December 20th

Today is Snow Fortress Building Day, not happening in southeast Louisiana.
It's also Polar Bear Bathing Day.
Ok, neither of these work for me.

So, I checked my trusty internet and these are actual Holidays for today:
Cathode Ray Tube Day
Dot Your "I's" Day
Games Day
Go Caroling Day
National Sangria Day
Sacagawea Day

I have no idea where people come up with the need for a yearly observance of these but, I can get behind the National Sangria Day!
Unfortunately, not a bottle of it in the house.
So, I guess I'll have to wait till next to celebrate.

Crazy weather here. One week its at the freezing mark and the next its in the '70's and the AC is on.
The plants didn't like it.

taken 12/14

The mirlitons are doing ok,

but some of the leaves are dying from the cold last week.

 

 

taken 12/14 

These are the pineapples.

The actual plant looks fine, but the leaves didn't fare too well.

 

taken 12/8. 

This is what the ground looked like.

It melted and then re-froze.

 

 

taken 12/20

The kumquat tree is doing just fine.

 

 

On the family front.......

Our oldest Granddaughter graduated from college. We are so very proud of her!

Yay! Love her so much!

Seems like yesterday that she was just a tiny thing.........

Time flies.

 

In five days it'll be Christmas. I can't believe how fast this year has flown.

Then, 2018 will be upon us .

2018.

Never thought I'd make it this far......

Feeling old.

 

 

The chickens don't care.

About the new year,

About us getting older,

As long as they can eat, drink and poop....... they are happy

 

this is Ethel, Sandy, Henny, Hazel, Pepper and Nugget

 

this is Lucy and Pepper

 

 

All the girls, except one, is laying eggs.

Hazel is the culprit.

She lays our pretty blue eggs.

None from her in weeks.

Hens are creatures of habit and anything that disrupts their little world can be cause for egg reduction.

Hazel is our high strung, flighty girl.

She doesn't like to be petted, never did.

 

Chicken 101

Some causes for decreased egg production:

1) Temperature - as I've said, the weather has been crazy with up and down temps.

2) Molting - all of the girls have been molting in one stage or another for a few months now.

3) Less Daylight - as the sun goes down earlier so does egg production.

4) Predators - there has been no issues with this.

5) Lack of food/water - nope, not an issue either.

I'm gonna chalk it up to the fact that Hazel is a diva.

She will lay when she's good and ready to, and not a minute more.

Santa doesn't like moody hens.

Maybe we'll put coal in her stocking.

That'll teach her!