Spending the Afternoon with my 'Peeps'

Had a ball today. My friends Terry & Terry2 invited me me over to their place today in El Dorado Hills for dinner and to visit their animals; dogs, goats, wild turkeys and of course best of all, their horses. When I got there Terry greeted me at the front gate with Splash, a beautiful gelding Terry works with every day - the woman is enjoying her retirement! Splash is a paint, white, chestnut over his ears and crown so he's a 'Medicine Hat' horse - animals believed by Indians to be extra special animals. Splash is pretty special to me - he loves hugs & attention and happily, I need horses to hug sometimes so it's a win-win situation.

Splash & Terry2
For fun, we piled into the car and headed for the Feed Stores which can be infectious what with all the critter feed, pens, live animals... Oooo! Look at the baby chicks! Look at the widdle baby ducks! We are sooo very bad. We came home with 2 Rhode Island Red hen-chicks. I think Terry2 was feeling like she'd like some warm baby chicks and a future fresh egg supply like I'll have next month. So next thing you know, Xena the Warrior Chick, and tiny Queen Bodicia were in a box on my lap for their trip back to the ranch - and for starters - into the sink!


So! With two infant beaks to house and feed it was time to quick, build a chick nursery!

Terry2 wanted to know, if it's Kosher to use Duck tape on a Chick Pen?
The new chick nursery is ready - large & roomie
I was worried the bay-bays didn't know where things were so we put their bills into the water and Hallelujah! They were drinking water and when placed in their food dish, they started wolfing down their chick mash. Good girls!

Then it was time for a nap - they were rather
worn out from their trip home & their feeding lessons
While Xena and Bodicia peeped and slept it was time for the sucessful birdie Mamas to have their dinner. So while Terry2 got some incredible steaks on the grill, Terry and I went to the garden for a nice tour of the tomatoes, beans, lettuces and such in the garden. They have a wonderfully large garden, the kind that really can supply all their veggie needs.

Terry decided on Swiss Chard and Basil.
Dinner was delish, with locally raised beef, the chard and baked potatoes with fresh greens sprinkled on it - and Julia Child would have approved of the generous amounts of bud-duh!

Terry asked if I would like some Swiss Chard to take home, and I was eager for some. Next thing I knew I was taking home a HUMONGOUS Swiss Chard plant in a big ole terra cotta pot! Terry says as you cut leaves to eat, the chard ups it's growth to compensate. How convienient is that? So move over cucumbers, the Gulag Garden has a new tenant.