Incubator Update

Black bantam chick.

In one of my earlier post about my incubator, I said that I would give a update about my hatching status. Around two weeks ago, I hatched my first bantam chick ever. Its father won first place at our local livestock show. Since its dad placed so well, I'm hoping to enter it in the next show. My newest chicks were Buff Orpingtons. I was really excited to hatch these because it was my first time to hatch this breed and all of the eggs hatched. All of them are healthy and active but one has a club foot if any of you know how to treat this, please comment and tell. I like this breed because they are one of the most docile and best egg laying breed. I also like the color of this breed too.  

Buff Orpington chicks.

Happy Fall, Y'all

                    Happy Fall, Y'all

This is the pumpkin my brother Andrew and I designed.

Well, after a long and hot summer fall has finally come. I always look forward to autumn because it's not too hot and it's not too cold. I like autumn because it's perfect weather for being outside, reading books near a fire, and being thankful for what God has given us. One of my family's fall traditions is to carve pumpkins. Dad has always been our chief pumpkin carver. After we draw up the plans for the way we want our pumpkins to look, dad will carve them. No matter what  the design is, they always look just like our designs-if not better. When we finish carving our pumpkins, we butter and salt the pumpkin seeds and toast them in the oven. Another  fall tradition of ours is to go to the Dallas Arboretum and look at their magnificent pumpkin displays. My favorite types of pumpkins are the really small  Jack be little and the big Atlantic Giant pumpkins. If you live near Dallas you should definitely go to the Arboretum and see them.

My all time favorite autumn food would probably be Pumpkin bread. I enjoy pumpkin bread because it is a very healthy bread. The bread has canned pumpkin, raisins, and walnuts in its loaves  Instead of  using a regular loaf pan, I bake the bread in a mini loaf pan, that way I can bake more loaves to give to neighbors and family members. If you would like to learn how to make pumpkin bread click here to go to my recipe page.

Pumpkin bread 

Me with the seeds

Mom and Andrew buttering the pumpkin seeds

Andrew salting the pumpkin seeds.

Hogs

Picture of the hog that Dad shot.

 Today when our dogs started barking, we realized  that they were barking at three feral hogs. Dad ran and got his gun and shot the biggest one twice. Then, he tracked it down and found out that it was a male.
The reason Dad shot it was because that they will tear up our lawn (like last year) and they will eat our chickens. Plus they are very dangerous if you happen to run into them. If you would like to learn more about feral hogs read the following.

A different picture of the hogs on an earlier date. 

Diet: Feral hogs eat nuts, roots, grass, fruits, mushrooms, vegetables  bugs, small birds, rabbits, eggs, and even dead animals.


Size: they can be up to 5 feet long, and weigh 300 pounds.

Hunting Season: There is no hunting season because they are not native to Texas. 

Popularity: Many people don't like feral hogs because they compete with native animals for food. Also, they root up native plants and grasses. 

Lego Lighthouse

Last year at Christmas one of the gifts I  received was this Lego Lighthouse creator set. During the time I've owned it I have had a wonderful time building and rebuilding this fabulous Lego set. As seen on the box, you can build this set into a lighthouse, restaurant, and a boat house. I've only built the lighthouse and have not built the others. The lighthouse has a big door on the side of it so you can open it and look inside. It also, has a handle in the back of it for you to turn the light up top. When you finish  building the light house, you can build an included boat and to sea gulls. My favorite thing about this set is that it comes with a real light.

                                 Five lighthouse facts

1. The world's first known lighthouse was built by the Egyptians around 283 BC.
2. The oldest light house in  America is in Sandy Hook, New Jersey and is still in use.
3. The most expensive lighthouse built in America cost $ 715,000.00.
4. Once there were 850 lighthouses in America at the same time.
5. The first fog horn was a cannon which was at the Boston lighthouse.

For more facts go here:http://www.seathelights.com/other/facts.html