Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[ranchhand]

Yes, MamaG, here for you and yours. Best to your Mom for a quick recovery.

Hot and humid here, and it's not even July. Ick. Not too big on high humidity. Snake #7 has now gone to the Preserve, we're getting pretty blase about catching the big ones. Luckily there is a huge Nature Preserve not far away, so we transport some and keep some here.

I'd love to let the chicks out of the brooder cage, but the snakes would have them in no time. Sigh.... Goldie gets out 1-2 times a day for a runaround and then she goes back to her chicks. She's been a stellar Mama Hen.

Not much going on here for Memorial Day, though we proudly fly the flag, which we do daily anyway, and we think even more of the many veterans and active personnel. My ex-MIL was a WASP in WWII, only recently have they received recognition for their incredible service. She flew a plane towing a target for pilots in training to practice shooting.

Opa, good job on the fishing, but I am still curious as to what is 1/3 of 14? Is fish math related to chicken math?

Definitely sad about the sturgeon. Did you know there is a fish farm in FL, run by a couple guys from Ukraine, raising sturgeon for roe and restocking the lakes?

Laura, we have already discussed your rolling coop, but the impact doesn't lessen! You guys did a good job for the coop to have held together so well!

Highlander, wherever you are, hope you're having fun!

 

[Opa]

It's all quiet and peaceful around here. Worked in the garden this morning and finished planting and mulching everything except for some more sweet potatoes that I just picked up when I had to go to the store for Hope. I need to work on the automatic door for the large fowl coop but I've already taken a shower and smell real purty I don't want to mess with stinky birds today. I guess I just wait until after work tomorrow and see if I can fix it then.

 

[Highlander]

 

[ranchhand]

Good day all,

We're smack in the middle of monsoon season here. In the first 3 days of June we have had 3.91" of rain, more than we had in the entire month of May. The storms make me edgy, to put it mildly!

All attempts to clear some jungle have come to a halt, but the veggie garden is doing well so far. DH picked the first of the green beans on Tuesday and yesterday the first cucumber was joyfully consumed. Sliced, with a dusting of kosher salt. Decoratively laid out on a pretty plate with sterling silver seafood forks for properly respectful consumption. YUM!

Opa, stinky chickens are nothing compared to stinky ducks!

Hi everybody!

 

[Opa]

Today looks as like it is going to be a pretty reasonable day. Temperatures should stay under 80 and the rain isn't supposed to return until late afternoon. You could ask for better weather for the garden. Most seeds that I've planted are poking through and the potted plants all seem to have made it passed the transplanting shock. I planted 18 tomato, 20 cucumber, 2 butternut squash, 2 zuchinni, 15 sweet potato, and 43 sweet peppers. Granny and Hope were very concerned that I plant lots of peppers as we tend to use alot for cooking. Diced and frozen on a cookie sheet, then placed in ziplock freezer bags, the work as well as fresh for many recipes.

Last night I candled the eggs I have in the incubator and it appears that they are all fertile and growing. On the 7th they go into lock down. It looks like I should have plenty for Chickenstock.

Just looked outside at the trap I have sitting next to the chickens and it is empty. Since I bought the trap over 20 years ago hundreds of coons have met their demise as a result of the curiousity. However, this year I caught two and have since lost the bait at least a dozen times without catching a thing. I can't figure out why or how they are getting the bait without triggering the trap.

 

[mamagardener]

Thank you everyone for wishing my Mom well.

Today is sticky and hot. The kind of weather where you take a shower, and your hair never dries. My garden is not doing so well, because I am still waiting for some loam to be delivered. My husband is building raised beds for the veggies, and the loam is still not delivered. The man is having issues with his truck, and I am not happy. I usually have everything in on Memorial Day weekend. I just hope it is all finished on time so I still can have my garden. I have a lot of seeds and seedlings waiting to be planted.

Have a good day everyone

 

[ranchhand]

MamaG. I hear ya on the thick, sticky air!

Ick.

More storms rolling in this afternoon, but at least the errands are run and the feed unloaded into the cans. Yay!

Opa, I use frozen peppers year round, even the hot and spicy ones. Now sweet potatoes? No rational human being would ever get between me and a sweet potato. I think they might be in the the top 5 favorite foods for me...... and if any get a bit too old, I slice them thick, dry untli chewy and the dogs love them.

 

[Opa]

Hope just asked if the rumbling she heard was thunder. I told her I think it was Granny. That the rhubarb crisp she ate after supper was probably backing up on her. That old woman dearly loves eating rhubarb. I will eat a small taste now and then but don't particularily care for it. Never made sense to want to eat something that you have to bury in the sugar bowl to make it palatable. I picked 25 pounds of the stuff last week. Washed and cut it into small pieces. Granny froze some and I filled a 5 gallon pail with 20 pounds of it for David to use for making rhubarb wine. Maybe it does have some value after all.

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

Opa I have really been enjoying reading the posts here on your place. Kinda like a good cup of coffee, good friends and a great visit. May I join you??

 

[Opa]

Quote:
I would be honored for you to join us on this thread. Lots of good people dropping in and you are right, it does make me feel good to come here.

Where in Southeast Missouri are you? I was born in Missouri but my parents move to Michigan when I was a year old. My mother lived in Dudley and went to high school in Dexter. As a child I spent a lot of time in Missouri visiting relatives. I also was a drill sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood back in the late 60's. Now my oldest and my youngest sons live in SW Missouri so I'm still visiting alot. I guess that just proves you can't out run your roots.