My Hair is Full of Chicken Feed

Seriously. 

My hair is full of chicken feed. 

This is why: 

Camp Grow, from The National Agricultural Center, entered ten chickens in 

the Wyandotte County Fair this weekend.  I went over to feed them 

yesterday and today.... and the cages are located UNDER the tables. 

Everything is dropping on our chickens, see the poop on this pullet's wing? 

UGH. 

My hair became full of chicken feed, thrown down by the birds above, as I fed and watered. 

I just reached up to scratch my head and discovered I was full of chicken feed! 

So, here is what the kids earned: 

A Reserve Grand Champion in Open for the black brahma pullet entered, 

and seven second place winners in other open classes.  Oddly, this fair has 

blue ribbons for second, or so I was told this morning.  I'll confirm that tomorrow. 

It was still a wonderful first showing. 

They asked me to remove the ribbons, as the chickens were dirtying them. 

I was asked to remove the two roosters taken to the fair, because they were tearing up their pullets (they are really cockerels at this point) but this Columbian Delaware (he is a BIG boy) is becoming ... um... mature.  So, I brought them back to the coop at the Ag Hall, and he celebrated immediately, if you know what I mean. 

He won a ribbon, too. 

The Ag Hall doesn't open until 1 on Sundays, so I had time to walk around and take some pictures in the quiet morning. 

The duck is still here.  I thought for sure it was a drake last week, though it is not colored like one.  I thought I saw a curly tail.  Now I am convinced it's a female, and it seems content to pal around with the geese. 

The cupola on the schoolhouse looked so nice against the blue sky. 

And yes, the lilies are still blooming. 

This common buckeye rested for a while in the garden. 

It almost hurts to look at the liatris in the sunlight! 

This is zinnia "Zahara Red"... I'm growing this next year, it is low to the ground and gorgeous. 

And I would love to have a grass border like this! 

Here are some of my own containers.  The big round one is the mums, one of the plants is trying to bloom, and I am still pinching back. 

The straw bales.  I am going to have to have at least eight next year.  I thinned the 

tomatoes out last night (the branches not bearing) and I don't know if you can tell, 

but there is a cucumber plant climbing up the tomatoes, and there is a watermelon on the right reaching for the sun.  There are baby cukes and decent-sized tomatoes everywhere... Keith and I each had one ripe cherry tomato yesterday, but there are table "maters" coming on and should be ripe soon, now that the sun can get to them. 

I took this while I was pruning. 

I have to be very careful of the trough, it does not drain well, so I water sparingly. 

I need to make some holes in it. 

I'll be up early in the morning to go feed at the fair grounds again... they are only about 3 miles from our house.  Then off to a doctor's appointment in Leavenworth, and back here to get some work done in my own yard! 

Everyone have a peaceful evening.