As soon as we compared the storage unit to the amount of stuff in the truck, we knew the unit was too small. So we quickly located a bigger, newer facility, and unloaded until it was pitch dark. Finished up the next morning, and finally got to enjoy a little time on the farm together. We celebrated with a delicious dinner of farm fresh foods, with Catherine and John, and Delta friends Missy and Rooster.
Sunday morning we took off for Boulder, to give Linus a taste of that environmentally savvy city. It sure is full of beautiful people! Spent the evening visiting a swing dance venue called the Mercury Cafe. Then slept at an airbnb (a private home that rents out rooms for about half the cost of a hotel). And on Monday, Mark and I bid farewell to Linus, as he flew out of Denver, returning to school at the University of Washington. Stocked up on the way home at IKEA and Costco, before returning to the rural ways of sourcing food and hunting for second hand furniture.
Meanwhile, back on the farm, the compost pile is quite a bit smaller now...
...since our flock of 30 chickens came home to roost! 4 Rhode Island Reds are the mature, queens of the hen house (although they are all molting right now, so they look a bit shabby and only sporadically lay eggs). The other 26 are still growing their combs, and not producing eggs quite yet. 30 chickens, and we still have to buy our breakfast from Don's Market!
This is my favorite chicken. She's recovering from a combination of molting and being picked on. I named her "Denise" after my sister, not because of personality similarities, but because I can recognize her, she lets me hold her, and I miss my childhood pal. So I can say her name many times in a day, and think of my sister. I'd like to name them all after my beloved family and friends, but I honestly can't yet recognize the others!
Mark and I are doing a crash course in raising healthy chickens, helped greatly by Catherine's experience and advice. So far, we get maybe 1 egg a day... I'll keep you posted; it's sure to improve.
Life feels much more familiar now, here in Paonia. We will start teaching dance classes soon, and be on the lookout for building materials for our art shed. Thanks everyone for keeping in touch.
The days are getting shorter, but continue to be absolutely gorgeous. With the new moon, galaxies of stars have been revealed to us; the night skies are awesome! Wish you were here to gaze at them with us.
With love and great affection, Margot and Mark
It's so cool to see you all together there! I wonder how you could end up with 30 chickens so quickly! Yes, those daily eggs will grow, for sure. We're now getting about 8 per day! Alamea needs more customers fast! Oh, one thing to know - make sure your lights inside the chicken coop are securely fastened! One of our lamps - a heat lamp - was not, the chickens knocked it down, and it smoldered for a few days on the plywood floor and burned a perfect hole in the floor. I kept wondering which one of my neighbors was having a campfire every night! We were lucky it didn't turn into flames!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your adventure, M&M! Keep hugging that chicken and good luck with the eggs.
ReplyDeleteGreat!
ReplyDeleteChicken alert! We've now had our first 2 egg day!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, girls.
I LOVE chickens! Kai and I used to sit out on the back porch watching our chickens and doing "voice overs", we laughed so hard at their antics and interactions with each other. We did eventually get to recognize each of them from these little comedy sessions. Thanks for the pics, it's sweet to be reminded. And give Denise a kiss and a pet from me!
ReplyDelete~Kara