Tuesday's Helpers

I had bought feed on Friday, and since Keith's shoulder has been very bad lately, I decided to leave it in the car over the busy weekend, and not have him try to move it and strain the bad shoulder even more. 

So, after having breakfast (for three hours) with my cousin Fuh Fuh, I decided to move it. 

I should tell you, it's 60 degrees outside and GORGEOUS. 

I was in jeans, and a t shirt.  

There were some dead plants in the back of the Duck Pond Express, but even worse, a thin layer of the henhouse cleanings from two weeks ago.

Let me tell you... it REEKED.  I mean REEKED.  So, I dealt with that first.

I wanted to show you all what is "growing" in our compost heap.  This is the result of letting henhouse cleanings from the spring compost over the summer.  Can you believe that good dirt?  We'll be putting that into the vegetable beds in the spring.

I'm bad, I don't turn the bins.  You see they have nice hardware cloth sides, so they let a lot of air through.  I pile them up, and then start diving into the bottoms.

As you see, Kelly has just about pruned that sapling out of existence.  The plastic bin is full, but just sitting there,  It's not really cooking.

I started pulling out zinnias, but kept finding so many buds, I didn't have the heart.  They have surrounded a hydrangea though, so I won't plant them so near next year, so the hydrangea can breathe.  It is turning the most beautiful deep red right now.

Then I loaded the feed into the back of the now clean Express, and drove over to the big henhouse to start unloading first.

I found Butch hunkered down in the one patch of sunlight coming through the side window.  You can see his blind side here.

I've closed off all the openings from the coop side to the feed room side (where Butch lives) to keep him from being beaten up by the younger roosters.  Yes, he leads a lonely life, but at least an unmolested one.

Yes, my helpers were helping, as usual.  They were VERY interested in the chopped corn I was moving.

We have some very steadfast girls trying to go broody.  This one will bite your hand!

(I took the corn over to the henspa)

I wandered over to see what was in the garden... I left one tomato plant, and it is still blooming (the sunlight doesn't show the blooms).

An experiment.

I also checked our lone green pepper plant.... and picked FIVE peppers off it.
I know what we are having for dinner tomorrow night.  Stuffed.

But this last picture will show you what I'm happiest about this evening:

ORANGING!!!!! 

(Happy face here). 

I'm going to have at least ONE homegrown pumpkin for Halloween! 

YAYYYYYY!