farewell, my chickens...

today is the deadline we were given to get rid of our chickens. assholes. anyways, my mom is going to take them to her place and i hope she doesn't kill jerky but they are her chickens now. we left the remaining 6 chickens in the coop to make it easier to put them in the cage for transport. my mom is taking the coop, too. i'm a little sad - i'll miss jerky the most. he's got personality. they all think i'm nuts but chickens have personality, dammit.



i really want to just tell the code enforcement person to fuck off but i don't think that would be the smartest thing to do. johnny thinks we should record jerky and potpie crowing and play it every morning after they are gone. i think it's an excellent idea. i know i've mentioned this before but we sure do have some STANK neighbors. i'm not sure which ones they are, but good grief they really have nothing else to do but complain and meddle in everyone else's business. i'm so glad we don't have a homeowner's association because i wouldn't live here. i'm done being nice to these assholes. i can't believe i gave them homemade fig jam like a dork. from now on, any neighbor that comes over here without something nice to say i'm just going to ignore them.



there is the possibility that none of our neighbors called the code enforcement people on us. who knows. in any case i really can't stand the fact that it's okay to have barking dogs and kids banging on drums but god forbid someone hears a damn rooster. assholes. okay, rant over.

do dogs enjoy music?

i'm listening to some fabulous flamenco music on Pandora (i loooove pandora) and doing some work on my computer and i noticed that the dogs are here next to me passed out completely on the floor. i know they seem to always gravitate to where ever i might be in the house but usually it's just one or two of the dogs, and right now i am noticing every dog (including our step-dog nadia) is in my office - sleeping contentedly.

this is the only pic of nadia i have right now.... she's a little monster :)

this is unusual because our dogs are hyperactive little shits and usually somedog is chewing, ripping, running, jumping, or barking. right now they are so cute and peaceful, snoring softly on the down comforter they dragged out of my bedroom. nadia and bibi's ears ae sticking straight up and louie passes gas every so often. syrus sometimes growls a bit in his sleep. nadia has one leg draped over louie. i wish i had a camera.

it must be the music because i'm a little drowsy myself... i think flamenco is my new favorite music to work to. it's very relaxing yet motivating. so far i really like Paco de Lucia, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and Jaleo. i really think the dogs like flamenco, too.

in other unrelated news, i got my first bunny bite today at the feed store. he was a cute little bastard but he bit the heck out of my finger and made me bleed. johnny was laughing at me cause at first i was all like, aaawwww - canihavacutebunny pleeeeeze? then post-attack i was all, i'm gonna feed you to my other bunny you little *&%#$!

syrus to the rescue!

today we took the dogs to the lake - again. those dogs really are spoiled. but the lake is gorgeous and peaceful so we enjoy it very much too. B and i went first with louie cause johnny was at the vet with syrus and bibi getting shots. afterwards, they met us at our favorite spot on the lake. when B and i strolled up to the spot, johnny was standing on the edge of the lake with his wallet, keys, cellphone, and cigarettes on the ground beside him. he was about to jump into the lake!

we arrived just as syrus was saving bibi's life. johnny had thrown the ball out onto the lake and bibi got caught up on a branch and couldn't escape. she would have drowned if left alone - but syrus dove in and swam to her! he swam right up and bumped into her so that she could break free of the branch and swim back. johnny was getting ready to rescue bibi but decided to see what syrus would do first. i am very proud and impressed with syrus because he always acted like bibi was a pain in his ass. now if that had been louie drowning out there, syrus would have pushed him under himself!

so, we realized that syrus's grumpy disposition is really just a facade because deep down inside, he truly loves his little sister....awwww....

this is one of the first photos of bibi and syrus, right after we adopted bibi and brought her home. syrus was moping. he's like, "is she seriously staying here?"

pictures of paradise

well, the fence didn't last long as an effective barrier. the chickens have decided that the grass is far better on the other side. B and i must have chased the chickens from going into the street 3 times. once they were actually all hanging out right in the front lawn! the chickens can literally walk right through the fence. so a new project for this weekend will be reinforcing the chicken barrier.

we also realized that 9 chickens should not go through 40 lbs. of feed in one week. they are getting really big fast and eating a LOT. i'm afraid jerky is going to be sunday roast pretty soon. i liked the little guy - he follows me around the most. maybe we'll eat one of the smaller ones instead...

