They Grow Up So Fast!

Now that the weather is improving (it only dropped to 25 degrees Tuesday night)(remember please, this IS SOUTH Louisiana) the chickens are venturing outside the coop with greater frequency. But my hopes that the untimely demise of Big WO would keep the remaining duo from wandering past the run are dashed. Over they go and now they are hunkering down on the fringes of the forest. So every few hours or so, off I go in search. It's nervous-making from my POV and I am not happy about this. This is NOT what I had in mind when I asked (begged, mewled, cried) for chickens.

But IIWII and trudge I do, shaking the undergrowth and herding them back. The looks they throw at me would amuse. I found them at one point dusting themselves at the base of a tree and it reminded me that I had intended to put out a sand bath tub for them so I made one and deposited it in the run and watched the "good little chickens" - read- anyone that doesn't jump the fence! - dust themselves in the dirt on the ground. Kids! Give em a toy and they play with the box it came in.

But while I am out there, I can't help but notice the little ones are not so little any longer. Compare November with January.

And I stood around trying to get photos but they move so quickly in and out of the viewfinder, I started to get annoyed with them altogether.

Here you can compare the young multicolored chicken I feared was a rooster to the more mature chickens. By that I don't mean mature as in attitude. At least, not as far as the Wyandotte is concerned. Ginger is the best chicken out there; she never leaves the run and keeps an eye out for the younger two. But as I was saying, the biddies are catching up and so far, I see no evidence that that is a rooster! No crowing attempts, no long tapering feathers, no spur bud so maybe just maybe that's a hen after all. Wouldn't that be great!

Here you can see the beautiful markings of that one's feathers. He's/She's very mottled. I still can't decide if he/she is beautiful. Her/his face is lovely (I can't believe I just wrote that..... it's a CHICKEN!)but so far, I don't know she's/he's going to be a classic beauty. (Oh lord, I am completely beyond the pale now) He/she is definitely NOT a pureblood....... just look at him/her!

SOMEone's been fooling around to produce this!

One more for fun

And I finished the first "quilting" of the year. This sweet blanket was sewn by Kathy and I really love the colors. It is so cheerful. The layout is completely swipeable and I intend to! Love it. It was a pleasure to start the new year off so happily.

And this is the first of the BOM I will make this year. Just in time (HA! I am a full month ahead, for once) for Valentine's Day

Lastly, this is what we got from the fourth dye session last week. Again, they are pretty but so very similar to the Change of Seasons batch. Oh well, not the end of the world.