Griffin’s new boots arrived, so we put them on and took a walk. He had a small adjustment period, but settled into his new footwear pretty well. They certainly stay on better than old socks! And no stickers in his paws.
His boots!
Month: May 2020
Nasturtiums
My nasturtiums bloomed! However, they are not climbing nasturtiums. I was rather hoping for a nice shady vine to climb up the chicken coop, but alas, no. These are about 18” high with no signs of tendrils or runners. I’ll have to try for something vining next year. However, they are pretty and smell nice. They don’t taste of much, though. The leaves remind me of lily pads.
Forage
I purchased some chicken forage seed to grow in the runs around the coop. It takes a little longer to grow, but I realized the rye seed I was using was coated for lawns, so uncoated seeds is a better way to go. The chickens love it.
The mix contains Ryegrass, Buckwheat, Forage Peas, Flax, Millet, Red Clover and Alfalfa Seed. I went to order another bag and the price had gone up, so I’m trying another manufacturer’s mix next.
Pretty Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Because I can’t resist alliteration. Also, it is good to enjoy the small things, like the first piece of pie coming out perfectly.
Here is what went into this pie: 1 15oz can of pumpkin, 1 12oz can of evaporated milk, 1/2 cup honey, 2 50g eggs, 1/2 cup of Splenda, 3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (from the Spice House), 1/2 tsp salt. I used the Feather light vinegar pie crust recipe from “The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods” by Bette Hagman. This is my go-to pie crust. I did use King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, instead of the feather light mix, but they are very similar. I baked at 350 degrees F until there was only a little wobble and the pick came out clean. I let it cool on a rack, then in the fridge overnight. It didn’t last a second night.
And while it is not the traditional time for pumpkin pie, all the ingredients keep in the pantry for ages, so in my family it is an anytime pie.
Fuzzy feet
Poor puppy. His fuzzy feet pick up all the sticky seeds when we go for a walk. Picking them out of his fur, even with a brush, leaves him shaking. Before we resorted to shaving his adorable wookie feet, we decided to try some socks. Now, every dog we’ve had in the past has not been a fan of socks or booties, usually with hilarious results. Not Griffin. We put them on and he stood up ready to go! What a good dog.
We used some of my youngest’s old socks (we had to make sure they weren’t the pink ones), and folded down the tops. Well, that worked for about 5 minutes before the first one came off. Then another, then another fell off. By the end of the walk, he only had one sock left, but we had enough data to warrant buying him some dog boots! Not only is he OK wearing them, the foot that maintained the sock had no burrs! They all collected on the sock.
We found some all weather dog boots, so not only should they protect his fur, they should help with the hot side walks we get here in Texas. I shall report on the results after the boots arrive!
Critters and Craft 