From SPRING 2008

it's been a long time since johnny and i were up at dry pond. it's a little piece of paradise with all the plants and ponds. the dogs just love running at top speed in the fields and lounging in the lush grass under the pecan tree. even the weeds at dry pond are awesome and beautiful. my mom's koi fish are friendly - they will eat pellets out of your hand. you can actually pet them. my friend was just fascinated with the koi so she wanted to bring her new baby and i wanted to show off my mom's crazy landscaping obsession to B. we also planned to fish in my mom's lake not far from dry pond. as soon as we got there, the dogs were out running and me, johnny, and B walked to the far edge of the property picking wildflowers and watching the dogs play.

From SPRING 2008

it wasn't long before we heard the splash. bibi found the spring and soon all three of them were splashing around in the stinky mud. i was busy snapping pictures of weeds. we came back to the lawn and played in the pecan tree. syrus had to prune it, first. B had to climb up and syrus even climbed up the tree! bibi wanted too, but she can't. ahhh... fresh air. sun. birds chirping. trees.





i have no clue what's in this bouquet, but it's pretty and i gave it to my mom :)



look at the size of this weed! it's huge! it had big, fat, furry leaves.



the berries on this bush look delicious. i wonder if they are edible?



according to johnny, they are not.



let's go bananas!



water lillies are so photogenic, aren't they?



B is practising cartwheels. you just can't resist doing a cartwheel on a lawn like this.



syrus went right to work. look at him in the tree!





B monkeyin' around...

now we come to the lake adventure. my mom had a bunch of her korean friends and their families over for a picnic and some fishing. the funny thing is, the only one who caught fish (besides my mom of course) was V's vegetarian husband, who promptly threw his fish back into the lake. Kiera (pictured below with my momma) almost jumped into the lake after the fish. she just couldn't believe why he would do something like that. so, to make up for it, he caught her a bigger fish.





did you notice that my mom is wearing two sun visors? she is ALWAYS wearing a visor, making her look like a perpetual tourist. the worst thing is, they are never plain visors. no, hers are always sparkly.

when we first arrived at the lake, i almost got the mazda stuck on a hill and almost tipped it into the lake. that was a little scary cause i don't think mazda mpv's were meant for bush hogging through thistle. the guys went through shoulder-high grass to try and find a suitable path to drive my mpv through but the weeds and grass were too thick. the dogs followed the guys and i guess louie didn't see the barbed wire fence and ran right into it....



we all got some minor boo-boos from being out in the wilderness (i found a tick on my thigh later that night!!) but poor louie got the biggest boo-boo of all - on his face, too. he heals fast, thankfully.



syrus and my mom look back at our camp from the boat on the lake.

so that was memorial day monday. it was a nice holiday and we remembered to thank the men and women who sacrificed their lives protecting our freedoms.



oh, i almost forgot - i joined blogcatalog and NaBloPoMo with the username seagrass. i still don't know how the hell to use twitter.

bloody monday

**warning, this content may not be suitable for the squeamish** (no chickens were involved)

oh, it was an eventful weekend. well, eventful for me - other "normal" people might consider it boring.... anyways, things were going great once friday was over. it was a long weekend ahead of us and everyone was happy. we decided to go visit dry pond for some fresh air and beautiful scenery and fishing. we wanted to spend the night but that didn't work out so we spent all of monday at dry pond and my mom's lake (unnamed so far...). we made it a priority this weekend to clean the house. in an effort to run a more effecient household, we have all agreed on setting some goals for the house, and ourselves. i obviously need help in this department cause it's hard for only one person to organize and keep up what's going on. so i started a fridge inventory to keep a running tab on its contents and monitor spending and waste. i will be coming up with a cleaning schedule to help keep my very messy house somewhat under control. and B and V and i are resolving to lose some weight with exercise and diet - all of us together. i really really hope it works. unfortunately, it may mean i have to wear a bathing suit. ugh.

