What's wrong with this picture?

Here is a nice little Welsummer hen.
She lays chocolate colored eggs.
But she has an odd problem!



Here is another photo ~
can you spot it?



This hen has spurs!!!
I have had a hen or two that thought
they could crow, but this is a first for
me with spurs!



What next?









Of Hens & Chicks

There once was a forlorn old rusty

chicken feeder and an old

concrete drainage pipe

overgrown with 'hens & chicks'.

The plants were removed from the pipe...

and joined the old chicken feeder...

in a happy union that sits in front of the

chicken house!

'Hens & Chicks'/Chicken Feeder/Chicken House!

I had to do it ~ it just seemed right!

Joining these hops~

Homestead Revival Barn Hop

My Simple Country Living's Country Garden Showcase

An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party

A Delightsome Life's Home & Garden Thursday
Mrs. Olson's Share Your Cup Thursday
Fishtail Cottage's Cottage Garden Party

Dandelion House's Farmgirl Friday



Pears

I brought the tall ladder down from the barn

this morning to pick pears.

The sun was shining warmly and the dew

was sparkling in the orchard grass.

The cats, Harley and Cricket, joined me

in tree climbing and chasing after

wayward fallen fruit!

Of course, the best ones are at the top of the branches!

Ripe for the picking!

Golden sweet and blushing from the sun!

The perfect pair!

(Farmers' Daughter #1 was married in the month of October,

 several years ago, now.

At each place setting at the reception was a beautiful

pear with a ribbon attached that read ~

~M****** and C****~

A perfect pair.

She was married out of doors and a

pear tree stood on either side of the

head of the isle.

So romantic, don't you think?)

I will can most of these pears to add to

the jars filling up the pantry.

Today, I shall make some Pear Honey~

delicious on hot biscuits, toast or waffles!

It amazingly does taste a bit like honey,

though there is not a drop in it!

~Pear Honey~

Yields 12-16 half pint jars

8 cups (about 3 pounds) peeled, cored, and chopped pears

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple with syrup

10 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and cook until pears are tender and mixture thickens, approximately 30 minutes. Place in sterilized jars and seal while still not.

(I got this recipe from Kelli at There is No Place Like Home a few years ago.)

This one will be my lunch!.

How perfect!

~*~

Joining Amy for Barn Hop #28

Jami for Tuesday Garden Party

Tracie for Cottage Flora Thursday

and Deborah Jean for Farmgirl Friday

Prepared for Winter!

Winter's coming so Gentleman Farmer has been a busy boy cutting firewood for our winter heat. We burn about 5 cord of wood each winter. It is our sole source of heat and our wood stove can be used for cooking when the power goes out.

(A standard cord of wood measures 4'X4'X8'. Or the way we stack it 2'X4'X16'.)

The newest wood rick.
One side of Five cord rows of wood behind the barn.










We are sure to stay toasty warm this winter thanks to all of Gentleman Farmer's hard work!


~*~

Joining Amy for Preparedness Challenge #22

The Marauders!

Maraud', To rove in quest of plunder; to make an excursion for booty; to plunder.

Marauder, n. A rover in quest of booty or plunder.

Meet my 'Marauders'!

(Shown above, plundering a bowl of oatmeal!)

Always on a quest for booty!

A Little Facelift for the Happy Hens Haus

Joining Amy and the gang

over at the Homestead Revival Barn Hop.

The winter rains and snow had nearly scoured

all of the paint off of the Chicken Coop.

We had one nice sunny day last weekend

so we got out the paintbrushes and went to work!

I have some of my plants hardening off
on racks over the compost bin...


and on crates next to the coop.
It was looking pretty sad
:~{

But now it is looking fresh and new!
It matches the color of the trim on our house.

We aren't finished with it yet;

we are painting window boxes,

making some little white shutters,

and I have a painting that I hang

above the door every summer.

I am wanting to plant some

deer proof perennials on either

side of the door.

I have had roses, lillies and some

herbs there and the deer
have throughouly enjoyed them.

Do you have any suggestions?

I will be back with more photos when

it is all finished!

Won't you take a peek at what is happening

at the other Homesteads? There is sure to be

something that will strike your fancy! ;~P

Homestead Barn Hop

Are you tired of this ceaseless, dreary weather?

Do you need a spark of color to brighten your ho-hum day?

But where does one find THAT on these boring washed out Winter White

or dismal Northwest Gray afternoons?

Why, right outside your window!

There may not be anything blooming in the garden

right now, but the shrubs and trees are full of

color nonetheless!

A careful glance past the bird feeder, I spot

a flash of azure with a velvet black hood

dancing in the buddleia bush!

A moment later, this little fellow joins him

wearing his finest little red bib and tucker!

Another softly colored guest zips in for a helping of

seeds to carry off to the higher branches of the

fruit trees to devour in a moment of solitude.

This little crowned beauty patiently awaits the

shower of seeds provided by the greedy

diners on the feeders above.

This plump fellow surveys the merriment of his

comrades from a nearby post. His turn is coming.

His shy demeanor soon dissipates

as he joins in the banqueting

sporting his fine rusty red knickers and

black and white spotted jacket.

While this little miss isn't bright in color,

the lovely muted stripes and white edging on her

feathers remind me of a beautifully

variegated leaf.

Another golden adorned sparrow has come to dine.

This fellow is so fat! And he is wearing a

lovely ascott of gold at his throat!

Else where on the farm, there are even more

splashes of color....

like this yellow tommy kitten

hunting for mice.

One has to focus to notice the silver plumage of this Heron

as he stands perfectly still, awaiting an inattentive

frog or small fish on the boggy tidelands of the bay.

Color is out there, we just have to take the time to

stop and look and enjoy!

~*~

Joining Amy @ Homestead Revival for the first

Won't you *hop* on over and see what's happening

at all the other places?