Warning: Clicking on the above will take you to a picture of the garden that may take forever to download.

  

This year the adult chickens came through the vacation intact. The only problem is that the Bantams were eaten by some critter.

  

I'm told this cage had five almost grown Bantams in it before they left for Florida. Now there is a hole dug under the wall and a bunch of feathers. These were Grace's birds. She acted some combination of frustrated and angry while she digested the news.  All she had left was the pair on the left below.

     

That cock on the right has a bad eye. Apparently the chicken coop is only big enough for one alpha rooster and that's Mr. Grimsley. Rooster Do didn't like that so he got into a fight with the guy. It cost him an eye but not his spirit. Now he spends his time prowling the area outside the coop being beautiful. Mr Grimsley crows from inside the pen with most of the hens. He's not particularly photogenic.

  

This year the rabbits all came through okay. Grace explained that in the spring she breeds them, and then gives the little ones to a pet shop in Columbus. The guy there gives her $10 every time he sells one. She explained that he sells them with a cage, water bottle, and some food for $29.99 or something like that. She doesn't do that the rest of the year because usually those get bought by guys dressed in camouflage who use them to train hunting dogs.

  

That may look like two cats, but Grace explained to me that one thinks he is a dog and the other thinks he is a person. They are outdoor cats, which makes them okay with me. I think the gray one is much better at posing for pictures.

  


There is a sturdy fence around the vegetable garden, which is quite large compared to almost all of the ones I know around here. Right now the only thing that is producing is the row of broccoli. We had that on our potatoes while I was there.

I planted a small orange tree in the vegetable garden near the fence between it and the chicken coop. I'm hoping that will develop into something, but it will be a while before we know.

 

For some reason this picture gives me a strong feeling of peace. Away from the home, chicken coop, and vegetable garden, this is what a lot of their place looks like. That fence you can barely see is the property line.