Farm Chores

*Clip hens' wings. The departure of Ruby has worried me to no end. I'm feeling quite despondent about chickens in general. So Adam and I clipped Lucy's and Punkin's wings this morning, hoping to prevent them from flying over the fence. We are thick in the planning stage for a brand new coop for the babies, far away from dogs and with a small yard covered to prevent them from flying off. Speaking of the babies, they are doing fine:

The silkies are gray. I don't know what breeds the other two are.
 If they are hens, I know they will lay brown eggs, according to Mr. Bob who gave them to me.

I have a sweet friend who offered me a couple of full-size laying hens if I want them. I'm befuddled about where exactly I'd put them, and how they would integrate into the situation I have ... which is less than ideal :(
*Tend to baby chicks. I put some sand in their pen yesterday. This morning I added a little dish of layer pellets to their food choice. They've been pecking at the sand and one silkie was taking a dust bath in it. So cute!!
*Mow. Adam is mowing. This time of year, Adam is always mowing.
*Beehive check. The new swarm Adam caught on Monday has stayed in its hive! Yay!

He wears a hat/net now over his head, but no other gear.
He was not stung once.

*Garden check. I walk around the garden each day several times. This week I put my 25 basil plants into a bed. People had stopped buying herbs at the market, so I figured I'd better get them into some dirt.

Tomatoes are doing well. We're getting a good crop of Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes:

 A few large ones are looking good:

Cucumbers are particularly fine this year too:

We've picked about a dozen cukes so far. Adam made pickles.

 Slim bush beans are starting to bear.

 Watermelon plants in their tires are spreading far and wide! Tiny melons have appeared under the blooms.

 I'm happy to report that the sweet potatoes Adam put in are growing fabulously. We hope for a good crop. I love sweet potatoes!

 My luffa -- I know it's a silly plant, but look at it go! Those posts are about 8 feet tall, and it's now flopping over the top.

It's blooming.

So that's the quick garden check.
*Then I put two dill plants from their pots into the herb bed. The more pickling cukes we grow, the more dill we need.
Now I move on to laundry and other homely chores. Have a lovely day and try to keep cool!