Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday Again?

We had a great phone conversation with hubby's niece way out in California land yesterday. Our 6-year old grandniece also got on the phone to tell us the news that her two backyard hens are molding. We can sympathize with her because our chickens are "molding," too.

This is the sum total of eggs our twelve hens have squeezed out in the last five days. It's funny that all summer we got maybe a half dozen eggs total from our three little bantam hens. I guess they were saving them for now when the bigger girls are on strike. Bless their little fluffy butts. We'll take every pee-wee egg they have to offer.

Our wonderful neighbors to the east stopped over yesterday morning to bring us some venison. This past weekend was the second of a two week/three weekend deer season up here and D and his two boys who came home to hunt were all successful. They brought us beautiful steaks and chops. I made some of the chops, mashed potatoes, pickled beets and green beans for our big meal of the day Sunday. Venison from right in back of our property and the rest from the garden. We're blessed with great neighbors and a bountiful harvest.

The downside of the venison/deer kill was that while hubby was working outside yesterday afternoon, Zoey the Wonder Dog disappeared. She's trained to return to a whistle but after fifteen minutes of blowing so much he almost hyperventilated, a thought occurred to hubby. He hiked over to our neighbors and asked if D had dumped any deer guts in the woods. He said he had put just a small amount up in the woods for the scavengers. Hubby asked where and D told him. So sure enough, when hubby got there, guess who was there gobbling up the delectable tidbits? She is now grounded and known as Zoey the Bad Dog for not coming when called. I was glad she at least didn't roll in it. I suspect it wasn't ripe enough to tempt her to do that.

I thought the perfect mirror image in the pond today was cool. Our temps rose into the upper 30s today and I expected more of our snow would melt but it seems to be hanging in there. The prediction is for night time temps in the teens starting Wednesday night so maybe we won't see bare ground again until April.

My computer monitor has been dying a slow death for about a month now and today I finally couldn't stand it anymore. You know how if you rub your eyeballs really hard and then you stop, your vision is momentarily weird with swirly patches of red dots? That's what my monitor looked like. Luckily, we had a spare one to hook up for me until we can get some other arrangements made. I tell ya, when it comes to computers it seems if it ain't one thing, it's another. (Could be worse, eh? Ya sure, you betcha.)

As you can readily tell, I have nothing of importance to impart here so I'll sign off and go get my ironing done.

15 comments:

Erin said...

That is scary about Zoey I would have been nervous! I think if Sprocket got to it she would be fine but Marley would have been sick for at least a week! So nice for you all to get a share of that fresh venison! Love that your grandniece's chickens are "molding" LOL!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Sometimes I feel like I am molding. Hum. It's cute when a child says it, but it reminds me of an ad I saw on Craigslist the other day. Someone was selling under horses a "gelting and a mayer" . I am positive it was not a 6 year old

Mama Pea said...

Erin - It was especially disturbing since you always worry about the trigger-happy hunter who shoots at anything moving out in the woods. Dang dog. I have no idea how much she scarfed down but so far, no ill effects. Dang dog.

Jane - If the "gelting and a mayer" listing wasn't so pathetic, it would be funny. Or is it too close to scary to be funny?

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Molding! That is priceless! Oh, the mouths of babes! And not some goofball on Craigslist spelling like they talk!

Now if that had been one of my dogs they most certainly would have rolled in it! Yuck! Nothing worse than giving a stinky, gooey dog a bath!

How awesome that your neighbors share with you!

I wonder, why do some folks say deer and some venison?

Is that a dunce moment?

Erin said...

APG, that's definitely not a dunce moment LOL. Deer IS venison, but not all venison is deer - does that make sense? So elk,moose, etc would all be venison! What gets me is when I serve elk venison and someone says "that's not venison, that's elk" LOL

mtnchild said...

Yeah life is full of 6 year olds and some are on the far side of 40!! I like the molding though! That is cute. I have 2 of 5 girls that lay faithfully every day. Freeloaders!

When my dog feels slighted, she goes to my friends' house, even if they are here! The only putrid thing she eats is chicken poop! UGGGHHHHHH! Talk about bad breath.

We have snow in the forecast starting on Thursday and running for 5 days. I wonder how much we will get.
Yvette

Sue said...

I love the little PeeWee eggs-how cute.....though I think it would take quite a few to make an omelette!

Mama Pea said...

APG and Erin - Thanks, Erin, for enlightening both of us. APG, you had my brain in a twist wondering the difference between venison/deer when referring to meat from a deer. Good thing we've got Erin for our go-to gal! (How does she know so much??)

Yvette - Ha! I'm gonna have to remember that one about some six year olds being the far side of forty. (I think I may know some.)

Five days of snow?? Wow, that could amount to a bunch! Keep us up-dated, please.

Sue - They are especially cute as fried eggs. Or hard boiled they look like big marbles. Kids get a big kick out of 'em. I'm always unsure when I try to use them in a recipe: One is not enough, but are two too many??

We always keep a couple of banties because they are wonderful setters and mothers.

Susan said...

My chickens are all moldy, too. I would be egg-less without the help of my little pullets. Yesterday, I got ONE egg from 24 hens. Little freeloaders. But they all look pretty scruffy, so I'm cutting them a break. You have great neighbors, indeed! Venison is yumola.

Anonymous said...

Oh YUM on the venison!! My son went for youth hunt a few weeks ago, but didn't get as lucky as last year...all he got was cold and wet lol.

Sounds like other than the monitor, it wasn't bad all around:) thanks for sharing your daily doin's.

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Well see now, I am actually glad I asked! I did not know that. Now of course I will have to find out 'why'.

Like why is it a cow, but once it's butchered it's beef? Stupid stuff my brain goes thru...

Mama Pea said...

Susan - ONE egg from 24 birds? You're batting lower than we are! I'm just hoping the chickens molt this year doesn't last as long as last year . . . that went on for MONTHS! We were not happy.

Stephanie - Bummer! Really too bad your son couldn't have brought some venison home. :o(

APG - And why is baby beef meat veal? (This could go on forever!)

Kaytee said...

Isn't venison so tasty? My fiance has got three deer already, so we have plenty of meat in the freezer. It's great knowing where your meat came from and how it was processed (not having to pay for red meat is a plus too!).

Look at all that snow! We haven't had more than flurries here, but I know it's on the way (perhaps as soon as tomorrow night!). Stay warm!

Teri said...

Beautiful pic of the snow and and pond! I feel for you with the lack of eggs. Our girls are a bit "moldy" too. Plus, we're down in population. Looking forward to a big new batch of babies in the spring.

Mama Pea said...

Kaytee - You are, indeed, well supplied with venison for the winter months! We have a single friend who loves to hunt and has "threatened" to share a hind quarter of one of the deer he gets with us so we should add a little more venison to our freezer, too. So good to have sharing friends!!

Teri - We probably should have started a batch of new chicks this past spring ourselves, and now will definitely need to do so this coming spring. In the meantime, we'll limp along with what the old girls can give us this winter. :o)