Cats and Chickens

 We have had a couple of rainy days, the first in a long time, but the smoke is gone and we have so enjoyed those kittens.  I guess they are still kittens, as they are about 5 months old.  Bogey is so much bigger than Birdie and is growing fast.  They have voracious appetites.  I miss my little Coalette, but Bogey has such a similar personality and except for the little bit of white that she had, he looks so much like her.  Both are short haired though.  Birdie does not like to cuddle and she shows so many hunting qualities in addition to wanting to be outside.  She cannot ever be out though as that is the agreement we made and I don't want anything to happen to her.  We see lots of cats here and know that everyone protects them, but still?

They will sleep together and she is grooming him above, and below, she is helping me to paint these small birdhouses which I about ready to post in my next blog.  

I walked this morning with my neighbor, Vida and she had pictures of the "Chicken Gathering Aprons".  She has made a few, working on one also for her 3 year old grand daughter. 

This is a picture I took a few days ago when she brought one over for me to see.  They are turning out so cute. How I remember trying to gather eggs with my sister, Joan.  Those darn chickens loved to peck you when you tried to move them and get the eggs.  Joan would always keep the chickens away while I gathered the eggs, but how much fun would it have been to have one of these aprons with the individual pockets for each egg.  

"The chicken may cross the road, but nobody crosses the chicken." ~ ?

Guess what?

 Do you know what this is?  I had never heard of it either. I grew up with a lot of different farm animals.  Dad bought me a small inflatable pool for a birthday when I was small and some baby ducks.  Of course, I thought the pool was for wading, and I probably did do that, but I think he really thought it would be used more for the ducks.  It was I suspect, although I don't remember for sure.  We had a nanny goat who had a pair of twins and he built harnesses and put leashes of sorts on them which we paraded up and down the road.  I remember that.  Our dad was always doing something fun.  But this item, not a mask which we are all wearing now, is a chicken jacket or saddle as they are sometimes called.  I walk most mornings with my neighbor, Vida, and she asked me if I would be interested in making some chicken jackets.

I had to ask what they were and when she explained that they are to protect the chickens when they are pecked by other chickens.  I do remember that does happen.  Sometimes they will just pick on one chicken and bully them.  Anyway, her mom who lived in Louisiana has chickens and she is making them for her.  She bought the fabric above and I had some quilted fabric for the lining and the rope elastic.  I pulled a pattern from Pinterest and we have made a few.  The other thing she bought fabric for was "egg gathering aprons".  Now that is a brilliant idea.  The UTUBE video we watched has 12 pockets, one each for an egg. The fabric she bought was so cute--several different prints with chickens and even here, lots of people have chickens.  I am anxious to see her aprons. 

The air quality is back to normal now and we have had a few sprinkling rains at night so things are fresh and green.  

"If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens." ~ Grandma Moses

Walk About

 My neighbor and I walk nearly every morning.  She has lived here quite a while although she is from New Orleans.  Most days we take a different route and we are so lucky to be able to do that.  Yesterday we walked near Long Lake and the smoke from all of the forest fires left a pretty picture with the sunrise over the lake.  However, our state as well as the nation is suffering with these fires and so many evacuations are in order.  We have lost entire small towns almost.  

I feel like a kindergartener as I find so many things unfamiliar to me.  In the small island across the drive from me stands a very large conifer.  It is a Norwegian tree of sorts and this is a green cone.  They grow upright and with the sap glistening in the sunlight, remind me of ornaments on a tree.  I am told that when it matures the individual petal-like pieces come off the cone and are about 2" wide.  I will get some dried ones to post later.  I am fascinated by this tree.  We had a breeze yesterday and the yard, driveway, deck and streets are covered with fir cones.  As soon as the smoke diminishes, I will be raking.  The Mr. did get the blower and used it on the back deck and driveway.

This is a front yard snap of one we passed on our walk yesterday.  I want it!!! I have always wanted to do something like this.  I think it is adorable. For my girlfriends who spent years crafting with me for days at a time, I did not have any glass totems or yard art to bring with me, but my master gardener friend here knew I wanted to do a piece or two and brought me 6 cardboard boxes.  Yes...6 boxes.  Girls, remember when we scrounged the Goodwill, the flea markets and the yard sales?  It is overwhelming to say the least and I will have to get busy and use some if it.  I miss you guys.  While some of you are experiencing the cold weather snap, it is currently 90 degrees here.  Still we have had no rain.  I was told by some that I would have moss growing on my back.  I am just slathering sun screen and sitting in front of the fan.  We are expected to have a cool down though I think soon.