a good read! I always enjoy your journal and your blog!
Basically my problem isn't the blood and guts - I dont' have a problem with fish or deer... it is butchering something I raised and that sat on my lap lol. I could kill one that was suffering or if my family was hungry, but we aren't there - yet.
My mom processed her own chickens a few times, but she refuses to help me because she says she doesn't want fresh chicken bad enough to pluck them.

. My dad would be more than willing to do the deed... it is funny, he has really gotten into this stuff. He was raised on a little 9 acre farm - butchered their own hogs and chickens. Had a fabulous garden (that provided venison

). I remember asking my grandma what that big black pot on the fire was for... she made her own hog head cheese, etc.
He always said he would never be a farmer, but he sure does enjoy coming up and playing in the dirt!
So today I got my first green egg! Yay! It is just a little thing, looks funny in the carton with all of those dark brown and cream colored big 'uns. A total of EIGHT eggs today... go girls!
My friend that I gave a dozen eggs to said some of them had a blood spot. I was able to explain it to her, but maybe I should wait until everyone is established laying before I try to sell? Doesn't the bloodspot usually go away after their first few and then not start back until they are old?
I have a couple of 'bites" from people interested in adopting Buddy, and I am backpeddling bad now. I am thinking when he is old enough to start really breaking to ride I could send him to a trainer, and by the time all of that has been accomplished, I could have lost enough weight to not feel guilty riding him. Technically I guess I could ride him at my current tonnage, but I always feel guilty. So that is a decision I have to consider - quickly.
We are going to plant another satsuma tree (citrus). Ours has always had a ton of fruit, but this year they were about the size of ping pong balls and every single one of them dropped off.

. Same thing happened to the fig tree. I dont' know if it was the freeze we had (13 days below freezing - we thought it was the end of the world

) or if I have soil issues. Need to take some soil up and get it tested. You would think that would be easy to remember since the extension office is a half mile from my front door.
When feeding the horses today I saw a hawk of some sort chasing down birds. It didn't look like a red tailed, not sure what it was.
It was kind of cool seeing him strike... but also kind of scary since my chickens free range. They do have lots of shelter so I hope for the best
Still no rain in the 10 day forecast, temps in the 90s during the day and 70s at night. I have been watering the dust bowl so I do see some green breaking ground, but it is very random. Not sure what to expect from this garden.