a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

  • Dead to the World

    NotDeadA

    After several dark, misty days, the sun god is out in force, filling the air with its brilliance. At first I wondered if I had a dead chicken on my hands. Not by a long shot. She’s found a warm spot in the dirt and has laid down to soak in as much of the sun’s rays as possible. She’s just dead to the world, off in dreamland, dreaming what chickens dream.

    NotDeadB

    See, she’s opened an eye to peek around for a second before drifting back to sleep. With other chickens nearby preening themselves, she doesn’t have to worry about any approaching danger. They’ll alert her if she needs to make a run for it.

    NotDeadC

    Chickens love the sun. One of the cruelest things you can do to a chicken is not let them spend hours outdoors in the sun.

  • 46 Omelettes

    EggDelivery20150119

    If you want to make 46 omelettes using 3 eggs per omelette, this is how many eggs you need. These are the eggs I delivered by bicycle to Tweets Café this afternoon, so they will be able to make quite a few egg dishes this weekend using eggs from the likes of Coulette, and Svenda, and Hazel, and Tangerine.

  • Working Hard

    BBandEchoAtWorkA

    Guarding a flock of chickens is hard work for our two dogs. It requires hours laying perfectly still, soaking up the warm sunshine. With one ear to the ground, and the other facing the sky, they can hear the soft footsteps of approaching coyotes as well as the wind rustling through the wing feathers of hawks soaring high in the sky. They’d rather be out chasing deer in the woods and hunting for rabbits, but they are duty bound to stay near the chickens, patiently listening for any danger. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.

    BBandEchoAtWorkB

  • Certified Organic Isn’t This

    HenInTheStream

    Certified organic doesn’t mean that chickens get to spend afternoons fishing for bugs and frogs in streams. It doesn’t mean that hens get to lay eggs in quiet nests all to themselves. It certainly doesn’t mean that mothers get to spend months raising their chicks to be well behaved chickens.

    ANestToHerself
    MotherAndChicks

    OrganicMeansThisSmallThis is how most certified organic chickens live, by the tens of thousands in hen houses. They don’t get to spend all day out in the sun or fog or rain, never get to hunt for frogs in streams, never get to cozy up to their mothers, and certainly never get to flirt with a randy rooster.

  • Something New

    Crocus20150216

    Spring continues to unfold. More crocuses have popped out of the ground. While looking for more signs of spring, I came across my hat I left out all night. It glistens with morning dew.

    HatInTheMorning
    ChickensInvestigatingBranchesA

    The chickens are having a field day. I’m trimming some cedars next to the house, and the chickens are fascinated with the piles of cedar branches. Something new happens, and they flock around to investigate. They never miss a thing. They should be reporters.

    ChickensInvestigatingBranchesB
    ChickensInvestigatingBranchesC
    ChickensInvestigatingBranchesD