Jan. 29th, 2012

Cleaning the coop is never a fun job, but it is even less so in January after a week of rain.  It will go with the girls as a temporary home until a proper coop can be built at their new address.  Of course I wanted to make a good impression on their new chicken wranglers, so I spiffed up the avian domicile to the best of my ability.  I washed it inside and out with a bleach mixture and then dried it with an old towel and let it sit in the sun with the roof off for a while.

I hosed off all the plastic liners is use to keep the upstairs clean and I put new pine straw in the nest boxes.  It looks as good as the day Jim built it. (The House that Jim Built, May 31st)  While I was cleaning, Rosie was acting upset because she REALLY wanted to lay an egg, so I rigged up a temporary nest box with an old cardboard box and some straw.

At first she fussed when I put her in it, but then she settled down and VOILA!

I realized that I won’t have the girl’s eggs for much longer and I had wanted to repay Brenda’s kindness with an eggy treat.  She is the friend who made the beautiful decoupaged box for me. (A Meaningful Gift, Jan. 24th)  I made a small spinach Quiche and an egg custard pie with the fruits of my girls’ labor.

These are personal pan-sized and they fit into a pretty box I use to store Christmas ornaments.

I thought giving the Brenda this nice box as well as the food added a bit of symmetry to the gift-giving.

Skeeter is bringing the present to her mom today.  Brenda lives in the country and I still haven’t travelled to her farm to meet her.  Thanks Skeeter, please don’t eat them on the way!

Tomorrow I will disclose the girl’s new home.  Today they are enjoying a gorgeous day in their spotless coop under the Alabama sunshine.