Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 4/29/2023 at 12:10 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

A goat would be worse! Did the goat attack once, or repeatedly?

To be fair, my friend and I (this happened on his farm) were pushing and prodding it to get into a position to take a picture, which we would then use for a comedy dialogue in English class. Little Manon the goat 🐐 was having none of it! 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:48 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

on Earth Day I had planted some seeds

Some more of the things sprouted. Super happy that the chili peppers are coming up. First, they are colorful and they grow upside down like spikes. But also I like to make my own hot sauce. 
 

Definitely will need to pot up the herbs from the little house pot once they get decent roots.

Here is a chili plant I grew in 2016.

Not sure if I mentioned it in the rooster attack post or not, but my friend gave me a shiitake mushroom log. She planted mushroom spawn in it (drilled holes, planted spawn, then sealed with beeswax). She gave me some extra spawn and wax, I just need to find some logs that don’t have lichen or mold/fungus (lichen competes with the mushrooms). It will end up looking like this.
 

Can last a good 4+ years continually making mushrooms. I believe after each harvest the log must be submerged in water for a bit to get it going again(?) Idk- still learning..

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/2/2023 at 4:14 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

But also I like to make my own hot sauce. 

Do you know of Brad Leone?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/2/2023 at 10:01 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Do you know of Brad Leone?

No

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@xXInkedPhoenixX, do you think this cat is smiling or what?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Looks like a smile to me my friend.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:48 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

So yesterday.. I got ATTACKED by a rooster

6 days later. 

I have another one on the other side, not as cool as this one though. Top right is one of the punctures also. Fun! 🤣

Edited May 4, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

They are related to the raptors.... They definitely have that mindset!

Yikes.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Yesterday I got all the shiitake logs innoculated - 2+ hrs to do it (excluding the drilling which was done the day before)!
 

 1) I had shiitake sawdust spawn, which had to be packed into each hole, pinch by pinch. If I ever do this again I would get plug spawn, which is compacted and just gets hammered in like pegs. But I got this spawn for free.

2) I didn’t have a proper innoculation tool, so I used the flat end of a bamboo skewer, pushing little bits in at a time, which was not efficient. Also I was trying to get the shavings from drilling out of each hole to allow for more mushroom spawn to enter.

3) No good way to keep the beeswax warm. Some people use a little crockpot on an extension cord and take that outside. I just made a double boiler type setup on the stove and took that outside when I was ready to use the wax. The instructions say to wax as you go along so nothing you’ve placed falls out. Also I didn’t want to be working with fungus/potential spores indoors. So I had to go back inside twice to remelt wax. I used wax to seal some parts of the log where the bark had worn off as well. I did that to help those logs retain moisture. It’s fine to leave the ends of the logs unsealed though. The mushrooms do need to take up moisture.

It feels satisfying to see the completed logs though. 

Not an impressive photo to show here. Just looks like some logs… I should mark them so the landscaper doesn’t think they are debris. Any ideas? (Not paint - because toxins. This is food…)

We made some backyard friends. They come when called now. They are smart and remember people’s features and whether they like those people or not. My husband was making a pss-pss-pss-kiss-kiss-kiss noise the last few feedings. I did that this morning, and a crow flew right over and landed on the branch above me and watched as I sprinkled the seed, cashews, and peanuts in the shell. The squirrels come and eat too. The crows seem to prefer the nuts, and they know how to open the peanuts.

 

[Guppysnail]

You could tie yarn around the logs and write a note stuck between 2 pieces of packing tape to make it water resistant. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/6/2023 at 9:03 AM, Guppysnail said:

You could tie yarn around the logs and write a note stuck between 2 pieces of packing tape to make it water resistant. 

