Bourbon Reds

Our ten Bourbon Red heritage turkeys arrived yesterday from Ideal Poultry, packed with ten miscellaneous chicks to prevent jostling and to provide warmth.

Cute, cute, cute!

They are warming under their electricity sucking heat lamp in their brand new turkey house. Isn't it funny how you think you are ready for something - facility perfect, food and watering ready - and then when the post office calls at 7:30, you have to run around like a maniac stringing extension cords for the lamp that needs a new bulb, build a retaining wall to keep the now tiny chicks from leaving the facility that you thought was perfect. When the chicks arrive is when you notice the crack in the door seating that will most certainly allow varmint entrance. Now is the time you realize that a dividing wall is completely necessary, not just optional. Now is the time you realize the waterers that you use only when you have bitties are cracked and won't hold water.

Now is the time you realize you weren't as organized and on top of things as you gave yourself credit for being. Now is the time to panic.

But, aren't they cute and won't they be delicious in November?

We will eat all of these birds except for one breeding pair. Hopefully, a turkey can be the mama next year.

Restart

Don't you just hate that blue screen of death on Windows based systems. I don't get to see them at home anymore, but I see more than my fair share at work since I get to problem solve for a few companies. Unfortunately, we have had a system failure in our garden and will be forced to restart spring, so to speak.

Through a series of unfortunate weather incidents, mild catastrophes, uncooperative weather, and oversights, we will start from almost scratch tomorrow. We had two hard, late freezes that burned the green beans, the muscadine vines, and some of the fruit on the fruit trees. When the garden was tilled using a tractor, the operator (I won't name names) broke my cold frame which housed all my seedlings. When the temperatures dipped for the second time I was feeling smug in my knowledge that my seedlings would be safe since I hadn't planted yet. They weren't since the outside temperature was also the inside temperature. Since those two freezes we haven't been dry enough to plant.

I suppose I shouldn't complain since my lettuce, herbs, sugar snap peas, asparagus, and garlic were completely unaffected. My potatoes will bounce back too, though their tops are gone. But I feel behind. Antsy. A bit nervous.

Iodine

I was scared my children and I were running low on iodine and would sink into delayed development or thyroid problems, since I use only sea salt or other coarse salt with no additives, so we had to take a small trip south and east to eat copious amounts of crab, shrimp, and flounder. Getting iodine is tricky so we also had to haul a pile of extra trace nutrient carrying shrimp and crab home.

Obviously, this Portuguese-Man-of-War needed a bit of iodine, too. Truly, we couldn't decide if the Portuguese-Man-of War was trying to eat the crab or the other way around. They both got washed ashore in the attempt and the crab did escape, even though the stings of a Portuguese-Man-of-War can paralyze.

Aren't they pretty. My crazy man-cub attempted to return every viable polyp to the gulf.

Impossible.

But fun.

The tide and surf was just too strong that day. Since a good number were getting washed ashore, I was scared to let him go too far into the water.

In addition to getting my monthly allotment of iodine, I got my putt-putt golf fix. Did I ever mention that I am the queen of miniature golf. I don't mean to say that I am ready to go on the professional circuit, but. . . .

I am a little obsessed. I began my obsession when I was about seven. We played on vacation and I was mesmerized by the miniature nature of the course, the bridges, windmills, water hazards, and other brightly colored, fanciful traps. We returned to the hotel, fell asleep, and then I left the hotel room and started down the stairs when my mother came to the door and asked where I was going. I said, "I'm going to play putt-putt golf." To my knowledge I've never done that again, but I try to play as much putt-putt golf as I can to keep those somnambulistic tendencies to a minimum.

We played the Tiki gods course, featuring bright purple astro-turf greens on Friday. The Tiki gods won. I didn't get even one hole in one. I birdied a few holes, but that inclined hole with the raised cup laughed at my whole crew. We like this course, even though it doesn't have a waterfall, a tunnel, or a boat, because they play Buffet, allow pirates a hundred years too late, feature live oak shade, welcome hippies, and charge only $5 for all you can play.

We came home a little earlier than expected. We got cold. Even the pelicans have taken refuge on the porch.

Of course, this one has already gotten his iodine allotment for the day.