What did you do in the garden today?

[TropicalBabies]

Aloha garden gang,

Karen, i am sorry to hear about your mom again. Hospice is a beautiful program. They have helped us out with transitioning a few family members. Amazing, loving and caring program. Stay strong and well and good god bless .

I love the charm of the Sears craftsman and the whole story behind them. We obviously tried replicating the craftsman with a plantation twist when we designed and built our little home... we tried... :/

My aunties home was pulled from the pages of a Better Homes and Garden magazine by my MIL back in the early 50's. I guess that was a pretty good way to go here and back then, very glamorous compared to the plantation house, though I do prefer the plantation home layout myself.
Our lovely little PO (just kidding, it has to be the ugliest building ever! What were they thinking???!!!) after a good rain. This happened several times every year for the last 40... that I know of.

This week is supposed to stay in the 90's. Yuck. Not looking forward to it. DH and I decided we needed more fun time together. Too much work, too much covid, too much politics... time for a nice walk in a favorite and very remote spot of ours today. Ah yes, freedom!!! I'll bring my phone to see if I can get some interesting photos in this rugged area for you folks.
Today I was going to yank my finished garden plants but I put my 3 week old chicks in a garden box instead. They can eat some greens, dirt and bugs safely as chicken proofing my garden works at keeping them in too. I have another repeat coming this eve to pick up some older chicks for his dad or uncle. I'm happy to get to be a contributor to this entertaining and self sufficient BYC thing during these unusual times. Chicken chores are good.
Hawaii's C19 #'s are spiking on the main island and we may get locked down again. It is very important for us to protect our vulnerable Hawaiian population though, they have very close family units and may be the most relaxed with the social distancing and mask wearing. They also have many family members and generations living in one home as a cultural thing.

My neighbor kids came by again the other eve to see new chicks and report on how their flock is doing and growing. I really enjoy those kids and they know to wear masks and stay distant. I put some chocolate milk in my fridge for them instead of the gatorade I usually hydrate them with so next time they should get a kick out of visiting. They will be home schooled this year, thank goodness, and I will be happy to be on their route. These would be the neighbor kids that I wrote the scathing note to lol. They have their new coop all built and set up, Jazz... is being Jazz for them. I'm glad she is well, a little surprised she has not come to visit me as she sounds like she has plenty freedom, maybe it is because her chicks are still fairly little and contained.
Anywho, that is the haps in my tiny bubble. Stay well all, love the photos and the dirt stained fingers

 

[TropicalBabies]

Here's a picture of my daughter sharing her apple with the babies. I think the dark brahma on the right is a boy. Trying to decide about the light brahma I have too. Anybody on here a brahma/chick sexing expert? Haven't gotten desperate enough to start a new thread, but I am curiousView attachment 2279125 .

Send us some more photos I have raise a few Brahmas from chicks and may be able to guess correctly lol

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Send us some more photos I have raise a few Brahmas from chicks and may be able to guess correctly lol

You asked for it @TropicalBabies:

I don't see pointed saddle feathers, but can't tell if the grey stuff underneath is down or skinny feathers. Feathered out much faster than the dark one, but what I've read says that the different colors mature and feather out at much different rates. These are from Meyer Hatchery. Hatched June 22nd.

I'm also curoius about breed on this black one. Initlally thought Easter egger of some type.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Your Brahama is cockerel, black one maybe a sex link
Actually had small amount of rain here first in like 35 days .. not allot but any is great in my book

 

[Secondof9]

wow, the most prolific plant and the plant I have the most of growing is Cayenne Pepper. and I have used it on cats before! I had a kitten that kept chewing wires many years ago, cost me a bit in replacing new equipment... I broke open a Cayenne pepper and covered all my wires, next time I saw the kitten he was near the electronic equipment but sitting in the corner staring up and closing his eyes in a pulsating manner where he never really opened them but he would go from closed to tightly closed back to just relaxed closed. I could tell he was in pain... 20 minutes later he was back to playing like a kitten and never chewed a wire again.

I hadn't thought of using fresh peppers. Thanks! I guess a person could whirl some in a blender with lots of water and use it as a spray too.

 

[WthrLady]

There are 2 cats who visit my gardens and leave little bombs! I especially hate it in my vegetables. Who wants to eat that!!?? I've used cayenne powder with some success. They hate the smell and don't dig in it. Of course, I have to reapply periodically and certainly after a rain.

