2025, animals, crops, Farming Update, pets, Seasons, Theatre, Uncategorized

WHO’S A GOOD CHICKEN?

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This week’s farm update from Ben


This week I was defeated by cheap electronics that think they’re smarter than me.

We have one of those little fake fires in the college show. The bowl with the fan, and the orange lights, and  the silk. I have a 12 volt battery connected to a power inverter (which takes 12 volts and makes it 120 volts) and the fake fire is plugged into that. It is all tucked under a table and the fire sits on top and it worked fine until one of the actors accidentally bashed the table into a wall. And then the power inverter didn’t work anymore. Which is disappointing to me, it’s all solid state, there’s no fuse inside because I took it apart to look, but all it does is give me a red “fault” light and it doesn’t do anything else. 
I went to the local electronic store and picked up a really cheap inverter and a little bit better one. Apparently the old one didn’t care if I only had 11.5 volts, it would still power the fire. The new ones want 13 volts and if they don’t have it, they don’t output anything except a loud annoying beeping. I tried a couple batteries wired together in parallel, I tried different batteries, and I tried other various assemblies without success. Between the two shows on Thursday I went over to the auto department of the College. They always look at me funny when I walk in with my arms full of whatever it is I’m working on for a show. They probably think it’s kind of fun and I think they do enjoy helping, but they still look at me funny. They suggested a jump pack, like they use to jumpstart your car these days. They even let me borrow one for the afternoon and that worked great. I’ve got one at home, it just never even dawned on me to try that. I took that in for the last couple shows. 


Cold weather coming for a few days. I think the snow they predicted is out of the forecast now. Still, I ran around Friday afternoon like there was a blizzard coming. I had to tell myself to just calm down. I drained all the hoses, put them away, took off the outside faucet I use for watering chickens. I parked all the tractors, the lawn mower, the gator, and the four wheeler in the shed. I finished power washing the deck and retaining wall. Both are in the shade and on the north side of the house so they get a lot of mildew and lichen on them. It sure looks nice when cleaned. One of those things you don’t realize how dirty it’s gotten. Once done, I drained that hose, and put the power washer in the heated shop.

My goodness! How did it get so grungy and we didn’t notice??

Driving into school in the mornings, the sun is at just the right spot now, it hits that gap in the visor. 

Achoo!

Another week it will have changed enough it won’t be a problem again. It sure does get dark early now. I like standard time; it just fits my body’s circadian rhythm better. Daughter is very upset it gets dark so early. 

I think all the deer in a 20 mile radius have moved to my corn fields. Just about all the other corn around here has been harvested and most fields are dug up for winter.  I don’t want to push the guys; they’ll get here when they get here to harvest mine. I just hope the deer leave me some corn. If you come down the driveway an hour after sunset, there are deer ALL OVER. Most coming out of the cornfield with an ear of corn in their mouth. Stupid deer. 

In one of the farm magazines, there was an article about an all-black chicken called an ‘Ayam Cemani’. They really are ALL black: Comb, skin, bones and even the meat is black. Their eggs are ivory colored. 

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 (Photo courtesy ‘Chickenscratchpoultry.com’)

Research shows these chicks can cost anywhere from $37 to $70 each. And I thought $5 was an expensive chick. The article I read says the chicken is “small, aloof, and only lays one or two eggs / week.” I won’t be getting any. That would be the first one eaten by a coyote. 

DOES SUNLIGHT MAKE YOU SNEEZE? ARE YOU A BIG SNEEZER OR A DAINTY SNEEZER?

61 thoughts on “WHO’S A GOOD CHICKEN?”

  1. Fortunately, sunlight does not make me sneeze. I am a two-in-a-row sneezer. Rarely rarely just one sneeze at a time. Unfortunately,, I think due to my allergies, I occasionally have a sneezing jag. When this happens, I sneeze over and over and over again with about 30 seconds in between each one. I have to do some serious nose blowing and snorting in order to get this to stop and it’s very aggravating. I did once say to myself. I’ll just wait this out but after 24 sneezes I lost my patience. This happens maybe more often during the fall, winter and spring (maybe once every couple of weeks). Not as much in the summer thank goodness. And… It never seems to happen when I’m out and about, which I think is very very interesting.

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  2. Husband sneezes a.lot, especially just after he takes Sudafed or an antihistamine. I am a three in a row sneezer, but it doesn’t happen often.

    Worse than sneezing would be that rare, neural glitch where people hiccup constantly without stopping.

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        1. He’ll have them for three or four days and then they clear up and then for some reason they start again

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  3. It has long been my habit to take things apart and try to fix them. I perform component level repairs on my elevator control systems. I replaced the wet end on my hot tub pump, rebuilt it and set it aside for the next time.
    And I did in fact repair a switching power supply. It was a nice one. Very stable output. Ran for years after that.
    I would never buy one of those chickens.

