Chicken Mysteries

Today, as I was making scalloped potatoes from our very own garden's potatoes and garlic, and the goat milk I milked, Grandpa called up to let us know one of the chickens was on the wrong side of the fence! Tim managed to heard her back into the hen house with not too much trouble. This evening when I went to check on the chickens, there were yet again not as many as I expected to see. The first time I looked around and counted less than 14, I looked up and was shocked to see some on the 6 foot high loft! How on earth did birds who make a big fuss about hopping up a couple feet manage to get all the way up there? But I accepted it, and tonight started my count with the loft. About 2 in the loft, 2 more on top of the nest boxes, 3 on the roosts where they are supposed to be... but that's only 7! Then I looked up and was utterly shocked by the site 10 feet or so above my head! I have found the rest of my chickens, though the secret is hardly solved. I wonder if they will continue sleeping up there as they get older? It is convenient having hens who can get in the loft as I have had to hide their food up there so the goats will stop breaking in and stealing it.

Other accomplishments this week:
- Grandpa picked 3 beautiful red tomatoes from our garden.
- I picked 2 gallons so far of black berries.
- Tim is still enjoying his job.
- Tilly is learning to do calm obedience work outside around the farm animals rather than race about biting (hopefully her ball) and stirring everyone up.
- I trimmed Tilly's nails and Oliver the Pig's hooves! It went much better than expected and no one cried much.
- All the garlic is now picked though it needs to go somewhere better for proper storage.
- Claire (our property-owning neighbor) and I took a pair of trimmers to the vegetative mass around the stairs. We had a great time chatting and working, though we tried not to go too crazy when we knew Neighbor Jim (her husband) would be coming by to inspect.
- Jim and Claire and Grandpa and Dee and Tim and I took the city bus and ferry across for a special dinner at Ivars.
- Tim has done an excellent job organizing his shop and labeling where everything goes. I helped by sorting all the bits by size and shape.
- We plumbed the barn! By plumbed I mean ran hose with various fittings and valves and splitters here and there.
- All of the chicken breasts have been eaten. Now I need to learn to cook (and eat) wings, drum sticks, and a whole lot of chicken soup. Breast meat is a little easier to eat than all those lungs and hearts and tracheas and feet...