As a matter of fact is an expression that precedes many an expression that isn't." - Laurence J. Peter

Does it also strike you odd that there are female sperm whales?
And shouldn't there then also be male egg whales?

The blueberries and Marion berries are now covered with netting to protect them from the deer and birds. The new LED track lighting is up in Fred, and it actually lights. And a bunch of scrap wood has been cut up for kindling when next we need heat. Based on the extended forecast that won't be until next fall, given that our highs for the next week will be in the 70's and lows around 50. Love it!
I also started sorting through the boxes of stuff still in Fred so I can continue making progress on the interior refinishing.

Eddy Murphy has now fathered 9 children with 5 different women. Not funny.

We currently have 7 pullets (immature hens) but won't be surprised if in the next day or two we're down to 6. One of the Buff Orpington pullets died about two weeks ago and the other one isn't looking good. That's her in the foreground, and you can tell by her posture that something isn't right. I suspect they were defective in some way when we got them, because the others are all doing great.

We want a rooster. They look cool, they sound cool, and they protect the flock when they free range. So today we drove about 4 miles away to pick up this three month old Iowa Blue cockerel (immature rooster).

This nice retired school cook (with an extremely cool place that includes a log house) bought 16 unsexed chicks and ended up with 6 cockerels. I found her through Craig's List, and she refused the $5 in the ad. That was just to discourage people who wanted it for meat; because it was going to be part of our flock we could have it for nuthin'.

You can tell by the size of his comb and the very small wattles that he's a long way from mature. But it took him all of 15 minutes to establish himself as the man in charge. A couple of the pullets gave him a "you're a newbie" peck and very quickly learned that should be their last. He's the same size as the pullets but he definitely now rules the roost.

Here's a pic of a mature Iowa Blue rooster. I like it. They're a rare breed that has only been around for about 100 years and isn't recognized by the American Poultry Association for showing. He should be about the same size or a little bigger than the biggest of our pullets, the two Red sex links.

Why would anyone want to live in the city if they had a choice?