a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

  • Mini Surprise

    MossAndRockGardenA

    Here’s a little game you can play. Find a small patch of luxurious moss, gather a few pebbles, and make a mini zen rock garden. Enjoy it for a brief moment, and go on your way. The next wind storm, or running dog will scatter the pebbles, but that’s OK. It’s no different than the waves washing away the sandcastle you spent hours building. Our lives are just as ephemeral.

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    Turning over a pebble, I discovered two tiny snails. Up on the hill where I live, there are no snails, just slugs, so it was a surprise to see them. Amazing how just a few hundred feet of elevation makes all the difference in the world.

    MossAndRockGardenE

  • November Colors

    FallColorsOxalis

    November is as colorful as May. There aren’t as many flowers, but the leaves are as brilliant as any flower beds. The roosters won’t be outdone, either.

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    FallColorsRubyStreaksA

    Even the Ruby Streaks are brilliant. These are all headed to Tweets Café in the morning, along with arugula and lettuce. I was weeding them this afternoon, so that when I cut them in the morning, I won’t have to worry about any unwelcome leaves showing up. If you have lunch at Tweets tomorrow, you can enjoy salad greens picked that morning.

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  • On the 4th Day

    ChuckanutMtn

    On Japanese news today, the weather reporter pointed out that in the fall, mountains are said to get all dressed up, referring to the forests on the mountains turning brilliant with fall colors. In the winter they are said to go to sleep, when they are covered with snow.

    OutdoorsOnThe4thDayA
    OutdoorsOnThe4thDayB

    On the fourth day of her chicks hatching, Peach leads them out into the wild blue yonder, at least it must feel like that to the tiny chicks. They’ve traveled 125 feet from their nest. For a chick of just a few inches, it’s a long, long way. In human terms, that is like a half mile, quite a feat for a four day old chick.

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    OutdoorsOnThe4thDayE

  • The Magic Number is Eight

    PeachAnd8-A

    The magic number is eight. Peach brought her chicks out into the chicken yard today. She has eight, fluffy, healthy, perky, excited chicks. The chicks started hatching on the 27th. Of the ten eggs she was sitting on, nine hatched. One of the eggs was infertile and did not develop. One chick did not make it.

    Even though it is a cool time of the year, she will keep them nice and warm.

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    PeachAnd8-H

    She senses danger and fluffs up like a turkey. Hens can make themselves appear twice as large by spreading their feathers.

    PeachAnd8-I

  • How Many?

    FallLeaves141028

    Peach and her new chicks are doing fine. How many does she have? At least seven, maybe more. They started hatching yesterday, and she’s keeping them in the nest today. Another day, and they will be itching to explore.

    PeachAndChicks
    MotherDaughter141028

    Ruby’s daughter won’t leave her mother. She’s more than two months old now, and her mother is back to laying eggs. Her daughter follows her everywhere, even waiting patiently when Ruby is sitting on a nest to lay an egg.