anyways, back to bloody monday. i guess you could also call it... yesterday. i woke up around 6:45 and let the chickens out and fed and watered them. i let the dogs out and sat outside a little bit. nobody else was awake. so i went back to bed and must have fell asleep because i missed the commotion. when i woke back up about 9:30, B was in the kitchen cleaning. i was impressed that she woke up and cleaned and she informed me that the dogs caught a possum and ate it in the kitchen (or dining room, depending on what side of the fridge you are standing). she spared me the anguish of cleaning up blood and guts and threw what remained of the poor creature on the bramble pile to be picked up by refuse. i felt so bad for the thing - it was just eating my chicken feed! somehow it must have wandered into the backyard right into the waiting jaws of three large dogs. B was right, there's no way i could have cleaned up that mess without losing my cookies.



then i remembered that earlier that morning i saw choco in the side yard carrying a rather large (dead) frog in his little mouth and eating it by the curb. i watched him chew off a leg and bite the frog several times. it didn't bother me, but when i went back to that spot i noticed the frog was still alive! and minus two back legs! it was a sad, sad, situation. i felt horrible for this pretty frog but i can hardly scold my cat for being a cat.



so, i made johnny move the frog from the curb over to my mother's backyard where hopefully some frog deity will have mercy on it and let him re-grow his legs. more than likely it will die, but i chose to believe there are frog deities. fairies, even. so that was bloody monday (morning). a lot more happened that day which i will probably have to continue in another post later. it was a beautiful weekend, hanging out with awesome people and animals. we put up a small wire fence to help keep the chickens from wandering onto the street. it's working so far. i am amazed that they seem to know where their home is. they stay close, so i let them roam all day. they mostly peck and scratch around or sit in the monkey grass or the straw pile. last night they even tucked themselves in bed! i was being lazy and didn't herd them into their coop and when i finally went out, they were already inside, sleeping! awesome!

i told you guys i was going to be the next georgia o'keefe! the magnolia tree in front of my porch is blooming! you can sit there and smell the scent of magnolia perfume the air - and enjoy the beautiful view as well!



our weekend was fun and productive! like i said, we resolved to gain control over the household so we busted ass and did a lot of cleaning. johnny did a lion's share of the landscaping, but look at the beautiousness of the porch now!!!

From SPRING 2008

we mulched the hibiscus with this really dark bark-y mulch, and put down a weed cloth under the pea gravel. we edged along both sides and johnny re-wired the landscape lights. B and i planted the marigolds and the lilies are growing happily. i moved all my herbs over to the greenhouse roof so we can still enjoy them from the porch but they are out of the way.

i also tackled the gargantuan task of cleaning out my closet. i thinned out my wardrobe and gave away a whole bunch of clothes i don't wear (or fit into) anymore. i made enough room for johnny's clothes by packing away our winter clothes under the bed. now we can share a closet! now all we have to do is organize and sort the sheets and blankets. since louie decided to take a shit in the bathtub the other night, B also scrubbed the bathroom down with some brand-new environmentally conscious cleaning products from target called "le scrub" by method. i like it.

white cocks and black pussies

we've learned a lot in the past week. i for one, have learned that chickens are like pets. they have personality, and it's surprising to say some intelligence as well.... we have decided that we have 4 males and 5 females. in order of size from largest to smallest we have given the cocks the following names: Jerky, Roast, Pot Pie, and Stew(ie). We have named a few of the girls, from smallest to largest they are: Henrietta, Estelle, and Phyllis. there are two nameless girls, which i humbly request from my readers to help me name. Weezy, i know you got some good ones. so, yesterday morning while we were naming our poultry, we got footage of the chickens and cats co-existing somewhat peacefully.

