Gaia blessed my first garden with abundance. The various tomato vines were quite rewarding. I enjoyed the Yellow-Pear heritage and Roma tomatoes best, both were extremely flavorful and firm inside. The differences between our homegrown and the store-bought were significant, and well-worth the effort.
August 28th was a banner day!
My largest single-day harvest from the garden - tomato and eggplant stewed and served over polenta; fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil - delightful!
Marilyn, one of the Gold Sex-link hens, laid the first egg in the hen house. A pretty, brown egg measuring 1.846-inches. [Who knew we had a set of engineer’s calipers in the shop?]
Marilyn’s second egg measured 1.945-inches and by September 12th they measured 2.227”. She continued to be the only hen laying until about the 12th of September.
Now, at 21-weeks old, the Black Sex-link and one of the Australorps have also begun to lay.
Everything I’ve read has said that “hens lay first thing in the morning.” Well, not mine, at least, not yet. The first egg usually appears about 10:00, and the Black Australorp seems to like to get into the nesting box about 3:00 in the afternoon. Perhaps as they get older and the days get shorter, this will change. But, for now, these girls are truly My Chickens, where, preferably, “first thing” doesn’t happen before ten.
I’ve noticed a significant change in behavior with The Girls. Once a hen has produced an egg, she is much more willing to be petted and picked-up. It’s happened with each one - where before the hen would run away from me, now they squat at my feet and allow me to stroke their feathers. They no longer squawk when I lift them.
I saved the first egg’s shell. Now it rests on my Altar for Abundance and Joy. With this strong magic at the center of my life, I celebrate the Harvest.
Interesting things I’ve harvested online:
http://www.myspace.com/kttunstall
http://www.myspace.com/brucespringsteen
Have an Excellent Equinox,
Julie Epona
