porch guard

oh, hello

egg carton jiffy starters

I'm not terribly thrilled with the results of my egg carton planter. It did give me instant, free extra sprouting space. But this morning, as I transferred the little spudlings into a bigger planter, I discovered that their roots had grown firmly attached to the soggy bottom of the egg carton. I'm not completely convinced I didn't damage them trying to get them out.

Have I mentioned that it's still snowing here? My house is slowly filling with little window boxes perched beneath every available sunny spot. This is the first year I've tried to grow any kind of green plants in this ridiculous climate. I'm debating whether to build some kind of plastic hoop house. I don't think our weather will ever be safe for things like tomatoes to be grown outside.

I'm terrible at telling plants apart, especially when small, and we don't have any craft or popsicle sticks. But we do have wooden clothespins, so I sacrificed a couple today to serve as labels.

wild green things

real live bugs

I can't believe how fast the chicks are growing. They're still just under two weeks old, and already have several layers of feathers growing on their wings. We decided they've outgrown their original, temporary cardboard box home.

We set them up this evening in a tupperware brooder. I'd read a couple of different accounts of people having good success with these. My only worry is that our collie mutt, a dedicated chicken-killer, will be much more interested in them now that they're down closer to her eye level.

As bedding, we use scraps from our firewood splitting spot. Basically I scrape off the top inch or two of softness from the ground. It includes pine needles, wood shavings, sandy dirt, and lots of bugs. The chicks love being able to scratch around and find actual insects to eat, the way their instincts demand. Just one of the many pleasures of raising your own chickens. :)

the good root

Are you fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation?
What do you know of Love except the name?
Love has a hundred forms of pride and disdain,
and is gained by a hundred means of persuasion
Since Love is loyal, it purchases one who is loyal;
it has no interest in a disloyal companion.
The human being resembles a tree;
your root is a covenant with God.
That root must be cherished with all one's might.
A feeble covenant is a rotten root, without grace or fruit.
Though the boughs and leaves of the date palm are green
greenness brings no benefit if the root is corrupt.
If a branch is without green leaves, yet has a good root,
a hundred leaves will put forth their hands in the end.

-- Rumi (translated by Kabir Helminski)

new chicks on the block

Eight Americauna babies, hatched yesterday, now making their home in a cardboard box atop the front-loading washing machine. Bedding is pine shavings from our firewood splitting. The waterer is a coffee can, with a few holes drilled, on top of a frisbee. Works well for us.