Lightning bugs and chicken feet under a full moon
The lightning bugs are out in force tonight over the blueberries and the moon is pink and bright.I was bodysnatching chickens out of the coop under cover of moonlight to rub vaseline on their feet. Yes, you read that correctly. This is half of the anti-scaly leg mite procedure, which my Silkies seem to always have, and a few of the layers have mildly. Since their feet look remarkably better after a night of vaseline so I thought I'd experiment with the moisturizing treatment before the exfoliating scrub, what the hell.I did the layers first and they were not into it. Easy to catch, but the coop was a writhing mass of complaining murmurs in the background. They were squawking and squirming around fighting for the corner. It was like Playing Koi (Lumosity)- what birds have I done?The Silkies are a different breed. They all stay in place and I pick them up one at a time, spa their feet, and replace them. Just a little bit of peeping protest (including the rooster-he emits the most unmasculine squeaks when he's handled) and then they stretch out for the foot rubs. They are so small and delicate and soft and fluffy like you think a dandelion should feel.It must be very confusing, but they seem to sort of enjoy the massage part.
We got two hot days, finally, but could I open the hive? No! We had rip-your-hat-off wind that would not take a break. Too windy. Someday I'll get to see in the hive.
HW is in a 600km randoneuring event this weekend. He is almost finished the two day (!) ride, but the heat and wind must have been horrible. He is having difficulty in the last hours.
I am pleased with my sweet potatoes. i planted the "slips" that came, although they looked like ragged little stems (accompanying literature said 'this is normal')
But then, overnight, stems standing up and new leaves a purply brown colour. They live!
Whoa! This new build is on a low swinging branch of the apple tree. Only a few feet off the ground. But these wasps know what they're doing. There will be no commute at all to the windfall apple feasting that will come soon.And this is a chicken path. I've started to notice chicken ley lines where they move through the veg in single file. Often they use our paths, but they also make their own trails.