ROBIN HOBB

Well, this should not sound like Doom and Gloom and Portents of Calamity.  But I'd like to tell you a bit about how Fred and I maintain a lot of self-sufficiency.

First, the Chickens.  When we bought this place years ago, it came with a flock of chickens we named the Motley Crew, as they were all sorts.  We named the two roosters Chicky Noodle and Pacho Villa.  And there were 25 Buff Orpington chicks in a brooder in the bathroom.  Yes, it was that kind of a house.  

So in a short time we had excess of 40 chickens and a very steep learning curve.  

Eggs and Meat (as in chicken) is not going to get any cheaper any time soon.  And it will never be as cheap as it once was.  That's how things work.  They never go back to being the price they once were. Avian Influenza is not going to vanish.  It's a fact of our lives now.

  Now, if you take the path I've chosen, eggs will be cheaper than what you will pay at the store. But not free.  And your meat supply will be cleaner because you will keep it that way, every day of the animal's life. I do no hormones, no pesticides or herbicides anywhere near the chickens, and everything as clean and natural as I can keep it.   

 We have a flock of 9 hens and a rooster named Red.  Some of the hens are a bit old but we get from four to 9 eggs a day.  We supply ourselves, our extended familiy and some of our neighbors. They have a nice, tight chicken house, with clean litter.  They come and go outside as they please, in a very large open pen.   

Our favorite source for chicks is Murray McMurray hatchery.  We have used them for years.  I order chicks in batches of 25, some for eggs and some for meat.  They come to the post office ina box, we bring them home and put them in a brooder.  We always order them vaccinated against pullorum.  A brooder can be as simple as a box or tub, and a heat-producing bulb in a clamp on fixture. Clean water, chick-starter from the local hardware or farm store, and you are off.  They CAN be kept in your bathroom, but I don't recommend it.  A garage or outbuilding that is safe from mice, rats, cats etc and in a few weeks, they will have feathers and be too big for the brooder.  That is when you will need a tightly built chicken house and a generous pen.  Don't go too small with either of those.  More room means you can keep them cleaner and safer.  I feed mine a mixture of cracked corn and pellet. Any vegetable waste from the household goes to them as well. 

This is obviously a very short summary and if you are thinking about it, it's best to go to the library and check out a few books on chicken keeping.  Some cities say you can keep chickens in your back yard, usually four, but no rooster.  Check your local regulations before you get in too deep.  Remember that cats, dogs and curious kids can be a hazard to them.

I'm not going to talk about turning birds into meat here, except to say that we get much better meat than any I could buy at the store.

Vegetables.  They are going to cost more, too.  If you have any dirt of your own, you should, in my opinion, buy garden seeds now and plan your garden.  Seeds are going to be in more demand as people realize that food prices are not going to come down. Vegetable starts from the nursery are also going to cost more as demand goes up. A lawn is something you water, feed and cut, and then do it again.  If you devote a portion of what was lawn to vegetables, you will water, feed and harvest and eat.  If you don't have a yard, but have a balcony, a lanai or a sunny windowsill, you can still grow a few things.  In some places, you can apply for an allottment or a garden plot.    

I am making my garden 1/3 larger this year.  I will be making some of my acreage available to extended family if they want to tend a garden plot of their own.   

It's a lot of work.  The food you will grow is far from free, but it will be clean and taste better than anything you can buy in the store.  As you get good at it, your plants will produce more and the cost per tomato or bean will go down.

The library is your friend for learning about growing your own food.  I recommend a TV show called Gardeners World. A big book called Organic Gardening is very good.  I am sure there is stuff on YouTube but that isn't my cup of tea.  

But for now: If you are going to try growing food, buy your seeds now.  If you are considering chickens for eggs or meat, begin your research now.  

I fear that food prices are going to soar and that there are hard times ahead.  I sincerely hope I am wrong.

Another cold day in the Pacific Northwest!  My dogs like to get me up early.  Being poked with a nose at 5 AM is not unusual.  But more often they allow me to sleep until 6.  I've found I don't mind getting up so early.  The night sky is still full of stars, the house is quiet and it's a nice time for a hot cup of coffee and planning out the day.

The usual chores: Fill the bird feeders, feed the chickens, ducks and geese.  A walk down to the river.  

Than, a drive up to Seattle and University Book Store. Traffic was bad, as always.  It was so good to see Duane back in the store!  He has been gone for weeks due to a foot injury.

