Your brought your peeps home, now what?

Once your cute little spring peeps replace their fuzz with feathers, and get to be THIS size, they are difficult to keep in the house. They need to go outside during the day, and back in their screen-top bin at night indoors with us. Not quite old enough to be put in with the hens, yet big enough to be a fuss in the house.

With the week turning wet, I've put off figuring out temporary digs. The green screen is GREAT for sunny days, but no protection for the rain. Today, I've had enough of the noisy, stinky little chicklets. I just couldn't bring them back in. The kids help me cut and tape a fancy little shower curtain to keep them dry on three sides of the pen, added a training roost, and a heat lamp.

Now it's late evening and I'm missing their sweet sleepy chirps and playing nervous new mama, checking on them out the window. They keep looking for me too, and if I go outside they race around the pen peeping at me. The babies want to come inside! I head back out with a blanket that used to be the comforter on my grandfather's bed. Surely THAT will keep them warm and cozy for their first night out?

Next check, the blankie blew off and it's pouring rain suddenly. Chicks huddled in the corner. Sigh. How am I going to sleep with this nervous Nelly action?

Happy Things

Our new chicklets. Arrow, Shady, and Buffy. They don't stay little long! We have them in a crate in the living room where we can keep them warm and keep a close eye on them. They make constant peep cheep noises, and even quiet little coos. They are always saying something.

When they get all their feathers, they can be moved outside and introduced to the three big girlz.



We found this amazing blooming tree on one of our bike path walks. It's magic....


Look closer. It's paper origami! On first glace, walking by, I really just thought it was a blooming tree. I love surprises like that.

What do we call it? Guerrilla origami?

Good Things

Five Good Things on a Sunday:

#1- New sheets. Cotton bubble sheets, so soft and cool in the summer. I always have one hand-embroidered pillow case on top (estate sale finds) and in an attempt to dissuade the kitties, I make the pillow pile as vertical as possible each morning when I make the bed.

Hey, now before you get the wrong idea, this is the ONLY tidy spot in my house. Really. I make the bed each morning, including a kitty blanket for the bottom 1/2, because it saves us from all the kitty fur! Wish it were this pretty all over the house, but we are busy in the garden, busy in the studio, walking the dog, swimming, going to summer festivals, thinking important thoughts and using the tire swing. You simply can't have it all. Or can you?

Only thing our bed is missing now is some bright aqua pillow cases for the back pillow set!


Ok ok ok, #1, part TWO: New cotton bed spread to go with it. Paisley on top and stripes on the back side.... or is it reversible?

We only have a down comforter and each summer, we wonder what we slept under LAST summer..........? Finally a light weight cotton quilt.


(bedroom Buddha - one of many)

#2 Two bags were sold from my summer Bliss Bags collection in my AlyTheRed store. Yey! They are cute, they are useful, they are made by me, please take them to your homes.


#3 Max and I attended our first neighborhood Chicken Walk-bawk bawk. With so many neighbors interested in urban hen keeping (either already set up or wishing to) we decided to hold a Chicken walk, visiting eachother's hen homes, sharing chicken tales, and snacking along the way. It was great fun. I just love my groovy neighborhood.



#4 I de-shelved a huge stack of fat quarters fabrics and paid the kids $2 each (each child, not $2 for each fabric) to de-sticker, shake out the cardboards, and fluff the fabric to prepare for washing. Now the fabrics are washed/dried and laid out on my chair for folding. How inviting!


#5? Max and I are going to see "H.P. and the H-B.P." tonight. Yey!!!! We are such netflicks hounds, it's a "treat" to go to the movie theater. Have you seen it yet? What did you think?

Newness

The Girlz started out the new year, by laying eggs again. You can clearly tell which hen laid which egg by the color. Lacy, Penny, and Star. Penny is a year younger, so that may be the reason she continued laying while the other two took six weeks off during the darkest part of the year. Their hen house has a moon roof AND they get a heat lamp, the spoiled little chicklets that they are! One would THINK that would grant them more light. Clearly a few more minutes of light each day, as we passed Winter Solstice is what makes the difference.

I'm working along in the new year, but not full production mode yet. I have many many many new plans for my etsy shop and creative life. I'm taking time to explore ideas, and what my heart desires to bring to life. I'm happy to report I have many returned customers from holiday rush. Folks are coming back to get a new coffee cozy or wrist warmer set for themselves. And I have a record, SIX people in my secret coffee cozy club! I love that. For those who aren't familiar, I sell a four month "subscription" to my club on etsy. Members fill out a fun questionnaire about themselves, and I send them monthly coffee cozies based on what they wrote. Surprises await for my clubbies!


Fav new things!


Funny coy photo... this necklace was made by Australian artist Jen of Jen's Jewelry. It's a sterling moon, with my children's names stamped on, and the words, "I love you to the moon and back" in a spiral, and stamped stars. Some of the "o's" are rivets put into the moon as craters. Jen was fun to work with, and packaged everything so sweetly. From a distance, it's just a 2" moon with crescent, up close it's all specialzy.

