Moving golf balls

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, eggs

Last year I had a reader reach out with a conundrum: she had three nest boxes with a golf ball each, and somehow the hens moved all three balls into one nest box. I suggested that they nudged or rolled them and to look for a ledge.

Fast forward to this week, and I found my two golf balls in my two nest boxes both in the same box.

Photo description: two golf balls in a nest of straw

There is no rolling or nudging possible between my nest metal boxes.

Photo description: the metal nest boxes in question

So I did a little more digging with the search phrase “can chickens move eggs”. We are not the only people to experience this phenomenon, but it is not common. One person even captured a picture of a hen carrying two eggs! The hen tucked the eggs between her legs and body and stabilized them with her wings. That particular internet chicken forged while carrying eggs, so moving eggs from one nest box to another is certainly possible. Or golf balls.

Of course these two nest boxes are not viewable with my web cam, so I don’t have photographic evidence of my hen moving her treasures.

Throwback Thursday: pull apart cake

On By CarynIn Craft

In March 2017 I made a pull apart cake for my eldest. She picked out a cat picture (not any of our cats), and I used an airbrush with food dye to paint white frosting on cupcakes. The ears are massive mounds of fondant.

Photo description: pull apart cake airbrushed to look like a white and orange cat
Video description: top down view of a pull apart cake being pulled apart

1×1 color work

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve been collecting patterns from Wool & Pine that use 1×1 color work. I put my toe in the water using scrap acrylic yarn: a variegated green/tan/black as the main color and then sun and sky colors (blue, white, gray, yellow, orange) for the secondary colors.

Photo description: cowl knit with 1×1 rib bands and 1×1 color work between.

I love the look of the broken horizontal stripes, it isn’t hard, but it isn’t fast. I don’t like the large number of yarn ends and dealing with them at the end of the project. Full disclosure, on this project I didn’t neaten them, just tied knots and left the fringe inside. I

t does make a thicker fabric, which isn’t ideal here in Texas. I do want to use the technique for a larger project, but ideas are still brewing.

Odd couples

On By CarynIn Wildlife, Cats

I’ve had a few interesting interactions caught on the trail cam of unexpected pairs.

Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of a raccoon on a bench and a tabby cat walking on the nearby porch. The cat spotted the raccoon and slipped on by.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of two opossums, which is unusual because they are solitary. As soon as the one on the ground noticed the one on the bench, the moment was over and it left.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of an opossum on the coop porch and a raccoon on hind legs looking at it. The opossum actually held its ground, but the raccoon didn’t care. The raccoon got onto the porch, checked for snacks, then left, all while the opossum huddled against the door.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of an opossum on the ground, and a short haired black cat stepping down off the porch. The cat carefully navigated around the opossum.

I have my trail cam set to take photos every three seconds when there is movement, so the shots on either side of the ones I selected above told me the story. I chose the most representative photo to share.

From this set of data, it seems the raccoons are top, then opossums, and then the cats come in last, giving the others wide berth.

Nothing nefarious

On By CarynIn Cats
Photo description: long haired calico, short haired black cat, and brown and black tabby taking a walk through the woods in a line, trail cam capture

Cat family dynamics are interesting in my neighbor’s colony. In the picture above, the calico in the lead is the momma cat, and the two behind her are her adult kittens. This is a typical scene, with her leading and her brood not far behind. They have all been fixed, and maybe that has something to do with the easy going attitudes.