a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

  • Bumps on a Log No More

    BumpsOnALogA

    A week ago I started a shiitake mushroom growing kit by soaking it in water overnight. A few days later bumps appeared on the surface of the block, a pressed block of hardwood sawdust. Seven days on, the bumps have transformed into baby mushrooms over an inch across. A few more days, maybe a week and it looks like we’ll be eating fresh shiitake mushrooms.

    It’s always fun watching my food grow. Seeing all the stages it goes through enhances the flavor. I can bite into the food, close my eyes, and appreciate all the work the food went through so I could eat it.

    BumpsOnALogB

  • What an Old Rooster Does

    BillyA

    Billy, who will be seven in May, enjoys taking dust baths with the hens. It beats competing with the younger roosters. A problem with young roosters is they all think they are Donald Trump. Which is why many end up in the oven.

    After whiling away time with the hens, Billy is off for a quiet walk in the woods. Across the bridge he goes, strutting and flapping his wings. Being an old rooster isn’t bad. It’s better than being a young rooster in the oven.

    BillyOnBridgeB
    BillyOnBridgeA

  • If Dogs Were on the Internet

    DogsA

    There are hundreds of millions of pet dogs around the world. Many of them spend a good time of the day alone as their people leave them to make a living, go shopping, and do what people do. What are all these dogs doing when they are alone? One thing we know they are not doing is whiling away their time on the internet. And how do we know this? Because the number on websites are not Buttbook, Instapoo, and Snappee.

    If hundreds of millions of dogs around the world were online, our emails would be inundated with emails about dog butts, the best parks to pee in, and fire hydrants you just have to put on your bucket list.

    DogsB

    Really, all dogs want to be is outdoors. I doubt dogs would fall for spending hours rubbing their noses against a monitor, clicking their way through endless web pages of dog smells. Not when there is an infinite variety of things to smell and lick outdoors.

    DogsC
    DogsD
    DogsE
    DogsF
    DogsG

  • Mystery Hen

    BrownEggLayer

    A day when a mystery is solved is a good day. This nest used to be where Margaret slept with her chicks at night. That ended several months ago, when Margaret and her chicks decided they were big enough to sleep on the roost with the other chickens. The nest went unused until recently, when one of the hens began laying big brown eggs in the nest. Today, the mystery as to which hen it is, is solved. It is Maggie. Now I can make Maggie omeletes.

  • Is It Spring Already?

    SpringlightA

    The blue in today’s sky was Spring Blue, not Winter Blue. There’s a subtle difference. Winter Blue makes you zip your coat up tight. Spring Blue beckons you to hang your coat on a branch. Spring Blue reaches deep into the woods. It makes the flying hare smile and look up at the sky.

    SpringlightB

    Even the daffodils are standing tall. There are a few flower buds just about to stick their heads above the leaves. Today is definitely more spring than winter.

    SpringlightC