moxies_ Life on the HHP Ranch....Rain!!!!!!

[snapshot]

Sounds like a scary and challenging life right now. I can identify. One of the thoughts I hang on to is that "it is all temporary"!

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

The "economic recovery"...to me....is more shaky than the semi-permanency of our current lives. I feel the United States as a whole is changing. Going through birthing pains. People are not happy with the current situation, yet do not know how to change them. Ultimately...it boils down to we being only able to change our own situations. Our own lifestyles, our own choices, our own decisions...and the results of those decisions.


Think about it. We can't, on our own, bring the jobs back into the US. Everything is being outsourced. Jobs, consumer products and some services. We have NAFTA, China, India, Mexico. All that is left, is to make changes at home. Cut back, spend less, create less debt, grow more of our consumed goods at home, make more of the same things. Learn new skills, like auto repair, farming and gardening, canning, etc........ Learn a new skill that can possibly be marketed locally. Take better care of ourselves and our families.

Our personal obstacles are working on figuring out how to go off grid. Cut back on things that require vast amounts of electrical power. Trying to think tank and find something marketable...from home. Spend less. Consume less. Recycle more. Look at every portion of our lives o see where we can cut back, without compromising what we feel for "quality of life". After all, living under an overpass.... like a troll.......and being homeless...does not make for "quality of life".

Now, I realize there will always be some things we won't choose to live without. Internet for one thing. Communication....ie..cell phones. Transportation. The requirement for some non-local goods. We are, trying to shrink our consumer footprint......while having been raised in the modern consumer society. I do not choose to go completely Amish. Just figure out which choices I can make...which things I can do without. Alter my schedule of things.

It is all a work in progress. Me...myself and I.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

The chickens have started laying!! I have 2 hens mature enuff to lay...the other 4 not there yet. So far, been 2 eggs per day............one for each. They are smallish, off white....kind of creamy colored. The hens seem to be laying at the warmest part of the day...around 2pm.
So, question...do they lay eggs because they can't help it? Is it voluntary ore in-voluntary? And, what makes them decide to go broody? I know, I should go post in the BYC thread...but this is just a passing curiosity for me. They be very healthy chickens...although I won't be letting them free range anymore. They don't know to come in to the coop at night...and prefer to be not caught.

 

[TTs Chicks]

yay eggs!

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't know about the broody, but laying an egg is nature for them. It's just like a woman ovulating. You don't choose to, it just happens. Normally a chicken lays an egg every 25 hours or so. But, if it's getting too late, they can wait until the next day. So, in some ways it's voluntary, in some ways they choose. Hope that helps.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Don't know about the broody, but laying an egg is nature for them. It's just like a woman ovulating. You don't choose to, it just happens. Normally a chicken lays an egg every 25 hours or so. But, if it's getting too late, they can wait until the next day. So, in some ways it's voluntary, in some ways they choose. Hope that helps.

Now see, that's what I was wondering. It reminds me of too many people having to use one bathroom...all at the same time. One hen, she'll go sit in the one box they will use. She wiggles around, squirms, stands up and looks under herself. Now, the other hen seems to get the "urge" at the same time. She goes to the nest box...that the one hen is in....and insists she get out of the box. The first time.....hen #2 ended up laying a floor egg, 'cause she couldn't get into the nest box in time....I guess.


It's quite funny to watch them interract. You can almost tell what they are saying. The challenge is turning out to be...that they don't like the design of the 2 wooden next boxes DH made. But, one day, the oldest hen was acting all agitated. pacing and looking at the brush pile, like she wanted to go into it...baaad. That was the day I went and made them up the cardboard box with the straw. She got right into it...took a while, but eventually laid the egg.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

We haz eggs!!! :bun 2nd week and running.......woot woot!!

 

[snapshot]

Congratulations!!! Woohoo!!! I can hardly wait to get chickies myself!

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

They are the small ones....takes 4 to make 3. But hey.....they were free chickens...and all have been healthy. It's all a grand experiment with DH and myself. He is not familiar with game fowl either...as he grew up around RIR ...I think.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Todays project....re-potting the houseplants for hot dry moderate drought summertime. I bought some Miracle Gro Water Storing Crystals last summer sometime. Just opened the bag up last week. All the plants are dormant...and were needing their monthly watering. Normally, I just used the saved fresh water from the bathroom....what I run beofre the hot water makes it the 30 ft back to the sink. But these plants were looking kind of needy. Hard packed soil ...root bound. Had some of them for a while now....and they just need re-freshing. I shoveled some potting soil in a long planter....mixed in the crystals...and have been busy re-potting this morning. I ran out of crystals. Hmph. I guess I need to make a town run.....was considering it any way to pick up something to go with supper tonight.
As for my indoor potting project.....I grabbed DH's plastic saw horses.....and the bathroom door I removed last summer. (Couldn't use it anyway) Laid it all out in that one den/office/backporch room to the bathroom. I be thinking...I'll need to run the vacuum later on today.

Okies...off to town for me. bbl