Today I found four, yes 4, eggs in the coop! I think all our girls, except Rose, must be laying by now. I was reading somewhere that hens who do not lay move down on the chicken social ladder, so that would make sense. She is doing a lot better than in the beginning though, and is mostly hanging out with the flock. She is still somewhat skittish around me and won’t let me pet her as easily as the others do. The others have started doing this funny little “tap dance” when I get close. They stop dead in their tracks, crouch down, spread their wings a bit and start thumping their feet. It makes it very easy to pet them or pick them up. On the local chicken message board, other people were saying their hennies started doing this too right around the same time they started laying. So maybe that is another indicator the Rose isn’t laying yet. I think a change in her environment can be another reason too. But anyway! FOUR eggs! A new record!

Right now, Munchkie is napping, and Zoe is at her dad’s, so the house is very quiet. I had a nice morning with the wee one. We cut up and ate some fruit for breakfast, did some dishes, baked yummy zucchini bread (see below), tended to the chickens and garden, took some photos among the wild flowers, enjoyed some kombucha, and nursed down for a nap. There is still a lot of housework to do, including more dishes and 3 baskets of clean laundry that needs to be folded, but I am enjoying this moment of peace and quiet. I am finding comfort and even a sense of accomplishment in spending quiet enjoyable days at home, and creating more of my own reality. I am finding myself secretly (well, not anymore) dreaming of a small farm where we can create and build more of our own things rather than just feeling like consumers of prepackaged goods.

Lately, I have been considering alternatives to sending Zoe to public school, like homeschooling or doing a web academy program, for example. I dream of transforming our relationship. I want to have her close to me and enjoy our time together instead of fighting over things at home, take her and Munchkie to interesting and fun places (museums, the zoo, parks, farms etc), have her learn at her own pace, follow her own interests, and hopefully have all of us fall into a comforting schedule and routine with chores, school, and other activities where we feel happy and safe in each other’s company…

I must really be dreaming! Well, off I go to do some more chores. I want to find a way of organizing my space and mind, and that involves mopping the floor!

Zucchini Bread
2c shredded zucchini
2c raw sugar
1c sunflower oil
3 eggs

mix/cream toegther.

once mixed well add:
1 dash nutmeg
3c whole wheat pastry flour
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp salt
2tsp vanilla (whoops, I left this out!)
1tsp baking soda
1 1/2tsp baking powder
3/4c walnuts

bake @ 350 45-60 min
makes 3 loaves
The recipe is my friend Becky‘s grandma’s recipe.