Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

Ian does a nice courtship dance, but Sylvia is put off laying by all sorts of things- artillary bombardments and Fourth of July both led to very few eggs.

We got a bit forwarder on the Wyandotte coop today, but it was too hot for the middle of the day and then we had to get dinner for company.

 

[Illia]

All this sun is doing such good wonders for me.

I know a lot of you throughout WA state and even the US in general are getting serious heat, but we just barely reached 83 for the first time this summer yesterday, and, in the mean time the cool to moderately warm sunny days have been nice - I never imagined, but it is so, that I am able to eat melons for dessert every night now for about 2 weeks.

My most recent obsession is a melon called "Green Nutmeg." Looks like what stores call a Cantaloupe, but on the inside. . .

Don't be fooled! The awesome green color of its flesh is indeed ripe, and is the best tasting I've EVER had of any Muskmelon. (what you call a cantaloupe) - It's slightly spicy, very rich, very sweet, and there's something else there too that I guess I could call fruity, but not quite.
It's so good, my family absolutely detested eating a green fleshed melon (they hate Honeydews) but once they finally had a bite, they ate their slices right down to the rind, and I mean right down into the rind! Normally they take the very top, inner part of the flesh then chuck the rest.

This melon was smaller than it should be, but, still certainly a heavenly worthy treat!

Oh and the smell. . . . Like a powerful, sweet peach mixed in with a good fruity melon.

 

[AriLovesChickens]

I'm a little jealous...luckily the excellent peaches and nectarines coming out now are keeping me happy. (And before them, the Rainier cherries!) That melon looks very interesting though.

 

[Illia]

Yep, where I lack in tree-fruit this year, I certainly excel in vine-fruit.

I'm very curious to know if anyone has tried the Indian Free peach though. They're so neat and I hear they have a slightly berry-like flavor, plus they're the best choice for us truly maritime weather people on the Peninsula, but I'd like to hear it from a true local.



Soo excited though. I've got a large supply of orange watermelons, green muskmelons, and a small supply of white watermelons, but in just a month or two, I'm expecting some Charantais melons, Ali Baba (red fleshed type) watermelons, African Kiwano melons, and the yellow-fleshed Moon and Stars watermelon.

The Kiwano will be the biggest excitement though.



(not my photo)

 

[RustyHen]

Quote:
Is that what they call Ugly Fruit sometimes?
I have a melon recipe that you might like to try.
make a lite simple syrup, let it cool, mix half and half with a white desert wine.
scoop several different colors of melon place them in a tall bottle and cover with the syrup mix, cover tightly. Referigate for a week and then then try. wonderful cool summer desert. I have used both green and muskmelon for this but not the watermelon. PS I live 10 miles from Hermiston

 

[Kaneke]

Quote:
I feel so lucky -- I've been getting between four and six eggs a day (and when I get a four egg day, the next day there is at least one double yolker) -- despite airplanes and helicopters taking off in front and flying overhead; the noisy maneuvers out of Fort Lewis/McChord; the guy up the street who is into collectible cars and has his friends drag up and down the street NOISILY with theirs; not to mention dogs barking, lawnmowers and chainsaws and drills and tablesaws; and the visiting kids next door jumping on their trampoline right next to the side property line

and the noisy wild birds --- chicka-dee dee dee, jays squawking, hawks screaming, oh-ka-lee from the blackbirds, yannnkyannkyannk from some other bird I haven't identifed, the flickers drumming on the oak trees, the killdeer saying killll deerrrrr then screaming as they flop away, oh yes, and the swifts and swallows, and bats ....

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Nope, Ugli Fruit is this -

Ugli Fruit is actually a type of Citrus.



The melon recipe sounds interesting, but I'm no drinker and have no wine around. Is it going to taste or be much alcoholic?

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
I feel so lucky -- I've been getting between four and six eggs a day (and when I get a four egg day, the next day there is at least one double yolker) -- despite airplanes and helicopters taking off in front and flying overhead; the noisy maneuvers out of Fort Lewis/McChord; the guy up the street who is into collectible cars and has his friends drag up and down the street NOISILY with theirs; not to mention dogs barking, lawnmowers and chainsaws and drills and tablesaws; and the visiting kids next door jumping on their trampoline right next to the side property line

and the noisy wild birds --- chicka-dee dee dee, jays squawking, hawks screaming, oh-ka-lee from the blackbirds, yannnkyannkyannk from some other bird I haven't identifed, the flickers drumming on the oak trees, the killdeer saying killll deerrrrr then screaming as they flop away, oh yes, and the swifts and swallows, and bats ....

The Hamburgs are unstopable, but I suspect the combination of close confinement with a cockerel and loud noises is more than Sylvia can handle.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

OK here is a new one. Made from the air compressor tank that T HI ad Kaneke delivered to me a few weeks ago. I say it is Packy the paca oh heck too hard to spell so effeneffenalant.

 

[herbandteas]

Quote:
Since I'll probably never get to witness that for myself, what does the courtship dance look like? Are roosters better dancers than most men? (Before any guys take offense, you know I'm only joking - kinda.)

come on down here, Dana --- Roopert does a nifty little courtship dance

he does drop a shoulder, bounces from foot to foot very quickly, turns half or 3/4 of the way around while dancing, then often unfurls his wings about half way and shakes his hackle feathers out .. then snags the hen if she's willing

Oh I just have to see that one!