Three's A Crowd

Cool?  Make that downright chilly.  Not only did I wear a jacket all day, I had to close the doors in the living room and the one in the bedroom yesterday.  I know a goosebump when I see it.  All three of the house critters sleep on the bed with me, and last night all three were jammed against my back and legs because they also felt the chill.  I won't say their warmth wasn't welcome, but they sure made it hard to turn over or stretch out.  This crowd of three nearly crowded me out.  If this weather continues (it won't), I see a comforter in our future.

I don't think I've said how much I enjoy comments to the blog.  Blogspot provides statistics on how many "hits" a day and countries of origin, and it is so rewarding and really amazing to see how many readers there are on a daily basis, averaging 50.  As of yesterday, there have been 98,221 views since I started writing and 93 countries represented.  Statistics are great, but the comments make it personal, putting a name to the number.  I find them encouraging and sometimes inspiring.

For example, yesterday Emmy mentioned that she had taken a rooster from the freezer to prepare for dinner.  I've done that.  It's always a crap shoot when you buy 3-day-old chicks whether you will get hens or roosters.  In the first batch or two when I started raising chickens, I ended up with two male buff Orpingtons and they turned out to be real stinkers.  One got so mean that I had to carry a broomstick into the pen for defense.  The day he snuck up behind me and drove a 3-inch spur into my calf was his last.  Steve shot him and the other as well just in case.  They were delicious.  At the same time, there was a much younger rooster in the flock who had seen the punishment for bad behavior.  It took forever before Leonard would even attempt to crow, trying to keep a very low profile.  He was very sweet and lived a long and productive life.

And I learn, as I did from Kathy V.'s explanation of earlobe color as an indicator of egg color.  I had to fill out paperwork for some government agency or another that asked if every animal/fowl on the farm had ear tags.  I had to answer that chickens don't have external ears.  (And no, none of my critters are tagged.  They never leave the property.)  A striking feature of the Araucanas is their bright blue lobes.  No wonder they lay such colorful eggs.

Kit is busy tending her darling grandchildren, but I miss her comments too.  Tote Trove pops in once in awhile, always nice to see.  In case I'm not making myself clear, all comments are welcome.  The more, the merrier.  They're a great incentive to start every day as I do, writing.