hot. Dislike.

And...watering everything and making sure there's enough fans for all the chickens in all their various locations.

Another reason I feel cranky is that my kitchen garden has never looked so ugly. It's full of weeds and is just generally unkempt.

But, in good news, the chicks all seem better today. The one that fell last night was fine this morning, but I noticed around midnight that it had tucked itself under the "wrong" hen. I wonder what she thought this morning. lol

The one I've been very concerned about was energetic just a few minutes ago. That makes me so happy. It's been lethargic. Pretty sure it was cold this morning and Stormy didn't feel like sitting with it. She wanted to show it how to eat and drink and scratch. But, this chick is the youngest and needs to be kept warm.

Amy, I use Bt when I remember to do it. It does help. I'm careful with it--spraying only certain plants.

Regina, it's so good to see you check in!

Nancy, I'm not cooking tonight. Ethan is working late. Tom has leftover pork stuff that he can put with some rice or something. I have Pilates and a million other things to do.

I cooked last night and they cleaned it up. Spaghetti with some of Tom's pig's sausage. Yellow squash from Rick's O garden and other veggies from this garden. I'll cook on Thursday. Wednesday is Pizza and Wine Night. It originated from when I worked late on Wednesdays and didn't get home until 9 or so.

Nancy, I'm not a fan of masks but we'll probably be wearing them again.

A neighbor picked me up on a horse-pulled cart and took me to a blackberry patch near our neighborhood. The weather was so perfect last night and I didn't notice insects either. After the berries were washed and picked through, I got enough to make Tom a cobbler today...and put 6 pints in the freezer.

Tomorrow is my garden day. I'm weeding, watering, fertilizing, putting up shade cloth. Plan on staying out all day. Rick's coming over after work to help, and start more seed.

Tom is finishing up the mowing and weed eating tonight and will hopefully build a little table for me tomorrow night. It's for the bathroom.

That's all from me.

Amy posted while I was taking all day to write a post. Amy, thanks for the laugh re your finger getting in the way of your pictures. I will say that the camera lens on the Iphone is in the perfect place--all the times I was certain a finger was in the way--never has been yet.

HJ, not cooking tonight. . . . Well, I boiled eggs earlier and we'll have egg salad sandwiches. Sounds like you're rationing out your dinner cooking about like I have. I fixed a big dinner 2 nights ago. . .fried chicken, the works. Won't do that again for a few days. We don't have an official pizza night, but I believe we need to have one. And I do love wine, but usually only have it when we go out for dinner. If I have a glass of wine here, I always feel like I have to drink the whole bottle so it doesn't go bad. . . . and, of course, that doesn't work out so well. lol

I had to PM Amy yesterday to ask about all those mistake recliners they bought. Garry wants us to go get a recliner for me but I thought I'd check with Amy in case she had some lying about. The one in my everything room is the perfect size. It looks like just a regular accent chair as opposed to a recliner--so smaller than a lazy boy. So as much as I hate shopping, I guess we'll do that soon, before I go to Mpls and before the hip pre-surgery appts.

HJ, I HATE masks, which is one reason why we seldom go places.

Nancy, we shopped at Mathis Brothers and Ashley furniture. (They're owned by the same company.) There is apparently a foam shortage and if they don't have it in stock it can take months to get. I HAD the perfect chair for you in my dad's apartment, our timing is off. You could check the Restore.

Pictures. I can't see the view on screen in bright daylight, so I just hope I'm getting what I point at. I was trying to get the penstemon you gave me which is still blooming nicely. The milkweed hasn't bloomed. The Liatris is about done (would it rebloom if I dead headed it?) Two of the rudbeckia are blooming despite the grass. There's still cilantro blooming. Do swallowtails eat cilantro? From the pictures I've seen of baptista, if it survives it won't have room where I planted it. Oh the vervain is blooming.

I remembered what I forgot to say yesterday. Ron was on the outside of our fence and discovered a long blackberry vine. It is the surviving Syd Vicious that he tried to kill. LOL.

H/J that horse and cart looked like fun. Glad you chicks are doing better.

Hey, guess what!
(blank space to not spoil your guess)

I had lunch with Moni today. It was fantastic to meet and talk to her, it went so fast..but I know she had a long drive home and she'd already been hiking. She even came home to inspect my weeds.

Danny that is awesome. She is a hoot

That IS awesome! (aargh--internet has been out more than to today).

Lol, Nancy! I feel like I have to drink the whole bottle because it's so good! I don't mind leftover wine, though.

Amy, my daughter ordered a couch and loveseat. They won't get it until November.

Thanks about the chicks. I'm happy they're all doing well. The one I'm still nervous about for some reason.

