FULL STOP!!!

After about 2 months of trying to do and be WAY too much, I have come to my senses and slowed WAY down. Ahhhh. Much better. You see, I had so much fun posting my first knit pattern to sell and getting all of the feedback, I felt in a rush to get another one done. But with my youngest one's birthday coming up and Holloween and house cleaning (I am VERY allergic to mold and the like) and daily family this and that, well, I finally realized that I was trying to be one of those fabled superwomen. Alas, I do not want that.

So I'd like to introduce one of my chickens. Her name is Zoe, and while she's not the prettiest thing (Auracauna's make adorable chicks, but they look a little more like a relative of a vulture as adults) I like her.

Here she is eying my lovely greens growing in my garden. It's a bit of a love-hate relationship. As a gardener I love the sounds they make as they mill about, and I love that they eat weeds and slugs and snails. What I don't like, and indeed the reason for the bars separating them from my garden, is how quick and purposeful they can become when they see some lovely tender salad greens! My first planting of lettuce starts this fall was quickly snatched up by my feathered friends. They had been in the garden with me as I weeded and I was so appreciative of their company with their soft little coos and clucks as they waited to scratch anywhere I had been. At one point, however, one of them (I believe it was Ginger) looked up and noticed the oh so vulnerable red butterleaf lettuce seedlings newly planted in a barrel and tried to snag one! She thought I wouldn't notice her straining her neck to reach them! Well, I quickly shooed them all back into their fenced-in area along side the garden. I thought all was fine, until, later that day, after I had returned from some errands, I saw that they had gotten out and were back in the garden. As soon as I walked through the gate, I saw the empty barrel. With sharp words I shooed them all back into their area and replaced the worn out and broken lock. So yes, it was my fault, but still (and here is where I whine a bit) they decimated my lettuce! What's more, not a trace of their presence could be found. They didn't scratch or poop. It's like they thought I might not notice.

So I replanted. Even more this time. I added this old clawfoot full of romaine. Isn't it beautiful?! So far my raised bed/container garden is winning against the slugs, snails, weeds and an enormous oak tree that eats more than I can afford to pour into the ground. (There's my pouch sneaking into the garden.)
And here is the replanted barrel of butternut. My absolute favorite lettuce. So precious, in fact that I hand picked a few slugs out of it this morning.
Can you see the little chew holes the slugs left? No worries though. The slugs are now chicken food, and Sluggo is now sprinkled all about. All I could think as I picked up the slugs, the teeny ones even with my bare hands, is how much I love these lettuces and how much I will love feeding them to my family to be able to do something so revolting. Can you see how the lettuces are actually balling up?! I am so excited. I consider this arriving as a lettuce grower.

And here we have a small planting of kale that is so yummy and tender that I have been eating it raw. Yay! I have also been enjoying the chickweed and dandilion greens (much to the dismay of my chickens).
Well, that's it for the garden. Just one last thing I have been meaning to share...

TADAH!

It's my pencil holding floral frog creation. I found it in an estate sale and bought it just because it is old, and so well made, and therefore, must have a good use. And this is what I came up with. It fit perfectly into a wide mouthed canning jar rim and lid which became very necessary after a pen started leaking once, and it still keeps with the old and useful look.

Hope you have a lovely day!