Sunday morning coming down

The rain that is. It's been raining for three days straight. We've had a total of 6.5" of rain according to our rain gauge, so far. The chickens are so restless because they are used to going out into their runout pen everyday but with all the rain/mud, they have been kept inside. They don't like it one bit and just don't understand. Chickens aren't very bright. We have as many as 10 out of 11 of our chickens laying but are only getting 6-8 eggs a day...most likely because they aren't happy having to stay in. They hold out on you when they aren't happy.

Every time we go out to gather eggs, there is a line of chickens standing at the door trying to get out. So I have to take a broom along and keep sweeping chickens back away from the door. And of course they all seem to prefer to lay in the nest box that's farthest from the door. I think it's a chicken-plot to escape...the farther away from the door I am, the harder it is to keep them in. I try closing the door but the coop is small...I can't even stand up totally in it and I'm only 5'4"! So here I am hunkering down, with a broom in hand, trying to roust a hen from the nest while the others are doing their best to escape from a semi-closed door. It's hilarious. Maybe I should just let them go out in their runout pen, in the rain! Then, OF COURSE, they'd immediately all be wanting back in the coop. But they do that even on sunny days. They want to be where they aren't. It's a chicken thing.

Anyway, egg production isn't really too bad, all things considered. In fact, I will be taking 2 or 3 dozen eggs into work to sell tomorrow. It depends on how many I use today. (It's a good day for baking!)

We got a good head of steam going yesterday and really made a difference in the basement! As the basement empties out, the dumpster is getting fuller. I'm hoping we can do the same today and really get a lot done. We're both so excited at the prospect of having a fall/winter project and getting that basement re-finished so we can use it for exercise (me), watching TV (Andy and me while I exercise), working on craft projects (me), doing puzzles(Andy) and all that jazz. We'll have an extra bedroom if we get company and that will be nice.

I haven't bought myself a birthday present yet. I do that every year. It started when I was alone and not attached...it made me feel good so I still do it. This year I think I'm going to get a cabinet...a tall, narrow one that we can use for all our electronics. We have so many things that need to be recharged on an almost daily basis and we have chargers all over the house. This way we can put all the chargers on power strips, the safe kind that kick off in case of a power surge and have them all in one place. And there won't be gadgets being charged sitting all over the house. When I think of all the things we have that need to be charged it boggles my mind. We have 2 Nintendo DS's; 2 cell phones; 2 laptops; 3 digital cameras; 2 iPods; 1 portable DVD player; the dog's nail trimmer; 2 cordless phones; 1 shaver; 1 bluetooth hands-free for my cell phone; 1 cordless power drill; and the list just goes on and on! If I get a cabinet, we can knock a hole or two in the back for the cords to go thru, and all our chargers will be in there, hidden from view and so will all the gadgets.

It seems to be a time of getting organized, so this will be a good birthday present to myself!

Adding a Green Thumb Sunday shot. This was taken two years ago. I don't have nearly as many fall roses this year.