April 13th (Friday!)

Another Friday the thirteenth.
Its not a mystery.
Any month that starts on a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th.
And....
There is at least one every year,
but can be up to three.
While the superstition with the number 13 and Fridays,
goes back to before the middle ages,
it seems to be mostly attributed to the Knights Templar.
On a Friday, October 13, 1307 to be exact,
Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of them and most were imprisoned or killed.
Thus began the superstitions surrounding that particular date.
So......
I'll be extra careful today......

But, for me
Today is another milestone of sorts.
Its been a year since I started my Chicken Scratch blog!
Yay!    🎉

And..... a year since we got our first egg from Pepper!

 

Now, the girls are producing quite well.

Its like a chicken assembly line.

They still wait for the choice coop boxes to lay an egg.

The rest line up or pace outside clucking loudly at the hens in the "box".

I picked up 3 eggs so far today.

This is Lucy, as curious as ever.

She was the baby that fell asleep in my lap.

Now, she'll follow us around wherever we go.

She still likes to be patted.

This is Hazel.

My other curious girl.

She is always underfoot too.

 

Everybody is clucking loudly at the Mourning Doves that have crashed their party.

They tolerate some feathered friends,

and

others, not so much.

The Mallard couple is tolerated today.

Don't know if that will be the same tomorrow.

Chickens are fickle.

and bitchy.

😜

I still haven't found a nest of duck eggs.

Last year the Mama duck abandoned the nest and we had to

put her eggs in the garbage because they rotted.

They just keep coming here for the free lunch.

Obviously, they don't know economics.....

We had kinda hoped that Mama Mallard would utilize our coop,

but that's not gonna happen.

She won't even go all the way inside the coop.

They'll both drink from one of the water feeders that's just inside the entrance to the coop,

but hurry back out ASAP.

 

The CEO was just digging and found some worms.

Jackpot!

A movable feast!

Or

maybe I should say a

wiggly feast!

He hand fed them to the girls,

but Hazel prefers to steal the bounty

right out of her sisters beaks.

Sneaky!

 

Sandy is camped out in the coop.

I guess it's her turn to get "broody".

Hens tend to do that from time to time.

It's like my Mom always said

"Sit, or get off the pot!"

(well,

not exactly those words.....)

anyway,

She gets squawky when we check under her for eggs.

She puffs up her feathers

 and

tries to make herself look bigger than she is.

She's even been known to peck at us.

It doesn't hurt, but she think she's being a tough old bird!

 

These are dahlias. They're about the size of a small plate.

Not a particularly fragrant flower.

Actually,

it kinda stinks,

but the bloom is spectacular!

 

Gardenias!

Now, this is a very fragrant flower.

I love them!

more of our Louisiana Irises are blooming.

They actually bloom in our yard, twice a year.

And this is my "rescued" chrysanthemums.

They are beginning to bloom too.

They will be yellow.

Goes well with yellow blooming sedum.

 

This is a pot near the front door.

There are coleus and sweet potato vines.

And...

"Say aloe to my little friend.'

Another "rescue" plant.

(We are either given the half dead plants,

or

buy them at less than half price because they are dying.)

I should call it my Lazarus garden.

 

This is a sunflower. We have many in the yard.

It's leftovers from the chicken feed.

Can't wait to see what kind it is!

Surrounding it is spearmint.

The "Salad Garden"

Kale, butterhead lettuce, romaine, curlyleaf and bibb.

Artichoke.

We only have 3.

They didn't fare well in the frosts during the winter.

At least they didn't die.

Hoping for a good crop from them.

Our pineapple plants didn't make it,

and

The mandarin tree isn't looking so healthy since the frost either,

so,

we clipped away the dead branches and

are hoping for the best.

Yes!

Blueberries!

We have 6 bushes.

Hoping to get a decent harvest from them this year.

Kumquat tree.

Its trying to rally since the frosts, but it still looks sparce.

All the dead areas were clipped like the other fruit trees.

 

We have so much more in our garden and, quite literally,

I don't have the time nor space to elaborate on it.

As, the season progresses,

 I hope to dry more herbs,

can some veggies,

make some soap,

make bread,

and

make jelly.

As I do, I'll include pictures and recipes.

It's easy.

If it wasn't,

I could certainly never accomplish it!

 

 

 

 

And to leave you with parting advice......

truer words were never spoken......

 

 

 

 

 

Remember.......

compost and recycle

whenever you can!