Sick day

I'm feeling puny, so am going to take it easy today.

Earl and I did some shopping in town yesterday. We came home with everything but ketchup, dammit. Prescriptions, beer, sprouting seeds, those little muffin-tin-liners that seem like an indulgence until you have to wash the muffin pan, more potting soil (North 40 has the best deal on Black Gold organic stuff, 2 cubic feet for $11), bar oil for the chain saw, metal wedges to reattach the sledge hammer head.... Oh, and I remembered to return my work keys, finally. They told me to disregard the bill I would be getting for $100 for losing keys. I can do that.

Earl was very good, and got an everything bagel for his trouble.

The roosters continue to grumble and pace in their clubhouse. I scatter grain in there, and they offer it to each other with little "yummy" chirps, since there are no hens around. Such gentlemen, my roosters.

The old duck house, now the rooster lounge

And the poor crushed-by-snow lobster pot, pulled back
into shape and serving as the roo yard.

I was going to put them on Craig's List, but a guy at the feed store told me that cockfighters are always looking for birds on CL. I was worried about people butchering and eating my extra roosters, but a quick death and respectful consumption sounds a whole lot better than the cockfighting ring. WTH is the matter with people? I'll keep them in the clubhouse until I find legit chicken people to take them.

Below, the hairdo sisters, practicing synchronized laying. The one on the left lays pink eggs; the one on the right lays blue.

C. brought Fondu the Magician over last night for brushing and plucking. She spreads out a sheet on her lap and goes to town. He's pretty patient. Kewpie the peke is fascinated, and guest dogs Walter and Hazelnut are, as well. Walter is a great lover of beauty, and thinks Fondu is really pretty. He is also enamored of Jasmine. He moons over them.

I've been cleaning the rabbit room all winter, and doing a lousy job, so Fondu's fuzz is full of hay and his feet are wet. I wish we could figure out a way to keep a long-haired rabbit clean and dry, short of C.'s method of lining the cement floor with cardboard, then newspaper, and changing the paper daily. I can't deal with all that bending over. Straw bedding would be great if it didn't get tangled in their hair. Shredded paper does the same. Some people use wood-stove fuel pellets, but we don't want to put that in the garden, which is where all our rabbit poo and newspapers go. Alfalfa pellets would probably work, but that's expensive bedding. I thought I had the solution when I built a "condo," a 6-by-3-foot three-level cage with a heavy, coated wire floor, but they still end up with hay in their fur, and wet feet. At least I don't have to stoop over to clean the condo. But we'd rather let them have the run of the room. Got any ideas?

Hazelnut and Walter tugging on the old dinosaur toy.
All the dogs love the dino – C. has replaced stuffing
a dozen times over the years.

Walter and Nut are staying with us, waiting patiently for Emma and her four dogs to move into their new house. Then they can be reunited with their people in Em's old house, which is our old house, and will be K. and T.'s new house. Confused yet? Hazelnut really misses the baby. She really likes that baby.

And it's Emma's birthday today! Many happy returns of the day, dear girl.

She was born in a log cabin (and, strangely enough, has never been interested in running for office) with no power or running water. And now she has a baby of her own: Liam, who has her beady blue-grey eyes.

Five eggs yesterday; six today.