They are so cute!

I can't believe it's been a week now. I'm still just as fascinated by my chooks as the day we brought them home. Actually, I think I'm more fascinated with them now. They have grown so much in just the past week, Bessie is almost as tall as my knee and they are starting to peep less and bock more.
They even talk to me when I'm with them, I just wish I knew what they were saying.

Bathing beauties. (Ms. Fisher in front, Alexis in back)

They are making themselves at home and that makes my heart glad. They like to rearrange their bedding after I clean and fluff it everyday. They seem to have a schedule worked out, I get chirped at if I'm late in the morning and they have enforced nap time at around 1100 every morning. Kate calls them to roost and Ms. Fisher rounds up any stragglers.

Get on the perch! (Clockwise from top left: Kate, Dot, Bessie, Fisher, Alexis)

All 5 of them will eat out of my hand and Kate (the gray one) will follow me around as I tidy up until I sit down with her snack. It's funny to see her avoid me and chase me at the same time. Earlier today she was pecking at something and I touched her to shoo her away and she didn't even flinch. Maybe she will let me pet her soon.

Got snacks? ( Kate facing you.)

Life is good here with the chickens. Now I'm off to study them some more! 

A tasty new discovery

A few weeks ago I decided to go vegetarian. I'm not all the way there yet (I love my TV dinners way more than is healthy), but I'm giving it a strong go. My husband is very supportive of this and that is making it a lot easier than it could be. Plus, not having a paying job means I can read and research things to eat when I do have one.

One of my favorite things when I was vegetarian years ago (darn TV dinners!) Was something called the Tofurky Roast. That thing is so amazing!!!! It's better than turkey and turkey is one of my favorite things.
So, I contacted Tofurky to see if they had any suggestions and they sent me an email back with a few. They also sent me an envelope with a bunch of coupons! The people at Tofurky Rock! I'm really glad that there's a company out there that stands as solidly behind their product as they do.
Yesterday I went into Whole Foods, not a place I usually go but they had this product I couldn't find elsewhere and I had a free item coupon. I rushed to the cooler section and snatched up my prize. After checkout I literally skipped out the doors. I was that excited to get these. It's the little things that do that.

My prize!

We had them for dinner last night, I couldn't wait. We had them on buns with tater tots on the side. I made extra tots in case they sucked, at least we wouldn't have to cook something else. I had mine on a bun with a little cheddar, It was a bit to long for the bun so I bit off part of the extra first.

The first bite was awful. It was just like biting into a hot dog. I hate hot dogs almost as much as I hate beans and you can't just swallow them whole. It took a bit of will power to not spit it out. I ate a few tots then tried another bite of the sausage. It wasn't so bad, right before swallowed I detected a hint of apple flavor. I ate a few more tots. 

For the third bite I decided to actually chew it and see what happened. The flavor was really good; smoky with a hint of apples and spices. It was hearty and good. I really liked the flavor. It's not like the chicken and apple sausages made with meat, but it was good. I happily ate the rest of it then finished off my tots. An added bonus is I only needed to eat one to feel full.

I definitely would suggest these to anyone, and I'm looking forward to grilling the last couple up later this week. It was an easy and tasty dinner. They are a bit pricey, but I think that's because of where I got them and I plan to request them from the Sprouts we usually shop at. That's where we get most of our produce anyway.

My suggestions for Tofurky would be to add larger pieces of the dried apple to improve the texture and maybe thicken the outer skin a bit to make it less floppy. Also if they cut them down by a third in length you could get 6 in a pack for the same price and they would fit a bun better. Plus, they would be a better deal for a family and more comparable to hot dogs. I think it would make them more approachable.

Still waiting for my number

I'm still trapped in limbo waiting for my number from State that says I'm a CNA. Technically I have a number but it's not valid because it expired 17 years ago. Wow that's a long time.
Day before yesterday I got my application back with a different application that I had to fill out because I had a defunct number. It was enclosed with a very nice note explaining the new application. It also meant I had to pay a late fee for my change of address from the one they have on file. The funny thing is we've lived here for about 14 years. I did appreciate the addressed envelope they sent with it though. I informed the school of this annoyance in case they have anyone else who is re-getting their CNA after a lifetime away. Now I'm waiting for them to get this one and give me my number. I wish I could charge them a late fee for sitting on it for almost a month while I waited, but oh well. That's the way it goes.
Lots of spinning wheels here. I made Sylvia a new set of skirt guards. Her old ones were eaten by the washer and I found another skein of the same yarn. I'm thinking of drilling her fender so I can make a more vintage looking set that will hold up better, but that would be a lot of work. I'll probably do it when I decide to repaint her later on. That way I won't be damaging the paint. Her new basket is still perfect, I like the way it carries weight. It really helps to smooth out the steering.
I've picked the places I'd most like to work and have been practicing the ride distances to get there and back. I've only actually gone to two so far but I can easily cover the distances with out dying. It's fun to explore on her, I'm going more places than ever and it feels good. It's my therapy! The only downside is I have to get up super early to go out, it's hitting 95 degrees before 9:30 am now a days. Good thing I like the heat.
I've been working hard on a new Old Agnes short story. It's a race to see what comes first, finish and publish the story or I get a job. It'll be interesting to see what wins. I hope everyone is doing great and keeping cool!
Have Fun!

I see you!

Praying Mantis Eating

Praying Mantis Eating, a photo by B.J. Halsey on Flickr.

Heard a cicada making a noise like a scream and went to investigate. This is what I found! It took a while for the praying mantis to eat so I got a ton of photos.
I'd never seen anything like it before and I'm really glad I went to investigate. It was creepy though.