Monday Cometh

I've been putting off posting because at present there's just not much I can really do at present, so little to report. My back is slowly healing, my tush hurts from sitting strangely. Finding a comfortable position to sleep in is nearly impossible, so I'm exhausted and sore. Whine!

On more pleasant thoughts, we have two pipped eggs at present in the incubator. A few more are rocking, which is a good sign. Guarded optimism has returned.

Flash has figured out that the right side of the bed is practically right above the heating vent and he can soak up all the heat meant for the room by lying there. As I type, he's curled up on top of the sofa pillows which he had conveniently piled up for himself. Poor Gracie and Doodle are curled up on the non-extra pillowed sofas. Woe!

Busy week - Meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, women's appointment and likely one for my back, as well. Depending on how I'm feeling midweek, I may go ahead and make a chiropractic appointment. I'm told there's a really old school chiro here, the kind who uses the patient's body and movement to reset the spine instead of all that technology Josh's chiro does. I have no intention of going to Josh's chiro, the man cannot stop talking. Literally. What a chatterbox!

Thweet, Thweet, Thweet! - Picy and movie post!

I am sitting here listening to the new chicks chirp away happily in their incubator. Three adorable little chicks greeted me when I got home tonight, two who look to have been out for ours and another still emerging from the 1/2 shell. Update: She's free and clear now!



There's additional pips and one with a sort of zipper zigzag going all the way around the egg, I expect that chick to make its appearance soon. Its hard to tell from the outside, but it looks like it may be the Frizzle eggs hatching right now.



For those curious about chicken genetics (and really, who isn't?) only 1/2 the Frizzle eggs will turn out to have Frizzled feathers, the rest will be Smoothly feathered but carry the Frizz gene.

Needless to say, this is big stuff around here. Gracie is besides herself with joy, she's been supervising and guarding the incubator, pushing me away since last night.



She knew. When I doubted, she knew. She's been restlessly walking back and forth between me and the incubator, giving me her "Mamma, there's chickies in there!" look. She's quite concerned.



Eggs belong in incubators, chicks belong in brooders. Silly Mamma, don't I know that? For those of you who don't know, having a Border Collie is a lot like living with a Hall Monitor. I keep promising her that they will be moved into the cozy brooder just as soon as they completely dry off. She's not reassured by that. She's more anxious about them than I am, and that takes some doing. I'm neurotic as all get out. That's my design, my incubator build, I would have hated to fail them. *sigh*



Unfortunately, as much as I may really want to pop those little fuzzy-wuzzies into the brooder, I need them in there. The sound of the chicks chirping motivates the others to begin hatching. They cheer each other on towards birth, something I find profoundly beautiful. Listen in:



Update: I probably set my back injury back a few days, but I have the brooder set up and toasting up to 99 or so. Once its warmed up and ready, we'll tuck the chicks in there to make room in the incubator and allow the more mature chicks to drink and eat.