HennyPenny's random thoughts. New set of goals!

[DrakeMaiden]

Why thank you, Big brown horse, you are too kind! I must be having one of my better days!

 

[hennypenny9]

Thanks for all your nice thoughts. I'm going to sit down and reply to them a bit later, I just wanted to check in really fast.

I have developed a new-found love of Bellingham's downtown. We went to the Farmer's Market today for the first time! Oh, it was lovely. Music, of course, and all sorts of food! Even Ethiopian! I bought some local honey. In a nice wide mouth jar. I hate those honey "bears" because it's hard for me to get out that last little bit. Also got some locally mixed teas. (of course not locally grown!) I'm not a tea person, but they had samples and my mom and I both loved a chai blend. Also got a start of sweet basil and dill. Oh, and some kettle corn. Just a great vibe, VERY crowded. Handmade soap was an average of $4.00-$5.00.

We also stopped by the food co-op. Got raw milk. It's from cows in Bellingham. I will let you know if I like it.

Need to weed, so be back later.

ETA: I like raw milk, it doesn't taste that different than pasteurized whole milk. It's a cream color. The co-op also had raw goats milk, and REAL buttermilk.

 

[homesteadmomma]

Oh that sounds like a lovely day, glad you had a good time. Wish they had one of those around here!

 

[Blackbird]

I'm with HSM, would love to have one of those around here! Sounds like a fun day, I love farmer's markets.

 

[hennypenny9]

So I'm sitting here sipping my awesome not-pasteurized milk. My mom went home after a productive day. We picked out a nice drought resistant scrub that blooms pink. It's pretty small right now. And a bunch of ground covering plants. We managed to get them all in the ground today! And we got some smallish matching pots for my herbs. This size was fairly cheap ($1.77) and they also come larger, so that they will all match. I got my peppermint, french lavender, and rosemary repotted. So I only have my seedlings inside. Lowe's also had a whole bunch of herbs on clearance. So for $.89 each we got healthy looking sage, parsley, oregano, and thyme. I'm putting them on my front steps. I hope to work on some nice neat markers tomorrow. I bet they grow like mad now that they're outside.

Here's my haul from the Farmer's Market, not including the sweet basil and dill.

If I needed veggies I could have gotten TONS more. Peas, carrots, radishes, strawberries, lettuce greens, the list goes on. Next time I'll plan a couple meals around it. There is also a Wednesday Farmer's Market in Fairhaven that I want to go to. Also handwoven baskets, pottery, soap, CHEESE, instruments...

I wonder if I could offer to weed or clean or something if a homeowner lets me have chickens. I'm kind of a weakling as far as hard labor, but I'd do what I could. I actually LOVE stacking firewood. Kind of like a big puzzle. When I'm done with it you can't pass a piece of paper though any crack.

Noobiechickenlady- Is your avatar a Borg chicken?? And don't worry about scaring me, silly.

 

[Farmfresh]

Ha I just noticed her avatar! Borg chicken ... how funny!

I THINK it is supposed to be a genetically modified "Franken-bird!", but I definitely like Borg-chicken better!

 

[big brown horse]

Where did you get your milk? I know it was the farmer's market, but do you know if I could go somewhere and pick up some too? Did you like it?

 

[hennypenny9]

Oops! I lied, I forgot I bought the raw milk at the local co-op! I guess I just grabbed what we got that day. But since you're in Washington, check here for somewhere near you! http://warawmilk.com/

 

[hennypenny9]

Two nights ago when my mom was still here she woke me up at 3:00 AM to ask if Charlie was with me... I couldn't see him (or was too incoherant to notice) but he was in my room. She insisted she had heard something downstairs. There was nothing, and we went back to sleep. In the morning we found footprints on our front porch. Raccoon!! I live in town, not in the sticks (although I wish I did), so this was a suprise. I have not seen any animals in this area since I moved here, two years ago. That includes stray dogs, and I've only seen two or three outdoor cats.

So last night I heard some noises, and went tromping downstairs to look on the porch. Turned on the light, didn't see anything... Looked at Charlie, who was poofed up twice his normal size. I looked back out the door (through the glass) and a MASSIVE coon pulled himself from under the porch onto it. I wacked the door, and he looked at me. So I opened it and ran him off. Everyone at work freaked when I told them, and said it could have given me rabies. Look, I wasn't petting the silly thing, I was not even near it, I was CHASING IT. If it looked like it would have tried to attack me, I was still within a step of the door, good lord get a grip. Am I the only one who could tell if the animal looked aggressive or not?

Also, on the way to work before 7:00 AM, I was going down a main drag. One of those cute old neighborhoods. Alabama hill. http://www.bellingham.net/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=17 I see a buck chewing some extremely pretty flowers in a well kept garden. He looked straight at me and chewed. I swear he was smiling. (Not big enough to make a good dinner, though)

And another small story. When I lived at home once a possum got into the hen house. It just wanted eggs, and didn't bother the hens. So I shut it in there and called my dad. My mom and step-dad were in Mexico, yet again. So dad came out and cleaned the possum up and had a yummy stew. That's how you know we're hill billies!

 

[big brown horse]

How exciting henny. My mom calls the kitties to come and eat and every once in a while a coon comes too. She has never had a problem with them bothering the kitties. Are you scared he may hurt your cat?

Possum stew wow. Was it good? (You little hill billy! )

Oh, thanks for directing me to the raw milk Washington guide. Ive been there before, but it seems the closest guy (in Gig Harbor) won't call me back. The other one is on Vashon Island. I hate to have to pay for the ferry ride just to get raw milk! $25.00 for a quart of milk seems a little high, don't ya think!! I wish they had a co op close to me, you are so lucky!

I wonder if Central Market sells raw? It would be a 30 min drive but I go that way often enough to justify a trip for milk. (I'll just bring a little ice chest with me.)