Garden Grub

I haven't even posted about my garden yet this year!

It's massive. The 36 foot long raised bed is full of swiss chard, spinach, a variety of looseleaf and head lettuces, a variety of radishes, beets, parsnips, endives, beans, peas, garlic, carrots, cabbage, aichi, kohlrabi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, baby corn, basil, onions, parsley, and cauliflower.

I expanded the bed on the side of the house and planted spaghetti squash, cinderella pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, cucumbers, basil, ground cherries, sorrel, feverfew, lamb's ear, and sage.

The bed along the fence has been planted with okra, artichokes, marigolds, and amaranth. The perennial herbs have doubled in size - oregano, thyme, sage, lavender, and tarragon. The fennel has quintupled in size. Marigolds from last year self-sowed and sprouted up everywhere, as did strawberries.

The numbers of pots on the deck has increased (how? oh, I have no idea...guess idle pots multiply by themselves...yeah, that's it...). Tomatoes of beefsteak, cherry, plum, and paste varieties are all out there. Plenty of peppers, both hot and sweet, and seven large pots of potatoes. Mints of chocolate and orange and lemon and spearmint reside in pots. Lemongrass is out there, too.

Inside I have sprouted sunflowers and morning glories. Outside, I have started new flower beds and have mulched and tidied the older flower beds. I've also started a trumpeter vine to trail up the signpost for the side street.

Most of my plants are grown from seed. My mother gave me a couple tomato plants and I bought a couple pepper plants. I also bought a stevia plant, and two sweet potato plants. I can't help myself when faced with cheap, organic options. Liz and I went to the Comstock Heirloom Plants Festival, and it was amazing we kept the plants we bought to one tray. Congratulate us for our self-restraint.

Oh, and Liz and I went in on a plot at a local community garden. There, we are growing corn, spaghetti squash, pole beans, cinderella pumpkins, small gourds, and sugar pumpkins. We're kind of nuts. I know.

But watching the beauty grow and eating fresh, organic veggies just can't be beat.

Vacation!

After two weekend trips this year for destination weddings, Lover and I were determined to plan a trip that was all ours.



The first leg of our trip includes two stops. One in Mass to see Lover's old friend and her wife and two kids. The second stop is to visit some of my family - my dad, half-brother, and grandparents in Maine. After our two stops, we'll arrive in Bar Harbor for two nights at a beautiful inn. Then we're set to do three nights of camping in Acadia National Park. I hope to take a couple runs, plenty of walks, and some time for art while surrounded by all the natural coastal beauty.

The second leg of our trip is to Montreal. We'll spend three nights in a hotel in the Gay Village. I'm excited to finally be back. It's a city that's not too big with a lot of beautiful architecture and delicious food.

We've rented a minivan with which to make the journey and have begun referring to our vacation as a "van-cation". Sometimes it's the little things we share that make it feel complete.

Neighbors, Meet Chicks

Turns out Malai is the danger to the chicks. Quadrapus, though feline, doesn't seem to fall into the hunter instinct when the chicks are roaming free across the living room sofa. Malai, on the other hand, tries to snatch them up in her teeth when they come near her. I have had to push her away and scold her more than once.

Wrex and Bubo chill in the yard.

A few of the neighbors have met the little quartet, and they all reacted with big smiles and instant curiosity. Why did I decide to get chicks? Are they easy to care for?

Bubo standing on the shoulders (or head) of giants.

The why:

1.) I had chickens while growing up, and I loved watching their antics so much that I decided I would raise chickens when I had my own house and backyard.

2.) Chickens are a worthwhile investment if you care about where your food comes from and about the care of the animals. I am a vegetarian who dabbles in vegan recipes because I care about the suffering of animals, as well as the "purity" of my foods - I don't like chemical additives or cleaners. I also know that "free-range" could mean overcrowding chickens in a windowless barn, which isn't much better than tiny cages with no ventilation. By having my own chickens and providing them with organic feed, I will have plenty of fresh, organic eggs.

3.) In a nation of increasing "food deserts", backyard gardening and farming can provide new sources of healthy, local foods. I like getting on this bandwagon by raising my chickens and growing my own vegetables. I plan to donate a portion of my garden to my local soup kitchen, and some of our eggs.

And yes, chickens are easy to maintain. They don't require a large amount of space (though I like to let them range around the yard as often as possible), and feed is relatively cheap. I will check on them twice a day to be sure they have clean water and food, just as I do for Malai, Quadrapus, and the fish-kids. I purchased cold-hardy breeds so that I don't have to worry about them come wintertime.

