Egwene the Chicken

Last Friday I awoke to a horrific sound - the sound of a chicken screaming.

They often cry in the morning, because they want out of their coop to hunt bugs.  I will often sleep through that until my alarm goes off.  But that morning, the sound was very different.  I glanced out the window and saw a raccoon trying to slowly rip off the head of one of my chickens, Egwene, who had managed to get out of the coop on her own.  Alone.

I ran outside yelling and hissing and scared the evil creature away.  Then I called in sick to work and spent the rest of the weekend increasing chicken security and keeping an eye on my now catatonic chicken. I wasn't too worried.  She seemed to be moving around fine after the attack, even if she spent the next few days hiding in the coop.  My mother told me of one of her chickens who had survived a raccoon attack.  The bird had hidden for 3 days, but was afterward fine.

But Tuesday, my neighbor called me at work to report that Egwene wasn't walking.  When I got home I found her lying awkwardly in the shade where they had placed her after she stumbled out of the coop.  But she was drinking water and was alert. I attributed her weakness to sitting in one position for 3 days with no food or water. Over the next few days she seemed to be improving, but I attempted to contact my vet (who still hasn't gotten back to me, btw) to see if they could recommend someone to look her over, anyway.

Thursday, she died.

We buried her in the forest at the end of our street, surrounded by tall grass.  She loved grass.

Sunscreen for those of us of Northern European Descent

*No, I'm not being paid to say this*

I am Irish/Polish/other, but mostly I look Irish - and my skin seems to take this part of my heritage very seriously.  Without sunscreen, I can be in direct sunlight for maybe 5 minutes without burning.  With sunscreen, usually about 15.

So, as I have gotten older and more concerned about sunburns and their negative long term effects - both internal and external, I've had to get creative.  I spend as much time as I can skulking in shadows.  If I have to be in the sun, I try to keep my back to it.  I've carried parasols and worn floppy hats. But if you use a bicycle as your main form of transportation, as I do, none of these solutions are very practical.

So, a week or so ago, I went to my local drug store, Ainsworth Drug, (where, by the way, they are all very very nice and helpful, and always appreciate a visit from Crayon), and decided to drop some cash on some sunscreen.  I've tried many in the past, with minimal luck, but I was in a mood to experiment.  

I struck gold on my first try!

Neutrogena Waterguard Kids Sunblock Mist SPF 70

I've not had much luck with Sunscreen sprays in the past, but  they're so easy!  I thought I'd give one another try, since it'd been a while, and I can never get my back with a lotion by myself.

I also decided to go for a kids formula, because in my experience, they are usually slightly less toxic than adult versions, and they always work better too.  Why?

 

 

 

Bullfrog Ultimate Sheer Protection Face SPF 30 Sunscreen

For face sunscreen, I just grabbed this one because it looked nice.  It said all the right things on the label : Anti-Aging, Ultra-light, Oil-free, etc.  

This appears to be a case where those words actually mean what they say - at least the ultra-light part.  This stuff goes on smoothly, feeling just like a regular moisturizer, without leaving you looking like you haven't showered for a week, as most of these sunblocks are wont to do.

My first test of these purchases was a 20 mile round trip bike ride on the Fourth of July - one of the sunniest days we've had so far.  This involved more than 2 hours in direct sun and more than a little sweat.  At the end of it all, I felt like I had just gotten a little sun.  In comparison, Boyfriend, who is less sensitive to sunbeams than I and never wears sunscreen, was burnt pretty badly.

I declare a win!

Fuzzy Dinosaur People

A few days ago, Boyfriend told me that our cat, Whiskey, had caught a mouse or a mole or something.  He had found her playing with it's lifeless corpse when he got home from work.  This was, reportedly, very cute.  However, at the time the story was related to me, the poor rodent's remains' whereabouts were unknown.

Today I was futzing around in my backyard and I saw one of my chickens, Nyneave, tossing around a dead mouse.  This was somehow cute.  She was trying in vain to rip bits of it off to snack on.  First she tried to tear off a leg.  Then she pecked at its viscera, trying to get the liver or some spleen.  Her efforts got her nowhere - but she didn't give up.  She lifted up her head, mouse in her beak, opened up her gullet and swallowed it whole.

