Dead Chicken Walking

Macabre? Yes. True? Yep.
Tomorrow, I go to Clear Lake to pick up crates to load 50 meat birds, early Friday morning, and haul them in to be processed. So far, I have 30 sold. The remaining birds may stay in my freezer, although I think some folks may want a few. They are fat and sassy, and I am rather glad that chicken raising season is coming to a close. The weather this summer was NOT helpful, to say the least. (Of course, as I type this it is 70 degrees, breezy and lovely and feels like an early fall day...why couldn't all summer have been this nice???) Anyhow, off they go on Friday and come back all ready for someone's freezer.
The pullets are doing well, and seem to be enjoying their rest-cure in Chicken Hospital. I think I have found a home for the Wyandottes, and while I am sad that they are going, I really do need to focus on the revitalization of the flock. Keep those eggs rolling in, dammit! Saturday morning, I am heading to an animal swap in search of young pullets to make up for the three that died in the heat. I'm not looking forward to the early morning wake-up, but it will be neat to see what I find.
In rabbit news, I plan to breed Little Mama this afternoon. If all goes according to my nefarious plan, there should be little bunnies arriving mid-September. Hopefully, we won't have any 100 degree days after Labor Day, and these little ones will make it longer than one week. Or one day, as was the previous record.
Beans are slow coming on, squash vines are growing to the sky, tomatoes are definitely turning pink, and I think the sunflowers are gearing up to bloom. I picked two more pool ball zuchinni today. I haven't checked the beets--but I am sure they are lying in wait for me. The potato vines are turning yellow, so maybe next week I'll be able to harvest the crop. I don't know how many I have under there, but I'm hoping for a bumper crop. I have to think with five varieties, I should get something. And if my early foraging for new potatoes means anything, they are going to be fantastic. Oh, and the brocolli seems intent on setting heads. Perhaps I will actually get a crop this year! No new canning forays this week (yet), but I am leaning toward a trip to the farmers market tomorrow, so who knows what I will come home with. Stay tuned, and prepare to be dazzled!