What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning and Merry Christmas Eve everyone! No more cookie photos - I can feel my hips expanding when I view them, LOL. I have not baked any cookies this year since I'm trying to lose some weight. I've been limiting my sweets and have lost 1 1/2 pounds so far. So my neighbor came over to wish me a happy holiday with a box of home made cookies yesterday afternoon. Sabotage! I ordered an exercise video first thing this morning. Yes, the respiratory illnesses are a real problem for poultry keepers. After my first year with chickens and surviving with the help of antihistamines and air filters I was happy to find the larger pine shavings at my local TSC. These shavings don't create a dust storm when you are tossing them around the coop or cleaning them up. My health from chicken keeping has greatly improved. I'm also using a wood pellet that produces very little dust and ash as well. I haven't used my air filters yet. I've also had the lifetime pneumonia shot twice. I did get a mild case of pneumonia that lasted about two weeks, but not nearly anything like a full blown, knock you down case. I got a little work accomplished yesterday. I was able to break the gate open so I could feed the composter and give it a good turn. The composter is still a little frozen from the deep freeze we just experienced, but it should thaw a bit enough to "heat up" the scraps. The chickens ventured outside of their run for a few minutes and I was able to get to the bird feeders for a refill. Again, @WthrLady, my condolences for having to deal with the holiday traffic. I'm at the position right now that if I don't have it in the house, I don't really need it until after Christmas. Traffic is so horrid especially with all the reckless, mindless folks who can't take their eyes off of their cell phones long enough to drive. Too scary for this old woman. Take care everyone and have a great day!

 

[karenerwin]

My only shopping today is to go to the bank and to the feed store to get more chicken layer pellets.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Aloha kakahiaka, mele kalikimaka & hau'oli makahiki hou gardeners!

Took DH to town for emergency eye doc appointment yesterday (all is well!). We hit traffic going in and coming out due to a pretty big- for here, we have 1 lane hwy- traffic accident. Must have been 7 cars and one trailer with serious injuries. Reminded me to be grateful for our health and happiness. Feel so bad for the folks who just had their lives and holidays altered, messed up to ruined in one way or another. I will be happy to stay off of the roads as much as possible. Be safe all.

We swung by to check out the paint job on my truck on our way into town. It really is prettier in person BUT the guy did not paint the inside of the bed (???!!!)... says he will do it for another $500. That was the obvious "lack of communication" that we had. I'm going to hate to see all the other lazy, shotty stuff he pulled. Disappointed because he is my DH's co worker. I called and discussed but he is a loud and proud guy, aka bully, I walk more quietly... though, I do carry a stick with rusty nails... but, that is not how I want to think or feel about this experience, my truck happiness or the holiday season. So, to get it out of there asap is the plan, pay him FAIRLY and deal with finishing "the complete paint job with color change" accordingly. The good news is that the color for that year and body style is absolutely stunning. I did a great job picking the color, I'm patting myself on the back because it took some convincing DH. Photos do not due justice to how pretty it is. I bet I will have lots of people complimenting me on it and asking me who painted it.... hmmm. Karma is honest.

I woke up early to a nice Christmas eve conversation with my daughter this morning and a light rain, my favorite. She and her family just relocated to Az and all is good.
DH has a solution to his eye problem and it is not serious, though his over all condition has been pretty bad for a few years. I'm planning on coasting 2019 out the door with love and looking forward to 2020, DH's retirement is on Jan 10th so lots of adventures to be had together.

Looking ahead, for New Years we will be taking the animals up to Koke'e cabin while the neighborhood goes nuts with fireworks. The heavy Chinese influence on the islands makes for very out of control New Years here. It's a shame and I hope for the day when they ban small fireworks altogether. It usually looks and sounds like a war zone and is sad to see such a beautiful island littered and disrespected by a few. But till then I am happy to go up the mountain where it is as quiet as a mouse and the air is clean.

Photos for today- I may have share this before. Kahili ginger, a sea of Kahili ginger from up Koke'e.

Happy Christmas eve all!!! Stay well and safe!!!!!! Aloha, L.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Gardeners Sunny cold here frost all around wait about an hour to clean the coops no skating allowed old bones will crack in this cold I use white shavings the dust comes from dirt baths not shavings Merry Christmas remember the reason for the season and God bless all the troops

 

[pennyJo1960]

There will be a few idiots new years eve her also thankfully our police although only 3 troopers for about 50 miles of road quell any too loud or big

 

[Acre4Me]

@TropicalBabies -great pics! Glad your husbands eye issue isnt too bad. Merry Christmas!

 

[WthrLady]

The BIG stuff is legal here. I can't stand it. The people near me that set it off have NO idea what it does to the livestock. Blow your money up, I don't care, but quit freaking out my stock.

Finished baking 3 dozen soft chocolate sugar cookies and iced them. Delivered many dozen to friends in next village west. Stopped at the Mennonite market on the way home. Then it was an hour of moving manure and old hay.

Quiet dinner and studying all night. Almost midnight here. God Jul everyone.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Merry Christmas morning everyone. No fresh snow, but since I still have snow in the front and backyard, I guess it is technically a "white Christmas." I'm spending a quiet day with my flock. They got part of their present yesterday since enough snow had melted they were able to hang outside in the grass for about 45 minutes. It really helps to calm them down. Today they will get scrambled eggs and some spinach and hopefully a little more "grass time." The seed catalogs have started popping up in my mailbox so there's some inspiration. Thank you for the "green" photos @TropicalBabies. Glad your DH is on the mend. Here are some shots of my world right now. A flock of Mourning Doves dropped in for Christmas breakfast along with some other little friends. The other two photos are from yesterday. Yes, I do have some grass showing, just not in the picture. I'm with you @WthrLady, I really don't like fireworks in the neighbor's backyard. They are illegal in Massachusetts but people still drive to New Hampshire to buy them and bring them home to play with. So scary and the noise is a real PIA. So I'm hoping the chickens will work on a little snow removal. They think it is tasty. Have a peaceful day everyone.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners, Merry Christmas!

 

[Acre4Me]

Merry Christmas gardeners!!

@WthrLady -we made the Risgrot for breakfast, and we all enjoyed it.

got a new sewing machine, so will be learning the new features/capabilities.