~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[HHandbasket]

Waves a big HI to Soose! I am so glad you are here!

I am also looking forward to finally meeting you in person! I bet the 2 of you got some stories to tell hehehehe. I can't wait until the 3 of us girls can sit down & y'all can tell me your stories. Linda's very fortunate to have a good friend like you who has always stuck by her through the years.

You are going to love her new place. When you see her at her new homestead, you'll see that Linda has truly come home to herself for once. And she has some really happy chickens. They have always been happy before, but they are very much thriving and doing so well up here... as are Dooley and Zorro, the little snots. Hehehe.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, garsch, you two! While I'm glad Soose finally posted something, y'all can stop talking about my deliberate choice to just not cook meals. I CAN cook, I just don't enjoy it. You know me and QVC; I cannot resist kitchen gadgets and those "Temptations" baking and serving sets. Now that I have this fantastic stove, I MAY just get all inspired this winter.

Saturday and Sunday I merely enjoyed my house and property, especially now that the little A/C unit is keeping the house cool. Oh maaan, this has been wonderful. Just piddled around doing little things. I wanted to plant the vining things along the front fence, but it got too hot, too quickly. Added two more kitty litter boxes as nest boxes for the larger hens. Broke down some more cardboard boxes, creating more living room floor space.

The six ducklings are growing so quickly.

Just a week old today.

Last night, HHandbasket (yesterday was her birthday) and Farmer Lew came over. I got a lesson in how to load, handle and shoot my new pellet gun. Hit the can with my second shot.

One of my Salmon Favs is a little cockerel named Hitchcock. He is intrepid! He has been stalking a gray squirrel as it gathers pine needle duff to make a nest up high in one of the trees in the front yard. He's also been foraging right next to the side fence where the neighbor's chicken run abuts my yard. Their hens have finally started laying, and Hitchcock apparently likes the girly attention he gets from those girls through the wire fence.

Wilbur has finally overcome the trauma of being repeatedly attacked by the now-gone Roy and has come out of the coop to wander the yard. He's practicing his crow (and needs the practice). He's a BCM mix but such a funny looking fellow. I hope he grows into his large frame pretty soon... Right now he's just a great big dorky looking lunk.

The chickens foraging in the meadow yesterday alerted to something which drew Carl's attention, and I was so proud of him! He made the hens leave the area, then he paced back and forth, calling out a different sort of warning than I'd ever heard before. When I investigated, I discovered the "stray" cat the other neighbors have been feeding, tucked down into the storm drain culvert. It's a gorgeous cat, an Absynnian, I think. Carl had him at bay. I relieved Carl of his duty - really! He recognized THe Big Boss of the Flock was there to take care of things and made his way up the embankment back to the front yard. I spoke to the cat with the "you're safe with me" tone and told it to skedaddle now that the way back "home" next door was clear. It took my words to heart and dashed up the other side of the gully. My gully. My meadow. Gosh I love this place.

Hey, chickens may get up before dawn, but they also take a whole lot of group naps throughout the day! Little chicken lumps snoozing all over my veranda, under the apple tree, in the planter space adjacent to the veranda, in clumps under the pergola, and in the bushes next to one side of the circular driveway. Two or three on my porch chairs.

I have decided I AM going to retire next year, the day after my birthday. I will have been working in the Public Saftey Communications environment for thirty-five years. So, next September, I won't go back to work after Labor Day.

 

[welasharon]

Good for you! Now hopefully you can get your kinks worked out and this will be the perfect place to retire.
sharon

 

[Buugette]

Can I just sat you are absolutely amazing. I love to read your adventures, as does everyone it seems. You should start a blog. Congrats and more pics please.

 

[Kansaseq]

Linda, I feel serene just reading about your place and the going's on. It really would be cool if you did a blog; I bet you'd have a big following

 

[wolftracks]

I have one question.

Is my room ready?

 

[soose1]

GEEEE! I didn't mean to chase everyone away!

Linda CAN cook! I just LOVE her roasted chicken!

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
So is that where the rooster got to?

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
So is that where the rooster got to?

I have never cooked any chicken of mine. Just the store-bought ones. As far as I am aware, vie not yet had the pleasure of eating non-factory raised chicken meat. Besides, Roy weighed all of a pound and a half; he was a bantam Cochin, and mostly feathers.

Kate's minions are starting to develop individual personalities but I have managed to resist naming them thus far. They are the only birds destined for the table, and they won't be living here when the life-lines on the bottoms of their feet suddenly run out.

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
LOL Soose! You didn't chase us away! But I knew the comment about the roasted chicken (on a chicken forum) would generate a laugh or two! Hehehe.

The closest she comes to roasting any of her own chickens is if they're outside in 100-degree heat. LOL.

I have had fresh/non-store-bought chicken, and the difference in taste is similar to the difference in taste between a store-bought egg and a home-grown, fresh egg. It's just better.