14 Baby Chicks!!!!

We knew the hen was sitting on a bunch of eggs near our compost pile as she almost got her head chopped off by the weed eater a few weeks ago. Had Mario not been so vigilant and seen her sitting,  motionless, under a patch of weeds he could have whacked her. Instead he fixed up her area and we all have been waiting and wondering when she would proudly show up with her young chicks. 

Well, yesterday was the day. I went out to check and there they all were. I couldn't count all the chicks but today I did and it looks like there are 14 of them!!!! How in the world will she be able to cover that many chicks when they start to get bigger? We'll find out. She's a fierce mother, having tried to attack me yesterday when I put some baby chick food out in front of her brood. Today they are all safe in our little baby chick area; safe from hawks for the time being.

In the general gloominess of the bad weather and the growing season getting off to a very slow start, it's hopeful to see the new brood. At the same time we hope we don't have another hidden nest of 14 more somewhere in the yard!!!

 

Sick of the Cold/ Freezing Weather

I have to get used to this blogging. It's been more than a month since my blogging debut! 

I am so sick of this cold, freezing weather. Up until today, we had been awakened  almost daily at around 3AM by  the wind machines that surround our house.  That doesn't bother me; I can go right back to sleep. It's the thought of all of our beautiful fruits and vegetables being subject to this weather. We should have had strawberries weeks ago but still are waiting for the great onslaught of rich, ripe fruit. 

Up until the tomatoes and summer squash were planted last week, the susceptible fruits and vegetables: the baby berries and asparagus tips kept freezing. This was a loss we could take as it wasn't worth the cost of putting the sprinklers on and we knew they would eventually come back when the weather improved. Last week the tomatoes and summer squash had to be transplanted and so, with the freezing temperatures, Wayne has been getting up at 3AM to go to the field, turn on the sprinklers and protect the baby plants. It seems to have worked. 

Here's a picture of a small tomato plant with ice crystals on it.