Life and growth
Winter is officially dead in Alabama, and spring is here. Spring brings us two of the best things there are: life and growth.
Life and growth are busting out all over at Crooked Acres these days.
We got a very pregnant foster kitty last Wednesday, and on Thursday she dropped four cute little kittens.
The one to the upper right looks like a raccoon.
The motherboard in Robyn’s computer finally gave up the ghost yesterday, so it was time for new computers. Yeah, I know. Hers broke and I got a new one too. It’s good to be the king.
Our computers were coming up on five years old, and still ran Windows 2000. Not only did we grow from 2000 to Vista, we grew from 32-bit to 64-bit, from 160 gig hard drives to 540, and doubled our memory. And holy hell, they’re so quiet. I built our last ones, and loaded them down with fans (five per computer). Our computer room sounds like a mausoleum now.
Sorry for the dark picture; the flash wasn’t on and I’m too lazy
to get up and take another one.
Especially full of life is the smell coming from our uncovered septic tank. We’ve had a seriously wet winter, and our septic system is over 50 years old. Couple that with the fact that the people who lived here only had the septic tank partially pumped when they did it (yep, we got BANKED again) and you’ve got the recipe for a smelly disaster.
Yesterday morning the toilets stopped working, and I made an emergency call to the guy who ran the water lines for the pigs and chickens, because he’d told me he did septic work too. While I was waiting for him to show up, I grabbed a shovel get the light layer of dirt and leaves off the tank. Two minutes in and I turned into Jed Clampett…and up from the ground came a bubbling CRUDE.
To those of you who want to know what pig-stink smells like: it smells like a septic tank.
To those of you who want to know what an overflowing septic tank smells like: it smells like pig-stink.
Stanky
Our eggs continue to grow in the incubator. We candled them all last night, and best I can tell, we have 27 growing, out of the 30 I put in. McLovin must be doing his job.
I’ll bet you’ve never seen what’s going on inside an egg. I know I hadn’t. It’s a little scary.
Look here:
Makes me think of the Alien movies.
While I’m talking about these eggs, I need to remind you not to get too attached. The chickens that come from these eggs have a date with the freezer in a few months. So, in a couple of weeks, when they’re hatching and looking all cute, remember that.
The young chickens are growing like the dickens. They moved out to their new (temporary) home on Thursday. They’ll live there, around the adult chickens, until they’re 10-12 weeks old. Then I’ll transition them into the big coop with the others.
The pigs are growing, but the big one is really growing.
The muscadine vines that were just sticks last week have sprouted leaves.
The peach trees are covered with tiny peaches.
And I do mean “covered.”
As are the plum trees.
The apple trees have bloomed, and are covered with apples-to-be.
The garden is coming to life.
The potatoes, which weren’t planted, but placed on compost and covered with straw,
are popping up all up and down the row.
The corn made an appearance yesterday.
Tomatoes, raised in the garage from seeds, went into the ground today.
I planted fifty-four plants.
Eight Japanese eggplants (from the store, because I couldn’t find seeds) went into
the ground today. These are the only plants in the entire garden that I didn’t raise from seed.
The navy beans broke through overnight. These came from a bag
of beans from the grocery store.
The onions are doing well, and have been up for a couple of weeks now.
So…what’s growing at your place?
I always love your photography. I am in the market for a new camera - what do you use?
Mary - I was using a Sony a100h DSLR with an 18-200mm lens and an attached flash.
I guess we’ll look to Robyn to upload all the new kitty pics?? MUST… HAVE… KITTEN… PICS.
Fred, what is that your monitor is sitting on? Also, love the candling video. Life is amazing. Happy Spring!
I have flowers growing at my house. Just flowers, but will soon have tomatoes and cukes. Last year I had 4 tomato plants and they did so well I’m going to try having 6 tomato and 2 cucumber plants. My thumb isn’t black, but it isn’t necessarily green either, so I try to err on the side of caution with all things growing.
The coon-faced kitten? Want.
Growing? Growing??? I still have 2 feet of snow on most of the ground, and they’re calling for highs in the 30’s and possibility of snow all week
I just got a new baby buckling flown in from Georgia today, and he thinks he’s moved to the Arctic….well, he’s right.
I was all excited about finding 65-day corn seed — at the rate we are going, that’s not even going to have time to grow.
That wins for dopiest song ever-what is with his lips near the end?
Just planted my garden too-tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, catnip, morning glories, hollyhocks, sage, dill, and bell peppers. My garden is tiny compared to yours.
Suzie, the song is a parody (as is the overacting). That there man is an Oscar-nominated songwriter.
Great pictures. I love this time of year when life is springing forth once again!! Oh and if you never mention the hatched chicks and never show pictures and videos of the cuteness then we can’t ever feel bad about it, right? Just a thought.
I was just about to bitch over at Robyn’s site for new kitten love pics, and see you’ve had one hell of a weekend. Computers and Septic?! Sucks to be you.
I’ve got a bad case of kitten envy and garden envy! Everything seems to be thriving at Crooked Acres.
I hope you got that “no toilets” problem fixed already. *Shudder*
When I wrote that the little pig had Elijah Wood eyes, it didn’t cross my mind that he might be a Hobbit pig!
I hope he catches up with his “pen pal” soon, or I fear he might start looking like a snack to the big one.
Okay so I’m a complete moron and I flunked biology.
Forgive me if you’ve explained all this before, but…how does an egg become a chicken? I.e., the fertilization process. I mean - I get that the egg is dropped, then sat upon or incubated, then hatched and we get a chick…but… is there hot chicken lovin’ going on in yonder coop before the egg is laid?
Just curious…I shall run to my hole now…
That septic tank pic is CREEPY!!
Fancy chickens!!!! And that raccoon kitten is a adorable!
I’m with Farmwife-what growing? We just had another 6 inches of snow on Sunday. My daffodil blades are shivering, no leaf buds, no grass. So I live vicariously through pictures of Crooked acres-Thanks!
We have growing tomatoes (2 kinds) peppermint, spearmint, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloup and are getting ready to stock our pond. Not quite as productive as Crooked Acres, but attempting to grow some of our own food. With the thick gumbo clay soil we have, we have to grow everything in raised beds. Each year we will add a few more until we have the garden I dream of….
Cool video! I have a tiger lily that’s making an appearance, does that count?? We finally lost the last of the snow a week ago, so we’re on track! Those puffy headed chickens kill me… and DAMN that pig is getting big!!
*ahem* Baby chickie update please. Thank you in advance for your prompt reply! heeeeeeee