We Are Deep In the Heart of Texas

Nomadic seasons of farming adventures with nature thrown in to include; a pinch of family, snippets of friends, counting our blessings, paying IT forward, home school, and the spicy things I decide to rant about.















Saturday, March 20, 2010

Watcha Looking At

This hen just makes me laugh.  Say good morning to CRANKY PANTS, one of our Americana Hens.  Since she was just a little pip; she likes to be the boss and tolerates no bum patting when she is on laying duty.  Yesterday, Saenz took a small lazer pointer and flashed the little red light in front of her while she was laying.  Let's just say Cranky Pants won! LOL

The boys and I let the hens out for ranging; I could see a storm coming up and had Saenz and Zephyr running around with me feeding our farm squatters.  Yeppers my chickens like to be out even in the rain; although under shelter but still running free. 
When we got inside the house just before a huge 5 minute 'gully washer' came pouring down.  I am wagering we got at least 1/2 inch of rain in those five minutes.  Our forecast is calling for 60% chance for thunderstorms today. HEE HEE, This time DEAD WRONG DALE is correct.
Surprisingly this is a very cold rain, guess Old Man Winter still is clutching at straw trying to hold on.  This time last year, we had temps in the 90s already.  This year we have only broken 80 two separate weeks.
This is one of our mesquite trees I will be harvesting mesquite bean pods from in the fall.  All this rain will allow me to gather pounds of pods of which I will turn into mesquite meal.  The meal is supposed to be low-glycemic which is a really important food consideration for folks with diabetes.  None of my family has this diease but, I still want to try making the meal and using it since, we have so many of these trees on our place.  Also, we use the trimmings of mesquite wood for grilling.  Don't you love nature's bounty?

Since this is my 495th post, the blogger who comments 4th on my 500th post will recieve a one pound bag of mesquite meal in the fall as my way of saying thank you for listening/reading my rantings. This is our fourth year at Hoe Hen Inn, without this journal I would have no local friends.

More information found here:

MUCH LOVE FROM INSIDE THE COOP!

7 comments:

Melodie said...

Our chickens love to be out in the rain too! They can go back in their coop and covered run if they want but they usually don't. That is very cool about the mesquite flower..I am going to check that out!

Texan said...

4th mmmm... well I am commenting second and that is half of four? Does that count? tee hee... well okay in my world thats good logic :O)...

I hear you on winter not turning loose, girly it was snowing here earlier today, yes snowing! I have the heater in the greenhouse turned on!

I think a lot of us farm gals use our blogs as a way to connect. I can go all week and not see a soul if I don't leave to go somewhere, which I usually do not.

Long as I see the honeyman I am good. I really enjoy the solitude :O)

Callie Brady said...

Happy First Day of Spring! Spring hasn't sprung around here yet. The mesquite meal sound neat. I like to learn about foods that are available that we don't utilize. We have lots of oaks and I have played around with making acorn flour.

Oh dear... missed it by one.
Cranky Pants is a kick! She reminds me of our Screamer hen.

IFCConnections said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
IFCConnections said...

OKay, Whatever! Get me all excited and then make me re read what I read! 496 Blog! lol
Could we pretend it's the 500th, so I can cheer!

Nekkid Chicken said...

Thanks for popping in, Melodie.

Doncha love learning new things?

SNORTING AT TEXAN, this is not my 500th post. Silly Girl, I think you are about 8 hrs up the road from here.

Nekkid Chicken said...

Callie, So I am not the only one with a Cranky Pants. I will have to tell her. LOL Tell me how the acorn flour turns out?

KELLEY cheer away girlie girl. Who are you dressing up today?