Garden

The garden is in. Finally. It's the biggest garden we have ever planted, and probably our last at the farm, so we decided to go big. I hope we will have lots of extra produce to give to the food bank. The farm is getting eight new chickens, so there will be extra eggs for the food bank too.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed one of the chickens had trouble walking. Poor old peg leg had a broken foot. I have been watching her, bringing her extra feed, but every time I did, the other chickens came and took it away. Even if they had their own food, they would not leave peg leg's alone.

This week, I noticed that peg leg never went outside, just stayed around the roost, moping, so I picked her up and set her outside, and all of the chickens started to attack her. I must have looked insane, crying out "no" and "bad chickens."

I guess, I am still pretty much a city girl. When I mentioned it to Scot and his uncle, they both said the same thing, "That's nature." Nature is not always pretty. I know it's common knowledge-- a cliche even--and that I should know these things, but I guess we have to learn and relearn everything.

The Derby Peregrine Camera

Check it out.

http://195.224.106.202/peregrine/webcam.htm

White Hawk

I had good weather all weekend, so I worked in the garden. I found a part of a robin's egg nestled in the garlic patch. It was such a wonderful shade of blue. The lilacs are out now, and their scent kept wafting towards me as I planted.

Throughout the weekend, I noticed this white hawk flying over the garden. I imagine the garden must have been on its flightpath. I think it must have been trying to get at the songbirds in the nearby trees.

It was an amazing hawk. Its colour is diffcult to describe. It was, as I said, white, but a kind of chalky white--like it had been carved out of marble and then aged for centuries. That kind of white. If that makes sense?

CBC feed: Don't kill Canada geese in Kelowna,

Perhaps we should have thought about this when we eliminated their habitat.

" A humane society in Kelowna, B.C., is up in arms about the city's decision to shoot and kill Canada geese blamed for damaging city parks.

Kelowna city hall said the geese have congregated en masse in city parks and are causing damage to park walkways, turf and people's overall enjoyment of the facilities."

More:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/05/06/bc-kelowna-shooting-geese.html

Rain and Rumination

It has rained all week. Last weekend's sun seems like another lifetime ago. I am hoping the rain will clear enough to get some more of the garden in. Last week, we used the big rototiller to break up the clay laden soil. We broke two shovels trying to break-up the ground.

Last week we had a couple of good asparagus feasts. They are really starting to produce now. We also had hot and cold running rhubarb. I wish I liked it, but everybody else loves it. Scot made a couple of pies so far.

We visited our favourite vegetable stand in Richmond, Tai On Farms. So far they only have chinese greens and spinach. We bought one of everything and ate them all. The greens were picked that morning. I can't wait until they have their green onions and carrots. Fingers crossed.

From the Telegraph:Birds Can Dance

It's this kind of patronizing attitude that makes birds hate us...

"Researchers have revealed that birds – and parrots in particular – can bob their heads, tap their feet, and sway their bodies along to a musical beat. Now they believe that other "mimicking" species such as dolphins, elephants, and pinnipeds, a group including walruses and seals, may also like to boogie."

More:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/5252413/Birds-can-dance-in-time-to-music.html