1st Night on the Roost

Mother Hen decided last night was the night to finally establish her position in the flock. I don't know how she did it, but she herded those three little chicks all the way to the top of the roost. She wouldn't allow another hen on the roost with them. The top roost was her roost. Tonight, however, was a different story. The Amerighana hen, Dolly, went to the far end of the top roost and gingerly sprang up to take her place. I have watched her with the other Samatran hen, Francine, and have thought she may become the alpha hen. Time will tell, but they are funny as all get out to watch. When they were all on the roost, it was Freckles (Mother Hen) and her three chicks, Daisy (the Amerighana) and Daphene (The Rhode Island Red) on the top roost, Francine (2nd Samatran Hen) on the 2nd roost and poor Daisy (the White Leghorn) on the bottom roost.




I know people passing by on the back street who see me with my camera by the chicken house must think I'm some kind of fruit cake!

We had a great visit with my sister, Yvonne and her husband, David. I felt so bad yesterday, though, we came home early just because I wanted to be home. I felt much better today. Tomorrow starts a whole new week of the radiation treatments.

Later,
Linda

Alpha Hen

This was so interesting, I just have to share it. We only have two of the samatran hens left since we gave The Sultan and his favorite hen to a friend. One hen, Mother Hen, is separated all day with her three biddies from the other hen and the three pullets in a day pen. Because we separate them, it's kind of a rigamaroll to get them all back into the roost area at night. The one samatran hen who is allowed to roam free during the day with the three pullets has established herself with them as the alpha hen. Mother Hen is shut up all day in the day pen with her biddies. At night, we wait until the 3 pullets and the hen are on the roost, then we open the little gate from the day-pen and the roost for Mother Hen and her babies to come into the roost area where they have a little brooder box, which I shut them up in after they come back in.

Tonight Cary and I had a meeting to attend and arrived home after dark. Mother Hen was still out in the day pen, the biddies had squeezed through the fence and were nesting in the brooder box, and the other samatran hen and three pullets were on the roost. When Cary opened the little gate for Mother Hen to get into the roosting area, she didn't go into the brooder box to her biddies right away. Oh, no! She jumped up on the roosting poles and gave the other samatran hen a good peck!

I think her message was "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're the alpha hen? In case you've forgotten, you're not! I'm still in charge. So there!"

Talk about the "pecking order".

Ana and I have named the hens. Funny how it wasn't important to name them as long as The Sultan reigned supreme. The Mother Hen is actually named Freckles because she's black with little white spots on her. The other Samatran hen is named Francine. She has wild looking eyes and somehow the name Francine just suited her. If you'll recall, she tried to nest and get babies going but something always happened to run her off the nest! I think that's why her eyes are so wild looking. We have a white leghorn pullet we named Daisy, a Rhode Island Red pullet named Daphene, and an Ameraucana we named Dolly. The Ameraucana will lay either blue or green eggs. She has funny feathers around her face. It remains to be seen who the real Alpha hen will be as the pullets grow into maturity. I'll try to post pictures of each hen later with their names. They really are interesting to watch.

What is that old saying? "You can the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." That's me!

Love to all,
Linda Gail

First Radiation Treatment

My first radiation treatment went well. They promised it would be quick and it was. This week because I'm starting on Tuesday, I'll have just 4 treatments. Then again Memorial Day will garner me another 4 day week. Wish those 4-day weeks were toward the end of my treatments, but glad to get them either way. Of course, I must complete 30 treatments, regardless.

Last week I spent two days and nights at St. Augustine with members of our book club, "McIntosh Undercover". We had read "Bloody Sunset", a true story about a murder that occurred in St. Augustine in 1973. We looked up two of the homes mentioned in the story and talked to a local shop keeper who remembered the murder and had a definite opinion as to "who done it". We had a fun time just relaxing on the beach, playing balderdash, and shopping.

Best to all,
Linda

Happy Mother's Day

I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted. We have had Olivia for the past week, which has kept me really busy. She will be going home in the next day or so. Of course, we'll miss her the minute she's gone!