I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Afterwards, as I was reeling from the insanity of what I had just witnessed, my neighbour threw rose petals over the fence for dessert. 

Challah!

Challah is one of my favourite types of bread.  It makes great toast, french toast, sandwiches, garlic bread, croutons... it pretty much works for all your bready needs.  I've been meaning to try my hand at making it for a while now, but for some reason I thought it was super complicated and the recipe I have calls for saffron.

But today, I got past my mental challah block and dove in!  (Sans saffron)

Challah is actually an amazingly simple bread.  Even the braiding which makes it look so fancy is simple (we all know how to braid, right?)  And with a few birds in the yard, the number of eggs challah requires for its signature deliciousness is no obstacle!

Challah

1/2 c flour

2tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

Whatever spice you want, however much you want (I used a healthy pinch of cinnamon)

1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/3 softened butter

Sift together dry ingredients and thoroughly mix in butter.

1 c water (105-115 F)

3 eggs

1 egg white (save yolk for later)

1/2 c flour

Add water to dry ingredients slowly while mixing - either by hand with a wooden spoon or with your electric mixer.   Add eggs and egg white.  While getting mixy, add flour.

More flour!

(about 4 c)

Continue mixing.  Add flour, 1/2 c at a time, until you have a good dough.  

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until stretchy and smooth.  If you have a mixer with kneading hooks, use that, cause, way easier.  This will take around 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl.  When dough is kneaded properly, place in greased bowl.  Roll dough around to ensure that all sides get greasy.  Cover and leave in a warm place.

Do something else for 1 hour.

After your hour is up, find your dough and punch it in the face a few times.  Split your dough in half  and flour a flat surface for some braiding fun!

Split half the dough further into thirds.  Roll each third out into a 12" long dough-string.  Braid them together and pinch together the ends.  Place your braided dough onto a greased cookie sheet and repeat this step with the second half of the dough.

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp cold water

Some kind of seeds - poppy, sesame, anise, whatevs. 

Beat the yolk and the cold water together.  Brush on the tops of your braids.  Sprinkle whatever seeds you chose on the top until it looks good to you.

Cover and leave in a warm place.

Walk your dog or something for another hour.

Preheat your oven to 400F.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove from sheet and allow to cool on wire racks.  Share - or not, depending on how hungry you are.

Yes, you are a creep.

"Hello, Hi," said the man in the dark colored sedan who pulled up along side me, a young woman walking alone along a residential street at midnight on a Sunday, "Not to be a stalker or anything, but I thought you have a wonderful style and I wondered if I could say 'Hi'."

I waved and said "Good-bye."

He drove ahead and turned at the next intersection, and I ran the rest of the way home along, what seemed for the first time, streets that were entirely too well lit, all the while listening for a car following me.  I thought I could hear him driving up and down blocks in my neighborhood.

Sir, whatever your intentions truly were, you were creepy.  You ruined my evening.  Why did you think that was OK?  Was I supposed to be grateful that some dude I've never met thought I looked good in the dark?  Does that line ever work?

Dog Report IV

Pepper can be periodically seen in this fenced yard, playing with half a ball - and any passersby who might take notice.  She (or he) will run up and down along the fence in a pretend game of chase.  Until I walked up to the fence and looked at her tag, Boyfriend had taken to calling her Bolt.

This dog was getting some gas - and enjoying the process entirely too much.

Whiskey "Dolla Dolla Billz" Burkle may not technically be a dog - but she did used to enjoy playing fetch!  She likes to spend sunny days under our tiny Japanese Maple tree, pouncing on any dog silly enough to trot by.

Dog Report III : My Backyard

Churchill likes to bark at my chickens and my cat. They don't really pay him any mind, and it makes him feel important.

Zelda, his mother, sometimes plays along. She's a little more realistic about it though.

Both of them move a little too quickly for my camera.