Oh my goodness! This is the longest I've stayed away. I don't have much to post this morning, but wanted you to know that I am still around. You were probably hoping I had taken my silly blog and disappeared. But no, not yet. :)
This picture was taken Sunday night. Thinking it was unusual that Lucille and her baby were sleeping on the ground, I ran inside and got the spotlight. Could there be a snake or some predator hiding in the little bantam's home. Nope, nothing. I picked up a stick and moved the hay around to be sure. Nothing.
Lucille's little hillbilly looking husband Festus was on the roost next to the box, like normal. I felt a little uneasy but decided everything looked okay. Maybe Lucille wanted to sleep on the ground with the baby under her wing.
Out early Monday morning with my feed bucket I was absolutely devastated to fine the baby missing. Totally missing, without so much as a trace. Why did I leave them? Poppy brought his gun out and searched every crack and crevice, but found nothing. If it was a snake, it will come back said Poppy...I'll get him!
We also lost five new born baby guineas last week...or the guinea parents lost them. Better move on and try to cheer up. I could still cry over all this.
This was Eli and Smokey playing on the bed yesterday. Looks like Smokey wanted to nap and Eli wanted to play.
We are really needing rain. The teeny tiny garden is dry as a bone, but still producing. I have picked pan after pan of big red ripe tomatoes, but the tomatoes are not that good this summer. Seriously, the tomatoes are too watery tasting.
The yard long beans and the okra have been the best vegetables so far. I have thoroughly enjoyed these long beans stir fried in olive oil and garlic. I hope to grow them again next year.
It's looking a little cloudy now. Maybe there is a shower coming. That's about it for now. Suppose it will take me a while to visit and catch up reading all my favorite blogs. Hope to be back real soon. Thank you for visiting.
Love,
Henny
I've had the pleasure of company for the last three days...Cousin Pat. That right. The same Pat who gave us her treasured old cupboard that graces our little front porch and Pat is the artist who painted the picture of Bickett.
Pat and I had fun shopping. A thrift store downtown had a bag sale. Five dollars for all the clothes you could pack into the bag. Now I can pack a bag! I came home with lots of new old clothes to wash and iron. Even had to clear the closet of all the even older clothes that I no longer wear.
Once again I am behind in posting and reading posts.
Just minutes ago Eli and I walked out the front door and right into a deer. She was helping herself to water from the birdbath...
Drinking from the birdbath is fine with me. I am however a little leery of wild animals that are not afraid of people. She stood there several minutes drinking, raising her head, and drooling into the birdbath. She looked up but made no attempt to run, even after Eli growled and barked...
When she had finished her drink she wandered slowly over to the raggedy old well and hung around for a while. Are deer ever rabid?
Eli and I decided to go through the house and out the back door for our short walk.
This hillbilly couple...reckon they will ever amount to anything...
In town yesterday I mailed out a sample of the chicken feed that Popeye, Olive, and Sweet Pea were eating before they died. Once the testing is done and I hear back from the manufacturer, I will post the results.
The trees and plants have lost their fresh spring green and are looking older and worn here in the middle of August. The yard is blah. The Joe Pye weed is attracting lots of butterflies and bees...
and, for the first time ever I have a Rose of Sharon in bloom...
The Impatients are still blooming. The first bit of cold will take these out though. Someone once said that Impatients are so sensitive to the cold that you could kill them by sitting your glass of iced tea beside them...
I want more flowers and a prettier yard next year. Something to look forward to and dream about, I suppose.
Thank you if you have managed to stick around this long. Thank you for visiting.
Love,
Henny Penny
The new Bantam couple have settled nicely into their new home...
Chicken silhouette...
The little country couple moved in last Sunday. I didn't really want more Bantams because there could never be another little Popeye and Olive. However, since these were a gift from a friend, what could I say but thank you.
These two are more countrified than Popeye and Olive were. In fact, they act plum backward, like they've never been around people before. They have spent their entire lives in a cage with a wire bottom. This pen must be heaven to them. The little rooster was not able to fly up on this roost Sunday night so yesterday I built this ladder for them...
Look at these legs. Think I will call him "Festus" and her "Lucille"...
Poor babies. We will soon be best friends. I hope no harm comes to them. Poppy and I still have no idea what killed the others.
At the edge of dark I was out in the driveway with the camera. I was watching the bats swooping and diving to catch insects. Poppy said I was out wasting the batteries in the camera...but look, I caught one...
I will say good night now. Thank you for stopping by.
