County fair chickens, cowboys & ribbons--quite the summer blowout

I just learned a blogging friend entered her photos into the county fair

after being inspired by my post about doing just that.

Competing chicken beauties we ogled...

This made me happy.

Then she tells me her husband saw her example

and he screwed up the courage to enter his baked goods

into the local county fair (there's a men-only category).

Very cool 'do!

This made me even more happy.

So, I've decided I should risk accusations of bragging and write about this year's results

'cause maybe another person would be similarly inspired. =)

I don't pretend to understand 4-H economics. Wow!! =)

Plus, I just learned fair organizers say that

the more people enter stuff, the better the fair.

This duck looks like a deep thinker to me...

So, you are helping your community by doing this, not merely seeking approval. =)

Loved the feather shake-out on this gorgeous rooster.

Didn't get his head in this shot, but it's the only fluff-up he did.

Last year I entered my photos into the county fair for the 1st time.

And I won some ribbons, which was a surprise.

No 1st place, but I was delighted to win anything.

And I learned a lot, and had a great time. =)

How many dollars-worth of cowboy hats are in this photo?

This year I entered again, and DH entered a few, as well.

This weekend, as soon as we stepped into the photo-zone,

I saw one of my photos from afar & saw the blue of a 1st place ribbon.

SWEET! Already beat last year.

So, DH & I cruise around, ogling folks' fabulous work...

(The center bottom one is a super cool abstract. Looks like waves but is rock! =) )

...and seeing how we did.

So, here's Sammy's results:

1st & 3rd place in "flowers", 2nd & 3rd in "insects and reptiles"

1st place in "any other" category

1st place in "seascapes/marine"

and a nothing (upper left) and 1st in & best in show in "plant life/natural environment (no flowers)"

So, at first I saw the giant rainbow ribbon & freaked.

They give out one per each division (beginner, intermediate & professional).

I was SUPER amazed.

I'd only seen photos of people & agricultural plants get best in show,

so I figured I'd never get it.

Then, DH noticed a small chart on the wall,

which lists the special awards.

It listed best in show for the 3 divisions,

then best in show overall,

AND MY NAME WAS THERE!

You can't tell fm. the above (& I didn't notice in person)

there's TWO giant rainbow ribbons there.

Wow!!

I'd call this some pretty serious positive reinforcement for

doing new things despite the discomfort & initial floundering,

working on your skills,

joining the fray,

and thinking happy thoughts.

Check your ego at the door

In case you think my head will be getting huge from ego,

I overheard a woman talking to her husband,

looking at & discussing my ribbon-festooned photo.

"It's a picture of bark.

On a tree."

Like that's the dullest thing in the world. =)

Made me laugh out loud.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, baby!

xoxoxobb

Falling through November...

 Found yet another ootheca, this time under the greenhouse eaves.

 Wonder how old this one is... years?

Was tracking a red-shouldered hawk,

when this raven decided to shoo it away.

Many insects seem to be loving ANYTHING that's blooming in November.

Which includes our zinnia, which is going bananas.

Moby (hen) struts by, headed for the cherry tomatoes...

Among the flower-fans:

This painted lady eyed me whilst it drilled for nectar.

I want to call those little frills eyelashes, but don't actually know that, so...

 I'll just call them super cool.

Fawn post-rain, chewing cud, enjoying the sun.

Fawn and mama, who's got her eye on me. =)

Big ol' gang moved through, taming the greenery for us.

And trimmed up the circular driveway. Thanks!

The deer are looking SO much better than this summer, now that there's actually FOOD. =)

Their faces are fuller, muscles are back, 

and this one even has a shine to her coat--hooray!

That's fall in this climate: the long-awaited return of water,

and all the life that it brings.

xoxobb

Wanna smell fabulous? Bundle herbs for hen health. =)

Isn't this what everyone does on a Saturday?

Making bug-repelling herb sachets, and herb leaf mixes,

to festoon my chickens' abode.

Sage, mint, lavender, rosemary, & garlic cloves

are allegedly useful in this regard.

Sachets are posted at the nest boxes and doors,

and sundry herb leaves and cloves

are scattered in the next boxes & on the floor.

This year I bought & planted lavender, rosemary, oregano, and dill.

Goal = a steady supply of herbs for us and the chickens.

'Course, now I'm getting greedy & want more, more, MORE!
And someone down the street has 2 huge bay trees abutting the road,
so REALLY want to pluck a few leaves from there...

Will keep you posted.

And chickens & myself scented beautifully.

xobb

totally normal, right?

The hens' breakfast today:

For the record.

xobb

It's been bugging me...

1. Been busy as an I-don't-have-time-to-ID-it bumblebee, lately (working)...

2. And finally got started on my garden last night...

3. So, now I have to change the daytime chicken situation

(totally neglected garden = Chickens-running-wild-but-safe Zone until now),

4. And BEFORE we leave Fri for a music festival (hello, camping-PACKING!!),

5. I have more plants to put into the ground,

6. & must try & establish an automatic watering system,

7. plus MUST run required super-overdue errands

8. so I'm just gonna post these rando things for you now,

"Where's that nectar lever?"

(stunning legs & antennae, eh? yet another bug I don't have time to ID, I assume it's a checkerspot of some sort)

9. but, if you get bored & want bits of biobabblings,

I DO tweet most days (except this weekend),

peruse Pinterest frequently (pretty pictures please me),

tend to tumbl photos when strapped for time,

or facebook fling bonus photos or fascinating bio-fables.

