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Hello, hello.  Just a quick update:

I've added some background business in the "Pages" section to the right...just a little info on me & our place with another page still to come regarding the wherefore of this whole urban homesteading experiment and blog.  I also need to go back through and tag some stuff (the blog learning curve continues), so thanks for bearing with me.  Feel free to share my blog with anyone you might think would have an interest, and if you'd like, become a "follower" or subscribe via email.  Let me know what you think--I am having fun learning as I go & would treasure input.

I also promise to quit typing primarily about chickens!  The girls are quite a distraction, but as they get a bit bigger they are more able to be ignored (now I just have to summon the willpower to stop hanging over the pen.)

As I wait for a glitch in unemployment bureaucracy to unravel itself, we are also on a fairly tight budget, and so I have to temper some of my project ambitions with some patience.  I did, however, successfully complete my first Craigslist transaction last week and am now the excited owner of four large food-grade plastic barrels that are going to become rain barrels and possibly a solar-hot-water reservoir for a very bare-bones outdoor shower.   They were $10 each, and I met a kindred spirit in the process.  Good stuff.  Now, to learn the intricacies of spigots, caulking, and altering downspouts...!

Lions and Tigers...and Hawks?? Oh dear.

Goshawk seen last fall, across the street.

Friday, 8/20/10

Had a mighty scare with the chickies early this morning...I had gone inside to change into gardening clothes and came out to find a small hawk or some other smallish bird of prey perched on the electrical line that connects the house to the public pole, right above the girls in their run. (Very possibly the handsome gentleman to the left.)  The hawk immediately flew away as I came around the corner, and I could see only Roxanne (!!), pressed into the closest corner of the cage.  I had known from the minute I stepped outside that something was abnormal--it was prime birdsong time of day, and there was silence, except for one unfamiliar call.  I blinked at the run a few times (lid is shut and locked...where could they be??) and started toward it, finding to my relief that Ramona, Betty, & Fern were crowded as tightly as possible into the same corner as Roxanne, and she was sort of puffed up and apparently standing over them as lookout.   

Oh thank the baby jesus.  Or perhaps the patron saint/goddess of chickens.

Formerly still and silent girls were now peep peep peeping like mad, and came running when I opened the door and leaned over to reach in the pen.  Everyone, even shy Betty, had to bump up against my hands or run over my palms as I babbled sweet, soothing nothings like an idiot and we all took deep breaths.  I don't understand how people have human children, honestly they must be crazy...I can't even bear  my love for my animals.  The cats, my boys, are bad enough--and now fowl??  Really?

Having thought it all over, I am:

a) glad to see that my design & construction did their jobs & resisted a predatory attack,
b) going to be extremely careful about keeping the lid of the run closed (my books say chicks are at much higher risk than full grown),
c) am now feeling leery toward any outside adventures, like letting the girls out into the garden as I did a few days ago, even if closely supervised,
d). and am happy to discover that Foxy Roxie has moxie.  (These are the giddy realizations that come from postmortem texting frenzies with horrified Aunties Christiana & Amy.  Don't hate, I was under great strain.)

 

We gradually settled down and resumed our normal chicken and human routines, shaken but in charge of our senses and logic again, and have had since a very productive day.  I finally tackled the garden: cleaned up and re-draped the tomato insanity, staked up some peppers, tore out the decimated collards and brussel sprouts--nasty wormy things; I need to get Bt--and pulled out the long row of buckwheat and spread it out to dry into hay.  I encountered some hefty tomato hornworms--yet another thing to think about accidentally grabbing (ew) while reaching into the innards of my garden jungle to harvest--and have saved them for my four year old friend Teagan to see.  Once I get the potatoes harvested (they are along the fence, the weedy, ugly bed in the picture below), I will be ready to plant the fall stuff.  Carrots, cabbage, broccoli, scallions, beets (what the heck), and possibly still some more sunflowers--I've probably left all of this too late, but I think it is still worth a shot.

I also managed to thread my soaker hose through the tomato bed and the squash & bean row which should have been done ages ago when everything was less tangled and enormous.  We had such regular rain for the majority of the summer that I have been very spoiled. 

And then, Jason came home!  The weekend has begun!  After a long, full day outside in the sun and breeze, working hard and making progress, it is so nice to have him  home and able to enjoy it all with me.  It is strange, being at home and having Jason off at work; his comings and goings punctuate my day.  There is a proprietary feel to waving him off in the morning with a freshly packed lunch that is satisfying (and yes, a bit threatening and Donna-Reedish,) and I reassure myself that this is part of pursuing sustainability and cheaper & healthier than grabbing fast food or something equally hideous.

I need to be better about planning meals and keeping up on dirty dishes, although there is logic to my prioritizing of the to-do list:  the garden is at the top until I have everything planted, and then chickens will need their coop in the garage as soon as I can get it done.  I also confess to a certain compulsion to be outside as much as possible while I can be; the winter ahead is a bit daunting to me presently.  I am sure it will be fine, but I can imagine my tendency toward cabin fever will be something to actively avoid.

In any case, I had accidentally pruned off several large green tomatoes while I was cleaning up the plants, and so I made fried green tomatoes for the first time as an accompaniment to BLT's.  When I am in need of a new recipe, I usually start online (allrecipes.com is pretty good) and go from there.  If I am feeling pretty comfortable, I don't follow along very closely--the fried tomatoes were one of these scenarios because I have breaded and pan-fried fish many times & already had a gist of the process.  So, without any terribly defined measurements, here is the recipe:


Fried Green Tomatoes ala Maggie

3-4 good sized green tomatoes, sliced about 1/4" thick
-set up three medium sized bowls or baking dishes in a row
Bowl One:  combine 1 1/2 c. flour (whole wheat works) with lots of ground pepper and Cajun seasoning and a little salt.  If Cajun isn't hot, add some cayenne as desired
Bowl Two:  2-3 eggs beaten with a few tablespoons of milk
Bowl Three:  2+ c. bread crumbs or cracker crumbs ( I used Panko crumbs from Trader Joe's)


-Dredge the tomato slices first in egg, then in flour, back in egg, then in bread crumbs.  Tongs are helpful, or a fork.  Press the flour and crumbs on both sides and then shake off excess.  

-Heat up some type of fat in a skillet over medium heat.  I used the meager amount of bacon grease that we had after cooking our farmer's market bacon and added a little canola.  Fry the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes per side, checking to see how brown they are getting.  Drain on paper towels & cover to keep warm while the rest are cooking.


For dipping, I used my last few tablespoons of sour cream and ranch dressing and whisked them together with probably 10-15 drops of Sriracha chili sauce.

Collards, a bit holey, but still yummy

We utterly gorged ourselves.  They were amazing.  Some other ideas I saw in various recipes are to use cornmeal rather than bread crumbs--and to stick to bacon fat for the frying if you want authentic southern flavor.  I'm not sure why I've been on a southern food kick lately, but I suspect it stems from being so pleasantly surprised by a collard green recipe that Amy & I tried early this summer--ever since, I've been exploring comfort food.

Food and summer are a wonderful blend; I used our own "Old German" heirloom tomatoes for the BLT's and homemade bread as well--I have a new whole wheat sandwich bread recipe from the magical folk at King Arthur Flour that turned out really well.  We also like to thickly slice an avocado and at that to the BLT's...mmmm.  Truly, the time and effort required when cooking from scratch are equally rewarded by the end results...we eat very well (when I'm not feeling lazy), and it is a satisfying ritual from garden to kitchen to plate to tummy, at least for me.

The First Fortnight of Freedom: Friends, Family & Fluff

OK, sorry about the title; I'm a geek & can't help it.  I read too many books that used the word "fortnight" as a kid--what can I say?

After having to hold myself back from writing endless posts during that last month of work while I was so anxiously awaiting this transition, I now find myself struggling to find a quiet hour to devote to an update!  That, and I've had a bunch of visitors which always come before the computer if I can help it.  Thanks to everyone who traveled either from near or far to stop by over the last week, particularly the fam.  The term "blessed" makes me a fairly uncomfortable, but if I am blessed by anything it is most certainly by a family with whom I am truly at home and at peace--I am a lucky, lucky person.  Come back anytime and stay awhile.... 

The outdoor run for the babies is progressing nicely, and the girls are loving their excursions outside.  After a bunch of reading and a bit of contemplation, I came up with a very basic design, and my sister Christiana & I built the main structure and attached the mesh sides while she was visiting.  Broke three drill bits, but whatev.  We also chose the hottest days possible for the manual labor, which was...well...really freaking hot, what can I say?  I've worked outside for a living a few times, and I always forget how exhausting heat can be.  Thank you, Chippewa Falls, for Leinie's Summer Shandy!  (Not to plug a particular beverage, but have you had one?  They are the unofficial brewski of the Hanna-Goeglein Camp this summer, and I'm beginning to think they have a cult following--everyone seems to know & love the Shandy.)

Only the door left to do!

Anyway, the design of the run is simple:  I used  2' x 4's and made the dimensions 8' x 4' x 2'.  The top and sides are made of hardware cloth  with a 1/2 inch mesh rather than "chicken wire" which has larger holes--not good for keeping chicks in or raccoon paws out.  In order to keep the ladies doubly safe from strong predators, we used washers and screws to secure the hardware cloth to the frame; they are the rivets that you can see in the picture above.  Since Christiana went home, I've continued on alone (sniff-sniff!), attaching the shorter crossbeam for stability and for hanging the food/water as the girls get taller, and adding the hardware cloth to the top so my active little ones can't literally fly the coop...

...which happens now, if the food and water are out of their tub and allow more room for a runway!  Fledging babies, flapping wings--good grief!  This new restless behavior has been pushing me to finish the run.  I want them to be able to spend the majority of their day outside as soon as possible.  The last thing left to do is build and attach the door on the top; if I am lucky I will get that done tomorrow after the farmer's market in the morning.

Busy Roxie, with her new back feathers

So, how did the girls do with the new pen?  Oh, my--they immediately changed from little peeps to busy, adult chickens, trapped in fluffy chick bodies.  As soon as their feet touched the grass,they were consumed with a plethora of important chicken responsibilities:  pecking all sorts of invisible critters in the grass, freezing simultaneously at a plane overhead until it was determined that the danger had passed and pecking & peeping could resume, scratching away at the turf in one corner of the pen that seems to have been designated as the spot for their dust bowl.  Chickens like to powder their butts and ruffle their wings in dust as a strategy against various bugs and parasites--and this is absolutely an instinctual thing, apparently!  All of the scratching results in a great deal of wiggling behinds and shimmying hips--I swear they look as though they are practicing some sort of hips-loose-knees-bent Spanish rumba with serious faces and great deliberation.  Christiana and I laughed and laughed and gasped--and had to sigh at how grown up all of this behavior seems! 

"Chervena Chushka" heirloom peppers

Once all of my company left, I was faced with a daunting catch-up list; the pen, a jungle of a garden and pathetic dying tomato plants begging for water and some fish emulsion as a Hot August boost-- not to mention the kitchen counter tops covered in tomatoes perilously close to passing their due date.  The pole beans have organized a sneak attack:  tricky little bastards are adept at hiding among the dense leaves, and I keep finding enormous swollen pods that can only be dried for planting next year.  Tomorrow, I swear, I will get out the stock pot and start blanching and freezing them.  If the bounty continues, I'd like to attempt the spicy pickled green beans we used to get in Bloody Mary's in Savannah and New Orleans.  Any recipes, people?

I did manage to clear the counter top and have three quart sized freezer bags of a many-veggied spaghetti sauce that I know from experience is a beautiful thing over pasta in February (not to mention a quick meal and insanely cheap!)  It is always a good feeling to look in a pot and realize that everything in there came from either my own garden or that of one of the friendly people at our farmers' market.  I saw a fabulous deal on peaches at the farmers' market last week ($1/lb for 25lbs!), and if it is still going tomorrow I want to lug home my 25lbs to either freeze or can...I've done the first several times but never the last.  Maybe it is time to learn something new.  :)  Oooh.  I have the food dehydrator too.  Mmm.  Homemade granola with dried peaches?  Yes, I think so.

The bean & squash jungle

Feeling pretty settled and really excited and ready to tackle this urban homestead...and absolutely loving this time for myself and our place. 

In the next few weeks I:
-need to get the actual coop figured out for Ramona, Roxanne, Fern, and Betty
-have probably tragically overdue fall crops to plant unless we have the mother of all late falls this year--and
-have an outdoor brick oven to build, if I can keep within a reasonable budget. Big plans!

[Oh, and I really want to convert a trash can into a rain barrel for the garden, routing the water from the garage roof.  That's it, I swear.]

The Ladies of Lester St.

According to ChaCha.com, a "Betty" is a hot chick.  One that is attractive, stylish and self confident.

At the risk of entirely anthropomorphizing these birds, I have a flock of characters on my hands.  Roxanne is, um, let's say a little advanced.  If this were fifth grade, she would be wearing a training bra and have a steadier hand with a mascara wand than I do.  If that isn't bad enough, she is setting a standard for her friends, and Betty at least is doing her best to catch up.  Girls, girls [I want to say] quit trying to grow up so fast.

Roxanne's beautiful feathers

Foxy Roxie has feathers, y'all!  Big pretty striped ones!  And she is proud of them!  There is a great deal of flapping and wing stretching going on, as though showing off to her pen-mates how voluptuously developed she has become.  This morning when I was moving the girls from the still-soiled end of their tub to the clean end, Roxie hop-fluttered over the rolled-up bedding in the middle all by herself, asserting her independence, while the other three still had to be picked up by Mama.  What used to be a new patch of strangely straggly fuzz on her backside is now a set of honest-to-god tail feathers, which changes her whole silhouette--and Betty is also sporting her own renegade fuzz patch and matching wings.  Ramona has an elegant set of black and cream wing feathers, and even little Fern is starting to deliberately groom her wings as little red & brown patterned feathers appear.  The fuzz-to-feather ratio is beginning to shift, and I can hardly stand it.

Please note Betty's brand new tail feathers. 

Betty and Fern remain a little shy of humanity, no matter how much I pick them up and coo/stroke/sing/love them or dangle my hands inside their pen to pet and play with them, although my sister Christiana--who has the touch--has managed to lull Betty, Ramona, and Roxanne to sleep in her palms (she achieved chicken-whisperer status within the first 24 hours of her visit).  If, however, there is a "lap" chicken in the Lester St. Flock, it is Ramona.  She is, quite simply, the sweetest little thing. 

Ramona naps.

The cutest butt.  Seriously.

She fits perfectly.

Little Fern is getting freckles...

...and big-girl feathers.  Sweet baby.

Betty wins second cutest butt.  Or maybe first.  You decide.

Where did the time go?

Ramona and Roxanne like to snuggle.

Well, I should probably just admit it right up front, as sad as it is.  I am exhibiting mother-like behavior...over four small fowl.  I know the happy peeps from the sad; have witnessed the first game of tag (scampering is fun!) across the floor.  In particular, the ladylike arabesque stretches absolutely slay me.  (I would post a picture if I could get one--they come without any warning.)  One of the girls will be walking or standing and then slowly and elegantly extend a leg to the back and stretch, looking like a cuter, fluffier version of the pointe-shoed elephants in Fantasia.  Sometimes she will then continue along--but other times this immediately necessitates a nap, with the leg still at large.

Anyhoo, you'll probably roll your eyes, but they have grown!  In a day! [OK, it took me a few days to post this.] For the love!  How is a mama to keep up?  I am ashamed to say that I still don't have a coop ready for them (I do have a few weeks, thank god), but more importantly, I don't have a run ready for them outdoors yet.  It is more than warm enough for them outside; my sources vary from 5 days to 3wks as the appropriate earliest age for outdoor exposure depending on temps.  Since I am not feeding them medicated chick starter feed (I'm not big on drugs "just in case") the sanitary upkeep is crucial, particularly in the hot weather.  Like all babies, they are much more susceptible to disease, so I would rather have them out in the big sunny backyard than cooped up in poop in a hot room.  Um, can you tell I'm ready to build a screened pen for them?

However, in my defense there is a lot going on, considering that I am not commuting to an office anymore.  I have spent plenty of morning hours this week dealing with various things for my doctor--following up on pending orders, handling the office voicemail and email, making post office trips, etc.  Now, I freely admit that I have also spent some morning time with coffee and a good book...on our patio that looks out  across the backyard or (was it Tuesday?) on the front stoop, watching the entire progression of a thunderstorm across the sky.  And during those moments, I have been kind of overwhelmed by the generosity of the gods and the freedom that appears to actually be mine.  It was never that I hated my job, and I have certainly had some weird identity-crisis moments so far where I wonder how I can presume to actually do this without a child as an reasonable excuse and where the wide-open time before me is almost scary (which just sounds like spoiled whining, I know.)   :)  I keep coming back to feeling deeply grateful for the opportunity to be right here, at my home, alongside my various animal friends, with a beautiful day beckoning.

Taking a break from the sprinkler

 So, I have a lot to accomplish today; we are having company this weekend--it brings new meaning to the phrase "chick magnet!"  Ha!  There is a definite come-see-'em-while-you-can quality about the chicks because they are going have their awkward adolescence in a few short weeks, and the poor dears are not going to be winning beauty pageants again for a while.  My parents are coming tomorrow, my sister is arriving tonight, and all sorts of random folk are dropping in over the weekend--some women from Jason's office, parents of friends, most people we know who have young children.  The Goeglein-Hanna petting zoo is the hot spot for children (and the young at heart) in the know, Summer 2010.

The Blessed Event

I promise to write an actual post--soon!  It has been a busy couple of days, and the chickies arrived at 6am this morning.  For now, though, here are some pictures of the little sweethearts.  It is hard to exaggerate how adorable they are--and the sweet little "peeps" when they are content are the most precious little noises.  Babies, of all kinds, are the best!

The Flock

Roxanne, on the right (with the red light)

Fern

Roxanne, on the left

Fern