Lest you think Dot was hungry and weak, she was not and she put up quite a fight when I wanted to move her downstairs. I was so afraid she’d get away from me that I put her inside my jacket and zipped it up! Here she is in the infirmary with her two new roommates. I will turn her out with the other chickens when I feel she’s no longer a flight risk back to the haymow.
This hen does not feel good – her tail is down and her back is up – it won’t surprise me if she dies soon.
This hen named Gray Lady is molting – see how her feathers look so uneven and funny? The old ones fell out and these are new feathers – she’ll be beautiful again in no time.
This goat is the troublemaker – she sort of harasses the other goats and if I could get her moved into a pen by herself I would. Most of the time they all get along fine but then I see her chasing Pudge. Both her horns are broken off which should tell you something about her personality.
Here’s Three and Spotty.
This is my beautiful Sun King shrub – cold temps already got it.
The best thing about Sun King is that it dies down to the ground each fall and grows up from the ground in the spring.
Tom and Becky visited their son Danny and his wife Virginia and their dog Ruby today – Ruby thinks she’s a lap dog! Haha!
Reader quilts:
And I have a finish of sorts to show you. A year ago Sharon G. From IN sent me this gorgeous pillow cover. At the time I didn’t have a 16”pillow form so it got laid aside …… until last week when I came across it again, still in the padded envelope that it arrived in! I got that pillow form and here it is – a constant reminder to Be Still. Thank you, Sharon, and my apologies for letting this slip by my attention. I hope I sent a thank you note a year ago!!!
That’s a wrap!
Love all your stories about your “boring” life, we are all very blessed to be a part of it!
Thank you for sharing with us, we enjoy your country life.
Love your daily stories! All the personalities of your chickens, goats, cats and dogs are so real to us readers. I live in the San Diego area where we have lovely weather but no seasons to speak of in our gardens. I enjoy your garden adventures. Keep up the story!
I love your animal picture. I’m thinking that quilt is chickens..but maybe birds. I’ll go for chickens. I love chickens. That’s what I use as an accent in my kitchen pictures of and little wood cut outs of chickens.
Have you seen Lori Holt’s Chicken salad pattern? If you like or do applique it is very cute. I have the kit but haven’t started it yet. Too many other thing going on!!
Carolyn from Nacogdoches
Carolyn – yes, I’ve seen it and yes, I really like it but my old fingers can hardly hold a hand needle anymore.
Great post again Mary. I love reading about the chickens and yesterday’s post about eggs. I learn something new with each blog. Once again the readers quilts are beautiful. Your pillow is perfect with all the craziness going on in the world. Something we all need to do, a moment of silence.
Be well.
That is one big “lap dog!” Becky doesn’t care!! So much great information and pictures!! Thank you, Mary!!
Always love the animal stories! Also, I like the chicken quilt.
I’ve been helping my folks alot lately. They are 90 and 93! Some days are a challenge and today was one of those days!
I’m thankful I still have them. Tomorrow I’m spending the day with my 5 year old grandson, as they have no school. The weather will be beautiful so I’m taking him to the park and we will walk the trail.
What a beautiful pillow!
Oh my, the picture with Becky and Ruby is so funny. Her smile says it all. The quilts are always a joy to see and I am so glad you have the special pillow finished. It’s been a phrase we need to keep close and a wonderful reminder of how you kept us “still” while adjusting to a pandemic and still do. Thank you.
Seeing your feathered babies make me miss having chickens, & of course fresh free range eggs!
Enjoyed the quilt show you’ve posted each day this week. So many inspiring quilts, now to just get back to quilting. I seem to have lost my mojo.
Nikki – how your progress on the house and everything?
enjoying your chats.
HaHa,,,You can tell that little black and white goat has an attitude just by the way she is standing there!
Love everyone’s quilts, especially the hen and chick one. And, the little squares on top of the big squares looks like it would be fun to make. The Be Still pillow is beautiful.
I planted garlic today after my sweetheart put compost on the bed. We will have fresh garlic next June.
Tomorrow I am getting my hair cut. It’s a big deal because I have not had it cut since Covid first appeared on the scene. Almost 3 years ago. I will go short again, which is the way it has been for most of my life, but I stayed away from salons at first and then just kept going. It was fun but I am tired of it now.
Sue, My husband and I have been cutting each other’s hair since the start of covid. We have had a few “bad” haircuts, but for the most part everything has worked out. Hair grows. I had a cut again yesterday. There is one part that is a little short, but I laugh and pass it off. I can’t imagine how long your hair got over these past years. Wow!
Hi! The chicken quilt is “hen house “ by Claire Turpin. I did hand appliqué and added baby chicks I drew and French knot chicken feed. Glad you like it!
