At least 29

At least 29 eggs were collected from the ladies atop the hill this month. That is how many tallies made it to the calendar anyway.


and a little information on this February 29th from Wikipedia:

A leap year (or intercalary or bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.[1] Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, a calendar that had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting (or intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year that is not a leap year is called a common year.


how I learned it:

It actually takes the earth 365.25 days to make a complete orbit around the sun. Ergo - every four years, we make up for it in February.

Why February and why does February only have 28 on a common year anyway? I have no idea. But, don't forget tomorrow morning to say "Rabbit Rabbit" first thing!

IMBY

I walked through my back yard yesterday. This is what I saw:

 

I don't know what this is. My mom speculates it is a type of mint. It is all over Charlie's yard and crowding out some tulips. It is kind of pretty, but it would be prettier in a different spot.



This is what was happening while I was trying to take a picture of the maybe mint.

 

Tulips - no buds yet.

 

Daffodils



Flowering Quince - I think it has been in bloom since January.

Crocus. Crocusses. Croci. Crocus.

Tilt head 90 to right. I'm not sure what this is. It sort of resembles daffodils, but the leaves (?) are much broader.

 

More daffodils. Save for Miss Look At Me here, all following the sun.



baby Grape Hyacinth buds



2 headed chicken

 

What?! More daffodils - Crazy

 

Time to mow already...



The first bud on my giant, school bus of a forsythia.



Charlie and Rosie stomping on some tulips. Good dogs! Rosie may look sad, but she isn't. I think she was losing patience with me.

Back to Basins

The amazing heated water fountain isn't as amazing as I hoped it would be. At least, not the way I have it situated.

No matter how full I fill the fountain, the next day it is empty. Since I have it hanging from a bracket and water finds its own level I thought I had a pretty good system.

Not so much.

The fountain tends to sway when Kathy and Eleanore bombard it for a drink. Then the water sloshes, runs down the side, under the hay, off the plywood floor and out of the coop. A few weeks ago there were icicles at my access door.

In order to keep my birds quenched I have reinstated the basin. They step on the sides and drop hay, but they somehow managed to get hay in the hanging fountain too. It is easier to clean out of the basin.

Fortunately there haven't been many freezing days that rule out watering from the basin. Although, I might try to set up a platform of sorts and shim the heck out of it until it is level and try the fountain again.

Love Birds

from here

Just some things

Nuclear is pronounced nu-clear. Not newk-U-lar. If you work where I work, you should be able to say it right. It's in the company name.

Recently I have heard adds for Shoney's Valentine's Day dinner. If my Valentine's date took me to Shoney's -consider that relationship over.

Green is not a primary color. It might be one of the first colors you learn about, but it is not primary.

The L is silent in Salmon.

So is the X in Espresso. Wait. There is no X in espresso. (for you, Mandalicious)

I'm taking a drawing class. Things are not as they seem. It is refreshing.

I have concerns about the recyclability of an e-reader. But I kind of want one.

The coop has been prepared for winter weather for at least a month. We might have seasonable temperatures this weekend.

My resolution to remember where I park is going pretty well.

My resolution to minimize snap judgements is more challenging. But, when I fail, I come up with an alternative explanation for the situation that is more forgiving than my initial thoughts.

I am happier since I stopped looking at  Facebook. In this situation my own ignorance truly is bliss.

I wonder how Nutella can be so creamy and smooth, yet have nuts in it. Interestingly, I have never questioned peanut butter.

Pop Quiz

Can anybody tell me what these two images have in common?

Anybody?

Bueller?

Bueller?

Ok. The answer is:

They are both too big for their britches. Perhaps one more figuratively than the other.
A little description from Urban Dictionary "... phrase meaning that your assumed position is slightly larger than the actual position you belong in." 

Although Charlie doesn't always get what he wants, that is when this particular trait is most evident.

• Most of the time he is treated to a dinner plate that has been 98.7% consumed.
• After a losing battle of not letting him on the furniture after letting him on the furniture as a puppy, we have a compromise that a sheet or blanket goes down first so he can have a 'spot'.
• Usually he gets to be off-leash before a car ride because he is so good at just running to the car.

• If I choose not to let Charlie lick my plate, I get talked to. Squeeled at. Huffed and puffed at.
• My feet touch him while he is on the couch - his whole experience is ruined and he walks away, glaring at me.
• When good ol' Chuck feels that he hasn't been on enough walks, he runs just far enough away to make Aaron's morning run less smoothly.

Aaron and I have created a monster. And I fear that we no longer fall into the category of dog owners, but owned by a dog instead.

 

 

 

First month's bounty 2012

40 Eggs for January 2012. January 2011 - 58. Hmph.

Rabbit Rabbit

February 1st. Already.

Back in high school my friend, Meghan, told me if "Rabbit Rabbit" is the first thing you say on the first day of a new month, it brings good luck.

While it is rarely the first thing I say, I often think it sometime before leaving for work. I did this morning while retrieving my socks from my dresser.

I wonder if she remembers this... Hey, Meghan! Do you remember this?

I collected 4 eggs last night which brings January's total to... I'm not sure. I forgot to count the tally marks this morning.     And I was too lazy to upload/download pictures last night.  But I took some and will share them soon.  For now I shall leave you with this - my favorite cartoon.