October 11th

The ancient Greeks believed that opals gave their 

owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them

from diseases. The Europeans considered the stone

unlucky for anyone to wear if they weren't born

in October, and they thought the stone had the

power to preserve life and the color of blond hair.

Which brings me to the subject of today's post.

Today is my sister's birthday.

Just look at that little face!

She's such a cutie.

She is the only person who has been through

the same highs and lows as I have since

our beginning.

She has been my rock when I faltered.

She is the one who will always be there for me

even when I can't be there for myself.

She forgives my silliness and

champions my causes.

She would cheer me on to my greatest

heights and console me when I've fallen.

(But she'd laugh her butt off first!)

She bites her tongue when I've done 

something stupid when she could easily

say, "I told you so."

So, my earnest hope is that I die

before her because I never want to live 

in a world without her in it.

So, today I'm grateful because it means

another year of happiness and joy

for her.

(Yes, even in 2020!)

Happy Birthday to my sweet sister.

I love you!!! 💗

This could be us....

but no hats!

We have abnormally small heads.

Ha!

😂

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

The veggie garden

is only producing bell peppers

these days.

We have a few tomato plants

but they haven't produced any fruit yet.

We are starting some celery in yogurt cups.

The older celery died off in the heat,

so hopefully these will do well

once we plant them.

(I'm trying out a new font)

This is tarragon and Thai Basil

that I cut yesterday.

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

The CEO bought a bag of crickets

as a snack for the girls.

They are searching for them.

The crickets were very silent

so not to get caught and eaten,

but a couple seconds after they were

released they were chirping.

I came across this interesting snippet...

Here's a "did you know?" 

So, I looked it up...

On the NOAA weather site,

they actually have a 

Cricket Chirp Converter.

How freakin' cool is that?

Oh, and to chirp, they rub a specialized 

body part on the top of their wings

with their legs - but generally

only the males do this.

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

I got a new toy.

My Medicare supplement insurance

company gives us each a $50 dollar

quarterly stipend  for over the counter items.

This thermometer was calling out to me.

I think it was $9.

I had noticed it in the list of health

and wellness items and I grabbed it.

It takes a forehead, ear and ambient temperature.

It also speaks!

Oooh!

It made me as happy as a seagull

with a mouth full of french fries!!

I was taking the temperature of everything!

(The CEO wasn't too happy about

me taking his temperature several

different times 😁)

We comply with CDC guidelines

and wear masks!

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

This was the only casualty

from Hurricane Delta

at our house.

Thankfully.

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

The other day as I was coming home from

dropping the kids off at school in the morning,

I was driving parallel with the canal on 

West Esplanade Ave, between

Transcontinental Drive and David Drive.

I was startled by a large bird swooping into the canal

and quickly coming back out with 

something in it's mouth.

When I say large, it easily had a 5 foot wing span.

Anyway, I turned the car around and got these pictures.

It was 2 bald eagles!

The one leaning down is the one with 

something in it's mouth.

I've seen them in the cypress trees

west of Kenner, in their huge nests,

but not hunting in a well traveled

area like this.

Beautiful animals!

I went home to check on the girls,

there are predators out and about.

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

And this from Lewis Carroll......

🐔

 

October 2nd

I love looking up meanings of words.

The Roman word "calends" is derived from the

Greek word meaning to announce or begin.

Scholars believe that it was in reference to 

the beginning of a lunar cycle or the day

of a first full moon. 

Hence the English word, calendar.

So....

the official flower for the month of October,

is the Calendula.

There's a few reasons for that.

It's also known as a pot marigold because it

is related to marigolds, has a similar smell and the

early Romans used it as seasoning in "pots" of stewed food.

This flower was originally called "Mary's Gold"

by early Christians, probably due to

it's tendency to bloom in October, a month

dedicated liturgically to the Blessed Mother.

Yes, it is totally edible.

It has been used in herbal remedies for centuries.

This is called "Creeping Oxeye"

or "Trailing Daisy".

It's an invasive weed, whose stems become woody

and difficult to eradicate completely.

We've been trying to get rid of it for

a few growing seasons, but I guess

it really needs to be sprayed with 

a chemical to completely do that.

That's something we can't do because of the hens.

(Besides, it's kinda cute)

😏

This is a Morning Glory.

Yes, it's another weed, albeit a pretty one.

There's no smell to it and it is invasive as well.

The vines are surprisingly tough.

They, like the Trailing Daisy, are really

difficult to control.

They need to be pulled out by the roots

but that can prove to be difficult. 

We've taken to using a small shovel to get to the

entire root, only to have it sprout back up

in a week.

The joys of gardening!

When I was looking up info on

calendulas,

I saw this picture of a baby duck 

sitting in a patch of mint,

wearing a calendula hat.

And he's asleep....

Awwww..

😊

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

The girls are really into helping in the garden.

Every time we are weeding or planting,

they come running to "help".

(It's really only a ruse to grab

an unsuspecting earthworm or grub)

Ethel, Hazel, Lucy and Nugget

on patrol.

Pepper walking directly in front of me

to slow me down.

Hey, girl, stay in your lane!

Lucy looking  good perched on the 

wrought iron chair.

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

The watermelon vine is still producing

a few "icebox watermelons.

This one is about the size of a softball.

