February 19th

Well hello there!

It's always inquisitive Pepper.

She loves to have her picture taken.

The girls following me as I check 

the veggie beds.

Nugget

She's pecking at the broccoli leaves.

You'd think she'd have better

sense than to jam her head in 

between the wire.

Last year her comb got caught.

Goofy girl!

Nugget eyeballing me

when I told her to get away.

They never listen...

Hazel, Pepper and Nugget

having a morning snack.

A funny thing happened on the way to the coop.

A stray cat,

 one I've never seen before,

was walking along the top of the wooden fence.

He was a big-faced, all black cat,

quite a bit larger than the girls.

I went out to patrol the area because

I was wary of him being a potential predator.

Now,

our girls are cat savvy, 

by that I mean they can handle themselves

 with the neighborhood felines,

as evidenced by the incessant

"hen pecking" of the small calico cat.

(No, he doesn't seem to get the message,

yes, he keeps coming back,

and the chickens keep pecking him,

bless his simple little heart)

Anyway,

Hazel was busily scooping out bugs

from the grass when the large cat jumped

down from the fence near her.

She squawked and flew up into the air!

(Well, she didn't get much lift,

cuz she's fat, so...)

She flew up in fright but

 came down in fury!

Her squawking brought all "the girls to the yard".

They immediately assessed the situation 

and fanned out to encircle the cat.

Their feathers puffed out, their necks were

held high and they froze in that position.

I was expecting them to whip

out switchblades and have

a West Side Story style dance beatdown!

It was like Custer at Little Big Horn!

Like Rambo!

Like mad as hell chickens....

The cat, assessing the intelligence of 

landing in the middle of this unfortunate scene,

looked around toward me,

as if pleading

"Call off your hens!".

I, on the other hand, was in a

wait and see mode,

chilling on the patio with a cup of tea.

I knew those girls meant business,

and they were gonna make him an offer

he couldn't refuse.

The cat correctly presumed that since he was

on his own, retreat

was his only escape plan.

And, with a quick look around again,

he leaped up onto the fence

and beat it outta there,

licketysplit!

(always wanted to see that word in print)

Anyway.....

The chicken girls were still in 

attack formation in that weird

Children of the Corn - like,

semi-circle and for a couple seconds

they were very still and quiet,

then all hell broke loose!

 They all started clucking

to the top of their lungs,

as if to say...

"Take that cat!'

"And don't come back!"

But, I think there were actually some 

fowl words too....

And just like that,

the backyard was calm again.

**************************

Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli

Purple broccoli

Harvested Broccoli

for salad today.

White Broccoli

Leeks.

These are grown from

the ones we bought at the grocery.

Mint, oregano and thyme.

Pretty much everything in this picture

is a rescue.

The fence part, the bakers rack, the pots

and most of the plants.

Cool!

Patchouli,

because we like the smell

and it keeps mosquitos away.

Chrysanthemums

Red Dianthus with wild violets

Mother Aloe's flower stalk

Louisiana Iris about to bloom

Can't wait to see the color.

A piece of geranium I'm trying to root.

Ianceolata - 

or Egyptian Starcluster

Citronella,

another plant that

mosquitos don't like.

Smells like those coils at the drive-in!

A Ladybug and her

ahem.... 

Gentlemanbug,

having a little

afternoon delight.

L.O.L.

***************************************

Just a small list of stuff I don't get....

Bidet - why? 

I don't want a wet butt, Ill use

a wet wipe instead, thank you.

Anchovies,

on pizza.... why?

Who said "Oooh, lets put these

small salty slimy fish on pizza!"

Fragrance commercials,

why?

Who buys this stuff because of 

Johnny Depp in the desert scooping sand

and looking into the setting sun?

What does that smell like anyway?

and 

Toilet paper, diaper or feminine hygiene

commercials with blue water?

Why?

Blue stuff doesn't come outta

humans,

just sayin'