Pleasant surprises

Today has been just full of pleasant surprises here.  For this morning's round of caponizing, I have one slip and three more pullets.  This time, since I suspected one or two of being a pullet, I checked for saddle feathers versus cushion feathers on the back behind the wings but in front of the tail.  I didn't expect three, but a, very pleased about the most colorful one.  She's a keeper for certain - size, width, and color on top of that.

Another pleasant surprise started yesterday when Lynn got hold of a fellow who expressed interest in buying eggs.  He asked for "15 to 20 dozen" last evening, and I sorted and wiped down 15 dozen just from our back table - his big requirement is that they not be refrigerated, and that is no big deal this time of year.  Lynn had gathered up at least twelve dozen when I took my box of eggs up to her, and must have scared up another five dozen because he wrote her a check for 32 dozen eggs at $3/dozen.  He would like to get 20 dozen per week, he says.

Just now, while out on a cigarette break (neither of us smoke in the house), I decided to clear a little excess vegetation around the Tree of Destiny, and then I figured since I was right there, might as well see if the two grape vines are still alive.  Not only are they both still alive, but they are doing much better than I thought.  Instead of growing upwards this past year, they went stealth mode and did the grapevine equivalent of a low crawl to each side.  I nicked the one I thought dead with the weed whip, and that is green wood fiber under its bark.  This just happens to be the time of year to prune such things back ...

I am collecting eggs from Spikey and the broilers (plus Bertha now) and another batch from Azar and the Pretties for hatching.  The farmer's almanacs I am using also give set dates for egg incubation, and the 28th looks perfect for me.

The two cockerels from yesterday's attempt at caponizing are sold, to be delivered on February 6th, which is New Year's Eve by the Chinese calendar.  Leo had asked about getting a Wyandotte for Chinese New Year back in December, and I had planned to have this crew caponized earlier than this.  This works out just fine - two for Leo and his family, and one for hubby and I.