7-17-13 – Crooked Acres Wednesday

Posted on by Robyn

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Sights from around Crooked Acres.

I know it’s been FOREVER since I’ve had a Crooked Acres Wednesday (or Thursday). I’ll try to get ’em done more often – maybe not every week, but at least once a month!


The chickens gather, hoping that I’ve got something good to eat.


We only let one hen hatch chicks so far this year – she ended up with 6 of them, of varying colors.


Can you guess who this is? That’s right, it’s Arnold! Arnold, it turns out, is a girl.


The chickens accompany us out to the pond.


There are plenty of bugs out by the pond. Usually the chickens only stay out there for a minute or two before they head back to the area around their coop. They don’t stray too far from home.


Rooster keeps an eye on his wimminfolk.


Cruella.


Pretty little chick.


Meredith Grey’s looking a little ratty.


Buff Orpington hen – one of the original 12, I believe. Which makes her… 6ish? I think?


The Rock Star. I need to get an updated picture of her for the next Crooked Acres picture extravaganza. Fred decided she needed a trim of her head feathers – they get in the way and she can’t see anything, so I trim them back a couple of times a year. This time, instead of just trimming them back a bit, I gave her what could reasonably be described as a mullet. It ain’t pretty – but she has no problem seeing the world around her!


It’s beyond me how these dogs can be SO happy when they’re under all that fur. I know that it’s insulating and protects them from the sun, but just looking at them makes me sweat.


Pretty Gracie girl.


::THLURP::


It’s a rough, rough life.


Bee on catnip. I really need to cut that catnip back – but the bees love it.


I read somewhere (on Pinterest, I’m SURE) that you can plant the bottom of a bunch of celery (with the stalks all cut off) and it’ll grow back. I was skeptical, but it seems to actually be working. I don’t think the celery’s crazy about the heat, but it’s hanging in there! I don’t actually use much celery (I’m not a big fan), but I wonder if this will taste better than the stuff I buy in the store.


This is the compost heap. It’s LOADED down with squash plants and there are a few tomato plants, too. We’ve harvested a few small summer squash, but the plants are all loaded down with squash bugs, too, so the plants are beginning to die off.


The blueberry bushes are doing pretty well. I managed to pick about 1/2 cup of blueberries last week – and made muffins!


We are going to be so loaded down with Muscadines (wild grapes, for those of you who’ve never heard of them) this year. I already have a ton of Muscadine jelly left over from last year. Do we need more? Fred seems to think so!


Baby Muscadines.


The pond, in the late afternoon.


Someone told me last year what these are called, but I don’t remember. They’re not Dragonflies, they’re something else. Anyone know?


Ducks, waiting for the 4th (female) duck to finish laying her egg. They sure do stick together, those four.

I have a video for you! When we have pasta for dinner, I always make a little (okay, a lot) extra. The chickens LOVE them some leftover pasta (almost always angel hair – not that they care what kind of pasta, they just love their carbs), and I actually remembered to get a video of the feeding.


YouTube link.

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Best toy ever: the packing strap off a package. I have yet to meet a cat who wasn’t interested in playing with one.


They love to drag it around, bat at it, play with it together.


Ember considers her next move.


“Halp! HALP!”

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Brandon keeps an eye on me.


And Hodor keeps an eye on whatever’s on the other side of that track toy.


Arya checks out the toys.


“There’s something right behind me, isn’t there?”


Hodor checks to see if the washcloth is clean enough for his standards.


Jon Snow comes out from hiding behind the cat tree.

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Look, I’m not trying to disparage anyone’s professionalism here or anything, but Sheriff Mama sure does like to lay down on the job an awful lot.

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Previously
2012: Guest Post, by Stompers.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: Kaylee will not be deterred.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

Comments

48 thoughts on “7-17-13 – Crooked Acres Wednesday”

  1. Suddenly the Dragons have turned into long and sleek cats, when did that happen?

    On the other hand, the Starks seem to still be in the round kitten stage. I’m very much in love with pretty Arya and her beautifully outlined ears.

  3. Sheriff Mama (so cute!) has exended the heat advisory through Friday. Her work is now done. Robyn, are you missing the garden this year, or would it have been hard to keep up with under your current two-litter regime?

    1. I miss being able to go out into the garden and pick a handful of cherry tomatoes to have with lunch – but I’m not missing the work, especially with it being so hot and humid right now! I wouldn’t have had any problems keeping up, even with the two litters going. At least, I don’t think I would have!

  4. Is Jon Snow deaf at all? I know it is very common for white cats to be either partially or fully deaf.

  5. PS. I hadn’t realized there were *that* many chicken in your coop. Tried counting, but they were too busy with the pasta…

      1. Damselflies! That’s absolutely right. Hopefully you guys will be able to tell me that again next year when I can’t remember again! 🙂

  7. The Starks seem to have grown past that awkward alien headed tiny kitten age overnight… they really look like little cats now. That first picture of Brandon actually fooled me for a second, and I was thinking, which dragon is that again?

    Oh, and those look like damselflies to me, I love their aqua blue color.

  8. Damselflies

    I saw the pic of Stephan and Norbert snuggling last night on Fred’s FB. Wonderful!