I'm also nervous because the Speckled Sussex (Duchess) sorta looks like a roo to me. I know it's too early to know for sure....but there's some ways that usually work. So, I guess Duke? I hope not, though.

The horse and cart were a lot of fun. But now I have 100's of chigger bites. Ugly. My legs are already a mess because that's how they are in the summer--cuts, bruises, momma hen pecks. UGLY. In the summer I feel like that meme that's been going around since covid about men not looking for a cute girl, but one that can catch a chicken. Not much cute about me right now.

How fun Moni and Danny! Glad y'all got to meet up!

I got a lot done in the garden today. The KG looks a lot better. It's not done because it took 3 hours to weed the onion bed. BUT, it's better. Everything is watered. Rick came out tonight and we watered the SG, put up shade clothe on the tomatoes, started cauliflower seed and numerous other things. I am tired. I was outside all day except for an hour or so this afternoon.

My sweet mom came out to help me. She really is the sweetest mom, but it was a disruption, really. She wanted to clean my house for me, but there's so many considerations right now, that I really need to do it myself--and will on Friday. I did have a sink full of dishes and a dishwasher that needed to be unloaded, so she did that for me. She didn't call because she said she knew I would say "no" to help.

I gave her the task of cleaning all the doors in our house. They are white and were getting a bit dirty-looking.

She offered to help me weed, but I was in the KG and there was no shade at that time of day. She can't be out in no shade.

Anyway, I kept weeding and left her to the dishes and stuff. I felt bad, but needed to keep working because there will be no gardening time for the next few days.

Anyway, I'm hungry and it's Pizza and Wine--so, I'm going to eat now. Hope everyone enjoyed the decent weather.

So dreading what's coming....

Well, today I'm making the trip to see the Father, and hope he isn't singing today. I want to talk to the nurses about how he's been, if non-communicative is the rule, I may reduce the frequency of my visits (which aren't very frequent anyway).
I feel a bit lazy, so I'm going to have breakfast at a gas station (no, I haven't lost my mind, there's a gas station that has a cafe in Hindsville, Anderson's, which employees that used to work at the once renowed 'Valley Inn' (movie made even) in downtown Hindsville...so excellent cooking) on the way. I need to time arrival at the assisted living about 9:30 though, so I can't actually get going from here till about 8, or I'll have no cool place to go while waiting.
The heat and the forecast is depressing me, I just hope the next month passes quickly (yes Moni, I know...wishing my life away). Despite my whining, it hasn't been a bad year, the electric bill I authorized yesterday was the first over $100 (121 I think) of this year. Hopefully only one more of those (now through mid August) though.

Danny I used to work in a gas station cafe. I loved it. I still remember many customers and what they ate.

H/J, I get the best chiggers relief from the aloe Vera gel with lidocaine in it, sold for sunburn. Aloe Vera is cooling and lidocaine anesthetizes the itch.

Really cool that Danny and Moni got to meet. Ron's been working in the garden since it's been relatively cool this week. I feel guilty, but I really don't want to be outside. I need to go out and water pots. And get him to water the front pots.

Dreading what's coming? I guess you're talking about higher temps? Yep, not happy about it either. I like the pizza and wine idea and think that's for dinner.

OH--by the way. We had the absolute WORST beef last night. Uh oh. I unfairly blasted White Oak Pastures. Was just now reading what they have to say about preparing their meat. Ooops . I'll keep the rest and do as they suggest. I feel horrible and hope none of you read my remarks.

I'm having fits, friends, about sucky internet (via Windstream). Every blasted summer. The only other option here is Vyve. I called them Monday, July 5, to change to them and got a message saying they were closed for the holiday. I didn't take that as a good omen and so haven't called them back.

Yes, what a great surprise, for Lori AND Danny. You should have swung buy here, too, and Tulsa! Great pictures, Moni. I was happily single for 30 years and loved traveling by myself.

I would like to think it's the heat and forecast that has me down, but I kinda think that's the least of it. And speaking of doing no work outside, Amy, that'd be me of late. And once one lets the weeds get away from one, that's all she wrote.

Garry's bummed because the lake is still too high. In fact it crested yesterday. Surely it will drop next week.

Rats, our Meot Jaeng squash didn't come back true this year. Bummed. I'll cut another one open and try it out. The last ones were too big and I tossed them.

I'm proud to say my ribeyes (first one I cooked was about 2-3 weeks ago) from my 1/4 side of beef were like butter ;) (sorry Nancy)

Hahaha! Grass fed? Aged? OH! One more producer over closer to OKC! Regina and her husband! Find them on Facebook at 800 Oaks Farm & Ranch.

I forgot to mention last night that I have swallowtail caterpillars on the dill! I didn't have a chance to check in on them today.

Nancy, I'm sorry you're feeling down. And I'm sorry the meat you purchased sucks.

