Holiday Wrap Up

We had a lovely, if low key, Thankgsiving. I thought the turkey was a bit dry, the stuffing too moist but everyone else seemed quite happy with it. This was, believe it or not, my first time hosting Thanksgiving. Oddly enough, in 37 years I've always been invited to celebrate with family or friends. I made the Neely Women Infamous Pumpkin Bread (with dark chocolate chips), which is always a hit. I forgot to make the beans (hangs head in shame) and made too many biscuits.

You know you've gone poultry crazy, when the highlight of your Thanksgiving is taking the kitchen scraps to the birds to scratch about in. *WEG*

The dogs, of course, had a marvelous time. An entire house of people to adore them, even Libby got in on the fun - lounging out in the middle of hallways and melting in front of the woodstove, which charmed everyone. *eye roll* Boo has been a delight and we're fortunate to have him and Kevin for the 4 day weekend. Tomorrow we're having a post-Thanksgiving dinner with the Jewish lay leader from the boat, I'm still no sure if we're celebrating Havdalah together or not. There's a fine line here with regards to guesting during the Sabbat.

In odd body news: I've developed an allergy to the tennis elbow cuff. I'll likely try another brand to see if there's one out there that doesn't give me hives. Not sure what will happen if that doesn't work as I'm already on anti-inflammatory meds.

We have coopage

Josh and Kevin finished the Chickenheim coop remodel this afternoon and we've moved the two Rhodies inside for the night. The third, the Easter Egg hen, appears to be hanging out under the shed. I haven't seen her out and about since yesterday morning, so I'm a bit worried. She's ornery as all get out, something I find oddly endearing.

Today's work involved rigging a chicken door on glides to raise and lower it so they have access to the outside door, cutting then hanging the sliding chicken door and enforcing the roosts (the gals were heavier than we thought). I've placed the brooder, feeder and a few drawers filled with hay inside for possible nesting, as well as a raised platform for the waterer.

There's a few upgrades to add soon: vinyl flooring (right now we're using hay), a pulley to raise and lower the chicken door and possibly, adding nest boxes with outside access. I'm going to do more research on roost requirements, possibly need to replace the thinner ones with thicker dowels or branches.

Poor Gracie is rather put out with us. She's been putting the chickens away with the ducks, apparently. Her method is ingenious, really: first she herds them up onto the pen fence, then she uses her nose to nudge them underneath until they plop over the fence!