Hmm.. I have yarn but I also have butcher’s twine, I think that could be more waterproof. Oh and I can also put the date on the note 🙂

One time my cat ate a 2 ft piece of butcher’s twine that fell off the counter… that was a big fiasco… she got sick because it didn’t go all the way down, the end of it was stuck in her throat and tickling the gag reflex all night long, then an emergency vet visit the next morning.. on a weekend of course. The solution? High fiber food. And me with gloves on doing forensics in the litter box. I expected to find a long string/strings. Instead, when I broke apart the poop, it was like tearing a cotton ball…. Took her a few poops to pass these cotton ball things. Omg

Edited May 6, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

This used to be a succulent planter (that I made years ago- it’s called hypertufa- looks like cement but lighter than cement) but everything got way overgrown. However these 2 cacti are happy and easy going. But idk what to do with it. IT’S TOO CRAZY!


 

Pencil cactus and devil’s backbone.

So I asked my gardening-addict neighbor if he wanted it. He said of course and then he said , wait wait, and runs over to his house. And returns and gives me this!

Someone got a RAW DEAL!

But omg how sweet 😍He also said it’s low maintenance and grows well in our area. 
 

This is what I did with the hypertufa planter. Another friend gave me this plant which had a few babies. Idk what the plant is. Neither does she

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I had quite the surprise this evening!
I just watered my plants and went to refill my watering can in the tub and a tree frog jumped out and was boing boing all over the shower, from one wall to the other!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Thanks for Mrs. @Guppysnail for the labeling suggestion, so the landscaper doesn’t “clean up” and take my logs. I raised the logs up as well, as recommended. This is so other fungi that live in the soil don’t invite themselves into the logs.

 

 

I gave a log to my neighbor and he gave me three plants: celery, parsley, and leek.

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/2/2023 at 7:14 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Can last a good 4+ years

More specifically: 8 years! Whoa!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

You will be pleased that I FINALLY invested in an algae scraper. The ol magfloat just wasn’t cutting it. Neither was a plastic credit-type card. I chose this one because I can easily buy replacement blades for super cheap at the hardware store. But it did come with a bunch of blades, so I doubt I’ll need to for awhile.

Going forward, photos of critters should be better. 🙂

 

[Shadow]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea you should meet my buddy, Chad. He has multi cultures of mushrooms in his back garden. He and I often forage for Chanterelles, as they grow naturally here this time of year. I also see you are a fellow green thumb...its why I ultimately got drawn back to the aquarium hobby, the symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic life. Plus the trend nowadays of more live plants than fake definitely suckered me back in. Now I find myself learning as much or more about aquatic plants than working on my own garden. Sadly, as I just move a few weeks back I am too late by our climate for a summer garden, so I am preparing the ground for the winter garden which will be my first in ground in 10+ years! 🙂 

On 5/11/2023 at 5:33 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

You will be pleased that I FINALLY invested in an algae scraper. The ol magfloat just wasn’t cutting it. Neither was a plastic credit-type card. I chose this one because I can easily buy replacement blades for super cheap at the hardware store. But it did come with a bunch of blades, so I doubt I’ll need to for awhile.

Going forward, photos of critters should be better. 🙂

 

Yea I got one as well recently, but I also find just using a real good razor and my hand is also good in a pinch. My driver's license is thanking me! 🤣

Edited May 11, 2023 by Shadow

[Shadow]

On 5/4/2023 at 5:30 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

6 days later. 

I have another one on the other side, not as cool as this one though. Top right is one of the punctures also. Fun! 🤣

Funny story...back when I was in New Orleans as a chef, I lived right near Tulane University Uptown. One day a rooster just showed up in front of my home. He was just wondering around by himself as someone just dumped him off. I fed and kept him on the front porch for better part of 4 years until a young couple kids allowed their 7 month old lab to get away from them. RIP 2Peec. 

[Shadow]

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/11/2023 at 7:33 PM, Shadow said:

I also see you are a fellow green thumb

I used to be more involved in the garden, but I went back to school and am now working on my CPA license. It consumes a lot of my time. I’m in FL and due to the heat and rainy season, many plants (particularly herbs and vegetables) are prone to disease.