Well, the 4:30 to 5:00 a.m. wake-up calls by The Sultan lost him his tenure with us. We found him a new home and allowed him to take one of his hens with him. There are other pullets also at his new home. I really hated to give him up, but between having to pen him and the hens and his incessant crowing, we made the decision to let him go. There are just some things in life we have to do!

My scar tissue issue is now labeled axillary web syndrome. It is also called "cording". The scar tissue where the lymph nodes were removed is drawing causing some discomfort. I am continuing to do exercises and find that I feel better after yoga classes.

My radiation treatments start on May 18th and will continue through til the end of June. These treatments are 5 days a week except for holidays for 6 weeks. While the treatments don't last long, it is a trip to Gainesville every day. Please pray that my skin will hold up and I will be able to tolerate them well. My sister just completed her treatments and had to have a 6 day rest before the end because of damaged tissue. I told Cary with all our modern medicine and science, these treatments seem primitive to me.

I have tried unsuccessfully to load a little video Ana helped me put together of my wildflowers. I have enjoyed them immensely, especially the poppies. The heat of the last week have pretty much spoiled them, but they were quite beautiful for two or three weeks.

To each of my friends who are mothers and to my daughters, "Happy Mother's Day". I believe a mother's impact on the lives of her children cannot be underestimated. William Ross Wallace wisely said, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". I was just thinking yesterday that I wish I had been as good a mother as I am a grandmother! But like all mothers, or parents for that matter, I did the best I could at the time.

Love to all,
Linda

Bees and Wildflowers

Yesterday Cary and I made a trip to Baxley, Georgia to pick up 9 lbs of bees - 3 separate hives. They are all now safely in their hives with their respective queen bees and are buzzing around, licking up sugar water. The first thing they have to do is dig the queen out of her little cubicle, then they will start preparing the brood box chamber for her occupation. Two hives will be tended by the Pierponts on their horse farm near Flemington and one hive is here near the house. Bees are fascinating creatures and these appear to be quite tame. I stood around and took photos without any special netting or equipment to cover me. A few lit on me, but no stings!







We had a great day, though it was a long day, leaving about 7:30 a.m. and getting back about 7:30 p.m. We stopped in Odum, Ga. and had lunch with Cary's Uncle Bobby and Aunt Dorcas. They live on the original land that Cary's Grandpa Trull homesteaded, though the old house burned down. They have a pond on the back of the property where they enjoy fishing for catfish and brim.

I was totally wiped out by the time we got home. Took a quick shower, put on my jamies and climbed in bed. Cary cooked a chicken pot pie for each of us from the freezer, so I got up long enough to eat and went right back to bed. I have been in bed some this afternoon, with my feet and toes freezing and feeling a little numb. The scar tissue around my arm is pulling and a little painful, more so than usual. Don't know what has happened there.

The poppy blossom is from the collection of wildflower seeds our daughter, Bobbie, brought back from her trip to Antonio, Texas last year. I scattered them around during the coldest weather, the chickens scratched them in (I thought they were eating them). They really came up very well and I'm hoping to have seeds again for next year.

How Great God Is!

Love,
Linda

A Sunday Bouquet, "Curtains", and Cross Creek,

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Mary Ann Rath Kelly brought it to me last Sunday after this lovely basket bouquet had graced the altar at McIntosh Christian Church. All the amaryllis blossoms came from a sunken, walled garden that Mary Ann's maternal grandfather, Mr.William Dedman, created probably sometime in the 1920s or 30s and started with 25 amaryllis bulbs. Most people called him either Uncle Will or Uncle Bill. Chris,Mary Ann's mother, took over the task of caring for the garden in 1952 when Mr. Dedman passed away. Mary Ann began the tradition of adding different varieties and other friends and relatives followed suit.

