Penny- the urban chicken adventures continue

I'm looking forward to being able to share photos again, when Blogger fixes this problem some of us are having. We have a new family member- a young red hen that the kids named Penny Q. She's so cute and makes dear little whistle noises. The two big Girlz haven't accepted her yet, and she has to follow them around the yard, at a distance, to watch and learn from them what's ok to eat, where to dust bathe, where the good bugs are kept, and how to beg chicken crack from the humans by standing on the step, staring in the glass door.

She's due to lay eggs in about two months. Long Leggs McCormack (son #1) and I have taken bets on what color her eggs will be. He's going by the skin color behind her ear feathers (light brown), and I'm guessing by her color (brown).

Surprisingly, Mudslide Sydney (son #2) found a tiny wee speckled egg in the grass yesterday. I have a photo of the dear thing, which I'll post as soon as Blogger gets the wax out of the pipes!

Garden Wednesday

Wednesdays is the regular spot for me to get to share some garden photos or a story. We put in a flower bed for sun loving flowers outside my studio, with Jasmin, Clematis, and other goodies. I HOPE we can keep the hens out!

And just around the corner, we added the Buddha Garden - just as I pictured it in my mind! I've always wanted some bamboo. We've been cutting down junk trees in the yard, and I needed something to replace the ash shading that studio window. It took awhile to find some bamboo petite enough. We'll be adding some other planters and collecting some grasses and such.

In the little guy's flower garden. See the shade loving flowers begin to sprout.


Ready for an urban chicken update?
Here are Star and Lacey, just out of their chicken run. They race to the salad bar, which is clover, and gobble a bunch down, before a good dirt bath in the gravel pile, and flipping leaves for bugs. I love the quality of light in this photo. It's been so overcast in Oregon this week, you wouldn't believe this is mid afternoon. The glowing green reminds me of hiking in Ireland.

Lacey is still broody, not laying us eggs and neglecting her friendship with Star. We all sigh....



Here's a funny sight! The brown egg is a regular "large" brown egg from the store. The middle egg is Star's regular egg, and in my hand is a SUPER EGG of Stars!!! Ouch? I haven't cracked it yet. We are taking bets if it's a two yolker or not.

I actually did NO sewing today! I went on an all day bike trip with my older son's class. The weather was cool and dry. We had a lovely day exploring nature, the wetlands, and crusing the bike path.

Introductions: Girlz and Boys

Etsy customers ask about The Girlz so much, I promised to include them in the Bliss Monkey Studio Blog. After all, they are a big part of studio life.

Top photo: Mr. Long-Legs-MacCormack (aka Son #1) holding Star. Star is our star egg layer. She can lay big, white double yolk eggs, and often makes "extra extra large" which are impossible to close in the egg carton. She is tall, cute, and always squints one eye shut when you pick her up.

Second photo: Sir Mudslide Sydney (aka Son #2), holding Lacey. She's the Siamese of hens, always making noise, loudly announcing each morning's egg, and responding to anything we say to her. She lays demure brown eggs, which sometimes have freckles and sometimes are solid brown. She is very sweet and has the softest feathers.

The Girlz roost in their little yellow hen house, decorated with art, and enjoy their chicken run. Afternoons will find them pacing at the door, impatiently waiting for their yard time. They enjoy such endeavors as: dirt bath in the GOOD DIRT up against the back of the studio, sneaking into the fenced herb garden and quietly scratching up the tender budding things trying to grow, tapping at the sliding glass door until someone comes out to give them Chicken Crack (cracked corn and wheat= highly addictive stuff), and comically running to us when we call. Stay tuned for The Girlz updates and a future art contest.