Recently I got whisked back into when

1) my friend gave me a mushroom log and some extra mushroom spawn (then the research began on mushrooms), and

2) I planted 8 year old seeds on Earth Day never expecting them to sprout, and they ALL sprouted (I think because I had stored them in mason jars in the fridge, and

3) My neighbor gave me 4 plants - 3 foods and 1 flower.

So here we are!

Update on the roosters. She bought silicone spur covers for them. They had also been hurting their girlfriends,  which she was having to put vests on, so it was necessary. She made this hilarious video. Make sure the sound is on!

I told her they served their time in the coop, out on parole now but they have to wear ankle bracelets so they are not a flight risk.

On 5/11/2023 at 7:38 PM, Shadow said:

was in New Orleans

They freely roam the streets in Key West as well.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Lennie]

On 5/12/2023 at 12:36 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I used to be more involved in the garden, but I went back to school and am now working on my CPA license. It consumes a lot of my time. I’m in FL and due to the heat and rainy season, many plants (particularly herbs and vegetables) are prone to disease.

Recently I got whisked back into when

1) my friend gave me a mushroom log and some extra mushroom spawn (then the research began on mushrooms), and

2) I planted 8 year old seeds on Earth Day never expecting them to sprout, and they ALL sprouted (I think because I had stored them in mason jars in the fridge, and

3) My neighbor gave me 4 plants - 3 foods and 1 flower.

So here we are!

Update on the roosters. She bought silicone spur covers for them. They had also been hurting their girlfriends,  which she was having to put vests on, so it was necessary. She made this hilarious video. Make sure the sound is on!

I told her they served their time in the coop, out on parole now but they have to wear ankle bracelets so they are not a flight risk.

They freely roam the streets in Key West as well.

they are adorable.

Chikc-in's dream:

 

What happened in reality:

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/12/2023 at 7:09 AM, Lennie said:

What happened in reality

I hear the Benny Hill theme song in my head when I watch that last gif 🎪 

[Guppysnail]

 

[Shadow]

On 5/12/2023 at 8:57 AM, Guppysnail said:

 

 

On 5/12/2023 at 7:31 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I hear the Benny Hill theme song in my head when I watch that last gif 🎪 

My stepdad use to do the Benny Hill face all the time when I was younger...that show would split me in two when I was little. 😂

[Shadow]

On 5/12/2023 at 4:36 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I used to be more involved in the garden, but I went back to school and am now working on my CPA license. It consumes a lot of my time. I’m in FL and due to the heat and rainy season, many plants (particularly herbs and vegetables) are prone to disease.

Recently I got whisked back into when

1) my friend gave me a mushroom log and some extra mushroom spawn (then the research began on mushrooms), and

2) I planted 8 year old seeds on Earth Day never expecting them to sprout, and they ALL sprouted (I think because I had stored them in mason jars in the fridge, and

3) My neighbor gave me 4 plants - 3 foods and 1 flower.

So here we are!

Update on the roosters. She bought silicone spur covers for them. They had also been hurting their girlfriends,  which she was having to put vests on, so it was necessary. She made this hilarious video. Make sure the sound is on!

I told her they served their time in the coop, out on parole now but they have to wear ankle bracelets so they are not a flight risk.

They freely roam the streets in Key West as well.

Definitely understand that...being on the Gulf of Mexico here in Alabama, I understand having to deal with disease constantly. A gamechanger on that for me was the combination of root watering on timers(I adjusted the timing with weather patterns), good breathable areas for my garden(lots of air/wind circulation) and neem oil. I have always used all natural fertilizers as well, I keep my waste for composter year round, and often would use fish waste based fertilizers from Gloucester, Mass and other places...so the fish hobby has some ideas going. @Guppysnail's hose out to the garden idea seems pretty on point with what I am going to attempt. 🤞

Key West is pretty amazing, although my buddy just moved back here from there. Said he couldn't deal with the insane rent prices and nonstop traffic/tourism. I told him, "you were expecting something else when you moved there?". 😂

I honestly miss my rooster and having chickens, they are the best...especially the hens. Big feathered cuddlebugs(not the roosters lol).