The setting hen has not been seen since that early Sunday morning back on Jan 24.  The books and friends say it’s 21 days to hatching.  If I count the day she went stealth that day is tomorrow Feb 8.  Give or take a few days that makes next weekend by goal date to hopefully see her emerge from hiding with chicks if they hatch in tow.  I really don’t want to take the stack of hay apart to find her if it can be avoided.   Someone is eating the feed I put out but that could be anything.   Crossing my fingers that all goes well and she comes out just fine.

Week ago Monday one of my hens went missing.  Did evening roll call and yep, counted 7 not 8.  Of course you imagine all sorts of terrible things.  Searched the next day and no pile of feathers.  Walked the property with no luck.   Then twice this past week we found a dark brown egg in the yard … the missing hen lays the very dark eggs.  Then this morning there she was all upset and very hungry outside of the hen house.   I put out the regular ration of cracked corn since the main feeder is inside the hen house.  Added some layer feed to the mix since she seemed so very hungry and she ate like there was no tomorrow.  I am now convinced she is sitting on some eggs over in the hay stack.  Tried to follow her after she ate but I was not quick enough.  She went under the horse trailer as I went around and poof!  No sign or noise as to were she went.  Guess I will keep one eye on the calendar and one on the stack to see if any peeps wonder out in a few weeks.  UGH..Jersey Giant and Coco Maran…. can chickens be mutts?

Halloween day was the annual apple pressing at the Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Amboy, Wa.  I figured it would be popular but WOW!  Traffic had to be revised and we parked about half mile away and hiked down to the creek.  Before actually crossing the bridge to the Mill there some sort of steam powered contraption that turned the large drum that was washing apples.  Once cleaned they were loaded into large cans and driven to the mill for processing.  The actual line to get a quart of juice was sooooo long I decied to just enjoy watching.   The mill was in full activity with about 4 presses going and two stations of apple slicing going on.  Buckets of juice were hauled to another room to be poured into large vats that other volunteers were busily filling jugs.  The smell of fresh apples filled the air but my favorite was the milling of wheat into soft or hard flour and corn into fresh cornmeal.  This morning I made a beautiful batch of Buttermilk pancakes from the soft flour covered in warm syrup…mmmm.. good!

The late fall has been fantastic with sunny days if cool nights.  We are already enjoying a nice fire in the evenings to beat the chill.  The garden is done and looking pretty sad but I did manage to get enought Tomatillos for another few batches of salsa.  This has got to be one of the best surprises of the summer garden.  I have experimented with a few different recipes and each one is good.  For canning I decided to use the tried and true from the Ball Blue Book.  What a great resource, each recipe has been very good.  Tonight was the last 7 jars of salsa, hopefully it will last until spring but who am I kidding!  As a dip or condiment to tacos or other items it just disappears.  Next year we are adding a few more plants!  I need a case of this stuff.

The hen house is taking on a new look.  The siding was put on the two largest walls with a modification of adding a door under the roosts for easier access from the outside for cleaning.  More to come before I can paint it but it’s a lot better and I bet warmer at night.

Between the two Dominique hens and the mature layers I recently added egg collection was okay in the hen house.  Averaged about 6 eggs a week.  Lucy, one of the Dominiques was molting so no surprise she was not laying.  Now the Cucko Maran, Welsummer & Silver Laced Wyandotte have stopped laying.  Lucy is back into production and her feathers have come back in.  The Welsummer looks like she took a turn in the egg beater and feathers are coming out by the handfull.  What that all means is about two eggs a week from the Dominiques.  Still waiting for the youngest ladies of the flock to even start laying (Cochin and Gold Laced Wyandotte) and the molters are on hold.  I decided not to put a light in the hen house and let the laying ladies have whatever break their bodies needed and can only hope that sometime soon or maybe spring there will be eggs everywhere.  Gus, the Jersey Giant keeps busy trying to keep track of them all.

The garden is looking pretty sad, the sunflowers are folding over, the veggies are almost done.  I can still gather enough green beans and a few tomatoes.  The biggest success was the tomatillos,  there were two plants that gave a lot of fruit but it only canned up 7 jars.  Adding one more plant to the garden next year.  With summer coming to and end and harvest time upon us we held a BBQ of whole roasted pig, grilled salmon & corn on the cob..a true feast.  There was even a lesson of how to shuck corn for the kids.  I think too many trips to the market have removed children from some of the best fun summer can offer.   Many friends gathered and those city kids had a great time “on the farm” if exhausted bodies & big grins were any indication.  The pig was fantastic, if your needing to feed a crowd this is the way to go.. la caja china cooker.  Find them on the web.  It’s worth it!

The mornings have that misty look in the pasture while the sun rises.  It’s burning off by afternoon but the days feels like fall.  This evening I wandered out to the front pasture to see if the horses had left me any blackberries.  Hard picking!  I managed to fight my way to enough for maybe a half batch of jelly so I am arming myself with my trusty nippers and going back tomorrow evening.  As I am picking there’s a hot breath on my neck and then a nudge trying to get to my precious bowl of berries the free loaders, ugh horses :)   Thankfully my finger did not have any adverse effects from the bite.  I still feel a twinge in the knuckle one in awhile and it’s not as strong if I apply pressure but hey, it did not fall off or slugh away!  No extra holes to worry about.  The garden is bursting with beautiful veggies.  Put up some pickles and now going to try some jelly with the berries I am picking.

I have now idea of what kind or when it happened exactly but last evening when I went to start unloading hay I noticed that my right thumb was throbbing like I smashed it.. Thinking to myself, now I didn’t smash my thumb but man it sure hurts.. peel off my glove and WOW!  The pad of my thumb was dark purple and it hurt like the dickens.  There was a small spot off to the side that looked like a bite spot.. The throbbing stopped after about an hour but by then I had quite the purple pattern.  Took stock of myself as I had not shortness of breath or other symptoms that would lead me to think I should trek to the ER at 9pm UGH!  Took Benedryl and Advil and went to bed.  This morning I went to the doctor and the swelling was pronounced and the purple has spread.  I now have what looks like very dark bruising at the very base of my thumb nail.  I have been taking pictures just in case I ever need to explain to a medical prof how it was and changed :)  but in the mean time just watching it and taking my over the counter meds.

Hay: Crossing fingers that the dry weather holds.. have grass down and if all goes well it’s getting baled and I will be bucking bales tomorrow evening.. Ugh!  It’s hard work but I do like a spring batch.  It does not happen often.

Book Review: Well adore my Kindle but this book just does not come in an E version.  Don’t think it ever will.. I bought Living and Working with The Horse of Spain.  A very nice book with great pics..gotta have them A little history sprinkled with riding styles that are traditional & contemporary.  I am enjoying it very much.

The “to do” list is down by one for the areana.  The cedar limbs from the trees that border one long side of the arena were in dire need of a trim.  Making that side unusable by about 8 feet from the side and never mind getting your hea drug through them since the horse might fit but the rider didn’t :)   So, mention to the hubby we need to do a trim and before I knew it the chain saw was singing her tune.   Next is sand or cedar chips for footing…. still havn’t decided.  We did break out the saddles and everyone got more than ground work exercise. No surprises just a few rusty steps.  When you consider the time off the horses have enjoyed since the work crew was busy fence building and the like it was all good.  A beautiful 3 day weekend is to be enjoyed by all so the plan is to Saddle Up! Good Riding everyone…