Sheer Joy

I know, it's odd.  It's winter, one of my least favorite seasons.  Today was grey and dreary, and tomorrow promises to be cold (so I'll have to carry lots of water to the coop).  But it's still been a joyful day.

First off, I received an email from one of my heroes, Harvey Ussery.  His techniques with chickens still have me awed.  I didn't get a generic reply, but two personal ones.  This guy ROCKS.  If you're a chicken person, you really need to get his book "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock."  I call it the Bible Of Chickens.

My dad finally got a copy of my column in the Hillsboro Free Press.  He called me to tell me how terrific it was.  (I've always been a Daddy's girl, and his praise always encourages me to do more!)  Then my friend Pam told me that her mother didn't like reading much, but the words in my column jumped off the page at her.  She loved it, and wished I'd write every week.  Talk about heartwarming on all three counts!

Even my critters gave me joy today.  The poor chickens that I chased around while trying to catch Hyacinth yesterday ALL laid eggs, and not a no-shell among them.  As a matter of fact, several of them were jumbo size.  We had a SEVEN egg day.  That's pretty amazing, considering that it's February, my coop isn't heated, and I only have a total (so far) of 8 hens in that coop.  WOW.  My horses went easy on the hay today, which is also good.  They gave me plenty of happy nickers and warm snufflies when I went out to visit them, which always warms my heart.  I got the Yokohamas (Maki and Sushi) relocated into a bigger cage too, at least until I can get them a coop and run built.  (I'd let them free range but I'm afraid that our neighbors' dog or coyotes would nab them.  ack.)  Thanks to someone on the Kansas Poultry Swap, I have a line on coop-building materials.  For CHEAP.  AWESOME. 

So today might not have been so adventuresome (compared to yesterday!) but it sure was a good day.  Gotta love every minute.  Thanks to my family, friends, readers, supporters, and critiquers. . .I couldn't do it without you!

No pic today, but here's a song that I think fits my mood.  (you know me and my pipe organ fetish!)  Enjoy! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkbxKyKXIes&feature=related