Returning Home

I leave for Michigan tomorrow around noon. Since Luna and I are stopping in Buffalo for the night there is no sense leaving earlier as it's only a 7 hour drive. I probably didn't mention I've been in Massachusetts for a week. Brought my mom home last week. She seems happy to be here, too.

The weather has been beautiful. Mostly in the 70s and sunny. Only very humid one day and then we had rain to wash it all away. My older sister spent the weekend here as well. Last Friday our little family went to the Salem Cross Inn for dinner; me, mom, older and younger sisters and YS's BF. Very good food. There was a surprise min birthday cake for me, too. For dinner I had the prime rib and it was cooked perfectly. Mom had broiled cod.

Unfortunately, it looks like seafood affects her gout and makes it worse, she had an attack on her right wrist yesterday, used to be only in her thumb. No more seafood for a while. This morning it is better, a bit sore, but not painful to the touch. What wonderful things I may have to look forward to when I get older.

Back home in Michigan Hal has been busy building my chicken coop. It's my birthday present. He's named it the Poultry Palace. It even has oak floor boards. Of course, those boards will be buried under a foot of sand, dirt and leaf litter but he says it will be dry enough that it should last 15 years. Between the oak and the wire buried underneath predators should have an awful time trying to get in and eat my birds.

A few days ago I called Meyer Hatchery in Polk Ohio and ordered myself 25 chicks. Fourteen Buckeyes, a mahogany colored bird developed by a woman in Ohio early last century, and 11 Golden Lace Wyandottes, a regal gold tinted brownish bird. I bought straight run because it's cheaper than pullets only (future hens) and the extra roosters will become dinner unless my FIL would like one for his ladies. I only want about 10 birds total (so far, anyway) and I figure this is a good way to start fairly cheaply.

While the hatchery person and I discussed my selections she told me that the hatchery had only sold about 15-20,000 chicks last year and in just 2 months this year they've already sold 10,000! It's a veritable chicken explosion! That information well matches the chaos at the feed store when I picked up my barred rocks. There are chickens everywhere. Are people growing their own food because they're afraid prices will not stop escalating?!

As for my barred rocks, etc, Hal says all the chicks are doing fine and the crippled one is still hanging on though he isn't growing as fast as the others. Poor thing, but if he wants to live I won't put him out of his misery yet. He also says the guineas are starting to make a sound he thinks might be their alarm call. It's very quiet so far but he can tell it will probably get a lot louder when they're older.

So Wednesday afternoon I will be back home. Luna will be ecstatic. She'll probably run right over to Uncle Butch's the moment I let her out of the car. At least Rocket will know I've come home when he sees her show up. He might even be happy to see me.