New video camera xmas present for the family! The kids are loving it already. IT's got a touch screen and night vision (looks all green like on Survivor). WE are ready to start making documentaries! I have to learn the editing software.....


New favorite mug. I bought several hand built pottery pieces as holiday gifts. I hadn't really looked at local pottery in a long time. Just in passing, so I went on full search. If something looked like pottery in passing, I was IN their booth scoping it out. Eugene Holiday Market, Art Shows, Portland Saturday market......looked at a lot of work and was surprised to find so many potters doing the same old same old muted colors and blah drippy glazes straight out of the 70's. Blech. I found one interesting, bright booth with fun colors in Portland and bought a few pieces.

And then found Bob Haley from Corvallis with several booth weekends in Eugene. I teased him that he must make purple glaze to get all the ladies in his booth. He laughed and told me about his life being a color blind artist!! He was trying to make a navy glaze and ended up with two custom shades of purple that are so popular, he continues to make them. He can't tell green from gray, blue from purple, and didn't realize he was colorblind until he and his wife had a terrible argument over a colored vase and almost divorced!

I love this size, texture, and color of mug. With the smaller opening, my tea stays warmer longer in the cool studio space AND it holds LOTS of tea! I love his work. Fun colors and really wonderfully architected pieces. (Can we turn that noun into a verb??) He can be reached at bhaley18@comcast.net. Alas, not everyone is on etsy.

Speaking of etsy, I had a delightful season, shopping on etsy, but also wanted to spread the cheer to local artists. Esp when it came to buying heavier items and clothing.

What are your new favorites??

What's the Scoop??

This is the scoop! Our new kitten.

We had to trade Sage in. He would not stop peeing in the house. We talked to the experts, took him to the vet, did all they suggested, and in the Cat Rescue people agreed, he needed a different home. He didn't bond with any of us, and didn't like the kids! I've never heard of a kitten who didn't like us.... but I've never had a Siamese before.

We were looking to replace him with another older kitten, but none were suitable. Mudslide Sydney, here, found this wee orange guy and we were all smitten. He was only six weeks old (pictured here) and spent much of his first week sleeping on the bed. He loves the kids and sleeps with them too.

We named him Lil Scoop, because he reminds us of a little scoop of sherbet ice cream. He's so pale and cute. Still has blue eyes, but gold in the centers. Will they turn gold or brown, do you think?

Scoopie is now 8 weeks old and quite the spunky fellow! He races around with Saffron though he's not even as long as Saffron's TAIL!!! Pounces and wrestles happily. He is getting to know the puppy and doing so well with everything! We adore him. Soon, he'll be big enough to be a proper playmate for Saffron.

My very handsome boy, Saffron! He's five months old now, and large for his age. Gonna be a big guy. Isn't he handsome? He's so sweet too. I've never had an orange guy, or picked my own kittens for that matter. Always taken in a stray.... and now I highly favor these sweet natured orange guys. Good thing 'cause we now have two!


Very naughty Girlz! If I leave the back door open, while they are having their daily walk about, Star leads Lacey right inside! Penny is the newest hen, and still rather shy. She's hanging back, keeping an eye on the big Girlz, while they greedily gobble down the puppy's food. Sheesh, Girlz. Go OUTside!

Penny's Photo Debut

Penny joined the Urban Hen Flock about two weeks ago, but I was unable to load photos. Isn't she sweet? The flock just wasn't right without a little red hen.

Eating some "chicken crack". Don't worry it's only cracked corn and wheat. The Girlz love it. Click Girlz read to be introduced to the others.

Have you ever held a hen? They are heavier than you'd think and very very soft. They tend to be a bit tense in the feet, but will stay still if you hold their wings calm. They have wonderfully large wings, but due to their weight, they are able to fly into a tree for the night, perhaps, but that's about it.


Here is the crazy little egg that son #2 found in the grass! So wee and cute. (Can anything BE Wee and not cute as well?) Click Penny's name here to read the egg story. We haven't seen any other eggs since.

Penny came from a farm where the hens were kept iin pens. She's had to watch the other girls and learn all about what to do when see loose in the yard for part of each day. The Girlz keep very busy and she tags along.

xo
Aly

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.

The Grrlz Hen House

For those asking to see the Grrlz Hen House, this post is for you. If you haven't met the Grrlz yet, you may link over.

This is the view of the moon roof, so The Grrls get lots of light even with all our Oregon weather. The house has a roost for sleeping, a red warming lamp for sub freezing temps, and a thick bed of straw. They lay their eggs in a shared nest.

They have a small collection of hen art on the sides of their house. You know how hard it is to find images of hens without roosters? We can't have a rooster within city limits, but we can keep up to four hens. Amazingly, many adult friends ask how the Grrlz produce eggs without a rooster. Or suggest hens don't lay as well without a rooster. Excuse me?!! Grrlz do NOT need a man around to get their job done! A rooster does nothing but make noise and hump hens. The Grrlz lead a perfectly peaceful, productive, and appropriately adventurous life without a rooster underfoot. (FYI, rooster fertilize eggs, but we don't need to eat fertilized eggs. I think the kids would go on egg strike if there was any possibility of hatching into PEEPS. Thanks to Tonia for the term.)

