The Plot Thickens

So I worked on the over-arching theme of the school books that I am writing and I am much happier now that I have a three sentence bridge for the series.  That may not seem like a lot, but when I have two of the books written and the third kicking around in my head still ... having a road map is handy.  Surprisingly I had just been winging it and letting the characters and random ideas drive the story until now.  But I will go back, clean up the previous books, add more description and also hint at the driving force behind the bad guys some more.  I think I have a good plot driver when it makes me cackle.

Is it wrong for an author to be evil to her characters?
I think George R.R. Martin would think it is ok.

In other news there are more baby bunnies.  One of the females from Miss Bunn's first wild litter also kindled a bunch of cinnamon babies.  But her babies are a little darker red.  You can kind of tell from the two stealing food from the broody hen.
The broody hen is doing great, so far as I can tell.  Last week I saw her actually going back to her nest after getting some water so she is doing what she is supposed to.  I hope to see chicks by the end of the month or so.  I put them under her on the 10th of May and chicken eggs are supposed to hatch after 21 days.

I started letting the three pullets out during the day as well.  So the other chickens get to see them roaming and hopefully start to accept them and also so they learn to forage.  They are doing great.  So far they stick near their cage or under the propane tank and the rose bush, which are maybe ten yards from their cage.  They put themselves away at night and I can lock them up till morning.

(Bone is investigating the new chicks)

 They hopped up on the stairs to the deck while I was reading.

 Today me and Rob picked some of the ripe mulberries.  I hope to get a jam recipe for them.  There are still a lot on the trees waiting to ripen.

Back on the horse

I haven't messed with any of my books since Ter died.  Not his real name.  Nor did I ever meet him in person, but I knew his voice and talked with him for seven years.  He was helping me with ideas and editing the books.  But when he died, suddenly, but it was known he had a heart condition, I just dropped it all like a hot plate.

Thankfully books don't shatter when dropped.

Recently I was told to get back on the horse.  That Ter would prefer I kept writing.
And I know this is true.

So I will try.  I will pull the books back up on the computer, try and scrape the plot up off the pavement and make something of them.  Time to inject some more description like a rainbow into a heroin addict's vein.  Slap a fruity scratch'n'sniff sticker on that page and make people believe there is a strawberry there.  Sound the war horn and not be afraid to type: Arrooo Arooo!

I shall let my inner child's imagination fly and not worry if I get too close to the sun.  Imaginations bounce.  I will bounce.  And I will try and drag as many readers with me on that flight or fall, as I can.

Broodiness

Broodiness: inclined to sit on eggs.

One of the hens has gotten into the egg hatching mood.  She won't lay eggs, stays in the nest box all day, and pecks at me when I go to get the eggs the other hens are laying while she is in the box too.

Exhibit A:

 So I moved her and ten eggs to the dog house and strapped on a dog cage so she could move outside a bit if she wants, and to protect her at night.  She seems very happy to fluff up her feathers and stay on the eggs.  I'm not even sure she is eating or drinking much.  I just hope she knows what she is doing.  The only problem so far is when I poked at her the other day to try and get her to at least drink I think one of us cracked one of the eggs.  I believe she ate that one and is now down to 9 eggs.  But if they hatch I will be ecstatic.

 The turkeys turned into escape artists.  First just jumping up onto the pallet from the roosting stick I have in there.  The next day I found them on the pallet of bricks 3 feet away.  And the next day they slipped out under the garage door and I found them chirping madly because they were lost.  I finally figured out how to outsmart my turkeys and put a Tupperware bucket lid on the pallet to block their jump from the roost to the top of the pallet.  Escape plans thwarted!

 And now a picture of two of the baby bunnies. And one of first rose blooms on the bush behind the house.

Death Rays and Moving Day

Finally out of our contract with AT&T and got directTV and satellite internet for less than the price we were paying for just the internet.

They're big and kinda tacky as hell, but I love my death ray machines.  (Rob likes them too)

 This first picture is where I scattered the seeds I saved from the lettuce mix I had in St. Louis.  I am very pleased to see it coming up so well.  I think the plant on the left hand side might be a left over volunteer leaf lettuce, but I'm not sure.

 The peas are making great progress too.  I hope to get the other three beds planted this week with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and whatever else I can think of.

Miss Bun had her babies and they are doing great.  I have started seeing them out and about more and more.  Most of the ones I have seen look like her, but Rob says he has seen one that looks more like a wild rabbit.

 The 3 pullets I got are settling in.  They are very cute and like the little makeshift roost I put in for them.  I hope next month I can let them out to free range a little more and let the bigger chickens get to know them without a fence between them.

I cleaned up the garage some more.  As I prepared the big brooder for the turkeys for their moving day.  The mice appreciated the bag of sunflower seeds I had, thankfully that was just a small amount of the 50 pound bag.

I watered the orchard and dusted it with diatomaceous earth.  Something has eaten all the leaves off of two of the trees, but they are coming back.  I also put some more chicken wire along the fence to keep the rabbits out.  As cute as they are, the buggers eat the leaves off my fruit plants.

I am getting to the point of wanting to try and sell my eggs and milk to a more open market than just people at Rob's work.  I will be have vegetables and fruit soon that can help our income.  So if anyone reading this that is near Union, MO wants to contact me about getting some food, please do so.