Loved your chicken pictures. And that reader quilt of chickens. I miss being around farm animals.
Readers quilters are inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Karla T.
What is the name of the pattern for the quilt Mary posted today? I love it!
Hi Brenda~ the name of the quilt pattern is “Hot Shot” by Maple Island Quilts. It’s such a fun quilt to do and really easy and FAST. You should make one! 😉
Karla,
Thank you so much!! I just ordered the pattern.
Looking forward to making the pattern.
Brenda, that’s great! I hope you post your quilt on Mary’s blog so we can all see it!
Karla T. What is the name of your quilt? I really like it.
The chicken quilt was perfect with your chicken pictures. And your pillow is beautiful. I love seeing all the reader’s quilts. Thanks for sharing your farm pictures. 💖💖
Greetings: Isn’t that chicken quilt adorable!!
Loving the lap dog picture, lol. So glad you were able to contain Dot and get her back in her pen, what an adventure she has had on those eggs. The chicken quilt is just so perfect for the farm like, and that pillow is gorgeous. It’s cold here this morning and I think I have finally rounded the corner on my cold/cough which has lingered for 3 weeks. I had 2 strep test, 4 Covid test, all negative. Never had a sore muscle or fever just a heavy sinus cold. Finally got a steroid shot with 3 antibiotics and I feel so much better. Time for some flannel sheets on our bed unless we turn the heat on.
Kim – you really haven’t had any heat on yet this fall? Wow! Easy on the pocketbook.
How do you winterize your hydrangeas? I have 3 of them that are 5 years old. I read a variety of opinions -trim,don’t trim, cut to the ground in the fall. 🤷🏼♀️ We have only trimmed slightly but feel they need more. Yours are beautiful, what do you do?
It really depends on the of hydrangeas. Some bloom on new wood, some on old wood. You might with check with your state university extension service or a garden center for help.
Marcia – well , I’ve done it both ways and I’ve always had blooms. Some say I’m cutting off next years bloom but I really don’t know. Mine aren’t cut yet this fall so maybe they’ll wait till next spring. I’m sorta exhausted this fall and I still have the pampas grass to cut.
Enjoyed your Dot story. We had similar situation with our swan Mrs. Herb. Mr. Herb passed away and she dutifully laid a clutch of eggs and started sitting on them. We removed them and she laid some more. We didn’t want to confine her so we let her sit and eventually she gave up. She is still alone and didn’t lay any eggs this year.
I also can relate to your story about the bully goat. Animals definitely all have distinct personalities and they don’t all get along which can be a hassle. We have had to rehome a couple of critters over the year to keep peace in the kingdom.
Really enjoy the reader quilts – today’s chicken quilt is special to me as we love our chickens!
Hi! The chicken quilt is “hen house “ by Claire Turpin. I did hand appliqué and added baby chicks I drew and French knot chicken feed. Glad you like it!
Bonnie – have you thought about getting Mrs. Herb a new pal? It makes me so upset when my animals pick on each other – I just can’t stand it! I try anything I can think of and right now I think I should put Trouble in a separate pen but without help I can’t get her herded into it.
Just want to let you know my grand daughter and I really enjoyed your post today. She is four and an animal lover. Every picture she seen she would say, “awe”. She would take every one of your animals if she could. Thanks for the post it made our morning.
Sandra – I think I was probably just like your grand daughter when I was little but my mom was not an animal lover and we were farmers so my love of animals was ignored, squashed and shamed. I vowed when I had my own place it would be a haven for animals. I wish I could get some more but I’m too old. Sad.
A goat with an attitude, that’s Spotty! Becky is going to disappear behind Ruby. A stray German Shorthair Pointer came to our house many years ago. He was a 90 lb lapdog, too and such a lover❤️❤️ Festus was a boy. Is the chicken quilt appliquéd? Pattern? My chicken farmer husband would love it. Great way to have my second cup of coffee, Mary. Thanks😀
Hi! The chicken quilt is “hen house “ by Claire Turpin. I did hand appliqué and added baby chicks I drew and French knot chicken feed. Glad you like it!
Thanks, Pam. I will check it out. It is a stunning quilt. I do hand applique, too, so it looks like fun:)
Diane, more than 50 years ago, God gave me a kitten. It was so scroungy, but a heart of gold, and I named her Festus. After Festus on Gunsmoke. She was the very best friend I ever had and lived to be 16. She was a calico and had fur 6″ long. If her head went by close to your face, shut your mouth because her tail was next!! Oh, for the wonderful memories.