I was startled by the transformation of the basement.  The store is 're-expanding' into it's old space, and the lower level is now full of all the addictive things that writers lover:  Fancy pens.  Markers.  Sharpies in all colors. Notebooks.  Cute notebooks, serious notebooks.  Write In The Rain notebooks. Moleskines.   Paper.  Lots of kinds of paper!  And art supplies of all kinds.  Brushes, paints, stuff I don't know the names of.  In short, a wonderland. A visit is recommended if you are in Seattle.

Not to mention all the books on the main floor!

Then we went to the new book signing room, and I tried not to be cowed by the immense supply of Bridgerton books just waiting for Julia Quinn to come in and sign.  But there were also two rolling carts full of books for me to sign and personalize, so my ego was restored.

I will probably make the trek again in March.  As mentioned earlier, if you desire an autographed book, you can order one from University Book Store and request a signature in the comments section.  They will hold it until I can do a signing, and then mail it on to you.  No extra charge for the signing, but sometimes you do have to wait a bit to receive it.

We fought traffic all the way home.  So, that was my day.

Tomorrow?  More work on my Writers' Refuge.  It's coming along nicely, I think.

Some months back at a convention, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kasey Lansdale about a new project called PandiPress.  I like to receive 'real' mail and even more I like to receive surprise boxes of wonderful things.  So, trusting to Kasey's good judgment, I signed up and subscribed to get PandiPress boxes.  This is my first one to arrive.  It had coffee in it, which I'm drinking right now, and lemon cookies that I hid from myself, a postcard, a bookmark, a cut out and two books.  One is a 'flip book' similar to the old Ace Doubles (showing my years here).  A flip book isn't the one where you thumb the corner of the pages and see a tiny animation, although those a great fun, too.  This is one where there is a story by Joe Lansdale (Hyena in the photo.)  And after you read that, you flip the book upside down and look, there's another story. The other book is Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman.  This will be my first reading venture into his work, but that's really the fun of a surprise box in the mail. So all good stuff and I'll be digging into that!

Today I amused myself by beginning the tediou task of gathering up my tax numbers for the tax organizer from my accoutant.  No, I don't keep track of it all year.  Yes, I know there are software programs I could use.  I am an old dog refusing to learn new tricks.  No matter how easy they are for someone else.  

Fred is busy setting up our new beehive, and tonight we will order bees.  Last year, I got few plums, and had to hand pollinate some of my squash and pumpkins.  You can hand pollinate tomatoes and cucumbers with a tiny paint brush and a lot of patience.  Instead, we are attempting the great bee experience. I will be keeping everyone informed of how it all turns out. 

Dogs and I went for our usual stroll down to the Nisqually River.  No rotting salmon this time, just a very nice walk.  Came back, and got beat up by a hen who thinks this is a good time of year to hatch some eggs.  Nope.  But given the stte of eggs and poultry currently in the US, I may let her hatch one batch when spring is here. She's a mean old thing.  Not a peck.  She grabs a beakful of flesh and tries to slice through the skin to the meat.  Not fun but she will be a great mother to chicks.  

I continue to make progress on my PAY IT FORWARD space in the old dojo building.  Andrew and Faire dropped by to offer useful sugggestions which I am acting on.  One of the tables will be at a height for those who like standing desks.  And I modified the lighting from my personally preffered  BRIGHT LIGHT EVERYWHERE to a calmer, gentler illumination.  Also added another couch and comfy chair, a Keurig coffee maker and an electric kettle for tea.  If you are wondering what I'm talking about, go back a few blogs.  It will be a writers' refuge where creative people can find a couple of undistracted hours to write. And maybe eat a cookie and have a cup of tea.

Anything else exciting in my life?  Hm. Well I will go up to University Book Store in Seattle on Wednesday the 29th to autograph special order books.  If you want a signed Hobb or Lindholm book, visit their website and order a book.  In the commens section, put down that you want it signed.  That's it, no extra charge.  

Upcoming cons I plan to attend.  Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, and Seattle Worldcon.  I will attempt to attend Celsius 232 in Avila, Spain, but only if my health and stamina continue to recover.  I might drop in on Norwescon over Easter weekend.  We will see. 

Well, I guess that's about it.  Time for me to go get some story words typed down. Thanks for dropping by!