Maybe George is a Gardenia

I have been so worried about George, or maybe she is Gardenia.  When we were picking up yet more bags of food for the ducks and chickens I saw that one container was filled with the tiniest itty bitty little peeps and the sign on the side said, "Bantam, mixed breed, straight run"  in the bin next to these tiny cotton balls were some Cornish Rock chickens, straight run.  When we bought our peeps the white chicks had been marked leghorn straight run.  I have raised leghorn before.  They are a nice size chicken, but George/Gardenia has been the fastest growing chicken I have ever seen.  I have been so concerned for this poor little obese chicken.  But Cornish Rock.  I think those are the giant chickens.  So here is what Murray McMurray says about this particular breed:

"This is the most remarkable meat producing bird we have ever seen. Special matings produce chicks with broad breasts, big thighs, white plumage, and yellow skin. The rapid growth of these chicks is fantastic and the feed efficiency remarkable. Whether you get these Cornish X Rock chicks for your own pleasure or to raise and sell, you can’t do better. If you want to raise capons, buy males and have them caponized at 2 or 3 weeks of age. Females have a fine smooth finish when dressed and reach beautiful roasting size. Buying straight run chicks gives you some of each sex so that you can take advantage of the strong points both ways. We think our Cornish X Rock chicks are among the finest meat birds in America. We should know. We fill our family freezers with them every year! Males will dress from 3 to 4 pounds in six to eight weeks and females will take about one and one-half weeks longer to reach the same size. Please Note: These birds are not recommended for raising at altitudes above 5000 feet."

Here is the photo they have of a hen on their website:

 

That looks like George/Gardenia.  Huge giant redwood legs with a wide stance, huge breast and thighs so large that he/she can not put her/his wings all the way down.  But it at least looks like he is supposed to be like this.  I feel so much better.  I mean he is so big and out of shape that he/she has to drop to the ground to rest and does not do much standing.  He/She also eats constantly.  But with that growth it makes sense that he/she would always be starving.  So maybe that solves ones mystery.  maybe

I have gotten the sunflowers planted with wax beans.  The yard long beans are running around 2 sides of the fenced garden, rotated from the opposite side for the last two years.  I have also planted golden ruffled squash along the front fence and cucumbers growing up the final side of fence and on the lean to.  I mixed nasturtiums with the squash row so hopefully I will have nasturtiums growing up the fence with the squash.  I pick the nasturtium flowers and leaves for salads.  I also planted a small area of wild greens.  I will cut them back when they are young before they bolt.  I also planted some chard, rainbow colored as well as a giant green leaf.  I planted a small spot of carrots and spread marigold seeds around the tomato and basil plants.  I plant rudbeckia in front of the sunflower and beans.  Many of these seeds are old and in 10 - 14 days I will look at planting something else if all the seeds do not come up.  I would still like to get in a watermelon and a pumpkin.  We will have to see.  The sweet potatoes are purple and sprouting.  They will be my living compost for the garden.  I have rotated everything this year but the tomatoes. 

My irises are glorious and more and more blooms just keep surprising me each day.  The creep myrtles along 90 are covered with their spring green and the pecan trees, the last of the trees to set leaves have are unfurling their leaves and flowers sending another round of thick pollen to ravage our sinuses.  I need to take the time to walk around Casa Bianca and see what types of nut trees we have and mark them so it will be easier to harvest their precious crop.

The roof has leaked and we have been assured that it is fixed.  We are getting close to the contractors finishing and this is where the dance of what still needs to be done will be discussed and determined who needs to do what.

Tomorrow we will drive to Thomasville so that I can get my port flushed and then my nurse, the sweet Ms Geraldine has a prescription of my pain med, and a prescription for pain patches.  Oh please, please let these work and not make me sick. 

Wednesday is the first monthly ladies lunch out.  There are seven confirmed and three possibles.  I am looking forward to it.  Thursday with the Ladies Garden Club luncheon.  I hope I am well enough to go. 

A very busy week.  Lots of wonderful possibilities and time to spend with my precious beloved ones.  But lots of work to do here at the house, and I am so slow getting things done.