Chris and the garden were featured in the 1988 John Deere Calendar as Miss March. The garden is beautiful right now and Mary Ann has graciously offered for anyone wanting a peak to just drive by. I recently took my friend from West Virginia up to see it. It really is a wonderful local attraction with such an interesting, rich history. Chris grew up in the wonderful old farmhouse as well as her children, Mary Ann and Bill. Mary Ann came here to live with her mother shortly before Chris passed away in 2008 and has stayed on to care for the house and garden until Bill and his wife come to restore the house. Rarely does a home and garden have such continuity to nurture and sustain it!

A group of us went to the P.K. Yonge production of "Curtains", a Broadway production, I believe. Broadway couldn't have made a more professional presentation. I understand some of the crude material was left out(an improvement, I'm sure). Curtains is a musical from a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes.

Based on the original book and concept by Peter Stone, the musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston and follows the fallout when the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. Can a police detective/musical theater fan save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself?

Our grandson, Cary, played the part of Chris, the director of "Robbin' Hood of the Old West" and had all the hysterically humorous one liners. We were very proud. There were twelve of us there which included his maternal great grandmother (90 years young), his paternal and maternal grandmothers,his namesake grandfather, a great aunt and uncle, 2 aunts and 2 cousins. On the way home Ana, Papa and I decided our favorite character was...Chris, the director!

Kitty Dunn and I spent Friday visiting the artist working during the plein air paint out at Evinston, then drove over to Cross Creek. I remembered my camera was home while visiting the artists, so we dropped back by the house for it before heading to Cross Creek and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home. The farmstead took me back to my childhood, cracker houses, chickens in the yard and a small kitchen garden. Ms Rawlings furnishings were fancier than our plain stuff, but the house didn't look a bit more comfortable. My personal favorites of the four photos are the barn and the rooster resting under the shade of an antique Louis Phillip rose bush. His hens were sitting further back.





The rain today has been such a joy! We had our lawns sprayed for weeds last week and the rain should help the spray do its work. Of course, there were so many weeds we may have a brown lawn soon!

Tomorrow is Infusion #6 and the very last one! Hallelujah! I thank the dear Lord for seeing me through with you good friends to cheer me, side effects I could live with, and my dear sweet hubby who has been right there with me. I know prayers have lifted me up and I'm thankful for those who pray and the power of prayer.

Love to all,
Linda

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Biddies!

I tried several times to get a good photo of the little ones, but this was the best I could do. Mama Hen is very protective and tried on a couple of occasions to flog me when I was inside the enclosure with her and the chicks. Three out of four eggs isn't bad. Mama Hen was faithful and sat on those eggs through last night when the third one hatched. The fourth didn't make it and number three seems weaker than the first two. He's slower, and often stops to close his eyes, isn't quick enough not to be stepped on by his mama. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make it either.

Well, now that food is tasting normal again, it's almost time for another infusion. But...It is infusion #6, the very last one, so I can endure another few weeks of food not tasting good just knowing that I will done with the chemo.

Cary has finally finished the chicken pen complete with wire overhead to keep them from flying out and predators from coming in. I was beginning to think I was going to have to call in reinforcements to get the job done. It was a difficult project because of two different roof lines plus a little alleyway between the two buildings.

Tomorrow Shirley and I will be going to Sparr Elementary to their Earth Day celebration. Shirley will be demonstrating solar cooking, solar driven music box and sun tea. I am taking a sample of the quilt blocks 4th grade made last year using transparent paint to create designs using leaves, flower, etc. The little 2 1/2" squares are painted with the paint first, then the design material is placed on top, and placed in the sun. Once the material is dry and the design material removed, it leaves the design on the fabric. Each student completed a cathedral window square, which was a lot of work! I am taking supplies and will demonstrate on several squares so the learners can get a first hand view of how it's done.



This is Ana's square.

My sister, Yvonne, is having difficulties with her radiation which is stoking my own apprehension about my own radiation treatments. Please pray for her that the rest of her treatments will be easier. Her last treatment is supposed to be on Monday. And,dear friends, pray for me that I will overcome my fears and hopefully, not have difficulties. Others have told me the radiation is a piece of cake.

Did I say I like cake?

That's about all the news around the ole homestead.

Love to all,
Linda