It’s a Dog Eat Dog World

TurkeyFeathers

Actually, it’s more like a dog eat anything world. I woke up to find Echo happily chewing away in the middle of some definitely not chicken feathers. After some careful inspection and research at the informative US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Feather Atlas, I determined that they were wild turkey feathers. Our neighbor had mentioned shooting a turkey on a recent hunting expedition. It turned out that he had hung the wings on the side of his garage to dry. He thought coyotes had gotten the wings during the night. Instead, it turned out to be our dogs.

Sprouts

It’s an everything eats everything world. At this very moment, tiny microbes are munching away at our skin, nibbling in our hair, digesting the food we ate. It’s a never ending cycle of nutrients flowing from one being to another to another to another.

The shallots and peas are shooting out of the ground. I like the way shallots sprout. They look like fingers from a hand buried in the ground. “Help me! Help me! I’m buried alive!” I hear them scream. Of all the onion family plants I’ve grown, shallots are the most delightful looking.

When the Dogs Bark

BeSurprisedA

I wasn’t expecting any of this today. While putzing around the place, I stumbled upon a pink rhododendron in full bloom. It wasn’t that many days when I said, “This is going to bloom soon.” Wow! And now it is.

Deep in the, woods while going to check on what the dogs were so ferociously barking at, I came face to face with a pink trillium. A little further on, white trilliums. I may not have ever seen that pink trillium were it not for whatever invading creature set the dogs off. They say, “Learn something new every day.” I say, “Be surprised every day.” When the dogs bark, go on an adventure.

BeSurprisedB
BeSurprisedC

Warmest Day of the Year

WhiteLilac

The moment I stepped outdoors this morning, it felt different. The morning chill was gone. The misty air was soft and comforting. The mist lifted, the sun came out, and the air warmed all morning and afternoon, topping out at 70ºF. Today was the warmest day of the year so far, the first 70ºF day of 2015.

PurpleLilac

Here Comes Skunky

HereComesSkunky1

Skunky’s family is taking a break on a roost, but where is Skunky? Skunky is in the brush, not too far away, roosting on a fallen branch.

HereComesSkunky2
HereComesSkunky3
HereComesSkunky4

Here comes Skunky, wings flapping to make it up to the top of the roost. There, that’s much better than sitting all alone. Where is Skunky in the last picture? Can you find Skunky? Skunky is looking right at the camera.

HereComesSkunky5
HereComesSkunky6

Forced Change of Plans

HazelInTheSun

I was going to go into the workshop to get something, but Hazel had other ideas. A hot metal door is like a sauna for a chicken. The door to the workshop is a favorite spot to sun. Whatever I needed, I can get another time. When the sun is out, they enjoy pressing their bodies against the hot metal and spreading their wings. They can contort their bodies to soak up as much sunshine as possible.

So I have to wait a while, or use another entrance. It’s no big deal. Perhaps they are telling me it’s time to stop being so busy and soak up some sunshine too.

BendyAndGinHimeInTheSun

Fast Food

FastFoodA

This is my idea of fast food. Around here, going out into the garden and seeing what’s for dinner, is fast food. I can have supper on the table faster than it takes to go through the drive-through at many fast food joints, let alone drive there and back. Who knew fast food could be so good.

FastFoodB

Green and Purple

PotatoLeaves

This is a good thing. I’ve got about 200 more potatoes to plant to finish the 400 feet of potato rows I’m growing this year. The purple potatoes I planted toward the end of March are shooting up, sending vibrant green leaves highlighted with purple veins and stems.

Potatoes are such beautiful plants. From the moment they spread their first leaves until they bloom, potato plants are gorgeous.

Happy, Happy, Happy

SkunkySandBathA

Everyone is happy, happy, happy, at the end of the day, especially Skunky. Skunky’s mother has all her little ones rolling around in the dirt. Skunky kicks and digs in the dirt, rolling onto its back and having a great time. This is what Earth Day looks like, a mother hen and her happy, happy chicks.

Little chicks’ need for love is infinite. It takes a mother hen’s heart to satisfy their needs.

SkunkySandBathB
SkunkySandBathC
SkunkySandBathD
SkunkySandBathE
SkunkySandBathF
SkunkySandBathG

Drab and Splashy

SeedPotatoes

The last of the potatoes will be going into the ground this week. Few things look as drab as a pile of seed potatoes destined for the soil. As I cut the seed potatoes, I close my eye and envision rows of blooming potato plants. The purple potatoes have purple flowers, the rose potatoes have pink flowers, and the yellow potatoes have white flowers. The first time I saw a potato plant bloom, I was so surprised. I had no idea they bloomed or were so beautiful. Based on how many potatoes I am planting, I may harvest a ton of potatoes by the end of the season.

What aren’t drab are the silicone baking cups I got today. In mid summer, I may even use these for baking some potato dish.

MuffinCups

When Are Apple’s Most Beautiful?

AppleBlossoms150420

When are apple’s at their most beautiful? When they first bloom or when they ripen? It’s hard to decide when they are in full bloom. It’s hard to believe that these delicate blossoms will, by fall, be heavy, crisp, sweet, juicy apples.

AppleBlossoms150420B