"mmm...."

(p.s. check out that GORGEOUS abdomen!)

10. LOVE you all LOTS,

and hope your spring is springing in a sprightly way.

Or, if you're a so-hemi* person,

I hope your fall is falling fabulously.

Please feel free to share what you're busy with right now. =)

I know I'm not the only swamped person.

I know it.

In the meantime, remember to drink plenty of water,

get good sleep, and stretch out that bod, once in a while. =)

xoxobb

*so-hemi = southern hemisphere, naturally. =)

friend or foe?

who's that chick w/ the Nikon? 

Trying to accept hawks (red-shouldered, specifically) around our property (chickens, specifically) because we have, this year, TWO ground squirrels (who are FAMOUS for wreaking havoc in gardens) shacked up where once there was ONE. AND they're working on making more squirrels.

Last year we had 1 single squirrel who NEVER went into my garden (P.H.E.W.).

Now she's got a man and he's ALREADY ventured into the garden. NOT good.

Those males and their tendency to wander far and wide. hmph.

SO, I'm trying to allow our local red-shouldered hawk to hang out. Just not sure I can trust a red-tailed hawk around our chickens. Although we have pretty big chickens...

hawk monitoring squirrel shack

Anyhow, that's why I did not shoo this beautiful creature away.

So, bonus of being tolerant is

you can get closer to some very cool things.

=) bb

spring is for the birds

the clouds keep thinking it's winter: 2 days ago

but the birds know what's up.

The ladies, yesterday,

followed closely by the gentlemen, in glossy perfection.

Even the chickens are getting into gear.

Spring start up: big & little eggs.

Yesterday, they laid the 3 large ones at the top, 1 egg each.

I think their equipment is now officially warmed up for the season. =)

And tho' I have no photographs to prove it,

the yellow-rumped warblers are SO BRIGHT,

their sunny fannies and foreheads light up the yard.

Do you have any favorite signs of spring where you live?

Do tell. =)

bb

Phriday photo quiz: my neighbor is apparently a skilled gardener...

 
I am kitty sitting for them, and also get to glean goodies from their garden.

Check these pups out--got them for the chickens. Note the coffee maker is a NORMAL SIZED coffee maker, 13 inches tall.

What DOES she do over there?!?

=)

QUIZ: What ARE these giant things?

And DON'T look at the comments until you have your guess ready. The answer is already there, but I HAD to post the comments/guesses 'cause 1 was such a riot. Proving again, my blog visitors are brighter and funnier than I. =)

bb

chicken snax -- pretty food!

 

Plain, organic yogurt, cherry tomatoes, and plain, raw sunflower seeds.

mmmm.....

Happy hens!

(tap tap tap tap tap)*

bb

*in case you don't know, that is the sound of chickens eating yogurt and sunflower seeds from a plate.

proof my chicken cannot read

 
Allegedly, this variety of chicken, a light Brahma, cannot fly over 3 feet.

Here is Edie, perched on a fence that at least started at 4 feet, but now is still probably over 3.

I see her here, I sigh, and walk outside and plunk her back into the chicken run. You know, in the interest of NOT having her be a tasty treat for any of the 9,000 things we have living here that would love to eat her.

Silly chicken. Perhaps I need to work on a chicken literacy program...

bb

chickens have their own, internal steady-cam

  

Super interesting, short video.

This guy made a video and the chicken cam to demonstrate this amazing factoid:

"...chickens have image stabilized heads. If you’ve been wondering about it, it’s actually called the vestibulo-ocular reflex."

Watch the chicken's head as the guy turns rotates a rooster's body, gently, side to side. And how steady the camera view is.

They are SO much more interesting that I ever imagined.

Chickens, that is, not chicken cams.

Tho, chicken cams are cool, too.

My interpretation is that this pretty much means that no matter WHAT the chicken is doing at the time, if any nearby, tasty looking bug moves even the slightest bit, it will be detected and

WHAM!

Lunch.

Precision peepers.

Who knew?

Not me.

=)

bb

one of these things is not like the others...

  

Can you guess which one?

=)

bb

grazed by mule deer, in both senses of the word

 

This is the sight that freaked my cat out this a.m.: so close!

Mama face

Can you see (just barely) those 10 foot long eyelashes?

Or, are they eyebrows? The SUPER high archy v. long ones.

 Mom's now stage right, mit cartoon shadow

Next this one of the fawn (south lawn) is blurry 'cause it's 

 moving rapidly away from the paparazza in low morning light.

"Woah, where'd you come from? You're way too close!"

First appearance of baby, stage right. A dramatic foreshadowing...

Now baby and shadow.

Hullo.

Oh, baby!

(a bit closer view. cutie!)

k.

Nothing earth shattering today,
just thought I'd share duh dee-ah.

xobb

ps weeded in garden, unplanned, today. dirt under fingernails, so I'm happy, and will take pics of my pretty, purple broccoli, soon. so exciting it's all starting, and I got HUGE handfuls of weeds for the chickens to eat, so it's very much win win. Woo-hoo! =)

Boy, I sure get mouthy quick, when ...

 

a

(photo by Rebecca Richardson)

appears behind the

=)

bb