everything was going swimmingly until i tried to go back into the fenced-in backyard to get some more chicken feed. syrus made a run for it and slipped past my legs and went straight for the nearest chicken, which was one of the girls - estelle maybe - and pinned her down by my garden. once that happened, bibi and louie were out of the gate in a flash and i whirled around in slow motion to see louie run straight into the coop and bibi tackle a big male under the tree. i thought massive bloodshed was surely going to happen but my screaming actually made the dogs stop attacking and i got them back inside the fence. syrus was guilty, and he knew it - but deep inside he was thrilled with himself. the chickens were fine. i gave them some food and they soon forgot all about it. they don't care for the table scraps as much, but i covered some watermelon rind in chicken feed and now they are eating it.

i also did something unexpected this weekend. i chopped off all my hair. it used to be halfway down my back and now it is just a touch longer than chin length. it's a dramatic difference. i've never had hair this short before in my life. well, my first year of college it was almost this short but not quite. i'm not 100% sure it suits me, but everyone seems to like it. plus, i don't have those ratty dead ends and my hair catching on everything. i don't have to worry about dragging my hair across my food at the table or getting it rolled up in the car window. i worry that i look like edna from the incredibles....

and we have decided to enter in some videos to america's funniest videos of louie trying to swim. he actually got it figured out today when we took the spoiled brats to the lake again. he's even beat bibi to the ball a couple of times. but we've got some good footage and i plan to take more videos of the dogs howling with my harmonica and louie wrestling with bibi from under a blanket. watch the videos below to see what i have to pick from to send in. tell me what you think by casting your vote in the poll to the right of the page. thanks!

louie swimming take 1:



here's take 2:



here's the original video i posted a while back, maybe this one will work?




oh, i almost forgot - here's a video of choco and moto, pretending not to notice the chickens, or pretending not to care... in truth, they're a little scared of them.....

wet chicken

sorry to leave you hangin' but i will talk about this post title later. first, i have to post some pics i've taken in the last couple weeks. i'm behind only because spring is beautiful and there's been so much going on and that means an endless and vicious cycle of snapping photos. i have to backtrack a bit and show off this gorgeous azalea i have growing next to my carport. i didn't even know this was there!! and below we have a baby tomato on my cherry tomato bush on the patio. it's so cute! but, unfortunately some bug or something decided he was allowed to eat a little hole into my tomato!


also on the patio, hanging in baskets, are two strawberry plants that had sprouted some cute little white flowers and now these baby berries have appeared! it's raining today, can you tell?


this is the big magnolia tree right in front of my porch and it is covered with buds! we are going to have a gorgeous magnolia here shortly. i love magnolias so much, it just reminds me of georgia. kind of like palms remind me of savannah and ginkgos remind me of korea. oh, i just can't wait until this baby blooms! i'm going to be the next virtual asian georgia o'keefe! by the way, people; don't ever plant english ivy. anywhere. ever.

and this is my soon to be new pond! johnny put in an outdoor outlet on the porch just so i could have a pump and keep some koi fish in a big barrel. what a handy man. he even made me a little shelf to support my mermaid fountain. no, that is not a bag of weed, it's catnip. the weed's are in the backyard! hee-hee... anywhoo, i'll have pictures galore of this setup once it's up and running. see my pink harmonica? that's betsy. the dogs love her and i think my neighbors hate me. i like to play betsy on the porch after work and watch the chickens.

ok, now here's the fun part of this post where you, the reader, gets to participate in! let's play one of these things is not like the other, like sesame street. or was that electric company...? anyways the pic below is my little veggie garden and a mysterious plant just appeared next to my newly sprouting cucumbers. just to the right...between the cucumber and watermelon. i did not plant that there. it doesn't look like a weed. it's a very vigorous and strong stalk. here's my theory: it's either a papaya, mango, avocado, asparagus, potato, leek, garlic, ginger, cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage. all the food we eat on a regular basis. that's because i may have dumped my old compost pile there a bit prematurely...

here's the first tomato-ling from my hybrid roma tomato bush. next year i would prefer some heirlooms (but seeds are expensive and damn, i can't use them all!). but for now, i'll eat whatever i can grow and be thankful. he's a cute little bugger, aint he?

