Friday, June 27, 2014

Not Chicken Feed

(Chicken Feed: a very small amount of money.)

The Peeps celebrated their first birthday a couple of months ago which, I guess, makes them Girls. It doesn't seem that long ago when we brought them home. The memory of introducing them to the original flock is still fresh. It was a stressful time for all of us as the pecking order was reestablished. And you can bet those poor Peeps got their fair share of pecks from the older three Girls.

We give chicken ownership a thumbs up. Well, hens anyway since we don't know much about owning a rooster. Haven't had the . . . pleasure.

The Girls provide us with white, pink, and brown jumbo eggs, anywhere from 4 to 6 eggs per day. We've been giving them away to friends but still had a surplus. Awhile ago a co-worker asked if she could buy eggs and since I knew she had fruit trees I asked her if she'd like to trade home-grown goodness instead. On a weekly basis she's been receiving our fresh eggs in trade for her juicy sweet oranges, blood oranges, and "not Haas" avocados. In a few weeks her peaches will be ready. Woohoo.

Recently, another co-worker offered to buy any extra eggs we might have. She and her husband eat three dozen organic, cage-free eggs per week. Yes. Three. Dozen. Per. Week. That's a whole lotta eggs! She didn't have anything to trade so I offered her a dozen for $3. She brings me her empty egg cartons and the good Girls comply.


Egg Money

Sophia ~ Quality Inspector

"Where's Tandy?"

Tandy, hard at work.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Out and About: Walking the Dog

"Country roads, take me home to the place I belong." John Denver

















Happy Summer 2014


Sunday, June 15, 2014

Baby Birders

(Birder: someone who seriously pursues the hobby of bird watching.)

San Luis Obispo County is a popular destination for a large variety of birds due to the wide range of habitats - both sea and land - and many areas around the county are wintering spots or stomping grounds for these birds. Or, perhaps like us, after visiting SLO county they've returned to stay and make it their home.

Each January, Morro Bay hosts the annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. This year we stopped by for one of their talks, "Meet the Raptors" by the Pacific Wildlife Care. We were hoping to see an eagle up close; we were spotting a Golden Eagle hanging around our property. They didn't have an eagle but they did have other birds of prey being cared for at the wildlife rehab center.


Peregrine Falcon


Red-Tailed Hawk


Turkey Vulture


We see birds of prey on a daily basis: red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, turkey vultures, and the occasional eagle. If they seem too close we call the free-ranging Girls closer to home.

It was slowly in the making but we've become amateur bird watchers. It's funny but I know the exact moment we realized it. One afternoon, while sitting out on The Vista, The Man and I noticed a brown bird hopping around on the ground in front of us. We didn't recognize the bird with it's very long curved beak. We were intrigued and looked it up - California Thrasher.




It doesn't take much effort for us to watch birds. We just have to look out the windows or take a stroll outside. 

American Robin and Steller's Jay


Mama turkey with babies (poults)

Truthfully, it's oddly exciting when a new bird shows up at the feeder ~ ~

Good morning, Black-headed Grosbeak!
Howdy, Hooded Oriole (female)!
Welcome, Nuttall's Woodpecker!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Lineup

Somebody chewed off the cables from The Man's earbuds. Luckily, it was the economical earphones he uses while working outside not the Apple EarPods. This "somebody" came into the garage, jumped up on the garage work bench, and took off with the earbuds.

To determine the culprit we rounded up the usual suspects.




We waited a few minutes to really let them sweat it out. It didn't take long before everyone's composure broke down (from right to left).




  • Duke ~  staring at the camera for a full headshot, as brazen as ever.
  • Wyatt ~ wondering why he's there . . . or thinking of food.
  • Mele ~  wanting us to know she's a good dog and doesn't do bad things.
  • Zeke ~  guileless but guilty; it's written all over his hidden face.