View of the chicken run, feeders and into the roost- no hens in sight because as soon as one opens the big door, they rush into the yard for bug chasing time! I designed this structure so it could be moved to a different location of the yard. The blue tarp can be used to batten down the hatches when it's stormy, or 1/2 uncover the run for lots of sun. We let the Grrlz out for awhile in the afternoons. They love their yard time, indeedy doo.

What are these?? Yes, hen napkins. As much as I adore the Grrlz, I don't want my house taken over by hen iconography. No. REally. However, shopping at the fabric store, I could not resist buying this fabric. It depicted our two hens so perfectly! We needed new spring napkins. It's cute how much the kids love something new and handmade like this.

How to Cook "Over Easy" Eggs Without Flipping

Good Morning! This is my coffee counter just as it appeared mid-coffee prep 1/2 hour ago. The jug makes the hot water, the french press brews the coffee, the bunny mug and milk wait their turns.... and kid snacks supervise on the counter.

Can you believe my kids enjoy a crunchy seaweed snack? Yep! They fight over them.

My eight year old needle-felted THIS french press cozy for me, with two matching coasters. Mushroom forest. I just love it. I collect bunny mugs.

So here's my question. Would you like to learn how to make perfect "fried" eggs without flipping them? If you like your eggs "over easy" so you don't break the yolk, why risk it? Just steam the top done following this handy tutorial.

These eggs came from The Girlz. The lovely brown one is Racy Lacey's egg and the huge white one comes from Star. Her eggs are a different size each day, sometimes two yolks inside!


Get your toast or muffins toasting before you start the cooking. You need a good frying pan and a lid that fits it. If you don't have a lid, you can use a plate, but remember it will get hot with no handle, so plan ahead. Heat your pan to med, warm a little butter or oil, then turn it down a bit before you put the eggs in.

Sizzle!! Carefully crack the eggs in. Turn right to the sink holding the lid upside down to capture 2T (aprox) of water and pour it right into the pan. Put the lid on the pan to steam the eggs. This will cook the whites entirely, thus avoiding the whole flip it but don't break it procedure.

Steamy, steamy, steamy.... it's ok to peek and see if they are done. I like to poke mine to test the whites. Takes just a few minutes. Get your toast and plate ready. Take them out when the yolks are just as you like them. Soft? 1/2 solid? mmmmm..... in my case, to commemorate my Papa Fred who always cooked me an "egg ona muffin" when I was little.... it's muffins.

Breakfast served on my childhood patio picnic table, with salt and pepper cows, bunny mug full of fresh coffee, and the comics. Can you tell it was my one sleep in, no company morning? No human company that is. There's the puppy and the Girlz and two kitties. Now, when I finish my eggs and there's just a little of the comics to read, I make jam toast with Quince jam.

Bon Apetit! And please tell me how the cooking goes when you try my method.

In other NEWS:

Eugene weather report: Nasty! It was a blazing 82 degrees last Sunday, and we were all HOT, and now it's dropped back to 34 degrees last night, with rain and brief HAIL showers! Crazy, no? Brrrr! I was sewing with wrist cozies on last night.

Bliss Monkey Studio report: today's forecast is Classic Blue and Classic Pink cozies followed by some fun with the print gocco.

Urban Chicken Adventures

It is difficult to take a candid shot of the Girlz because whenever they see me, they come running! I do love this "Charlies Angels" shot of the Girlz: Star, the tall white one, the brains of the crime fighting, bug destroying duo, and Lacey, the black girl with soul, bravest and chattiest of the two. Together they make up the "Urban Chicken Assault Team!" Today's target? You'll never guess, but right after this photo was taken, they found a snake sunning itself along the base of the house! Star quickly sounded the alarm, "Ba-bock!", and jumped out of the way, as Lacey dashed in for the attack! "Take THAT and THAT!" she grunted, Mrs Piggy kung fu style. (Although it sounded more like, "aaawwww!.....bok!..bok!"). Star, quite frightened, let Lacey do all the beak and leg work. Lacey pecked the snake, dodged for safety's sake, (peck and weave, Baby! Peck and weave!), bawked at it, jabbed it, flipped it over, pecked..... The poor garter snake didn't have a clue what hit him. He tried to quietly slither a way into taller grass, and Lacey grabbed him by the tail and yanked him back out for a second beating! Poor wee snake! I could have actually stood back and caught all this on film, but I was busy gently defending the poor thing. It was fascinating to see the Girlz reactions, however. And Lacey instinctively treating it as though it were poisonous. I think she would have killed it, if I hadn't held her back. What a fierce girl! If you haven't been properly introduced, go back to the post "Introductions: Girlz and Boys".

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.