Introducing:

Einstein!   A White Crested Black Polish chick.  He was the 'bonus' chick with this years hatchery order; they are very personable but don't lay much at all.  

They tend to not do particularly well with other chickens, so he may eventually need go be rehomed;  alternatively we may just try a haircut.

This is how he'll look in a few weeks:

How To

Install a smoker with a tractor:

Trifle

Yes, another recipe.  This one can be as easy or as difficult as suits; I've done it all from scratch and all from instant products, with equally good results.  If it'll  be eaten right away apples and bananas and such are fine, but it can be made a day ahead if you choose fruit that won't go brown or soggy. Instant Jello pudding can be stirred up with a fork-no single weapon required!  If you buy the cake, try to get loaf shapes; we like angel food, but pound cake is fine too.  We like plain, but flavors are good; it can be brushed with flavored syrup or booze if you'd like.  If you have a Farmers Market, your fruit will be cheaper, and generally taste better too.

Fresh Fruit Trifle

One tall, preferably clear container, preferably with a lid;

Angel food;

3 - 4 cups pudding;

Fruits of choice

1). Layer cubed cake in bottom of dish;

2). Sprinkle liberally with fruit;

3). Spoon a layer of pudding over top;

4)  Repeat as many times as your dish allows;

5)  After last fruit layer, reverse the order of operations and put on the cake cubes, then spoon over the pudding;

6). Top with whipped cream if you'd like it to look pretty; a few raspberries and mint leaves look very fetching.

7). Serve well chilled if possible!

1st to Cross the Stage

This graduation season.  Nowhere near the top of his class, but hey, who's counting?  Off to work teaching sailing in the AM and fueling and throwing ice on the docks in the PM, you'll remember this guy from summer vacations, though you may not recognize him all tidied up:

Not sure about the paper bow tie, but:

Swirly Mitigation

Was undertaken today.  Remember the six in inches of rain and tornados?

The Horrible Hackberry was hauled off.  Left behind was this sad little tallow that's been threatening the barn.  The barn, like the rest of SHG, was built in the 1890's and doesn't take well to being threatened, but we digress.  Steps were taken.

Step One:

Here ya'll hold my beer!

I came. I sawed.

I fixed it!

No more tree leaning on the barn.  Guess it's time to finish the fence.

Today in the Garden

There was a big surprise!

Not Apple blossoms, but blackberry!  It's way past time, the wild berries are all done and mostly ate up by the feral hogs.  This is a Ouachita Thornless, last year it bloomed and produced like the wild brambles.  Not sure why the change, we'll just be happy about the season extender - they'll be great with the Rhubarb stashed in the freezer.

And here's a few 'maters for ya, there's twice that many left out there:

Got Cat Faces?

We got lots.  The last Observance paid dividends and resulted in about six inches of rain over about forty eight hours.

The Swirly knocked down a Horrible Hackberry, but it didn't fall on the barn, nor on the new garden fence.  That's because I was too lazy to finish the fence.  Paid off though!

Slightly creepifying, thought we left all that back by the bay.,,