i know you probably thought i forgot all about the bamboo shoots since the chickens arrived, but trust me, i haven't! i've been taking photos but they keep outgrowing me. these bamboo are what, almost 2 weeks old now? they are sprouting branches and the husks are falling off in piles around each shoot.

look at little miss bibi. she is doing great. the doctor is pleased with her healing and she seems to be in a lot less pain. she's looking healthier and playing more. she's also got a severe princess complex. can you just hear what she's saying in this picture?

and now we come to the wet chickens. here they are, in all their wet poopy glory. they were brilliantly white with just a little poo staining underneath but now each feather is variegated with poo. they stink! and they want FOOD. food. food. food. food. food. look at this cocky bastard!

i think i'll name her henrietta. she just looks like a henrietta. if she's a he, it'll be henry. today johnny and i were having pho at a favorite vietnamese restaurant when i realized (to my complete horror) that i left the chickens out of their pen. my hands flew to my mouth and all i could do was gasp! and just as i was saying, "i think i left the chickens out of the coop", some woman walked by and heard me and started laughing out loud. well, it turns out i didn't forget to put the chickens back in their pen. but it's still a recurring nightmare.

they're here! calling all chicken advice-givers!

we have fowl! my mom came by with 20 chickens! i told her several times we only need 4!! she just came over and kept throwing in one chicken after another in the pen and now we have 9 chickens. they are the typical chicken farm chicken and about 6-8 weeks old (we're guessing). we don't know if they are all females or not. they have sparse feathering and kinda stink. but they still make those cute chickie peeping noises.

they're pretty scared, too. they are warming up to being in there, and to me a little bit too. they have not gone inside the nesting box, partly because we haven't put in an adequate ramp yet (working on that now). i put some mixed grain and fresh water in there, and some hay and sand. they seem to be happy, pecking away at bugs. they poop. it's gross. our eggs are coming out of that same hole. ew. but, it will be a while before we get any eggs. i'm thinking we are going to fatten them up and start eating the big ones and let the smaller ones grow and lay eggs.

the dogs were excited. choco is a bit intimidated but curious. i don't think moto is aware of the new roommates he's got. and i'm a little paranoid about our neighbors protesting...

we let the dogs come out and sniff around the pen. louie knows chicken tastes good. they are hiding under the nesting box right now. i was wondering if we can give the chickens baths? they are white and covered in poo. if you know anything about chickens, leave me some pointers, i could use it!

weekend in pictures

look at how much the bamboo has grown overnight, i'd say about 3 or 4 inches. it's funny how the bamboo does not grow on the little trail that the dogs have carved in the ivy going up to Marge's fence. hopefully enough bamboo stalks will mature to provide a nice little screen. unfortunately, louie and syrus love to knock over the shoots and chew on them!

i'm going to harvest some shoots today and make some delicious dishes with them.

today johnny and i went to home depot (boo) and got a few odds and ends for the coop he's building. i bought some $5 gal of dark blue oops paint and white exterior semi-gloss for the trim. i also got four bales of hay, which i had to cram into my mazda. fun!


louie was posing for me this morning so i took some paparazzi shots. look at him, seducing the camera. holding his football and panting lightly. he was wagging his tail a bit, too. he loves to have his picture taken!

syrus hates it. bibi doesn't care either way, but seriously she need to be on the cover of a magazine. i know i'm sick...




i also decided to start inventory-ing our fridge to keep on top of what we have in there so we can come up with meals to make without rooting through the fridge. i am thinking about making this into an excel spreadsheet and color coding them. i think i can make a nice little system here!













here is the official week #2 photo! wooohoo! it's a little late but you can see clearly that the seedlings are taking off! i also planted peas & beans around the teepee which have just started to come out of the ground. i couldn't resist myself at home depot and bought a few more plants - a climbing jasmine to plant near the back porch and a sweet basil, cinnamon basil, and leeks seedlings.

here is the progress thus far of the coop. it's very sturdy and well-crafted. johnny is doing a wonderful job! seriously, it's more like a chicken bunker! well, they are gonna need all the protection they can get - choco will be surrounding their compound waiting for the first opportunity, i'm sure...