The Great Pumpkin Lights Again

Every October 1st, we (as in Greg) put up The Great Pumpkin Light.  When our kids were little, it was always such a big deal.  And then the interest sort of waned.  However, we put it up anyway.  Now, we have three grandkids who look forward to seeing The Great Pumpkin.  I love to drive up at night and see the orange glow from several houses away, guiding us home.
It isn't Halloween here until The Great Pumpkin Lights the night.

We are enjoying our much cooler weather now.  I have neglected the yard work all summer because of the heat.  Greg was out of town over the weekend and I did a lot of work out in the grove.  It felt good to be outside and working, but boy did I pay for it the next day.  My back is still ailing me!  Mostly due to that pile right there!!!

We get a lot of volunteer trees that pop up in the grove.  We try to pull them before the roots get too strong.  But when I was out there, I found several that were too big for me to even pull up.  I stripped the leaves, and fronds, and will have Greg saw them off next weekend.  This saw tooth palm tree volunteer has me scratched from head to toe!  These you do not want to let get too big!!

There were probably 8 volunteer avocado trees popping up. Some were quite tall already.  Like this one that I could not remove myself.

The ivy has gotten out of control, and has enveloped several of the orange trees, choking them out. 

Boy do we have our work cut out for us!!
I gave the chicken coop a thorough cleaning this weekend too. I hosed everything out, then let it air dry before I layed clean hay and put their laying boxes back.  I do this about every 3 or 4 months.  I give it a complete mucking out, once a week.  But a heavy duty clean, every few months.
They are located in the middle of the grove, underneath the canopy of two enormous avocado trees.  Their makeshift run I built from wrought iron fencing that we no longer use.  And then I wrapped it in chicken wire.  It needs to be reinforced though, because we have a couple of escapees every day.  I like to keep them in the run until they have laid, otherwise I find eggs in the most peculiar places.  This is the coop from the back.  The little hutch on the left is what I use for chicks if I have any that are sick or need to be culled.  The playhouse I also use for my chicks when I have them.  But now I keep it full of fresh hay, and they all go in and out of it, and even sometimes lay their eggs there.

This also provides a safe place for them, should there be hungry hawks flying overhead, or any other foe that might appear.  We do have coyotes and racoons and lots of hawks.

They hop in through the open windows and can seek shelter and safety.
All of my chickens have primarily stayed in the grove for their scratching and pecking.  They do amble out to the grass for some pecking in the evening hours.  But not these two city slickers.

They prefer to drink from my water cans, and help with my repotting of plants.

They have chosen this spot behind the hibiscus plant in the corner of the yard to lay their eggs.

This happens to be right outside the back door, and is quite convenient for collecting eggs quickly!  I took this out of the window in the laundry room.  My screens open up with a simple latch and I can easily hand things out to Greg when BBQing and such.  Now if only I can rig something to lower down from the window and scoop up the fresh eggs, without ever even setting foot outside the house!!

Hello Blue!

Yesterday, this silly girl spent all afternoon out on the patio.  I swear she thinks she is a cat!!!

She wants to be the centerpiece I think.  Believe me, I am discouraging the table top behavior!
Then I found her on the hutch that is on my patio.

And then, a few minutes later, on the wicker settee.  Really?  You are chicken, not a kitty cat Blue!!!

This chicken really reminds me of Snacker!  In their previous home, I think they were very used to having the run of the backyard and patio included.  They seem to like to stay pretty close to the house, whereas the other 5 prefer the grove.  But they are mingling together more and more now.

I leave you today with a photo that has nothing whatsoever to do with this post.  It is just funny, and I told him it would wind up on my blog!!!  Our son's friend Brian, who is very much a friend to all of us here, stopped by the other night, as he often does.  He was playing with Noah, and I heard a lot of bantering going back and forth between he and Noah about who is a bigger baby.  I knew I still had a few old pull ups in the cupboard from when the kids were getting potty trained.  I snuck one to Noah and told him to give this to Brian.  He was so funny!  Then Brian, being Brian as only Brian can be...proceeded to put the pull up on!!!!  What a character this guy is!!!!

It's fuzzy, but I had to post it.  Brian is always good for some laughs!!!! 
Well, that's about it from my neck of the woods.  There is even a chance of rain in the forecast for us.  Which is almost unheard of before November!  I can't wait!
Happy Day!
XO  Kris