Overall, the benefits of keeping chickens outweigh the costs. Chickens FTW.

Camilla looks gigantic here.

So, the neighbors are on board, and that's fantastic! In these pics, the chicks are just over two weeks old. They're a month old now, so they're bigger, with quite a few more feathers. Also, we got four new ones!!! They're two weeks in age difference. Pictures to come!

Wrex, Bandit, Bubo, and Camilla

With Gratitude

Today was a productive day, despite feeling restless with a lot of pent up energy. Seriously, I was jumping and dancing around between tasks throughout my day.

I did get to do some work in the plot my friend Liz and I share at the community garden. We planted more corn, spaghetti squash, cinderella pumpkins, gourds, sugar pumpkins, and marigolds. I had to lift twelve bags of manure and carry it quite a distance, but I love manual labor some days. I love standing over a well-tended plot with a water hose, a good friend standing beside me as we chat about what's going on in our lives. I have so much to be thankful for.

Lover had started dinner when I got home - he had sauteed onions, garlic, and soyrizo, and put in marinara sauce. I added sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper, swiss chard, and radish greens. All over whole wheat pasta, and we had quite the meal. Again, I have so much to be thankful for.

Which brings me to the main activity of my evening - thank you cards. Between Public Allies, GBAPP, and Soroptimist, I have had quite the year, and so many people helped me get through it by providing support, guidance, encouragement, opportunities, and challenges. I was in a store the other day buying up the prettiest thank you cards. Tonight, I carefully lettered each with personal messages in ballpoint pen.

Life is awesome when you really live it. When you are really present for the connections, the moments, and the people who play a role in your life. I hope I always remember to live my life with gratitude.

Chicks!

Now two weeks old, Dave and I received our chicks when they were just two days old. We ordered them from MyPetChicken.com. Unfortunately, one of the chicks died in transit - the heat pack that My Pet Chicken uses to keep the little travelers warm somehow fell onto one of the bantams and crushed her.

Within 48 hours, another chick died. She had been lethargic, and not eating or drinking very much. I tried to give her extra fluids and vitmain-filled wet food with a syringe, but to no avail. MyPetChicken's customer service were very nice people to speak with, and they refunded me for both chicks.

Feeding Sick Chicky

 The other bantam, who we've named Bubo (for the little mechanical owl in the original Clash of the Titans!), started acting slow and lethargic, and Lover said "Let's take her to the vet." At this point, I was already saddened by our other losses, and I didn't want a third death in a week. So, we put Bubo in a shoebox with a hot water bottle, picked out Camilla (named for Gonzo's favorite chicken) to be Bubo's companion, and off to the vet we all went.

Bubo loves dozing on the hot water bottle

 Turns out Bubo was having trouble passing excrement and had gotten very dehydrated. The vet recommended alternating water and pedialyte every hour that we were home.

Bubo bounced back, and is gaining weight every day (we have a little kitchen scale). At the vet, she weighed 20 grams (that's about four grapes). Six days later, she now weighs 42 grams!

T-Rex is a distant relative

 Bubo is so tiny because she is a bantam chicken. Bantams are dwarf varieties of chickens. Just as there are araucana, cochin, and barred rock chickens of the standard size, so there are bantam (or dwarf) sizes of each of these breeds. Bubo is a Golden Sebright, which means she'll have lovely golden brown feathers laced with black.

The three other chicks we have are all standard sizes. Urdnot Wrex (named for one of our favorite Mass Effect characters) and El Bandido Pollo (or simply Bandit) are Easter Eggers, which lay eggs in shades of pale blues and greens. I think Wrex will grow to have bluish gray feathers mixed with orange-red feathers. Bandit looks like she'll be a mix of brown and red. We shall see.

Wrex needed a little encouragement

Urdnot Wrex is the biggest chick

Bandit is the best flyer and most curious

Camilla is a Salmon Faverolle, which are beautiful pale salmon and white colored chickens with beards (called muffs for chickens) and feathers along their legs and feet.

Malai is very curious

 Malai and Quadrapus have been very curious. I wouldn't trust either alone with the chicks, but in my lap everyone just looks and sniffs.

Quadrapus took a sniff, and then decided to lay down and chill

Bandit is a little too curious

I think Malai thinks they're plush toys

I can't wait to see what everyone will look like all grown up! Malai has been acting jealous from time to time, but she knows she's still number one pup!