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    1. When I was a very small girl, I spent a lot of time with my dad as he puttered around and fixed things at home and ay his gas station/car wash/coffee shop. He gave me things to take apart, like old electrical outlets he kept in coffee cans . I learned how wires are connected, how to use different kinds of screw drivers, and what the insides of machines looked like.

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      1. When I was a kid, my Dad just seemed to know how to do and fix things. I assumed this to be “normal”. I’m not so sure exactly when it was that I realized he did these repairs poorly, but I picked up the habit. As a teenager I applied it to fixing cars. Later I realized that the reason I fixed them so often was because I fixed them poorly. Anyway, I raised a couple offspring, both of whom picked up the “that must be fixable” attitude from me. Thank God that, my son, who is a chemist, didn’t pick up the “fix it poorly” part of my habit. When he was in college he fixed lab equipment, and continued doing that during his Ph.D studies and doctorate. Now he does it where he works, ostensibly on other things, but partially, also, on getting the equipment his company bought and never got to work online to do what it was designed for. He neither looks nor believes like me, but I’m ever so proud that he out-performs me with small tools.

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    2. Husband’ father was notoriously non-mechanical, and Husband didnt learn how to fix things. I am the repair person in our family. Husband’s dad had a brother who also couldn’t fix anything, and once needed help to figure out how to put a blade in an Atra razor. The scary thing about Husband’s uncle is that he was an engineer at a nuclear power plant in Ohio.

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  4. We have about an inch of fluffy snow, and it is still coming down. Husband got the hoses put away and the lawn mowed. He also got all the cardboard moving boxes taken to the recycling place, so we can park the van in the garage. We just sit inside today and watch the snow fall.

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  5. Oh Boy I am a sneezer with sunlight sometimes but more often with temperature changes. Like I feel warm and then go into air conditioning or drink a cold beverage. And it repeats itself despite blowing, at least 10 times. People tell me I have a slightly dainty sneeze but it feels big to me. This happens daily to me and I always feel I have to explain that “no I do not have a cold”, if it happens in a group in public.

    Looking forward to the first snow with big snowflakes here in Minneapolis. I came from upstate NY so I expect snow and miss it sometimes, I can even smell when a snowstorm is coming. I have the boots, wool socks, warm hats, mittens and down coat ready.

    Had pet bantam chickens growing up (2 hens and a rooster) but I don’t think I would buy a totally black chicken. The chickens took care of many pests in our large garden and had small eggs with intensely colored yolks. But it took 2-3 to equal a large regular egg.

    Renee I can almost feel your relief when you describe all you have accomplished since moving and look forward to watching the snow fall.

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    1. We still have several hundred books in the basement in boxes, but are waiting for bookcases to be delivered. Most everything else is put away. Husband decided to make brotchen, a German hard roll, today.

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        1. Yep. Yesterday I got several gallons of brodo going (Italian broth made with turkey wings and beef shank), Husband made sheetpan pierogies with cabbage and kielbasa, and I got a pasta and ricotta casserole ready for baking for today.

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        3. I sure will!

          1. Cut 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

          2. Cook 1 lb of short pasta like fusilli until al dente. Drain.

          3. Brown chicken in 3 T of butter in large Dutch oven on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 2- 24 oz jars of marinara sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add pasta and heat through.

          4. Add half of the pasta mixture to a 9×13 baking dish. Dollop with 16 Oz whole milk ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 Oz grated parmesan. Add the rest of the pasta mixture. Top with 8oz whole milk mozzarella that you have pinched into chunks. Top with 1 Oz of grated parm. At this point you can bake it at 400° for 20-25 minutes or cover with foil and keep in fridge for up to 2 days. It may need another 15 minutes if you have refrigerated it.

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  6. As a high school student and a teacher I was a star for the number of sneezes I could do in a row. I could reach up into the high teens. Don’t know what the trigger was. I don’t do that many anymore. The sun is not a trigger. At home hay was a big trigger but I have no idea what caused those chains when driving around with my friends or in the school building. My sneezes were/are not that big except around dry hay.
    Electronics are a mystery. I wired my own house but reduce the voltage or amperage and I am lost.

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  7. Rise and … Aahh Choo,

    I love the name of this post, and yes, I am a very good chicken!

    I sneeze and sneeze. It is particulate matter, dust, corn pollen (a betrayal of my Iowa roots),and anything else. Barns are a sneeze trap for me. I sneeze in the style of “the Stratton Double and Triple” as modeled by my dad–a rapid fire sneeze that allows no inhalation until it is over. I also will do a dozen in a sneezing seizure, but I can inhale between them. While driving, I have needed to pull over when this occurs because you cannot keep your eyes open while sneezing. It is not sunshine that triggers my sneezing, but Lou does have that characteristic.

    I am rarely a dainty sneezer.

