This week at Mystic Cedars: You will be happy to know that the second rooster (the one that fought so hard to get away from being dinner) was rescued by Nurse Jenny. She read of his plight in my last blog and intervened to change his destiny. And change it she did. He is now living in a casbah with 14 ladies to call his own.
Nurse Jenny named him Larry and he is happy at last. From dinner to dynasty builder...Don't you wish you had his karma? (I did have to have a conversation with him during transport about being grateful to Nurse Jenny for sparing his life and giving him a new start. He was being a bit contrary about being boxed up for the ride. I do hope he is behaving himself.)
And then there is Arnie. The tiny little attack rooster that quite frankly ...I hate. It takes a lot to make me hate a chicken but this one, I hate. He is mean...just plain mean.
Jimmy has been telling me for months that his rooster isn't vicious and that his attacks are not meant to harm, just to gain attention. In an attempt to prove to me that Arnie is gentle and loving Jimmy approached him and reached out to pet him. What followed next was worthy of any slasher film. In a flurry of feathers and spurs Arnie attacked. He must have hit a vein in Jimmy's hand because there was actual blood spray. All over Jimmy's face and clothes. It wasn't just one well placed peck either. Jimmy came away with several cuts and two puncture wounds. All in less that five seconds. I couldn't even begin to describe the look on Jimmy's face when he realized what his 'loving' pet had done to him. The slightly green tinge around his jaw turned veridian when he realized that I had witnessed the entire thing. I know that you will all be surprised when I tell you that I waited until Jimmy's wounds were disinfected, medicated and bandaged before I said "I told you so".
Some could say that I am a bad wife. I simply could not generate any sympathy for him. Not when he was bleeding. Not when he yelped in pain when we poured alcohol over the wounds. Not when his hand swelled up and became unusable for twenty four hours. His rooster has been attacking me for almost two years and every time he attacks me and I complain, Jimmy tells me that Arnie is just being affectionate and showing me chicken love. He tells me that I need to work on my relationship with Arnie. Well, I'm not interested in an S&M relationship with anyone! Pain doesn't turn me on , it pisses me off. But, I am not going to interfere with Jimmy and Arnies relationship especially now that the we know who the bottom is. Sheesh!
And then there are MY hens. The two new leghorns are proving to be very sweet and very trainable. They seem to have bonded with one of the barred rocks who has taken on a watchful motherly role.
Last night she refused to go to roost until the young ones were in the coop. My chickens are so much better than Jimmy's.
Yesterday was a great gardening day both on the lunar calendar and for me. Jimmy's hand was sufficiently healed to help put the vertical garden boxes on the side of the house. I planted bush beans in all three of them. By august we should be swimming in green beans. I also pulled up another crop of failed beets and replanted the bed with lettuce, spinach and snow peas. I don't know whats wrong with me. Beets are supposed to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow and in 9 years of serious gardening I have yet to have a successful crop. I guess I just need to put beets in the same file with sourdough bread. The missing gene file.
When I'm not keeping up with the garden or tending Jimmy's chicken inflicted wounds ,I'm picking raspberries. I thought after the way I cleared out the patch this winter that this years crop would be smaller but they just keep coming. I will have enough for several batches of jelly, some raspberry vinegar and possibly a gallon or two of wine.
There are a lot of things going on at Mystic Cedars these days but I only really have time for the highlights today. . .
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| Rescued Rooster - Happy at last! |
Nurse Jenny named him Larry and he is happy at last. From dinner to dynasty builder...Don't you wish you had his karma? (I did have to have a conversation with him during transport about being grateful to Nurse Jenny for sparing his life and giving him a new start. He was being a bit contrary about being boxed up for the ride. I do hope he is behaving himself.)
And then there is Arnie. The tiny little attack rooster that quite frankly ...I hate. It takes a lot to make me hate a chicken but this one, I hate. He is mean...just plain mean.
Jimmy has been telling me for months that his rooster isn't vicious and that his attacks are not meant to harm, just to gain attention. In an attempt to prove to me that Arnie is gentle and loving Jimmy approached him and reached out to pet him. What followed next was worthy of any slasher film. In a flurry of feathers and spurs Arnie attacked. He must have hit a vein in Jimmy's hand because there was actual blood spray. All over Jimmy's face and clothes. It wasn't just one well placed peck either. Jimmy came away with several cuts and two puncture wounds. All in less that five seconds. I couldn't even begin to describe the look on Jimmy's face when he realized what his 'loving' pet had done to him. The slightly green tinge around his jaw turned veridian when he realized that I had witnessed the entire thing. I know that you will all be surprised when I tell you that I waited until Jimmy's wounds were disinfected, medicated and bandaged before I said "I told you so".
Some could say that I am a bad wife. I simply could not generate any sympathy for him. Not when he was bleeding. Not when he yelped in pain when we poured alcohol over the wounds. Not when his hand swelled up and became unusable for twenty four hours. His rooster has been attacking me for almost two years and every time he attacks me and I complain, Jimmy tells me that Arnie is just being affectionate and showing me chicken love. He tells me that I need to work on my relationship with Arnie. Well, I'm not interested in an S&M relationship with anyone! Pain doesn't turn me on , it pisses me off. But, I am not going to interfere with Jimmy and Arnies relationship especially now that the we know who the bottom is. Sheesh!
And then there are MY hens. The two new leghorns are proving to be very sweet and very trainable. They seem to have bonded with one of the barred rocks who has taken on a watchful motherly role.
Last night she refused to go to roost until the young ones were in the coop. My chickens are so much better than Jimmy's.
Yesterday was a great gardening day both on the lunar calendar and for me. Jimmy's hand was sufficiently healed to help put the vertical garden boxes on the side of the house. I planted bush beans in all three of them. By august we should be swimming in green beans. I also pulled up another crop of failed beets and replanted the bed with lettuce, spinach and snow peas. I don't know whats wrong with me. Beets are supposed to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow and in 9 years of serious gardening I have yet to have a successful crop. I guess I just need to put beets in the same file with sourdough bread. The missing gene file.
When I'm not keeping up with the garden or tending Jimmy's chicken inflicted wounds ,I'm picking raspberries. I thought after the way I cleared out the patch this winter that this years crop would be smaller but they just keep coming. I will have enough for several batches of jelly, some raspberry vinegar and possibly a gallon or two of wine.
There are a lot of things going on at Mystic Cedars these days but I only really have time for the highlights today. . .
