Solstice Update

[trystinn]

For Solstice, one of our Elders gifted everyone with jet athames. They are gorgeous and now holding a place of honor on our home altar.

After having a delightful lunch with Dana yesterday in Port Townsend and braving the torrential downpour to do a bit of shopping, we headed back to the Island for a Solstice dinner with our little Naval Neo-Pagan group. Afterward we got together to play Munchkin. Not sure we're playing it correctly, that first game is always a bunch of "oh shit, we forgot Items!" kind of "hell, what are we supposed to be doing with the die, again" and "oops, there's a difference between upright and downwards cards" kind of a thing.

Lisa graciously picked us up some Farro seed to sprout for the chickens at the farmers market. I have absolutely no idea what Farro is. but we're soaking it for a day or two (we'll see what its like tomorrow as to whether it requires another day or not). The Red Barley isn't quite ready for feeding yet, but we're still feeding the original bag of Black Oil Sunflower Seed!

In chicken news, poor Big Blue has a horrible ear infection. We're currently treating it with a combination of Hydrogen Peroxide (squirted into his ear to clear the gunk) and packing the swollen canals with Neosporin ointment. If that doesn't do the trick, we'll have to switch to Penicillin injections, which I'm not particularly keen on trying with him. He's a massive bird (think beach ball) and could really protest violently.

For reasons we're still confused about, Wendy (our smooth-feathered Silkie) and her host of little chicks has decided to invade the Rhodie pullet pen. They are now all living together. *chuckle* The Rhodies are decidedly confused but everyone seems to be doing all right. The Rhodies at this point are about the same size as Wendy, but that won't last long!

We lost little Snow, the splash Silkie. He was always a bit of a runt, never crowed and never prospered. We'd had a host of near misses and this time, palliative care didn't work. *sigh* The Bachelor Pad is down one bachelor now.

The last two days, we've run out of here in the morning, coming back close to midnight. Today is a resting and recovery day. *smooches* to all for a Blessed Solstice.

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Farro's a kind of wheat!

The thought of chicken ears is just weird...like, "Oh yeah! Chickens have ears!"

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Mostly, chicken ears just look like wrinkled skin. Poor Blue's look like he's got HUGE pierced plugs. I'll spare everyone a pick because its disgusting. *shudder*. I had no idea chickens could even get ear infections, though I suppose anything with an ear can get an infection.

Doodle had been chasing Blue around last month. He may have caught him, nipped him and transferred an infection. We hadn't found anything but a few scratches on Blue, which could have come from anything, so we never were sure. We finally had to put up a dog fence so Doodle cannot get to Blue, the hens still jump over the fence whenever they want and come up to the porch to beg. Blue obviously does not.

[wild-heart.livejournal.com]

My feelings exactly re: chicken ears.

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

Where are these jet athames coming from? I know someone else who has one, and I totally want one! :-)

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

I've seen them now and again at Pow-wows, occult shops, etc. This Elder had them for awhile and decided to give them to us. I'll keep an eye and ear open for you. :D

[synapsepi.livejournal.com]

sorry about your loosing the chicken :/ and hopefully blue's ears will clear up soon (maybe if we can get enough dry days that would help).

According to the wiki:

There is much confusion or disagreement about exactly what farro is. Emmer (Triticum dicoccum), spelt (Triticum spelta), and einkorn (Triticum monococcum) are called farro in Italy, sometimes (but not always) distinguished as farro medio, farro grande, and farro piccolo, respectively.[1] Regional differences in what is grown locally and eaten as farro, as well as similarities between the three grains, may explain the confusion. Barley and farro may be used interchangeably because of their similar characteristics. Spelt is much more commonly grown in Germany and Switzerland and, though called dinkel there, is eaten and used in much the same way, and might therefore be considered farro. Common wheat may also be prepared and eaten much like farro, in which form it is often referred to as wheatberries.

so, I'd ask Lisa to ask the people she got from it what kind it is?

haha, and oh, those Tarot decks ;) which by the way, remind me the name of the book that set the standard for the common western symbology?