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Sunday, October 15, 2017

Another flower, and a bug

Our neighbor Ann pulled into the driveway yesterday and tooted the horn. No, she was not carrying a shoe box with a baby bunny this time, she had a flower cutting...
prettiest thing I've ever seen! This picture does not do it justice. Heavy clusters of dark red berries, and white blooms, both!! "I don't remember where I bought it or what it's called", she said. 


So, I've been on line looking and it looks like, "Cardinal Candy Viburnum". I've simply got to have one. Wonder if it is the wrong time of year to root a cutting??

Anyhow, I woke up this morning with puffy eyes...


from working inside the chicken house. What a mess. Cobwebs strung from one side to the other, full of feathers and dust. I went in with the broom and rake and fresh straw. 


The guineas watched from the grapevine posts, but chickens...


they are curious and nosy, and in the middle of everything. They scattered the clean hay as soon as it hit the floor.

Did you notice little Weetie standing guard just outside the fence? She will not leave my side, and I honestly think she would tackle a bear, trying to protect me.

Oh, and speaking of chickens...I had the big idea of turning them out. Out to eat grass and roam around the pond, and down the dirt path. But friends, these 20 chickens, within 30 minutes, tore up a year's worth of my hard work. They wandered nowhere! but scratched all the mulch and pine straw from under and around every shrub and flower bed in the yard. They left no stone unturned!  Poppy said, "told you so". "I knew you were making a mistake".


I was thinking, with the leaves falling and the grass dying from the dry weather, what harm could the hens do. Well, here they were just getting started.

Noticed none of the chickens ate this stinging worm from off the chicken house door...
a strange looking creature. Googled it and found out, this is a Banded Tussock moth, Halysidota tessellaris. 

Oh, have I mentioned that the NC State Fair opened last Thursday? Shelby and I are planning to be there when the gates open on Tuesday morning!! 

We so look forward to this day. It's been a whole year! You may remember how much I wanted to ride the hobby horses last year, but didn't. Well this year, Shelby and I are seriously going to ride...first thing, or right after we eat our first ear of corn dipped in butter. There will be pictures, if I can get up on one of the horses...and back down, without breaking something. 

Love,
Henny










22 comments:

  1. That plant is beautiful. But I love your chickens... they are such fun to watch... running about, checking out stuff. Glad they had enough sense not to eat that stinging worm. My daughter lets hers free roam during the day, but locks them into their pen at night. Have fun at the fair! And take pics to share.

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  2. Those chickens meant business. I bet they had fun. Amazing how they know what not to eat. Do come home from the fair in one piece, please.

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  3. Where has the tie gone, another year flown by. Have fun at the fair and enjoy precious time with your family.

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  4. The chickens are sure enjoying the flower beds :) Thank you for sharing Henny :)

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  5. Those darn chickens make a lot of work for you as a reward for letting them roam!!
    How's the baby bunny doing? Cinnamon Bun managed to pull some styrofoam insulation off the ceiling of her sleeping compartment. I saw a lot of small pieces; I'm hoping she didn't actually eat any. She likes to chew but when I give her twigs she ignores them.
    Have loads of fun at the fair with your dear sister.

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  6. That is why a lot of people use chickens on their compost piles, I think. They are good at stirring them up. Sorry they messed up your hard work.
    I see yard chickens around a lot when we are out driving. They are always spread out. No idea what that means.

    Enjoy the fair!

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  7. I hear the NC state fair is pretty cool

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  8. I would love to go to the NC fair, but we live too far away. We have some sort of regional fair out here near the coast. Perhaps we will go?
    Chickens really do decimate any area they have. I would never turn them out into any garden of any sort that I cared of. Your chickens are so very pretty and healthy looking. Have fun with that buttery corn! Yummy.

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  9. Everything sounds like lots of fun! That viburnum is pretty-I might have the same up here, or similar. It grows next to the old dog house, and it is the very first plant to bloom in the early spring, a sight for sore winter eyes. Used to have chickens, yes they make a mess, wherever they are, it's nice to have fresh eggs. Cute little Weetie, a good dog. I would compost the chicken manure and bedding to use in my garden, some years ago.

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  10. diane in northern wisOctober 15, 2017 at 5:23 PM

    Ride Em Cowboy Henny and Shelby. Can't wait to see those pictures! That sweet corn sounds great and if it was me, I'd have to have a funnel cake too! Have lots of fun. Love that beautiful flower at the beginning of your blog...so pretty. Those chickens, sure cause you a lot of work.

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  11. Oh my! I love the plant it is beautiful. I am sorry the chickens made a mess in the yard. I wish you lived closer to me and shared the eggs. I eat a lot of eggs. I hope you and aunt Shelby have a great time at the fair. Enjoy all the yummy food and the Merry Go Round

    Love you bunches

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  12. Buttered corn on the cob? Sounds better than all that fried twinkies and such that some fairs have. Hope you girls have fun. As for the chickens, everyone needs a little freedom sometime, and I bet they ate a lot of bugs for you.

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  13. Those darn chickens! Have fun at the fair!! :)

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  14. Hi Henny,
    Have fun!! Looking forward to hearing all about your time at the fair.
    Carla

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  15. Have fun on that carousel. That's about all I will ride at a fair-------all the rest are too scary!

    Be sure to take your camera------all of us will want pictures. Especially one of you getting on that horse!

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  16. That is a wonderful plant1
    Chickens do love to scratch. They obviously had a very good time!

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  17. Too bad the chickens messed up all your hard work, but it seems like they enjoyed themselves. : )
    Have fun at the fair and I hope you do get to ride the hobby horses!! Will be nice to see a picture of you on it. : )

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  18. Henny, I had the same problem, I mulched the roses with some nice mulch and fixed little cages around some of the roses; along came the little wild turkey band that lives inside my neighborhood, quite a crowd of 8 or 10, and all that mulch and hard work gone in about 10 minutes! I didn't know what they would do to hunt for food, but now I do! I love the beautiful flower bouquet, too! Have a good time at the fair...XO Terry

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  19. How fun to go to the fair! You're a good hard worker, Henny. I hope you have a wonderful time and eat lots of tasty treats.

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  20. Stories like these make me think twice about whether I want to get chickens or not. Fresh eggs sound wonderful, but I guess they come with a price, LOL. Looking forward to your Fair Photos. Have fun!
    Connie :)

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  21. I love your chickens, Henny! Sorry your eyes are bothering you. I hope you have a wonderful time at the fair!
    Donna

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