a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

  • I Want the Same One

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    Empty nests all around but Ruby insists on using the same nest that Jacqueline is using. Hens often have their favorite nests, and if it is in use, it doesn’t matter. The empty nests right next door won’t do. They have to use the nest that’s occupied. The way they squeeze in is interesting to watch. They usually squeeze in very slowly. I’ve seen three hens squeeze in at the same time. It makes me wonder what is wrong with the empty nests? I think that some hens aren’t satisfied with a nest unless it’s in use.

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  • This Is What Spring Looks Like

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    On a spring day, Buttercup keeps her eggs warm. Hens have such fiery eyes, they should be grade school teachers. With such eyes glaring at them, no child would dare misbehave. When you are a mother-to-be, safeguarding a clutch of eggs, you need to be able to stare down any threat. For the three weeks they sit patiently on their eggs, I wonder what hens think about all day long.

    As Buttercup patiently sits, the pears are in bloom. Before their blossoms open, they look like fluffy popcorn. When pear blossoms open, they spread their dark pink stamen as wide as possible. Against their white petals, the stamen must tell the bees that there is lots of pollen for them.

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  • Snacking on Cherry Blossoms

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    The wind and rains of the last few days have driven many of the cherry blossom petals to the ground. For a brief time every spring, the chickens get to feast on cherry blossom petals as they fall to the ground. The cherry branches aren’t that high. If they wanted, the chickens could fly up into the branches and feast on cherry blossom petals, but they don’t. They wait for them to flutter to the ground.

    Next to come are the pear blossom petals, followed by the apple blossom petals, a whole season of sweet petals to enjoy.

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  • Eggs and More Eggs

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    The counter is covered with eggs ready for market. Such a variety of colors and shades and shapes and sizes. Every hen is unique. Every egg is unique. Every egg every hen lays is slightly different from the one she laid before. That’s the way nature is. Why make anything twice? Make everything different. Try all possibilities.

  • Blooming Skunks

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    Skunk cabbage, that is. The skunk cabbage in the wet woods are in bloom. Lysichiton americanus are a sure sign that spring is well underway. Evidently bears dig them up and eat the roots as a laxative after their long winter hibernations. After sleeping most of the winter, you probably need a strong laxative to get your system working again.

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    Skunk cabbage grow along the Pacific from Alaska to as far south as Santa Cruz county in California. Before rushing out into the woods to dig up your natural laxative, read up on it. Skunk cabbage does contain calcium oxalate crystals which can cause your mouth to burn and is fatal in large doses.

    Skunk cabbage is an arum which is group of plants known for their flowers which are produced in a spadix surrounded by a coloured spathe. They are poisonous and contain significant amounts of calcium oxalate.

    In grade school I used to bike out into the countryside and hike in the forests. One day I found a beautiful plant, which was a Japanese type of Jack in the Pulpit. I took it home, and the root looked so delicious that I cut it up, and my mother and I nibbled at it. It tasted good, but it wasn’t long before our tongues and mouths were prickly. It was an odd sensation of being pricked by thousands of tiny needles and being numb at the same time. Fortunately, the sensations didn’t last long, and we lived. When in doubt, don’t.