Bamboo skewers. Shove them in the beds sticking up about 5/6 inches pointy side up here and there kinda close together, cats hate it and squat elsewhere.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I hadn't thought of using fresh peppers. Thanks! I guess a person could whirl some in a blender with lots of water and use it as a spray too.

or tabasco

 

[TropicalBabies]

You asked for it @TropicalBabies:View attachment 2279149View attachment 2279150View attachment 2279152View attachment 2279156

I don't see pointed saddle feathers, but can't tell if the grey stuff underneath is down or skinny feathers. Feathered out much faster than the dark one, but what I've read says that the different colors mature and feather out at much different rates. These are from Meyer Hatchery. Hatched June 22nd.

I'm also curoius about breed on this black one. Initlally thought Easter egger of some type.View attachment 2279175View attachment 2279176

I'm glad @penny1960 is confident. I am still a little on the fence because no comparison but definitely lean towards a cockerel. Maybe it is just my denial kicking in, maybe I just want more photos of your little cuties Yes, it is the later, more photos lol.
We have a very similar teenage flock. So fun. If it makes you feel any better I have 3 cockerels in mine . And a blonde Americana that still has me scratching my head and yes, denial, so may be 4 cockerels... With my last 2... 3 Brahma cockerels it has been all about the comb and attitude being my first aha's, then the wattles. The feathers I found deceiving and similar to pullet.

Coolest chickens ever. Elvis (in back) and Priscilla @ 16?? weeks. Have fun!!!!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Also @Sooner Magnolia , Your little black pullets remind me of my Barred Rock/Americana mix. Sweet little beauties

 

[igorsMistress]

@WthrLady I am battling small hive beetles in my hive(s). A couple of people suggested Swiffer dry sweeping cloths so I am trying those. I am sorry that you are having so much trouble with your bee adventures this year.

In the garden, I harvested some more tomatoes, and tomatillos. I went to a friend's house to pick Dawson Plums. I had never heard of them. She said she remembers her mom and Grandma making jelly out of them. When I got there she couldn't figure out which tree they were coming from so I picked them up from the ground. It turns out that all of the ones I got were no good. But I did save some seeds. She said I could come back any time and try to figure out which tree it is and gather more. I tossed them in the coops this evening for the girls to enjoy. They look like persimmons, especially when not ripe. When they ripen they turn purple (instead of orange like a persimmon). Has lots of flat seeds like a persimmon does and the "cap" on top looks just like a persimmons too.

Oh, I butchered the turkey yesterday. Caught him trying to mate with another chicken hen. This one at least lived through the experience.

My sad news is that my mom is going to be evaluated for Hospice tomorrow. I believe she is ready. She has gotten so weak she can hardly even sit up much less do anything else. She is also in almost constant pain ( yes, she has pain meds). She has pretty much stopped eating and only rarely answers her phone anymore (and never calls anyone). I will meet with the hospice worker at 4:00 in the parking lot since this pandemic keeps me from being able to go in the facility.

I'm sorry to read about your mom Karen

many tiny P.O. buildings in the area. But,the one in mycity is old/historic, just off the downtown square. Last year they re-grouted the entire building leaving the original brick. It took a few months, but they removed old grout, put in new between all the bricks. While the building didn’t originally have a/c, at some point it got a/c.


in 2017 and 2018 I mailed a normal sized box to my kid in FL. Priority Mail, expected delivery 2-3 days. It took 11 days to arrive each time!!! Yes, it was before Christmas, but that was insane. I additionally mailed priority packages to Seattle, LA, and DC At same time. All of those arrived in the 2-3 day time frame. FL kid is not rural. Lived on base both years, but that was not the delay! Tracking showed bizarre route in FL before it even made it to the final city. last year, sent it priority, 13 or 14 days ahead.....it made it there before Christmas, but after everyone else I mailed got their packages. Another time, I mailed a package toFL Kid, but there was no rush....so I mailed it regular type mail. It took OVER 2 weeks to get there!!! This was in October, no holidays, and kid no longer lived on base, but in a regular apartment. Tracking showed it parked in one random FL location for over a week!Not sure why so much difficulty in FL, but it’s strangely inefficient there (In my experience).

so it's Florida that's the problem?