The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[getaclue]

At night, run hot water in a towel, then wring it out. Put it on your knee, with a piece of plastic over it (saran wrap, a plastic grocery bag), then put a heating pad on it to keep it hot. You want moist heat. Leave that "cook" for an hour. After an hour, remove the heat, and let it rest for an hour. After it has rested for an hour, put an ice bag on it. You can use the same damp towel to help insulate it. Let it get cold for an hour. After the hour, remove the cold. When you wake up in the morning, repeat. Put your brace on, after you've done the ice, only IF you are going to be walking, on it. When you get finished, and settle back down, repeat the hot, rest, cold treatment.

 

[speckledhen]

repeat the hot, rest, cold treatment.

I often put a warm rice bag on my knee, but my other current issue is that my left ankle, the one I broke years ago and that has arthritis and a bone spur in it. It is giving me fits, probably because I am walking oddly due to my right knee. So, I am a hot mess right now, but I put on an ankle brace just now and will keep on going. Too much to do to sit on my behind and let that expand, LOL.

 

[speckledhen]

By the way, Cheryl, how are you doing, health-wise? I think about it and then, I forget to ask you, sorry for that.

 

[getaclue]

To the best of my knowledge, I'm doing good. I canceled my last appointment with the oncologist, but will reschedule soon, now that the hospitals have returned to a bit more normal.

 

[speckledhen]

That's good. Hope you feel good these days. It's garden and chick season!

 

[getaclue]

I have 20 chicks, and a rescued duckling.

 

[speckledhen]

I should have around that many chicks, if the 21 still humming along hatch about June 6. I candled the eggs, as I mentioned on the Brahma thread, removed four of the twenty-five, three appear to be from the same hen so I suspect they're my Dark Brahma, B.J.'s. Her eggs never develop, though Bash mates her all the time. The other, I don't know who it belongs to, but it's a completely different shape, all just appear infertile. I didn't open them, just chucked them out into the pasture for the wild critters to eat.

 

[1muttsfan]

Mine have been cooking under the puffball for a week now, I should sneak out tonight and do a little candling after dark

 

[speckledhen]

So far, no broodies, though Brandy has been spending extra time in the nest so I'm watching her. She and Bonnie were doing 4x each every year for the first three years, but I hope they'll taper off now that they're turning four years old. I also have broody Barred Rocks so Thea, Jill or even Maddie or Jane could go broody. I am trying to collect a few of Maddie and Jane's eggs when I am sure they really are their eggs so if I do have a broody hen, I can see what they produce with Hector. I may keep nothing, but I'd like to see, plus I know there is someone who wants anything from the non-Dwarf-gene bunch that I hatch.

 

[seminolewind]

My mother always grew them so I got seeds last year. I can't tell the Dahlias from the Zinnias, though! They grew..and grew...and grew. There was a mass of flowers in the garden last year, a mix of several types of Dahlias and Zinnias.

My tomato seeds usually sprout, but the cheapie seeds tend to do it less reliably. I am now planting my "insurance seeds" that I started because some of the ones I did plant in the raised bed garden just limped along and some gave up the ghost due to our odd weather after the last frost date had passed. We found a few tomato plants, but almost zero paste type tomatoes, which are the main kind we grow for canning; had to start all those from seed, unfortunately.
Next year, after Tom cleans out the basement, we will have a grow table with a light for better starting. I also pulled up a row of what was supposed to be butternut squash and seems that Tom accidentally labeled them wrong and they were the Chinese long beans. Those were replanted by the fence and I direct-sowed some Amish Paste tomato seeds a couple of days ago. Now, it's raining for days so I hope they don't rot in the ground.

I guess you'll have enough beans! Good they are easy to freeze. I think I will just take the rest of the tomato seeds in the garden and "whatever"

You know how Covid requested you stay at home? Well I was a very good girl and and stayed home for 2 months, Not like I go out much more anyway. So since my tomato seeds never broke ground, I had hubby drive me and my Mask to Walmart garden center For tomato plants and the shelf was bare! So we drove to this farm stand-like place and they were out too! Then we went to Tractor supply and they were out. Grrr! We pulled up to our supermarket Kroger's and they had a bunch!!!! I took 2. and planted them.

The next morning I only have one because a rabbit at the other one! So much for the price of gas! Good thing Hubs came back with some the next day from HD.

I have to give HomeD a gold star because I needed some Ligustrum/privet. Ebay was a skalper for what I wanted-selling puny for big bucks!!! So I see that HD has them 1 gallon, free delivery! Can't beat that. So I order three- and get the most special and beautiful plants-I have never seen anything packed like that! It's Like they were sending $100 bushes, LOL. I feel like driving over there and thanking them!

I was also a very bad girl and bought 4 roses from Jackson and Perkins. I have found over the years that I can order from other companies, but none compare to J&P. 20 years ago I had 84 rose bushes. Over a few years I had narrowed down to 11. The other ones became too hard to please. So I got into Daylilies, and turns out the lady who lived here at this last house for 35 years was day lily crazy so my yard has daylily crazy. Yipee!!!

And Cynthia (and all) I heard my grandma talk about cosmos and zinnias all the time so I planted some. My Grandparents were into growing vegetables and flowers , and chickens (but not pets.) . . Had a coop and everything. Their neighbor was raising veggies and chicks as well. SADLY, I was too young to feel the joy from them at the time. Gpa would be mad that he grew greens beans and not of us would go pick them. Times have changed! So if anything, get your grown up kids to teach your grand kids how to really converse with God-getting dirt under their nails!

It's like being dragged to Woolworth's every day for my GmA to get her free cup of coffee at their counter. Boy I wish those days were back. All I have now is "Shirley Drive In" on Facebook., which brings up a lot of memories.

I do visit my daughter and family 9 miles away now. I took the mask off, but we try to maintain that 6 foot zone.