Author: Caryn

Pretty dried seed pods

On By CarynIn Flora

We planted some mist flower bushes (obtained from a local hardware store, so genus is suspect) in our front flower bed. Mist flowers are supposed to be a butterfly favorite. I’ve found skippers on the branches, and Sophie the cat likes to lounge under the foliage, but I’ve seldom seen a butterfly on ours. It went to seed last fall and the pods are quite pretty up close. The previous year the cold killed it off to ground level, but this year we didn’t get that kind of cold, so it could seed out, and now there are buds forming all along the branches. Yup, Texas, spring comes early here. I’ve even seen flocks of red-breasted robins in the neighborhood. I didn’t know they flocked.

Close up of empty seed pods from a mist flower bush

Puppuccino

On By CarynIn dog

I was introduced to the Puppuccino for dogs (whipped cream in a cup) by a popular coffee shop a while ago. My dogs love them, but with the reduction in car rides and coffee shops visits (now just of the locally owned variety), their occasional treat turned into a never treat. Until I remembered their Kong toys. A little whipped cream goes a long way in the bell shaped toy!

Missy and Griffin waiting patiently for their toy treat

Acorn squash

On By CarynIn chickens

I thought I would give the chickens some acorn squash both for enrichment and varied diet. They have liked it in the past (and it is as close as I can get to pumpkin right now), but it takes awhile for them to peck away at the flesh. This time I baked it (and let it cool) before giving it to them, so it was easier to eat. I sliced the acorn squash in half, left the seeds in, and baked the halves cut side down in a pan with a little water at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. They picked the skin clean in a day! And it did make hanging half the squash on the carabiner easier, since the flesh was soft.

Chickens getting started on their cooked squash

You might notice that the hen on the right is more gray than brown. She had just been wallowing in the dust bath. Upon further investigation, she had a bumble on her foot and I wonder if because of the pain of it she wasn’t stable enough to have a good shake. I took care of the bumble and wrapped her foot and she was looking more like herself in a couple days.

Egg!

On By CarynIn chickens, eggs

Found an egg! Hurray! It has been almost exactly four months since we’ve had an egg laid in our coop. I was optimistic when I saw Magic do her squat a couple weeks ago. She may be the one who produced this egg! This summer when they are in full production I am definitely going to try some more egg preservation methods.

First egg laid in four months! (And a golf ball, just in case they forgot where the nests were.)