SIZZLIN'

First off, I want to ask everyone to pray for all those who are affected right now by power outages, fire, flooding, too much rain or too little rain.  The entire nation is suffering, it seems.  You can't turn anywhere without seeing stories and signs of it, especially here: Go West, Feral Woman...if this story isn't enough to raise the hackles on the back of your neck, I don't know what is.  I'm almost embarassed to complain about the sustained heat, especially since Keith keeps reminding me we went through it last year, too.  Like childbirth, it fades in your mind. 

I'm taking it personally, though, right now, because of this:

Last night at 4 PM, we went out and did every single waterer... refreshed with cold well water, and in the metal waterers (four of them) we put a frozen water bottle, plus three of the plastic waterers. (No metal waterer is exposed to the sun)  Each fortex was filled full after cleaning. 

I know I have showed you many pictures of  Wrong Way Corrigan, or Jackson... who would come up on the west side gate to the henyards and not be able to get in, as we keep that gate closed, it is too close to the perimeter fence.  Lately, Annabelle has been coming up from her nest in the high grass to that gate, and we find her pacing back and forth, waiting to go in.  Last night, after we watered and came back in to wait to go to the TBones game... she came up. 

We found her, heaving, in the only shade on that side thrown by a few weeds that we almost cut down over the weekend.

She appeared to be dying. 

I ran and got the hose on and sprayed out all the hot water as fast as I could... and then soaked her.  Luckily, the Turkettes like to be sprayed.

Then Keith told me to stand back and he (God Bless him!) picked up the heavy, wet bird, and carried her into the henyard and plopped her into the fortex. 

You see her here gulping water, her head almost submerged.

I continued to spray her as she stood there, and she drank and drank.  Then she wandered into the duck house, the large dog house in the henyard, and stood in there.  Keith told me to leave her alone, but instead, I filled a bucket of water and went down to the high grass and to Clarabelle, and doused HER, too.

You see the hen in the foreground eating melon that we had frozen and put out as a treat. 

I kept a close eye on the Turkettes today, and we got only 3 eggs from the whole kit and kaboodle.  It's only 101, but it SEEMS hotter... maybe the humidity has kicked in.

These two don't care if it's hot, they're going to set...except I keep taking any eggs I find in there.

These guys are holding on in the pasture pen... I'm going to move the hens into the new henhouse when it's ready, and am not sure what to do about Cocky... he may be moving into the feed room, as Butch and Fancy and their girls will go to the new henhouse.  This pen will be a breeding pen only in the future.  See the one little chick the four girls managed to hatch?  (Biggify the picture).  It's a cockerel, of course.

Our Big Fella likes to lay on the cool kitchen floor, there is a fan going around above the table.

Gert the Squirt prefers the couch.

Abs prefers the blue pad.

But the Farm Queen prefers the comfort of the spare room bed!

Keep cool and pray for rain!