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  8. Renee, all of your cooking and baking projects sound delicious! The pasta casserole sounds very cozy.

    I have regular sneezing fits, once early in the morning, then another in the evening, but they don’t coincide with sunrise/sunset. The morning fit often hits while I’m driving to work, which is very annoying.

    Ben, I’ve been sleeping better the past week, but I never connected it with the change to standard time. You might be right about circadian rhythms.

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  9. Interesting how many people have lots of sneezing patterns! I am not much of a sneezer, I guess.

    Husband sometimes sneezes from bright sun. He also has sneezing fits, which are three sets of five sneezes, no kidding. Only lately it’s sometimes more than 3 sets…

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    1. Well, we have the Trex decking and yes, it does power wash off. Tried various products and they don’t work as well as just simply power washing. mind you,Trex tells you not to do that, but we’ve seen no harm.

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  11. Adventures in travel. My granddaughter was all booked in to fly out of Minneapolis to Bozeman at 11:20. At 11:00 they announced the plane was not fit to fly and they were looking for another one. Made us all hold our breath if they would cancel it. But they found a plane. She flew out at 12:10.
    My son is checked in Minneapolis to Denver and Denver to Boise tomorrow. See then what happens.

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  12. Occasionally sunlight will trigger a sneeze in me, and sometimes, when I get carried away with the pepper grinder, pepper will too, but it’s not a daily occurrence. I wouldn’t call my sneezes dainty, but they’re certainly not the blowouts that Hans has several times a day. I make an effort to not be obnoxious about it, he just lets it rip.

    I suspect that Hans’ sneezes are related to his allergies; he seems to be in a perpetual state of a stuffy nose. We have no idea what he’s allergic to, but his symptoms apparently are not bothersome enough for him to do anything about it.

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    1. You reminded me – once I scorched some pepper in a sauté pan. It sent me into one of the worst asthma attacks I’ve ever had, which started with repetitive sneezing, then moved on to wheezing and coughing. Now, any capsaicin at all, even just slicing up a bell pepper, can make me sneeze. I’m not allergic to pepper or peppers because I can eat it with no issues. I must have been sensitized to it during that first violent episode. I have to be careful around ground pepper and I’m even cautious about slicing up any kind of pepper.

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    2. tell him to try thr alergy stuff in the homeopathic medicine area of the healthfood ztore (whole foods has a good one) theres a 50% chance it will fix the issue

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  13. My sneezing triggers are dust, mold spores, and some pollens. The sun will trigger sneezing if there’s an allergen lurking somewhere. Once I start sneezing I will have an episode that goes on for 15-20 minutes. I have to have tissues at hand, and usually head for the bathroom because I think I get a little gross. I’m not a dainty sneezer at all. It’s a full-on roar. Like I said, gross.

    I’ve found that a spray of fluticasone (generic for Flonase) in each nostril helps the sneezes and wheezes.

    I hope I don’t sneeze today or tomorrow. I’m at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association Fall Jam event. It’s fun playing with so many people who have all levels of ability. There are some world-class players here, and I’m in awe. A local group, an all-woman bluegrass band called Rosie Daze, was exceptional last night. Full of great, joyful energy. If you have a chance to go see them in action, do it. This morning I sat in for three jam sessions: Old-time Irish, Old-time folk, and a song-learning session with breakout sessions before playing the tune with the whole larger group. It’s been fun. My first MBOTMA!

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  16. I’m a big sneezer. Just one or two, but they shake the house. In fact, if I sneeze more than three times, it’s very unusual.
    And Kelly, she has 7 dainty little sneezes. I wait for about the 5th before I say ‘Gesundheit’. Or, to quote Seinfeld, “You’re so Good Looking!”

    Sometimes that first burst of sunlight makes me sneeze.

    Do you ever hiccup and sneezed together? It’s really weird.

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      1. My daughter did a wonderfully funny talk, sort of a eulogy, about the ways she had to perk people up, how she knew how to make children and adults feel included, how she sang and danced so often in the library and at home, etc. So many came from Two Harbors. Many yearbook staff members from the early 70s came. We laughed and told funny stories. The TH library is going to get quite a bit of money. The Bible readings and hymns picked by her were all about joy. The sermon was funny and joyful. Yes, we celebrated.

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        1. Sounds wonderful, Clyde. I’m so glad that so many people from Sandy’s past came to show their respects and celebrate her life.

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  19. I have just found a delightful aural experience. Martin Sheen has a podcast in which he recites poetry, tells stories of his career, and lightens the mood. I just love it. It is called “Martin Sheen Podcast.” I found it on Apple podcasts.

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  20. just started doing sun relates sneezes . i love sneezing. im a big a choo guy. one sin gets really pissed if hes looking the other way when i sneeze . i surprise him and make him jump out of gis chair in reaponse. had a guy whoxworked with me who was a three sneeze guy and it was always sun in your eyes related

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