Author: Caryn

Then there were seven

On By CarynIn chickens
Seven Faverolle hens in the chicken run

We are down to seven hens. We lost one yesterday, she died in her sleep in the coop. We noticed that she was listless and not eating that afternoon, then found her the next morning. I think it was Twilight. Most of the chickens have removed their colored leg bands, and we haven’t been able to sort out who is who. I know Seashell and Magic by sight. Schmoo still has her band. The rest have very similar coloring, and are starting their molt, so look off. I did not do a necropsy, her body was very thin, but did not look outwardly diseased. The hens are over four years old, and the average life span for laying hens is 3-7 years. They are also of questionable breeding, being hatchery birds and not from a reputable breeder of the breed. The rest of the hens will have a safe place with fresh water and food and treats until they too shuffle off this mortal coil.

Potential

On By CarynIn Craft
Freshly painted, mostly empty room

With our great room switch this summer, I have decided to move my crafting hoard into the spare bedroom. The kids’ rooms have been painted and moved into, with just a few extra projects to be done, and now I can get started on this last room. We fixed the holes in the walls, painted, touched up the ceiling, and painted the trim. It is a very long room, the picture above only shows about half the space, but the other half is where I shoved the painting paraphernalia so I could take the potential picture. Now is also the daunting part: going through my craft supplies and figuring out new ways and places to store things. I will have a couple tables out all the time, rather than just as needed, which is exciting. My husband is looking forward to having a master bedroom closet again, rather than just a corner of the closet (in my defense, the “closet” is 10’x10’).

Or maybe it’s soot

On By CarynIn Craft

I had the idea of heating up a metal stamp and burning a letter into a wood crochet hook to mark the size.

Holding a metal stamp with a silicone holder over a candle flame
Letter “L” marked on the bottom of a wooden crochet hook

I tested several times on paper before trying to burn the letter on the wood. It works OK, but I’m not sure if I actually burned the wood, or just stamped on some soot. Either way, it is marked, but for future hooks I should be able to find a more elegant way.

He is going to be huge

On By CarynIn Cats

Thor the kitten is about four and a half months old. Here he is stretched out on a large dog bed, which he has appropriated.

Thor stretched out to take up 2/3rds of a large dog bed

I can no longer hold him with one arm. I’ve been loosening his collar a couple times a week, so I think he is currently in growth spurt. It will be interesting to see when and where the growth stops.