Monday Odds and Ends

81 days to go, and I'm trying to get back in the rythym after most of last week off.  I had to "officially" resign today, or at least find out how to.  It seems they have to have a resignation before they can officially hire a replacement.  I'll be very careful to make that resignation official on August 24.

Yesterday I applied online for my Social Security.  I feel quite old now.  (laughing)

I just saw one of the blogs I follow... you all know that the Queen is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this week in Great Britain.  If you go here, you will see a short post with a wonderful beacon shining in the night, lit from hill to hill in England last evening, and actually one of 4200 lit around the world. It gave me the shivers, and think what it did to the people of old, who didn't have an internet to communicate... but shone fire in the night.

Here are the bantam chicks tonight, homebreds and hatchery breds.

I'm disappointed again, as two of the homebreds are cockerels... the mille on the left with the lovely boots, and the little parti-colored in the foreground... and three of the hatchery porcelains are cockerels, too.

I will have to either find homes for the extras (I do have a friend that wants a male and female porcelain, so that takes two).... and maybe I can get someone to take another, but I can't keep all of them.  It's just disappointing to get this many cockerels, raise them from day olds, and then be left to handle the consequences.

I know the birds in the other tank are all pullets, thank heavens.

Turkey.  Dinner.

(she was eating while I filled the swimming pool).

Why we now have shade in the big henyard.  The saplings growing up in the middle have become large enough to shade almost the whole yard in the afternoon, providing a little shelter from the hot sun and wind.  In one year's time, they have almost doubled in size.  I took this while sitting and filling the pool.  I try to keep fresh water in either the water tank or the pool for the llamas and for the chickens, who can reach into the pool to drink.  The water tank was nice and cool when I got here, though the temp was 91 and it was humid again.

I haven't forgotten that I was going to post about the casserole I have now made twice in the last week.  I will scan the recipe tonight and put it up tomorrow night.  I'm trying to get caught up on things around here after last week. 

I'm also going to talk to neighbor Kathy, and see if we can come to some kind of deal about her making me a pen for the chicks, so I can get them out of their tubs. 

I'm watering again tonight in the garden and flower beds... it's so dry now that I am afraid not to.