The Temperature are Back to Normal, Sort of

I'm happy to say that the temperatures here are sort of back to normal, but normal for April and it's almost June. With highs in the mid 70s to low 80s, that coolish spell took everyone by surprise. I know my poor heat loving plants like tomatoes and okra suffered through it. They were set outside to harden off, but survived.

With all the rain we had, we'll need a few rainless days to be able to till under the  summer garden. It will delay harvests for about a month. That's okay, because with the cooler weather my English peas flourished and my lettuces didn't bolt.  My second planting of sweet corn starts is doing well in their reused organic salad goods, plastic containers. They will need to be transplanted soon. My kidney beans, black eyed peas, baby lima beans have sprouted so they'll be ready to transplant soon as have the zucchini, yellow squash, and pumpkin seeds. I decided not to plant the gourds seeds again this year. I'm focusing more on food in my main garden area.

Burpee seed

Although I love the crooked neck yellow squash, a standard in southern cuisine, this year I planted the straight neck variety from Park's Seed in NC. The squash is easier for me to slice to preserve. Parks is my #1 stop for organic/heirloom seeds. They don't have a lot, but what they do have  has a better than 90% germination rate for me. I've been a customer since the 1980s. As my mother was before that. Next, it's a toss up between Mary's Seeds and Baker Creek. Locally sourced seed of organic/heirloom seeds is limited to Tractor Supply's Seed for Change.

This year TSC has been hard pressed to keep seeds in stock, as well as various local garden centers. I guess more people are taking the "grow your own food seriously." Which is great, but makes for "sold out" tabs every where even online. I'll just have to order my seeds in December or January next year if I don't save enough seed this year. My stockpile of saved seeds was exhausted in last year's failed garden.  I still need to pick up two more packets of green bean seeds for the next session of green beans. It'll be the last time for the year. I've already planted three- two weeks apart. Then there's that same problem with the fall garden. I really dropped the ball this year. I got so used to having my saved seeds available.

Our pretty pullets should become layers soon. I'm expecting one of them to start laying any day now. They'll be 6 months old in a couple of weeks. OOPS! I went to the coop with a load of weeds they favor and was surprised by three small, blue eggs in the egg box. We got Americanas in that mixed breed of chickens. I thought so but they come in so many different colors, it was hard to know for sure. I was so looking forward to having dark orange yolks again instead of the pale yellow yolks of store bought eggs. Now, I got some!!!

I finally found where the free range hens are laying their eggs! Now, it's just a question of beating Kassity, Luna, and Frankie from stealing them! They here the hen's caterwaul when they lay an egg and make a bee line straight for the spot. The spot? It's the partially dismantled elevated, pallet herb bed with the oregano in it.

HAHA! I beat the dogs to an mature hen egg today too. Black Butt was in the herb bed while Miss Greedy Piggy was out an about cackling like she'd laid an egg, She always does this the whole time Black Butt is on the nest. Black Butt has learned that this sound brings the dogs, so she doesn't sound off anymore. The dogs now ignore Miss Greedy Piggy because she'll walk down the side driveway cackling. I was near the vegetable garden so I got there ahead of Kassity. I've got to make them a nesting box since they no longer can use the one attached to the coop nor my chair in the back porch. (Their old nesting spots)

from myershatchery.com

The deal with our librarian fell through and she returned Big Red and Miss Greedy Piggy to us after Goldie was killed by her dog. So now we have two 3-year old layer hens and a rooster as free ranging chicken who roost on our front porch.  To top off our free ranging chickens I had two pretty pullets escape past me in their run, a blue/black Birchen maran and a black Australorp.

By the next morning. try as I might I couldn't corral them, the black australorp hen was gone never to be seen again. The Birchen maran was accepted into Big Red's harem. I found this out after I grabbed her intent on putting her with the other new hens and Big Red flew at me impaling the back of my leg and knee with his talons. In surprise and pain, I dropped the hen.  When I turned on him, he did his angry shuffle dance at me so I picked up the flat head shovel and hit him in the head. "One more time, and I'll cook you for Sunday dinner!"

No, my strike didn't kill him, but I wouldn't have minded if I had. Big Red shook his head a couple of times and he gave me a wide berth with a wary eyes on me...at least a shovel handle distance for the rest of the day. Even when I wasn't carrying a shovel.

(L to R) Miss Greedy Piggy, Birchen Maran, Big Red

New evidence, the third reason, that Miss Greedy Piggy is aptly named. I was carrying a plastic wrapped pouch out  to where I usually toss scraps to the free ranging chickens. I was concentrating not to slip and slide in the mud. Miss Greedy Piggy jumped up and punctured the baggy with her beak. The contents spilled out into the mud. She didn't care. She greedily pecked at the pieces of yellow rice that had fallen to the ground before Big Red, Black Butt, and the new gray knew what was happening. I emptied the contents into the mud for the rest of them. She also knows which black trash cans holds the cracked corn and black oil sunflower seeds versus regular feed grains. She'll watch me like a hawk if I approach either of these, she's right there looking up and trying to jump into the bins. This alone earned her the name. She's the first one in line to be fed and the last one to leave the barn in case the others missed some morsels was the second reason. I'm afraid she'll fly into my face when the bins get low. Just to confuse her, I moved all of them around yesterday. Today, she hopped with every lid I opened. Yes, I was being mean to her.

I went inside to tend to my bleeding leg or have Mel tend it. That rooster got me good! Ever since then, that little maran stays right by his side. I guess it makes him proud to nab such a pretty, young hen for his harem. So now we have twelve out of the fifteen chicks we ordered from Meyers Hatchery the coop and run. You might wonder about the five we hatched out. They were cockerel and promptly went to freezer camp. More roos with Big Red's attitude, we don't need.  Granted he was only protecting his hens, but still...You don't attack the person feeding you!

With Buddy Baby dying, it's been a week. That's about it for this week. As always...

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo