A Whole Lot Of Brooding Going On Around Here

There is a whole lot of brooding going on around here.Inside the dove cote in front of the house...

...doves are sitting on eggs. They've gone "broody", which "describes a hen's condition in the period during which she is intent on incubating her eggs and is often reluctant to move off the nest until they are hatched." 'CHICKENS' by Derek Hall

On the floor of the dove-cote there is some brooding going on too. See the stump in the top right part of the picture? Look closely...

...yes, there! Sitting oh so quietly and calmly, is a bantam frizzled cochin. She won't leave the eggs she is sitting on, rarely leaving to eat or drink. If I try to move her she seems catatonic, but if I take her too far away from the clutch of eggs she is sitting on she squawks and flaps fiercely in her attempt to be back on her eggs.

The other 2 bantam cochins, her sister and the rooster, leave her to the eggs. They know better than to disturb her. Smart chickens!

My midget white turkey hens are also sitting on eggs. They simply scratched a bowl shaped area of shavings out and laid their eggs. They won't move off their eggs either. I can walk around them, add feed & water to their pen, but they steadfastly sit,almost as if they are deaf and blind to anything but what is under them.Like the chickens and doves, they seem to be focused inward, oblivious to everything but the tending of their eggs.

In the bantam pen in the back of our home the story is the same. bantam hens striving with each other to sit on a clutch of eggs. Often the hens will steal eggs from each other by rolling them away from a nest mate and under their own feathered breasts.

These 4 ( FOUR! ) hens have decided to share the nest box. They sit together, day after day, keeping the eggs warm, turning them, and often gently, oh so gently, slyly sliding an egg out from under a nest mate, to warm it under their own breast.

Either way, the eggs are being incubated, and when hatched, will be tended faithfully. I will remove 3 of the hens just before hatching because I have had hens fight so fiercely over the chicks that the chicks end up being unintended victims as they try to get under the wings of their fighting mothers.

Meanwhile, back in the dove-cote, look what just hatched!

5 new bantam white cochin chicks, tended by a devoted mother.All this brooding going on around here is going to make for a lot more drama and entertainment on Cedar Pond! 

I hope any brooding around your home is productive, leading to righteous fruit and a happy home, and not hen fights! Remember, when hens fight, little chicks get hurt, and big chicks do too! "Let all be harmonious , sympathetic,brotherly, kindhearted,and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, insult for insult; but giving a blessing instead;....And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed." I Peter3: 8,9,13

Would You Like Some Tea With Your Turkey?

My teacup for today is one I especially love. It is my favorite color, a bright and happy blue, with a beautiful rose painted inside. This teacup shouts "springtime!" to me. How can you not imagine the turquoise-blue sky and roses of late spring when sipping tea from this cup? Oh, look...

...one of my baby Midget White turkeys has discovered the teacup !

Here comes Tom, the other little turkey poult hatched from the eggs of the turkeys ( now grown up) I raised last year. Guess these little ones have inherited their parents' penchant for teacups*.

"Hey Tiny, what are you doing?

"Tom, look at this beautiful teacup, I love it! When I roll around and curl up in it I feel like I am back in my cozy egg.You should try it."

"I dunno Tiny, it seems a bit too small for me...hmmmm."

This teacup is bone china, made in England by Aynsley.Click onto any picture for enlargement.

"Tom, Tom? Where did you go?"

"Look at this beautiful teacup,turquoise blue with gold-edged cup and saucer, contrasted with white and the beautiful rose inside( what can I say, these are very intelligent turkeys with extensive vocabularies). Now where is Tom?"

"Here I am Tiny ! The tea pot is roomy, I think it fits me nicely, I hope Kathy doesn't need this pot for tea anytime soon."

Happy tea-time to you. Any time for a spot of tea is a bright spot in our day. If you share your tea- time with turkeys, well...you can't help but smile. Maybe you might even laugh out loud! Either way, turkeys and tea make a heart happy. For more Tea Time Tuesday fun and inspiration check out the links listed below.

• Lady Katherine Tea Parlor*
• Martha's Favorites*
• Artful Affirmations*
• Rose Chintz Cottage*
• The Silken Purse*
• Breath Of Fresh Air*

Christmas And Moles?

I just happened to be at our daughter and her family's' home when who should appear? Santa!

The youngest grandchild, Little J, was quite taken with Santa.

Three of the four children in the house were awake and got to sit on Santa's lap, but our oldest grandchild was fast asleep.Maybe he knows Santa can't leave the gifts until all the children are asleep. He was right too. Santa gave the children some candy and told them to get to bed so he could leave their gifts, then Santa was off ...

Little J runs to the window to see where Santa has gone.

