We lost another chicken this week. I say lost, but she was quite easily found, just not alive. She was laying in the run when I went out to check on them. Rigor mortis was complete, so she probably passed during the night. From a quick web search rigor mortis in chickens completes within a few hours of death, and can last 8-24 hours. She was walking around and eating the day before, so sometime late evening or early morning her ticket was punched. No signs of distress or abnormalities, I did not do a necropsy since they are four years old. The other chickens are unconcerned.
Photo Description: Six Faverolle hens in molt eating dried grubs
I sits. It is good to know that I can make an effective cat collection device: put a cardboard box down with some crinkly paper and within minutes it sprouts a cat.
Photo description: Gray and white tabby cat crammed into an open shoe box, looking at the camera.Photo description: Same cat, same box, yawning.
This summer has been hot, so very hot. Our plants and yard have definitely taken a hit and are looking quite sad. I was surprised therefore to find that the pepper plants have actually been producing peppers. Small, yes, but still there. I saw a couple that had turned red and started to decay. These were mid-planter and high up against the fence. Where the dog can’t reach. Ah. That is where all the rest of the peppers went. To test my hypothesis, I tossed this pepper to him. He picked it up and took it off to eat it. Yup. Pepper pup. Sigh.
Photo description: Small red pepper with brown spots surrounded by semi-chewed pepper plant leaves and a couple white blooms.
The hibiscus out front is also putting out an effort, despite receiving a full dose of Texas summer sun and being host to a myriad of insects. It has produced a couple small blooms despite the scorching temps.
Photo Description: Hearty Hibiscus in bloom with a white flower with red center surrounded by green and yellow-green leaves.
I know technically we have passed the autumnal equinox and are in fall, but nobody tells Texas.
I have Frankenstein’d my shirts before, where I have two shirts with opposite positive attributes, so I combine them. Mostly it involves ripping seams, cutting, and sewing back together. I’m at it again. I found a printed tee that I liked the print and the message: “Keep going, just to see what happens” with singing dancing skeletons. But it is a “women’s” shirt, so has cap sleeves and a snug fit. Bah. I have an old shirt with lovely full sleeves, but a high neck and short body. Also Bah.
Photo description: Peach t-shirt with skeleton print and an olive green shirt with butterfly sleeves.
I like peach and olive green together, so I selected these shirts for tailor surgery. I ripped out the seams on the peach shirt, except for the shoulders, and cut a larger neck hole. I cut the sleeves and the hem off the olive shirt, and a two inch section of the body. I sewed the olive green strips into the side seams of the peach shirt to give it more ease, sewed the butterfly sleeves in, then used the olive green hem to edge the neckline.
Photo description: Printed peach tee with olive green butterfly sleeves, side gussets, and new scoop neckline.
I like how it came out. Before I had two shirts I would not wear, now I have one shirt I will.
I have two knitting works in progress. One needs a section ripped out, so is resting until I have the courage to tackle it, and the other I cast on several months ago, and am now circling back around to work on it. This is a fingering weight sweater (right? Crazy.) that I bought the yarn to support a cause, and determined I wanted to make my youngest an actual garment. The knitting isn’t hard, but it does take a long time. Izzy the cat appreciates it when I knit; I provide a long-term nap space.
Photo description: Yellow and Blue fingering weight yarn on Prym circular needles in the foreground; in the background a sleeping calico cat laying on my lap.
I am acknowledging that this will be an on-again off-again project as other shiny things distract me.
Critters and Craft 