Amy, so far the chiggers have been tolerable. Not wonderful but they're not bothering me too badly. I am really worn out tonight--more than usual in the summer---and I wonder if I'm a little "sick" from the bites. I don't know. Maybe it's from staying outside all day yesterday and working so hard. I'm younger than a few of you, but I'm no spring chick either. I forget that often. I think I was a little dehydrated from yesterday.

New dog issue. Josi is obsessed with flies in the house. We don't have a lot of them, but if we have even one, she can't settle down. She snaps at them, throws herself into walls and furniture and TVs and it is very annoying. I'm trying hard to kill everyone that finds its way in. She never did this before Kane died.

Maybe I need a vacation. Nancy, maybe you need a vacation. Something relaxing and no responsibilities for a short time. Just rest and relaxation. Existing in a beautiful setting for awhile.

I do love my home so much. But, currently it's not so relaxing. There's always something to do and a critter than needs attention. I enjoy that so much....but maybe it's good to take a break every once in awhile. Even the night we stayed downtown was so nice. No one to feed or water. No one on my legs as I'm trying to sleep. Just rest...and watching the cars from my hotel window.

Well, yes, it was nice to meet Danny, and to see Lori. Such a fun trip I had overall. I need to do this more often.

Danny I hope your visit with your dad went well.

Rick I laughed out loud for your opening post.

Jennifer I forgot my black beans too... and are you sure, we can't plant some now?

Moni

Yes, it went better, he was non-stop, then I told him to shut up a minute because I wanted to talk and we did. I told him my news and we talked about the older dog (Rags) a bit. It's better to talk than to hear him rant.

Nancy, the guy in the photo with you...who is he ? I noticed he's not smiling, what's that about? :)

Today is Jasper's 12 week vaccinations. One more month and I can probably take him for walks (where other dogs are/have been, Parvo contaminated possibly). I look forward to taking him to a creek/stream and see him in action (without the mud, hopefully). Then when it cools down, we will be visiting off-leash areas (yah). Depending on how I feel about him and his recall (likely with an Aussie, he will not allow me out of his sight) when it cools a bit (and maybe less ticks), we will venture out into the National Forest for some fun.

Nancy, all the Korean summer squash are hybrids.

I hadn't seen many bugs when I'd been out, so I asked Ron if he'd seen many. I guess there are plenty when you're working out there. I described a cucumber beetle to him and he said he saw one. However, when I watered the potted plants there were NOT any pollinators. A mud dobber showed up for water. The beautiful heather queen agastsche has no leaves! I suppose that is a grasshopper. I saw one blister beetle, on the grass just outside the pot area. Things aren't blooming as well as last year. I think they need fertilizer.

We've frozen 2 gallons of green beans. That may be enough for the 2 of us. I'd been debating pulling up what we've got and replanting for fall. Ron was not excited about that. Maybe I'll use that spot for beets and turnips and carrots. The cucumbers are also in that bed and they're not looking great. We have too many tomatoes. Ron cooked kale yesterday and it was too tough. I need to start some indoors. And lettuce and spinach. SESE blog said it was too late to start broccoli. I don't know about that, unless we have a polar vortex in October.

Is Danny's yard behind you in the pictures?

As I was reading about your dog and flies, H/J, one of mine snapped at one. He doesn't chase them, but he'll kill them if he can.

The weeds are depressing. And Nancy doesn't need to crawl on the ground and hurt her hip. I was wondering if the native insects might LIKE the grass in that bed. I might have to turn Ron loose on it.

I'm just rambling. Have a nice weekend.

Amy, I would be fine if she would just snap at them if they came near her. Unfortunately she is obsessed with them. She sits and looks for them with a crazed look on her face. It's how she looks for rabbits when we're walking. I put her outside this morning while I clean.

We just started broccoli seed this week. It's already popped up. I don't think it's too late, Amy. I agree with you.

Grasshoppers are pretty bad here. I've been killing them when I can....and I hate killing them for some reason, but do it.

Thanks for sharing your pictures, Danny and Moni.

I'm trying to move Diana's food/water bowls and litter box out of the 3rd bedroom. I'm tired of them being in there. I need them to be in the utility room with the other cat stuff. However, she's being resistant to even the food and water being moved. Haven't even tried the litterbox yet. It's a slow process.

I forgot to mention that I finally got a (true) chipdrop yesterday. It's funny because a couple of weeks ago, a chipdrop ad showed up on my feed, People were commenting they've been waiting for weeks/month...I mentioned that I've been waiting 4 years. I wasn't rude about it....just sorta LOLish.

And they showed up. It is funny how some people sign up and get a drop the next day and others (like me) wait for 4 years.

I'm hoping to get the chips put down on the paths in the KG before my second job starts again. It does look a lot better since the partial weeding. I feel pleased about it.

