Busy Bees

I learned yesterday that Dave is not only bringing up the Freed Spirits on Saturday, he'd also possibly recruited Deb, Craig, and Clay.  That's a work force to be reckoned with!  The woodpile doesn't stand a chance.  Dave also said that he and the club members were going down to Placerville for lunch at a new restaurant opening by the owner of Poor Red's.  I haven't been able yet to contact the others, but didn't want to take a chance that they might not join the club so went to Holiday for the ingredients for white chili.  I sure don't want anyone to go hungry after their labors.  Regardless, the chili won't go to waste; it's such a good cold-weather recipe and sure sounds good to me.

Helper Dude drove up in the afternoon with not only the two siblings he'd mentioned, four(!) piled out of the truck.  After meeting the kids, I showed HD the work list I'd put up on the board and left it to him to decide how he'd best spend his time.  I told him he was in charge and that I'd just stay out of everyone's way.  Supervisor HD assigned jobs and they all went to work like a hive of bees.  Twigs went to the burn pile, low-hanging branches were trimmed, the herb garden and driveway were weed-whacked, leaves were blown away from the porch and elsewhere, and fencing was nailed back in place.  Nobody dogged it and it was amazing how much they got done in a very short time before sundown.

Sheila and Tessie are feeling randy again and were more interested in each other than in going to their rooms.  It seems to me that they come into season more frequently as they age.  At any rate, rather than try to wait them out while standing in the cold, I left the big room open in case they changed their minds and said goodnight.  Missy doesn't care as long as she gets breakfast and dinner served in her room.

The hens have started laying again.  It started during the rainy days.  I think they got bored staying indoors and it was a way to pass the time.  I pick up one or two nearly every day now.  Stanley tries a sneak attack every so once in awhile, but I'm ready for him now.  "Back off, Stanley.  I know how to make a pot pie."

Bess, and therefore I, did not have such a good night.  I'm sure I'd just fallen asleep when she said she urgently needed to go outside (she'd been out just before bedtime).  Okay, kiddo, whatever.  I got up, waited for her, and we went back to bed.  We did this three times.  At 4:30, I said to heck with it and got up to make coffee.  It's going to be a long day.