A Cosmic Experience. Nope... And warm chickens.

I am looking forward to a new apple.  I had hoped to grow one, as well, but I guess that isn't to be, for a while.

Let me explain.

Washington State University has produced an apple that they call Cosmic.  It is a good keeper, it's pretty, and it tastes good, for all that I have read the reviews.  Great, huh?

Well, I want to get a tree!  Would be a neat new apple to have!  Hmm.  Well, let's just look this up...

Uh, Washington... Only?  Um.  What?  I start reading, they are keeping it JUST in Washington State for 10 years, to support state industries. 

Poo. 

Well, I guess I will have to just see what other trees I can plant.  Or vines. Or whatever. 

But it was still kind of cool to know there is a brand new apple around... 

In other news, I think Salt and Pepper are going to be girls.  Salt has figured out how to jump up on the feed barrel, which leads to incessant peeping when I am getting feed.  Pepper just waits, and then nabs food as soon as it's down.  Neither are very aggressive, which I am happy about.  I just wish they weren't quite so quick to run under my feet when I feed.  I have to be very aware where they are, they are as like to run under my foot as I step, as to run beside me! 

The group has FINALLY finished molt, and are looking good again.  They are not unhealthy when they molt, but it does nothing for the general glamour of the place.  Plus, there are feathers EVERYWHERE.  It looks like a pillow fight went terribly wrong...  But, making sure they have some extra feed, and kept warm, they pull through like little troopers.

Oh, and to the end of keeping them warm.  Husband, bless and thank him, went and bought me some covers for the windows.  I had been using plastic 'fabric' for a bit, and then feed bags, but neither really did the job.  I was grousing, because we needed to cover the windows again, and it was going to be really cold.  I thought that there should be something better for what we were doing.  That's when he came up with the window covers.  They are like tin roofing, but clear acrylic. He put several screw holes set in on the edges, and put up the panels on both sides of the chicken house.  When I went in the next morning, it wasn't balmy, by any stretch, but the roof panels, now window panels, had kept enough heat in to have the water in the chicken's waterer thawed.  And the chickens were happy and lively, until they ran outside.

They seem to like being inside, now!  At least until the sun is well and full on the chicken house...