Love,
Henny Penny
Just yesterday I was telling you about putting an egg under Olive, the little Bantam hen. Well look what I found when I went out this evening to gather the eggs...
Yes, a proud mama, and she waited a long time for this baby chick...
A surprise for Eli. A $10.00 bone from Poppy...
Not a peep was heard out of Eli for at least two hours. Had to spread an old sheet on the living room floor to help catch the grease and crumbs.
Poppy and I will probably have to re-do every room in the house once this big puppy grows up. The fat leather sofa we've enjoyed for several years now is totally scratched. Eli lays on his back on that sofa and looks like he's doing the back stroke and he has lots of toe nails to scratch with!
Eli and I stretched out on this old iron bed out on the back porch yesterday afternoon. I had been mowing up around the garden and was simply worn out. Trouble is, Eli and his teddy bear take up most of the room and Eli wanted to play, not rest. Needless to say, I was back on my feet pretty fast.
Mostly wanted to show you the new baby. :) Thank you for visiting.
Love,
Henny
Dear Friends,
The new lot is finished and the bantams are moved in!! It's SO NICE to be able to walk into their lot. In fact, being in the lot, I noticed the little grey hen's leg and foot. It looked just awful!! All crusty, swollen, and two of her tiny toes were about to fall off, seriously! It's somewhat visible in the picture. Her left foot.
Everything I read sounded like "scaly leg mite". I had no idea how serious this can be . A burrowing mite causes raised encrusted scales on the legs and toes. If left untreated their toes can actually fall off.
Southern States, our local farm supply store, recommended using "Vet Rx". After applying the "Vet Rx" only twice, her condition has improved!
That old bantam lot was awful (guess who designed it)!! I had to crawl in and still couldn't get my hands on the chickens or even see them very well. The old lot is torn down and every board, nail, piece of wire, and the dog house put back in it's place!!!!
On a brighter note, I want to show you the lettuce growing in the greenhouse...I've never had any luck growing lettuce.
If you've managed to read this far, thank you. I can be pretty boring...
Love, Henny Penny
Dear friends,
I totally lost all track of time yesterday. It was a little before 10:00 a.m. when I went out to finish putting wire on the new lot. At 4:30 Poppy pulled into the driveway and I was still at it!!! It must be the Virgo in me, but I cannot leave anything undone once I've started it!!! I drive myself crazy!!!
Here's a picture. We had to build using the back and side of the chicken house, and fence posts, as the base. Nothing is square. We made it work though...
This is a side view. I don't really like using this dog house..plastic..yuk!! There was no way to get the heavy wooden house in here. I need to figure some way to build a small wooden house. I dare not mention that right now!!!
Maybe use materials from tearing down the other lot???!!
Going to town this morning. When I get home I will bring the bantams to their new, spacious home..Can't wait. Now I can get more bantams!
See you soon!
Love, Henny Penny
Happy Birthday to my special Lynn. Lets see, how old are you today!!! :0
Dear Friends,
Guess who came out, with level in hand, to check out the new lot??? That's right. Dear, sweet Poppy!!
I did get a brief lecture about being sure this is where I want the lot!!! "Mel, you need to put some thought into these things...look at the time and work we put into building that other lot...now it's got to be torn down!!" I said, "I know, and I promise not to do this again if you'll just help me get going here with these heavy boards!!!" We got this much done!!
Not fancy, but it will work!
The next step is putting up new chicken wire. Then Poppy said he would help me with the tin roof.
This dead tree was standing in our way. We finally got it to fall...The chickens had a feast while we worked!!
Spring is right around the corner. This Spirea (button bush), (a sprout from my sister's yard), is almost in full bloom!! The temperature is supposed to drop into the low 20's tonight though, with another full week of cold weather predicted!!!
Love, Henny Penny
This picture was taken Sunday night. Thinking it was unusual that Lucille and her baby were sleeping on the ground, I ran inside and got the spotlight. Could there be a snake or some predator hiding in the little bantam's home. Nope, nothing. I picked up a stick and moved the hay around to be sure. Nothing. 
Lucille's little hillbilly looking husband Festus was on the roost next to the box, like normal. I felt a little uneasy but decided everything looked okay. Maybe Lucille wanted to sleep on the ground with the baby under her wing.
This was Eli and Smokey playing on the bed yesterday. Looks like Smokey wanted to nap and Eli wanted to play.
The yard long beans and the okra have been the best vegetables so far. I have thoroughly enjoyed these long beans stir fried in olive oil and garlic. I hope to grow them again next year.
