June Gloom

Good morning!  Summer is here, and so is our June Gloom!  I love this time of the summer though.  The mornings are perfect for gardening, and tending to the chores.  Cool, and overcast.   I love to come say hello to the girls first thing in the morning.

Little Ella isn't having a bad hair day.  She is a Polish hen.  She will only be about  half the size of the other girls, and her little hair do will set her apart from the gang.  She may be little, but boy is she feisty!!!  I like to keep their water feeders elevated so that they don't get it so dirty.  I keep one in the outer run, and one in the coop, as well as a couple of water dishes in the grove for their free ranging.

A Hen Huddle.

I have been going into the coop each morning, and nearly every day, I find one cracked soft shell aqua egg on the coop floor!  WHAT?  I am not sure who is doing it, because I have 4 hens that lay the aqua eggs.

I have googled the possible reasons, and I can't figure out why.  The coop is clean, with adequate air flow, and is not overcrowded.  They have clean feed and water daily, and enough roosting space, as well as more than one nest box.  They always lay in the ONE though anyway.  I am puzzled.  Anyone out there have an answer?
I usually go to the garden and break off a few greens for them. They love spinach!!

A feeding frenzy will take place, with each of them scrambling to get the most!!  Greedy little buggers!!

I am pleased as punch that there are no problems with the little ones being added to the coop.  I integrated them slowly, first bringing the chicklets out next to the coop, but in their own brooder.  Then into the run for a few hours daily, but keeping them separated by use of a large piece of plywood.  Then letting them all associate together under my supervision.  And finally, into the coop at night with the big girls, but letting them have their own enclosure for a week or son.  And now, they are all together, night and day, with no problems at all.  They even roost with Blue!  She has kind of been their adoptive Mother.

They now all eat the same feed, and share the feeders and water troughs.
My stroll through the garden this morning was nice.  Lots of changes daily.  I am finally getting some broccoli forming.

And some lovely stringless beans.

My cabbage heads are GINORMOUS!!

I have been noticing that there has been some munching taking place on the cabbage and broccoli leaves.

My garden is completely organic.  No sprays for bugs.  I have been so mad at this creature for defacing my propery!!  And there he is!!!  I got my shovel and knocked him down, and then tried to eliminate him, if you know what I mean!  I do not like these things!  They will eat your entire garden! 

My cantaloupe are going nuts.

I keep giving it things to climb and places to ramble.  Soon I will be eating fresh cantaloupe for breakfast.
The corn will be ready for 4th of July!!

The pumpkins have gone plum wild.  I have so many on the vines, with new ones developing every day!

Yesterday, Noah picked his pumpkin.  Soon I will let each of the kids, scratch their names into the skin of the pumpkin, and then they can watch their names grow with the pumpkin, every day, until Halloween.

Here is a peculiar one.  Errr, two.  It is twins.

I have to say, this pumpkin patch has been such fun to watch grow!!

Yesterday, I collected the "chicken fertilizer" from the coop, and proceeded to make three huge buckets of chicken poo tea.  I steep the tea in water, until it has dissolved, then pour it onto my garden plants, and flowers.  I treated the entire garden, and my impatiens, as well as every single rose bush, with my special tea.   I believe this method, in addition to composting yard and kitchen waste, and adding "chicken fertilizer" directly to the bin, are the primary reasons why I have so much success in the garden. 
I also removed my stackable composting bins down to the first layer, and removed, then added all of this compost rich earth to two raised pots in the front, and planted more pumpkins and cantaloupe.  I like to stagger my planting so that the produce continues to come in all summer long.
I have been covering up my nasturtiums to prevent the chickens from munching on them.  They are making a come back.

My cosmos and zinnias are about to bloom.

There is a huge bare spot though, because that is where my Duster Buster likes to lay while I am hanging out the wash.
When I was in Big Bear, on my thifting jaunt, I picked up this aqua Tupperware piece.

It is the same shade as the eggs my chickens lay.  I collect vintage Tupper, and use it all the time.
The little basket I got is holding some of my tea towel collection.  I seem to have a soft spot for cute kitchen towels too, and my drawers runneth over.  So some are in the basket for a quick grab.

Because I love all things yarn, I could not resist this darling watermelon slice for 25 cents.

This is what  I had for breakfast.  A fresh fruit and yogurt parfait.  Layered with homemade granola.

I dusted the top with some fresh ground nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon.  This is my favorite breakfast right now.   Ladies, use your real dishes.  And pretty cloth napkins.  Even when I sit down to eat alone, I do this.  It makes meals even better, and I'm worth it!  We do  use paper plates from time to time.  With Friday night pizza or large outdoor gatherings.  But typically, I am not a fan.  I like dishes, and real silverware.
Today, these fresh eggs will be used to make another Blueberry Lemon Cake.   And I will also be making another batch of granola.  Not with eggs, of course.

Take your camera out.  Go walk around and see what catches your eye.  I know you have seen this shot before several times here on my blog, but for some reason, this morning it looked especially striking with the red blooms against the chippy aqua chair.

Oh gosh, I guess I should have edited out the piece of plywood that is against the back gate to keep Ducey from slithering underneath on his belly to find mischief in the grove.
And then, just because, I snapped this from underneath the umbrella by the garden.

Oh yes, even in times of darkness, there is beauty.  Find it. Embrace it.  Share it.  Enjoy it!!!
XO  Kris