New chicks

Sena and Aiyana have 3 hens and a rooster which they’ve saved from the soup pot, and are now fully responsible for. This spring, they let one of the hens, Cutiepie, sit on eggs, and this week, 3 out of 7 eggs hatched. The first chick died because he somehow fell out of the nest and could not get back under his mother. But the other two are doing well, and Sena and Aiyana are very excited. They check on the hen and her chicks many times during the day, making sure that they have all they need, and that nobody falls out. We built up their nest too, so it’s a little safer, and so far so good. Here's Cutiepie with one of her new chicks:

The cows are now in a pasture close to the house, and I can see them from the kitchen window. I love taking a peek at them every once in a while as work in the kitchen. Before this, they were on a pasture towards the back of the property, where we could not see them from the house. I like it much better now.

My cheddar came out really well. I aged it for 4 weeks and then tasted it, and we all agreed that it was too bland. I put it back in the “cave”, which is actually my root cellar, and let it age another two weeks. When I took it out, my expectations were pretty low, but the girls loved it, and ed and I agreed that it tasted like “cascaval”, a tasty cheese they make in Romania. I had to add a little salt, because the recipe called for too little, but other than that I am very happy with my cheddar. I am in the process of making another wheel, this time three times larger. Sena and Aiyana are pretty picky about cheddar. We’ve tried a lot of different types from the grocery store, and the one they like is Cabot, which I agree tastes good, but it’s not organic and I don’t trust their practices and the integrity of the ingredients that go into the cheese. So I am relieved that they like my cheddar even better, and that we won’t have to buy Cabot anymore. I thought the chances of that happening were pretty low…

Everything outside looks beautiful. Spring is a magical time of transformation that takes place right before our eyes. Everything is fertile and new life and growth are everywhere. Right now there are tiny bright green leaves on the trees, and the apples and peaches blossoms are about to open. The grass is growing quickly, which makes the cows happy. Many different birds call from morning till night, and bees and butterflies fly all over the field. When I can stop and pay attention to all this, and for a moment get over myself with my worries and fatigue, it feels so beautiful and real and mysterious that it’s almost too much to bear.

Peace