Hens Cause New Markenting Campaign at MSF

Yesterday we collected seven eggs from our eight hen flock. Pretty exciting, huh? (If you're reading this blog, excitement probably isn't high on your list and this news falls into the acceptable range that keeps you from having a heart attack or stroke.) This ramp up of production has created a marketing crisis here at the farm. We need to " get crackin' "and find an outlet for our eggs. I suspect that with a few phone calls where we pressure some of Kris's family to take eggs, we can get production and sales to approximate each other. Thousands and thousands of years ago, I am pretty sure a glut of eggs from a newly domesticated chicken flock forced a primordial grandmother type to con her extended family into buying eggs and thus invented capitalism and agriculture all at once.

Yesterday was also exciting for another reason. I fixed something else mechanical! Hard to believe and yet, it is true. The tractor bucket hydraulics valve part that broke, came in, and it was actually the right part, and I figured out how to take apart the hydraulic controls, and I actually got the new piece in and, amazingly, it worked. Even more amazing was the actual time from start to finish was about fifteen minutes. More amazing still, I put the tools away after I was done, a departure so shocking that Kris had to come outside to see for herself.

I was heartened by my easy success, and had it not been late in the day, I would have tried to get the lights working so we could use the tractor after dark. I have been avoiding that all summer. I also have some crackling noise in the front wheels of the Ford Ranger. The ground is wet and muddy and it is finally getting cold out so it is perfect for more backyard mechanic work. I like to be really miserable when I work on things so I prefer winter or at least late fall or early spring for the really big jobs. Banging your knuckles when your hands are so cold they ache is a feeling you just can't duplicate on a warm summer day. Using bare hands to search for a nut dropped in the snow- priceless. Does make me wonder why garages only charge seventy five to a hundred bucks an hour for winter time mechanics work.

We are headed out to make cookies at my daughters today. It should be fun. I wish I had more time I would make a wreath or some garland to take over. This is what the grandkids memories are made of and it would be a nice touch. It is getting light out and I believe I will stop right here and go gather a bit of brush. How long can it take to make one wreath?