Apologies to all my avid readers for my lack of posts lately.  This has been a really busy week, what with my regular work, plus doing quotes for some potential new clients, setting up a new web site we’re working on, getting ready for the Business Expo this week and another thing we’re involved in next week, and keeping up with the gardening and chickens.  I had to skip my Latin lesson this week; they’re taking longer now that I’m diverging from the books somewhat and trying to find ecclesiastical selections that fit the lessons.  I’ll finish the next one as soon as possible, but I’m not sure when that will be.

We got home late last night (well, after dark, late for us), and I shut the chickens up in their house without counting them.  I just figured they’d all be roosting.  Turns out the Cinnamon Queen must have still been outside, because she was outside this morning, apparently no worse for wear.  Guess if there are any coons in the neighborhood, they didn’t spot her.  When we bought eight, I figured we’d lose at least one or two, this being our first time and all.  But so far, we’re still batting a thousand.

We’ve started our garden annex, down the street a couple blocks behind the friary.  We decided not to get a community garden plot this year, because the ones over on 8th Street were just too far away to keep a close enough eye on, but this one was too close to pass up.  It gave us somewhere to go with the bigger stuff that won’t fit well in our raised beds.  So far we’ve got tomatoes, summer squash, cabbage transplants, and more green beans in over there.  That leaves a bit more space, so we’ll have to look through our seeds and see what else sounds good.

Our peas here still look horrible; birds are nibbling away at any pea greenery that happens to stick through the wire.  They’re blooming and starting to put on some pods, though.  I harvested the first Swiss chard today, to use in noodle-free lasagna.  (It’s great in that.)  It’s not full-sized yet, but I needed to thin it some more, and what I thinned was plenty big enough to use.  I’ll get some updated pictures of everything soon.

I mentioned the Business Expo and Silent Auction at St. Rose.  It’s this Saturday, from 11-5.  We’re going to be there marketing our pork.  (We’ll continue to have pork available now and then for the rest of the year, by the way, so contact me to arrange for some anytime.)  My sister-in-law will be there selling custom-made embroidery stuff (if I understand what she does correctly).  I also heard there are four tables of stuff for the auction, so it sounds like it should be an interesting day.  Everyone stop by!

Anyone know if it’s legal to shoot nuisance birds with a BB or pellet gun in Quincy?  European Starlings, which aren’t native to North America and often destroy the eggs and steal the nests of other birds, keep eating Pepper’s dog food.  She chases them off sometimes, but she can’t guard her bucket all day long.  I just saw four starlings in there, picking up pieces of food to carry away.  I’m starting to wonder who eats more dog food, Pepper or the birds.  I looked at those feeders that have a door the dog sticks her head through at Farm & Home, and they’re $50.  I’d really rather spend it on a gun.