Breakthroughs

There have been a few breakthroughs here in the last few days.  First, Abigail laid an egg yesterday!  Finally!  I was wondering if she would ever lay again.  For all I know, she could be a 'golden girl' chicken.  I don't know how old she is.  Last fall I got an egg every other day, so I'll hope for that again.

I've taken the chickens outside a couple of times, but they would just stand still, and not move.  They would look around, and seemed to like it, but were rooted to the spot.  I was going out to work in the garden this evening, and picked up Abigail to take out with me.  It took a while,  but she finally waded into the garden a little bit, ate some dirt, scarfed up some grit, and had a good time being a real chicken.  I know Dolley has never been out or on grass except the couple of times I took her.  Maybe Abigail has the same history - bantams are often cooped.

just like a kid on the the edge of a pool.....

" I don't know about this....."

wading into the shallow end.....

"Hey! This is all right!"  

Abigail being a real chicken...

"why can't we come outside to play?"  

(l to r:  Yoshi - Michu - Ciaran)        

Second, Michu got up on the bed!  "Huh?" you may be asking yourself.   My two newest kitties both have some strange quirks.  Michu loooooves to be petted, but only when she is standing on the ground.  She doesn't like to be picked up, and has never gotten up on the couch or bed with me, no matter what I did to encourage her.  Last weekend she came into my room one morning because she wanted me to get up and feed her ... well, that day she responded to me calling her up, and for the first time gave in to the niceness she found there!  She gets pets, ear rubs, belly rubs...and she's been getting up with me ever since.  Sweet girl!  I've only had her for two years.  Patience finally won.

On the bunny front, Ivy doesn't have any fuzz on her bare spot yet, but she is getting some dark patches of 5 o'clock shadow under her skin.  I think it's going to be OK.  The boys are going to get haircuts this weekend.  They have both slowed down on eating - not completely off - but that's my sign they've had enough, and want it OFF!  They are all so relieved when they get clipped down, even though they look funny.

In the garden, the beans, eggplant, tomatoes and more herb seedlings are in!   I might stick a few more seedlings in here and there, but overall, it's in for the summer!  Hooray! So far I'm seeing a definite improvement in my crops through companion planting, except the eggplant.  I put them in the planting bed this year instead of a big pot, and some kind of bugs are eating them to pieces.  I can't find a companion to ward them off.

These are some mighty happy looking strawberries - berries, blossoms and buds all over the plants.  These are the everbearing plants.  The June-bearing plants are looking very healthy, but no blossoms yet.     

That's the latest from Wren Cottage.  Until next time....