Here we are in the last month of the year. There's been no snow but this must have been one of the coldest on record. The last day of the year we had bone-chilling temperatures in the teens. I hope that all my beloved plants are safe and snug beneath their covering of mulch.
Chickens eat one and a half times more food in the winter so I have been adding to their diet. Feeding them cracked corn before they retire for the night helps keep them warm as their digestive system goes to work. I don't have electricity in the coop so I bring out fresh water a few times a day. The chief hen, Henrietta, is still laying huge eggs.
Above : The pecking order -Henrietta, the red star is the oldest and bossiesst, Moon, the Americana , Hei-Hei, the Buff Orpington and the most unique chicken in America -Cleopatra, the Cream Legbar.
Since I can't be outside gardening I'm spending lots of time in the studio. This coming New Year I'm planning to join the local art guild and have an open studio which is a popular art event for the entire county. I had to cease painting activities for awhile to have surgery on two "trigger " fingers on my right hand. I am able to use my fingers for a limited time but it will take a few month before they are completely recovered.
Looking forward to the New Year and the beginning of the gardening season. Right now December is the garden of my mind's eye.
