What did you do in the garden today?

[chickmom3941]

@penny1960 @WthrLady the Kitchen Aid experience store and museum are next to the factory in Ohio. It is fun to see all the colors and see all the accessories. I’ve only been there a couple of times, but went there earlier this year!
From the store: nicely displayed mixers:
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then in the lower level are refurbished or floor models or test mixers (exterior color test) for sale - some great deals and lots of colors!
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It was fun to visit and shop.

OMG - LOVE that dark metallic teal one! The purple is nice, too, and would go great in our kitchen (our wallpaper has purple grapes on it). The KA museum looks like a fun place to visit.

We're having a cold snap here for a few days. Right now the actual temp is -11 degrees, with wind chill it's -25 degrees. Been up since about 4:30 throwing logs on the fire. Burrr! Supposed to be back to +30 degrees by Friday. This would be a great day for baking - will probably start making some Christmas cookies - I haven't even made any yet!

Glad to hear Suzy Q's reintroduction went well, Wee Farmer Sarah. It may sound funny, but I was worrying about it, and hoping she would be okay.

 

[chickmom3941]

Good morning gardeners. My furnace is finally fixed and not running steadily. The temps are in the 50's right now and the snow is melting. The forecasted snow for tomorrow is less for me and more for those south of here. Yay! Suzy Q is back in the coop with her flock. I started a new thread on that experience. I kept her in the old rooster bachelor pad with the other hen (not Buffy) who is halfway through her molt for most of the day until the BR pullets crashed the "party" and stole their food. Since no was in attack mode I left the door open and they were all fine. I need to go out and clean the coop now. There's enough grass showing they may actually go outside of the run. Love the pictures of KA mixers I'll have to check out their website. Hang in there Karen, we're all hoping for the best. Have a great day everyone.

Couldn't find your thread about Suzy Q's experience - was hoping to read about it!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning all. I was gone visiting most of yesterday and came home to green lawn - no snow. When I got up this morning there was 4 inches of fresh sticky, wet snow on the ground and plastered to the trees and anything else that was exposed. It wasn't enough to bother with shoveling to the chicken coop, but I did shovel the driveway. It wasn't worth cranking up the snowblower. I did it the old fashioned way and it only took 30 minutes and I got some walking exercise in. Suzy Q seemed fine yesterday when I got home. She was pecking around looking for food with half the flock (the other half and the rooster were already roosting for the night). I had stopped at TSC on my way home to pick up some vitamin & electrolyte powder for my flock. I opened it up this morning and OMG! the seal was broken and half the contents were gone. I go there so infrequently and nearly every time it's a PIA. Now I have to drive all the way there - like 10 miles to rant and hope they give me a filled and sealed bottle. Love the pictures @TropicalBabies, thank you. I'm hoping all this December snow (and rain) will "cleanse" my garden and I'll have a healthier garden crop this Spring & Summer. Fingers crossed. I hope all is well with you all and you have a great day.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Couldn't find your thread about Suzy Q's experience - was hoping to read about it!

It may have been put into the "chicken behavior" thread.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Our temps have been in the mid 80's to 70's at night. Still sweating some but not as unbearable as it has been. I love the winters here!!!

2 bantam mix hiding their eggs the number of daily eggs in the nest boxes are only 4-5, not as good as I had hoped... darn freeloaders. Hoping to find the hidden nests b4 its too late.

I am envious of your night time temps and I thought I had it good. A cold front hit and took us down to the low 50's so no more coffee in the morning on to porch for me in skivvies and flipflops for a couple of days.

As far as finding hidden nests, search for "365nm black light" and do a night time search with it. Eggs should light up a nice pink color for you. Green(usually weedeater string for me or the dogs tennis balls, or scorpions) and blackish red stuff is just chlorophyll from vegetation and those tomato hornworms are a brighter shade of blackish green. For the hornworms though I prefer the BT stuff unless I decide I want chicken treats first.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I am envious of your night time temps and I thought I had it good. A cold front hit and took us down to the low 50's so no more coffee in the morning on to porch for me in skivvies and flipflops for a couple of days.

As far as finding hidden nests, search for "365nm black light" and do a night time search with it. Eggs should light up a nice pink color for you. Green(usually weedeater string for me or the dogs tennis balls, or scorpions) and blackish red stuff is just chlorophyll from vegetation and those tomato hornworms are a brighter shade of blackish green. For the hornworms though I prefer the BT stuff unless I decide I want chicken treats first.

Just checked out the Black light, great and I will do that. Going to town in a few and will look for it. Mahalo for the good suggestion! So much better than trying to catch them or wadding around in their favorite junk pile only come out with sticky weeds and and bugs. That gets old.

Yes, winters here are lovely, though, our temps have not cooled much yet. Coconut oil is still liquid. The lowest winter temp I have noticed was a few years ago @ 58 F, it was a awesome and chilly reprieve for a few days. I hope we get some good, cool weather this year too... and lots of rain.
Have a great day all!!!

 

[WthrLady]

WAIT?! Coconut oil is a liquid?!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Afternoon or evening all after 5 now had to get groceries for the month this is all but a few odds and ends still raining here it can stop anytime 3 days is long enough

 

[TropicalBabies]

Too funny to not share... Only Kauai.

 

[pennyJo1960]

are there wild chickens there