Anyway, this house isn't going to clean itself.

Our youngest likes to snap at the flies, or "sky raisins". Good. One less to breed more of the little buggers. I just keep telling him to leave the spicy sky raisins alone (bees & wasps).

My tomato plants look bad. I think whatever virus they had earlier is the culprit. I thought it was just the wet weather, but now 2 are almost completely dead & 2 others are close to it. I'm going to have to go back to planting them in the ground.

And my sister's pumpkins died. Pretty sure SVB based off of how fast they wilted. Because everything's so close I won't let her use pesticides, so she's getting annoyed with my attitude that "it's a garden, they have bugs".

HJ, my swallowtails disappeared on me. Not sure if they went into their cocoons & I just never saw them, but one day they were devouring my dill & the next the 4 big ones were gone. I moved the little one to a carrot & it hung around a couple days, then it disappeared. Hopefully they moved on to more plentiful restaurants, but I was hoping to watch one of them transform.

My picture of Danny and me is in his back yard, in front of some liatris, while his picture is in the front, asiatic lilies behind us. :)

An alternative site for fall planting dates;

https://www.okcbeautiful.com/sites/okcbeautiful2/uploads/documents/Approximate_Planting_Dates_for_Central_OK.pdf

After you clear out those waist high weeds of course.

.

Rick

Haha, Rick. Of course. But Amy thinks I shouldn't be crawling around on the ground. Now, theoretically, while some of them ARE waist high and I shouldn't have to crawl on the ground to reach them, still need to grab them at the bottom to uproot 'em.

I guess I'm in no big hurry to write this and post it since I have no internet again. Vyve, here we come. One of my friends said she didn't want to hear me whining any more since she told me to change and I haven't yet. I told her that my saying I didn't have internet wasn't actually whining. But she said she could hear the whine in my typewritten words. Is that possible? I am losing it and rambling.

Jennifer. . . . no way could I squish a grasshopper. I can if I use a fly swatter, but that's about the only way. There were 10-15 lined up on the deck rail yesterday and I couldn't resist--grabbed the can of wasp killer we had left over from the old days and blasted them.

Check out our snake gourd! (I ran into town yesterday to see one of the kids I've become fond of. She has now been adopted by her adult sister (what a blessing for her), who lives in OKC, so won't be in Wagoner often.) While visiting, we checked out the garden and these were among the new items I saw. I jumped the gun and took this one so I could show the kids in the classrooms. I will leave the rest on the vine until this fall.

I'll try again.

Jen, I haven't been out to the kitchen garden in a couple of days. Maybe the caterpillars are still there. I'm hoping to have time to water everything tomorrow evening and look over it all.

I did see a beautiful black swallowtail on Thursday. It was interested in the scarlet sage, but when I went out to observe it, it left.

We got M & M all moved in. I fixed up a "first breakfast in your new home" housewarming basket: my homemade blackberry jelly, english muffins, our eggs, some turkey bacon, juice, and some treats for their "boys". They have two dogs that are their children: Nico and Milo. I hope they enjoy their breakfast tomorrow.

Stella comes in tomorrow afternoon. I'll just be getting in from work. I didn't get the house completely "prepared" but it looks and feels mostly good.

Pet issues continue.

You know how everyone says declawed cats have behavioral problems and how cruel and horrible their lives are if they get declawed? In the past (before I learned it was cruel), my kittens were always declawed. Not one of them had a behavioral problem. They could climb fences, trees, even houses. They were happy. Didn't have food issues or litterbox issues. My current cats all have their claws. They have behavioral problems.

One of my momma hens was attacked by another momma hen. Blossom's eye is swollen and her face looks horrible. Her baby slipped into Stormy's side of the kennel. Blossom went over the barrier to get her baby. I found them fighting. Both chicks are fine. Blossom and her baby are back in the chick brooder so that Blossom's face can be kept clean. Blossom's baby is the one who had the torn "armpit" earlier.

I think B is better today. I brought her in yesterday and today to treat her face and give her yogurt--probiotics, protein and calcium.

I've really messed up this year with hen/chick "apartments". I have plans for a broody hen/chick apartment complex. I would like 6 (3 on one side and 3 on the other) broody boxes with removeable lids. Each box would have an attached small pen done right with proper hardware cloth.

Although, next year I'm not planning on doing so many broody hens. I have a feeling it's because I let the first ones go so long and others jumped on the bandwagon.

The two broody hens were moved to the extra dog kennel today. They hated it. It's not completely secure so they were put back into the main coop tonight to sleep. They immediately jumped off the roost bar and went to their nests. No eggs, though. I guess, we'll continue this until hopefully they give up.

The temperature makes me cranky. All coops/brooders have fans.

Tomorrow starts a new week.