Betty in Rapid City
HI Betty–I am a little late in getting back to the blog. Always something going on isn’t there? Yes, our Festus was named after the one on Gunsmoke, too, and I have no idea why–LOL. I love hearing the story about your Festus; she sounds like a sweetie. My mom, dad, sister and I visited Rapid City when I was 9 when we went out “West” from Western New York. It was a great trip and we had a lot of fun. We visited Mt. Rushmore and went on up to ND, too, to Medora and then on to Yeloowstone and the Tetons. Thanks for reminding me of a great trip:)
Take Care, Diane
Loved the “wrap”, always something going on at the farm.
Nice tour of the farm….I miss your goat stories! Del’s Gardens had an interesting story of opossums. You definitely would enjoy it.
I’m going to watch on the care of hydrangeas. And, where can one find the tall variety? My son has those that reach the windows and you can enjoy seeing when inside. All we see to buy are the low to the ground.
Limelight is a beautiful hydrangea that reaches 7 feet tall.
Linda in Estherville – oh, I hate possum stories and I’ll bet I can rival any story out there but if I go there I will ask. Or might you know the story? The tall tree-size hydrangea is indeed a limelight and I’ll bet you can find one at Dells or Fergusons.
You know, if I was a goat, pretty sure I’d have broken horns too! 🙂
Beamer’s mom – I am laughing out loud!!
Mary,
Your chickens are just great! My 15 yr old granddaughter has several hens & a couple of crazy roosters! Such personalities!
Wanted to highly recommend a book to you.
“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus.
Quirky, sad, funny & hard to put down! And it has a wonderful dog named Six Thirty!
Think you will love it !
Beverly in TX – I took down the name of the book to put in my Amazon wish list. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
I read somewhere that people use pool noodles, cut to length, on the horns of ornery goats!
Does anyone know the pattern for Karla T. s quilt? Thank you.
Have a great day Mary.
Hi Connie ~ the name of the pattern is “Hot Shot” by
Maple Island Quilts 😉
I’d be tempted to glue tennis balls to the ends of troublemaker goat’s horns. She might still use them, but at least they’d be blunt. I saw a meme with photos of goats & sheep with pool noodles over their horns. Apparently they are troublemakers too.
I’ve thought about chickens, but right now the 2 1/2* outside cats are enough to care for. Maybe someday.
* – 2 cats are ours, tame and neutered. The 1/2 cat is a feral tom cat that is usually here for food. We can’t catch him to take him to be neutered. If we could do that, he’d be elevated to full cat status.
JudtGail – have you tried a live trap? That’s how I’ve neutered my feral cats. Take them to the vet in the trap.
I’m learning so much about chickens from you, sorry you have a hen not feeling well. Glad Dot will be able to rejoin her friends soon! I am loving seeing Three such a sweetheart! Also love all the quilts today!
Funny Dot the chicken. She wanted to stay isolated. Hopefully she’ll stay with the rest and forget her hidden nest.
That goat is like some people. Just difficult to get along with.
My grand dog Sally sits on my lap like Ruby does. She will even get jealous of my grandson if she wants to he held. I’m the only one she’ll do it with.
The quilts and the pillow cover are great once again. I love the quilt show. So many different quilts to look at.
I do so enjoy seeing pictures of beautiful Three. Is his front leg any better?
The quilt pictures are great; I especially like the one with the small red squares.
Do you think Dot will start another clutch of eggs?
Thanks, Mary 🥰
Threes’s funny front leg doesn’t seem to bother him at all – I think he was born this way – with only two toes on that foot instead of four. Strange – maybe that’s why somebody dumped him? Why would they have cared???
Do the cats bother the chickens?? I saw the picture of Three & Spotty together & I was surprised. Also, I used to have a 100 lb lab that thought he was a lap dog too!!
The cats and chickens get along great – neither gives a hoot about the other!
Love Karla’s quilt. Just finished a blue quilt that is similar in construction and I love it!! May copy yours Karla, thanks for sharing. Will try to get a picture of my blue quilt and send it to Mary to post very soon!
I think you will see the similarity…. Carolyn Barnett, Alta Loma California
Carolyn,
Looking forward to seeing your quilt. I’m looking for the pattern name of Karla’s quilt. Do you happen to know what it is?
Thanks,
Brenda
Hi Brenda ~ sorry I didn’t see your request for the pattern sooner- the name of the pattern is
“Hot Shot” by Maple Island Quilts. I think it’s dated back to 2012, but still available. My cousin just ordered the pattern yesterday off of Etsy. She said it’s on eBay too.
It’s really easy fast and fun to make.
Carolyn~ I look forward to seeing your quilt!
Yes, Mary, you sent me a most wonderful thank you note! I’m glad you like it