This type of melon doesn't get very big,

so as we harvest them, they get

gobbled up pretty quickly.

Collard greens for the hens.

They love their 

green leafy veggies!

Today's harvest of bell peppers.

And these too....

I canned my last batch of peppers.

It made four 8oz jars and four 4oz jars.

I used a 4oz jar for salad dressing yesterday.

This is a sweet and sour pepper-garlic sauce.

I make it every year with the peppers,

fresh garlic and onions.

I've added cranberries at times too,

but for this batch, I didn't have any.

It's great with chicken, beef or pork

and I make the salad dressing

 by adding olive oil.

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

In these unusual, to say the least, times

with the world feeling like it's falling apart,

and the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel

feeling as though it has burned out,

I'd like to impart two nuggets of

indisputable wisdom.

 The first is:

I don't think that in my 68 years of living,

I would have ever dreamed of entering

a bank with the intention of making a withdrawal,

while wearing a mask and being greeted by

a friendly teller, while unloading my

large purse on the counter.

😆

and this...

So, on that note.....

 

September 22nd

Finally!

Fall is here.

I even put my Autumn wreath on my door.

Now the cooler days can start,

and the hurricanes can stop!

We've had enough.

😖

This has been the weekly mantra

since this fiasco of a year started.

😨

Yep,

sums it up quite well.

💩

Even Bert and Ernie agree with me.

With the start of another season, it

has everyone thinking of what's next.

What kind of fresh hell, dumpster fire

event is next in this Matrix, Groundhog Day,

black hole of Calcutta, debacle of a year?
 We've still got 3 more months to go.....

😱

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

The rescue Aloe is still doing well.

This is the Mother.

She's had a bunch of babies

that are either given away or repotted

in another location.

Cuban Oregano,

"Desi".

He has reproduced quite a bit too.

I'm not a fan of the taste,

but the plant is beautiful.

And it's super easy to propagate.

Basil and Thyme

Thyme and Greek Oregano

Sweet Peppers

Bell Peppers

These are some we've picked.

The white ones turn yellow

and a dark red.

I cut them up to use in cooking

or salads.

I also freeze some.

These will probably be canned

as a pepper jelly or sauce.

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

Speaking of Pepper.....

Pepper's feathers have grown in

and she's just as curious as ever.

This is Nugget.

The other girls were chilling in 

the coop to escape the drizzle.

Still no eggs.

We had to buy a dozen and they

certainly were no comparison

to the awesome eggs our girls lay.

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

This is my example of

Pareidolia.

It's the name given to seeing

faces in random things.

It's the barbeque cover

and I think he's happy to see me!

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

Just remember,

the words of 

John and Paul....

Hey Jude,

Don't make it bad,

Take a sad song

and make it better...

😊

 

September 10th

 

So, it's National Chicken Month.

I told the girls but they didn't seem interested.

They walked away while I was talking.

They do that a lot.

I've told them that it's rude, but they never listen.

I'd have given them a piece of my mind,

but that particular commodity is in short supply.

The CEO was weed eating the backyard 

so they probably thought they'd miss a tasty bite if 

they didn't follow his every move.

No, they aren't afraid of loud noises

or the potential death from a stray

whack of the weed eater.

They bravely take on the blades of the 

lawnmower too.

It's like Don Quixote taking on windmills.

As the desperate insects abandon their

grassy hiding places to get out 

of the way of the lawnmower blades

and the neon green plastic wire of death,

the girls line up for the smorgasbord.

Makes me wonder....

If chickens are a distant cousin of T Rex,

and other "thunder lizards",

were they grabbing those 6 foot

insects as a snack too?

So....

I looked it up.

Most of the large insects lived way

before the emergence of dinosaurs,

but they'd have likely shared

the Earth with a large silverfish

looking insect as well as 

dragonflies, damselflies and of course

Roaches!

All of those listed above were huge!

So, maybe a dino or two made a 

kind of fast food meal out of them.

Like the low hanging fruit of the Jurassic.

Woulda been nice if they'd have eaten

so many that the roaches became extinct.

(Can I get an Amen?)

Say it with me....

AMEN!

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

🐔

Their feathers are coming back in,

finally.

This is Pepper.

This is Nugget.

That's Lucy on the other side of the coop,

Ethel to the left,

Nugget,

then Hazel.

They are munching on a seed block.

They are a bunch of freeloaders.

Nobody's laying eggs.

The CEO brought out the huge crawfish pot

to show them who's boss,

and how conveniently they'd fit.

Nope...

didn't work.

They know we are way too soft hearted.

💓

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

The herbs are still looking good.

I harvest some, then use the dehydrator

and then grind them in a coffee grinder that

I use especially for herbs and veggies.

This is Greek Oregano

Thai Basil

Lavender

Bay Laurel

with its' flower buds.

Collard Greens

We grow this especially for the hens.

They love it!

This is called Icebox Watermelon.

The LSU Ag site says to

harvest them when their stems

start to wither.

This one's stem is still nicely green.

My French Thyme

ran outta time.

😞

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

This is my PSA....

Eat locally.

Don't buy this kind of food.

Go to a farmers market or

prepare it yourself.

And in that same vein....

And,

here's my Haiku about

the hen poop in the coop.

No, no no no no.

No, no no no no no no.

No, no, no, no, no.

😂