On Christmas Day our daughter and her family came to our home to celebrate. My husband ( he kind of looks like Santa, doesn't he?) carved up the turkey, one of our home grown Midget Whites , made ready just the day before. Turkey and ham , mashed potatoes, coleslaw,won-ton soup ( you don't have won ton soup for your Christmas dinner?) lefse, and so many other yummy things to eat ! When it came time for the family to go next door to my husband's sister's home for dessert Little J had just fallen fast asleep. I stayed at home and kept the fire going while he slept, enjoying the quiet and watching our youngest grandchild. There is nothing as peaceful and tender as the sight of a sweetly sleeping child. Later on the rest of the family returned. We played games ( WII ) and ate more food. I got to cuddle my grandchildren , enjoy watching the family play together, laugh together, remember how much I appreciate all God's blessings, and not take for granted food, home, health, loved ones. ( pictured above, our daughter and her youngest daughter) Now for an announcement, Vickie of Sand Flat Farms* has won! She beat us in the Underground Varmint Termination Contest *!She whupped us big time!!!! Vickie trapped 25 groundhogs ( well, 26 if you count her cat Jasmine's kill) and my husband Jim only got a measly 10 moles. Even though there is another day to this year, I don't think our one trap will catch enough moles to beat Vickie. So CONGRATULATIONS Vickie, you have won a WHAC-A-MOLE Game ! I tried to find a Whac-a-Groundhog Game, but no luck. ( sigh ) So send me your snail mail address and this game will be yours . I say we should continue this challenge next year, goodness , the moles around here are plenty busy. I still think they are PLANNING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD *. Well, maybe just Cedar Pond!

Have A Thankful Thanksgiving~

Have a thankful Thanksgiving,and be thankful you're not a turkey! Our turkeys are not aware of how thankful they should be this Thanksgiving. We could not find the time to prepare them for the Thanksgiving table , so they will happily gobble and eat their fill of grain , thinking turkey thoughts, dreaming turkey dreams. Our days around here are full of keeping the house warm and water in the animals' troughs. The power went out in the early hours this morning and came back on this afternoon. The weather forecast is for much of the same below freezing temperatures through Wednesday.( We are colder than the North Pole is right now!) Because of the uncertainty of electric power and that the rest of the week will be full of cooking and enjoying family, I will not be blogging for a few days. Happy Thanksgiving to you! ~"It is good to take time to be thankful, for it is all too easy to let the world's trouble sweep over one in a dark flood and to fall into despair." Gladys Taber ~" The Pilgrims made seven more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." H.U. Westermayer ~ "Thanksgiving Day comes , by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." E.S. Martin ~ "Thanksgiving , after all, is a word of action." W.J. Cameron

Tiny Teacups & Turkeys In Teacups

It is Tea Time Tuesday! I get to show off a teacup or two and this week I have chosen two teacups I think are from a child's tea set. Look at how tiny they are in comparison to my thumb. If you click onto the picture you can see the delicate gold butterflies on the handles. The morning glories are very well painted and the china is translucent. There are no markings at all on the bottoms of these cups and saucers. I will be using these teacups at a tea party I am having for grandchildren and a great-niece and nephew this Wednesday. I hope to remember to take pictures to show you next Tuesday!

Do you remember my turkeys in a teacup? These little turkeys were so tiny two of them fit in one of my favorite teacups.

Soon, the teacup was a tight fit...

...then only one turkey would fit, and not very well.

The turkey just looks at the teacup as if to say "Lady, you're nuts if you think I am going to fit in that cup!"

So I got a bigger teacup!

See, two turkeys fit into this teacup, but they are a little cramped.

Today I offered the turkeys the chance to sit in the teacup again.

I don't think it's going to happen, do you?

Pour yourself a cup of tea and visit these ladies to see many other teacups and tea times; Martha*,Terri *,Lady Katherine *,and Wanda Lee*. Remember, you are blessed!

Two Turkeys In A Teacup Thursday

Two turkeys in a BIG teacup! They have grown, haven't they?

I have been running into myself coming and going lately. Busy playing with grandchildren, tending the animals, trying to garden in the mud and also getting ready for the Lavender Festival coming up soon. Very soon! I have a booth to set up there and am looking forward to enjoying the festival and maybe making a little money in sales too.( Gotta pay the hay bill) I am still making Wee Little Sheep, and many, many other things , but I do get distracted and worn out with having so much fun with the granddaughters. To see what's going on at the First Annual Lavender Festival to be held here in practically my own backyard just click onto Mountain Meadow Lavender Festival *

The turkeys are outta here!

We Interrupt Turkey In A Teacup Thursday...

We interrupt Turkey In A Teacup Thursday because we caught a mole! Our granddaughter poses with the mole next to a big mound and hole in the ground caused by the little one and it's many relatives. This is the mole super highway, underground of course.

Granddaughter had never seen a mole up close before and was excited because I was excited my husband trapped one of the legion of little critters causing so much destruction and havoc to our lawns, gardens, sheep pens, chicken pens, driveway, pond....when she actually saw the little creature she was sad and said "It is so cute, it's dead? This is sad~". I do not have the words to express my mixed feelings about these little critters, except to say they cannot be allowed to flourish as usual around here. The damage they have done is extreme.Now if they just stay to the woods and by-ways they would be left alone. But no, they have super hi-ways and by-ways around and under our home. Sheep crippling tunnels and mounds , garden destroying cave-ins, need I go on? ( but they are kind of cute)

Miss Vickie *, one more for our count on underground varmints . Here's hoping you are adding to your count.Let the competition be fierce!

The turkeys were very happy to not have to pose in a tea-cup this week. They will be back next Thursday, whether they like it or not.