  9. The Birds. The Yardbirds. The Running of the Hens. Jack the kitten was entranced by the chicken sounds.

  10. Loving that little Brandon baby 🙂 so cute…When I was young we were told those bugs were called sewing needles and they would sew your lips shut. HAHA..I am from CT..anyone else call them that?

  11. I love that picture of Kara! Her eyes match the grass.

    My cat also came to see what I was up to when I watch the chicken video.

    Are you going to have a dragon visit the Starks?

    1. I need to take the Starks to be tested, but once that’s done I’ll let a Dragon or two in to visit, at long as they behave! (I suspect the Dragons are only interested in that room because they know there are bowls of Babycat in there!)

  12. it was a chicken parade. I know about those dogs….sheesh makes me hot to look at them. (which may explain why my brother’s pry has taken to laying in the mud in their back yard) The Starks sure are getting big!!!

    1. Fred opened the gate to the pig yard, and George and Gracie have been hanging out in the pig shed. There’s a deep hole (that the pigs dug) and I suspect it’s nice and cool in there!

  13. I was going to call those bugs darning needles (I’m also in NY), but “damselflies” sounds right as well. Looks like you have some water skaters there too! I used to love going to the little creek in the neighborhood where I grew up and watching them.

    Lord, that chicken video made my day. I’ve already watched it three times. They are hilarious. It looks like you have two roosters right now — do they ever fight? Or are there enough lady chickens to go ’round? How many chickens do you guys have at this point?

    I wish we could have chickens here in Brooklyn, but we have no outdoor space, alas. The little community garden down the street has three or four, though, so we can always go visit, and our landlord may turn part of his yard into chicken land to go with the bee hives on the roof and the cheese caves in the basement. There’s always hope!

    1. Ooh, good questions! I’m going to save those for Friday’s post (and also, to be honest I have to ask Fred how many chickens we have. 🙂 )

  14. “Best toy ever: the packing strap off a package. I have yet to meet a cat who wasn’t interested in playing with one.”

    OMG yes. My cats are obsessed w/ those.

    2. Law of Cats #358: Don’t bother buying cat toys. Their favorite toys will be milk rings, packing straps, boxes, and your shoelace.

      Personal anecdote: Ever seen a cat get their head stuck in something? I tabletop game and one night my kitty properly killed the gaming table by getting my empty dice bag stuck on her head. SOOOOOOO funny.

      1. I actually haven’t had cats get their heads stuck in something – which is kind of odd, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you think it would have happened once or twice, with all the cats we have around here?

  15. First off.. the running of the chickens – LOVE it. I have to say if I were your neighbor I’d be over there all the time feeding the chickens just to watch them run 🙂

    Second.. when on EARTH did those Starks turn into kittens that can free roam a room?? seriously over night?

    Lastly.. if you have too much Jam, I hear it makes really nice gifts 😉

    1. Isn’t it ridiculous how quickly they grow? I told Fred last night that they’ve gone from pushing themselves along on their bellies to wobbling along to running in the blink of an eye!

      I’m going to have to start leaving jars of jam in unlocked cars. 🙂

        1. SECONDED! I can find some of that a happy home and am willing to pay shipping too.

      2. unlocked cars, heaven forbid!! Unless you mean you are planning on bringing some to Maine and tossing them in MY car.. then by all means, feel free 🙂

  17. Ok…question. I know you all eat some of your chickens. How do you decide which ones….well, get the ax? I know you could not pick one that you have named and are attached to…but how do you not get attached to them all? Then, is it hard to see them “missing” from then on?

  19. Wow Arnoldette (Arnoldina?) has turned into one spectacular chicken. How did you find out that the chickens love pasta?

    1. Just by offering it to them – they get a lot of kitchen scraps, and they like almost everything we give them, but LOVE pasta!

  20. What happened to the Starks? Did they take a magic growth potion or something last night? They seem to have sprouted over night right into the next stage of kittenhood! It seemed like they were going to be snuggly adorable little baby cats forever, and now suddenly they’re busy little toddlers going at full speed into everything!

    I think Stephen is angling for a permanent slot at the indoor table and a bed with his name on it. He sure settled in suspiciously easily for a cat that grew up outdoors – somecat must be giving him pointers 🙂 And to be so easy-going with the babies? He keeps that up, he’s a keeper for sure!

    You could always try bartering some of your jars of jam for a break on your vet bill. You never know – it might be worth a discount!

    1. From Fred’s FB, it looks like Stephan has tested out pretty much most of the cat beds in the house….except for any that is occupied by Stinkerbelle!

  21. I didn’t realize how much I had missed the Crooked Acres posts – until today! Fabulous pix! And AHHHHnold (as we say in New England) is now a lady with great leggings – what fun!

  22. ARNOLD! (Arnoldetta?) Her legs are nearly as fuzzy as mine are right now! TMI? Thankfully, it’s my day off tomorrow which means I get to wear shorts (and take care of the leg fuzz situation). Anyway, she’s incredibly gorgeous and I’m happy she’s a girl. That dramatically increases her chances of sticking around Crooked Acres, right?

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