The day is starting to dawn now at 7 a.m. Our days are lengthening although we have a long way to go until full summer time when I can see the sky brightening at 4 a.m. What a different world we have in winter versus summer.
We're pulling out of our first really cold spell of the winter starting today. Or so they say. Yesterday morning we had a low of -17°. That was cold. This morning the thermometer reads 7° above with a forecast of going up to the high 20s. And then the same warmer temps for the coming week.
I put off town errands yesterday because . . . well, because I could. And didn't want to spend anymore time outside than necessary. The cold temps held on right through the day before the warm-up overnight.
I was ready to start a brand new cross-stitch project but decided to be disciplined (ahem) and finish this Easter themed one I started last year and then got disgusted with
When I decided yesterday to "make it right" I rectified the problem by painstakingly taking out both letters, redid them in the correct position and am now finishing the left hand side of the word. Easter isn't until mid-April this year so I figure I have a good chance of getting this piece finished! Provided I use all fingers with which to count, of course.
The light we put in the chicken house continues to reinforce the fact that chickens really do need a certain number of hours of light out of twenty-four to lay a normal number of eggs. Our eggs are now rolling in with good consistency, and we once more have enough to share. Yippee!
There is a problem in the hen house, however, which we think we'll have to take drastic measures to fix.
The little black bantam Silkie rooster has been viciously attacking our full-sized Black Australorp rooster who is about four times as big as the Silkie. The black bantam has drawn blood several times and is merciless in making the Australorp rooster's life miserable. The banty hens are laying well now along with the full-sized birds, but come spring time we have no desire to hatch a fertilized egg with what may be the genes of this particular nasty Silkie rooster. He is going to have to go.
As the temperature climbs today, I'm going to load my vehicle for the Recycling Center (does everyone accumulate as much cardboard these days as we do?) with all recyclables, stop for a few groceries at our Co-op, and pick up some material at the library that has come in for me.
Then perhaps spend some time on my Easter cross-stitch project. And maybe I'll bake that Blueberry Pie my husband has been hinting for.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
What a pretty picture of the candles burning. Just caught up with your posts, as we ran out of data. Yumm on the bread. Could you share the Rye recipe? I have this strange urge to make cinnamon buns...
ReplyDeleteYou sent your cold our way, as it was -26C (-15F) yesterday AM, plus wind chill, and -33C (-27F) this AM. The stove is chugging hard to keep up! We've been out hiking, swathed in woolens. Of course I wouldn't want weeks on end of this, but loving this little taste of normalcy, as far as this January has gone.
That is a pretty little cross stitch, and I sympathize with having to un-pick your stitches. Ouch on the rumbles in the chicken house. Sounds like a good plan for a winter Saturday...stitching, reading and baking. Have a good one.
That will be a pretty cross stitch when you get it done. I have vowed to NEVER have a rooster (or roosters) again! They sense my fear and are horrible creatures. We only ever had one nice one, called Pepper (his "wife" was named Salt), but he was mostly blind, so that might have been the reason he was so nice. It's freakishly cold here, but we've been lucky so far this winter, so I guess it's our time now. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteThat's going to be a nice piece! I like the little carrots and rabbit silhouettes. I can't seem to get Amazon to send me corrugated anymore. I am sorting things for a garage sale and all I'm getting is recyclable paper envelopes. I need some real boxes! Then they can go back to their ecoconscious packaging
ReplyDeleteI think we are as far or farther north than you, with more cloudy days added to the very short winter daylight. Therefore we have ALWAYS used a light on a timer in our henhouse to get some eggs in winter.
ReplyDeleteMaking a mistake on a handwork project can really drain motivation. I have a few like that around! But good for you for taking the time to correct it. Looks like it will be a beautiful piece!
ReplyDeleteNice work that you fixed and created! That is some very cold weather colder than our 7° that we had here a while back. Love your candles
ReplyDeleteNice stitching! I haven't done X stitch in years. Blueberry pie yum! Small but mighty is that Silkie Rooster. Just remember "the sun will come up tomorrow".
ReplyDeleteRosalea - You are a true winter girl! Yes, this cold snap does make it seem like a real winter, but, oh by, are we going through the heating wood. Makes us appreciate how little wood we've gone through previously this winter. I'll get the rye bread recipe to you soon.
ReplyDeleteJenn - I guess we've been lucky to have mostly "nice" roosters, but this little one is obviously suffering from "short man" syndrome. No worries, he's no longer a problem. No room in the poultry house for any rooster than continually attacks other birds OR people!
SmartAlex - Wish I could magically send you all the cardboard boxes I just took to Recycling! I x-stitched the three carrots on my current piece over the weekend and you know what they made me think of? Yep, planting carrots in the garden. Should I cut down the amount this year? We still have enough to make it well into spring even though it seems I'm using more than usual in cooking lately. :o)
Michelle - You are obviously a wiser hen house manager than we've been in the past. Have tried to keep it "natural" for the laying hens, but this winter has proven without a doubt that we do need a light for added "daylight!"
Leigh - Even though I always balk at having to "go backwards" whether when cross-stitching, knitting, quilting, or whatever, I've never regretted doing so in the end. That probably means I'm too intent on the goal of finishing rather than going slower and enjoying the journey! ;o)
Nancy - Looks as if our cold snap is definitely over. A low of just 30° predicted for tonight. Heck, that's not even cold!
Goatldi - We had three munchkins pop in yesterday afternoon and even though they said they had just eaten, some of the Blueberry Pie disappeared. Which is fine as that's what it's for! Old, stale homemade baked goods are a sad thing, don't you think? :o)
I also refuse to keep a mean rooster. It takes discipline to go back to correct a mistake and finish an old project instead of starting something new and shiny.
ReplyDeletetpals - Mean rooster is gone and we noticed a marked difference in the poultry house almost instantly. He should have gone to the great chicken yard in the sky sooner than he did. Why is it so much more enticing to start something new and shiny than to correct a mistake and finish an old project?? I think we all suffer from that!
ReplyDeleteI always thought Silkies were sweet tempered. Apparently, not all of them. No one needs trouble in the chicken coop. I sure do miss my girls. I love the candles in the first photo - candles are one of the reasons that I enjoy winter. At least until the end of February, and then I am over it.
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