Rain and Hens

This past week or so has been very quiet here at Hrafinstaad. The rain keeps coming and coming which is good but it has kept us inside.In btween rain showers, Sol and I planted the spring greens,Chard,BokChoi,Spinach and a couple of kinds of Lettuces. The Peas I planted awhile ago have yet to poke their heads up.I am not expecting them for a couple of weeks.
Chance and I are still debating which trees to plant in the front. We saw Olive trees at the Urban Farm Store, unique yet I am not to sure.Personally I am leaning towards some fruit trees.I like the idea of our own fresh fruit right there in our yard. We are definitly finding a spot or two for some Tea trees. We have to move a couple of Rhodies from the now to sunny front and the Tea Trees would look nice in their spots,one on either side of our front window.
The now very sunny front is interesting.The front room is much warmer in the afternoons when the sun is hitting,fine for now it will save us the money for heat but we should think of what to do about the need for afternoon shade before we are roasting from the summer heat.If there was only a way to store up that unneeded heat for the winter months. I also now notice every bit of dust and bits of stuff on the floor in the front room. I am not a crazy neat freak but I do like things reasonably tidy.
Our Hens seem to be on strike.We have not had any eggs in about two weeks.Our neighbors are in the same boat so I suppose it has some thing to do with the weather.I don't remember them doing this before so who knows what they are up to.
The Chicks have been moved out to the shop.My allergies could not take it any more.Besides they were getting to be a bit loud doing whatever it is Chicks do in thier tub. I think this weekend we will move them out to a fenced off area in the coop in the back yard. The tub we have them in is getting small and the Chicks are quickly wanting to be Hens and be like Hens.
In my last posting I mentioned the Turken Chicks we saw at Urban Farm Store.Well we got to see some full grown Turkens roaming the loading dock at Linnton Feed Store. They really made my skin crawl. I am so glad we did not get any.To my eye there was something so very wrong with bright pink fleshie necks sticking out. Necks only Dracula could love.
One of the points of my blog is to debunk the myths about living here in the suburbs and the people who live here.So from time to time I plan to share stories about some of the great neighbors we have.
The first neighbor who's story I'd like to share is our neighbor we call Montana.Montana is not his name in fact I don't even know his actual name,sad since we have known each other for about 6 years now.Montana walks his dog daily by our house and we have had lots of good talks about all sorts of things,including his trips back and forth from his family cattle ranch in one of the Dakotas.A few years ago he and his wife lost their teen aged son in a car crash.To cope with their loss and to keep in touch with their son's friends they started a program called "Airn's House" At Airn's House everyone is welcome.They have activities from arts and crafts to sports.Montana and his wife also cook dinner for who ever is at the house every night.The hope behind Airn's House is to give the kids some place to be so they stay out of trouble. Since we have a neighborhood connection with Montana and indirectly with the going ons at Airn's House, Chance and I have decided to give our extra produce to them.We know they run on donations,volunteers and slim funds. This program is right here in our own neighborhood and benefits the youth in our area what better place to help.
Montana has also taken a piece of log from our Plumb Tree to plant in his own yard.He said he will plant the log and leave the shoots that were on it to stick out above ground. He also stopped by to ask if we were missing a hen from our flock since there was one hanging out in the field down the street. We then had a conversation about how there are now about 8 houses in the our pocket that have chickens. It seemed to spark a thought.Could it be that he will get chickens too?I hope so!
Spend sometime in your front yard and make the time to say hello to folks as they walk by.You never know who lives in your neighborhood and what they are up to.

Rois