What happened to Tuesday?

I stayed home yesterday to make hot sauce (and good it is!) and catch up on some other bits that needed to be done around here. One was to get out the chain saw and cut down a branch of the tree that was blocking the chicken coop door from fully opening.

I seem to be obsessed with seeing faces in everything around me - I like this one a lot!

I think I've been avoiding the chain saw since I cut down that big tree that trapped the saw. But for some reason yesterday I felt fully in control of the thing and went on to get rid of a few more troublesome junk trees. Oh the power! Of course, I noticed this morning that I forgot a few too. Ah well, since I am the honey of the honey-do list, it will eventually get done with only a little nagging.

In the meantime, the luring of the chickens continues.

Yesterday an iguana decided he was going in the coop as well, checking out the veg scraps for the chickens. I wasn't quick enough to catch his crawl in but you can tell he's not really too upset to have me standing there taking pictures of him inside the coop. Maybe I'll start raising them instead...probably tastes like chicken, right?


I had a visit from a friend who has a baby chick that someone dropped off at her house. Apparently its siblings were swept away down the drain on one of the streets. Or something. She'd read about the Mama and babies I have here and thought maybe we could insert one more into the group. I thought it sounded fine and with all the chicks, Mama would barely notice another. Well, it didn't turn out that way. The poor thing stood on a pipe looking at Mama and the babies like that old commercial of the kid standing behind the fence, wanting to get in and play with the rest of the kids, but Mama was having none of it. She was tail flounced and finally went after him.

Of course we rescued him and now my friend has her very own chicken. He was pretty hilarious, running to her with his little wings out - I SWEAR I heard him call "MOMMY!!!!" as she gently picked him up. I was in hysterics laughing...being the warm hearted soul that I am. CWIM just sat on the porch watching the whole thing with head shaking disdain. I sent some chicken wire home with her and no doubt she spent the rest of the day building a coop for hopefully more than one. So if anyone knows of some stray baby chicks, let me know...her chick needs a buddy or five. I'm still laughing here, amiga, sorry!

Rambling Thursdaze

The morning started out in subtle colors, calm and cool (to me). I really do not understand how people can happily miss sunrises. There is so much in every one that sets the scene for the rest of the day...(and you non-morning people are yawning, uh huh, whatever, MJ).

Right now I'm sitting in the gazebo with the laptop in my...lap. For some reason it feels better here than on the table. But my legs are up in a chair across from me, so it's a perfect height for comfort. I can look up and see the new garden space I made today.

How to make a garden space the easy way. Take a piece of plywood that has floated into your yard. Toss it on the grass and weeds where you want the garden space. Leave it there a long time. Take it off. Rake off all the dead stuff, pull up any remaining rooted things. Plant crazy wild oregeno around it (break a piece off the other plants, stick it in the ground, done). Move ply wood to next area for garden space. Feel really proud of doing a hard job the easiest way. Have a drink and stare at it on and off for a couple of hours. Done.

I went with Jack to Genesis (the market) to get dirt early this morning. We didn't know how to say dirt in Spanish. We were told and I don't remember right now, so apparently I still don't know how to say dirt in Spanish. But we got bags and bags of dirt. Really pretty dirt, if you like that sort of thing. I do. Jack does too. Especially if you know that one day not so far away, you'll be noshing down on what comes from the dirt. Pretty nice system, actually...dirt, seeds, water, food.

Then I went to town with Linda to finish up some errands I didn't get to yesterday. I didn't finish today either. But I did wander around a lot, which is what one does when one can't go to one's place of business at the FRIGGIN' CART. But I'm calm...I did open the door up just to mess with them and make them think I might be considering opening with their gigantico machines four inches from my shoulder. But really, I just wanted to get the water out for the herbs so they don't die while I'm closed. Closed. Cerrado. And I found out today that they could be there a week. Hey, move the cart somewhere for a while, they suggest. I think not.

wireless moment # 7 - WOW...a hummingbird just flew by my face so close I felt its wing on my cheek. Really. This outside thing is GREAT!!!!

Today I finally had everything I needed to make one of my hot sauces. A key ingrediant being local honey. Making sauce is pretty much an all day affair but there is lots of time to do other stuff while it's cooking or cooling, so that's when I garden or read or go online. For some reason, I always semi-dread starting the process and then every time I get totally into it and enjoy each stage. It takes about 8 hours, start to almost finished, which is tying on the raffia and putting on the labels, which I do at the cart because it's more fun to do it there and passes time. And oh joy! Once it's all made, bottled, tops waxed, raffia on, label on...I think, wow, I did that? Schmazin'! The pique I make has most of its ingrediants from the garden. I'm growing garlic so that can be local as well. Pineapple, well, I AM growing a pineapple, but it's been growing for about 5 years, so I'm thinking it may not be going to make a pineapple. It's a really pretty plant though! And lucky for me, we occasionally get pineapples here...so, if all the stars are aligned correctly, meaning I have racao (Puerto Rican cilantro), aji cabelleros (Puerto Rican peppers - hot little bastards), garlic, pineapple and vinegar...and a couple of other ingredients that must remain secret, I can make the pique. Soon come; the peppers are blooming! And if you just can't stand it and have to have some almost right now, this is the easiest way to get the info ...hey, it's my blog, I can shamelessly self promote. Right? I mean...it's a little embarrassing to tell the truth, but my PR person, my agent and my brother (all the same person) encourages me to do so.

I think the CWIM likes outdoor computing as much as I dol. She's lying on the table, quite relaxed, after first crawling all around me while tapping me with her paw, wondering why I am doing this activity outside. Wireless rocks and life is good!