Uneasy peace

Yes, I know it has been two weeks since the last post. I would say that I am and have been in a complete sheet storm of grading papers, but most of the work has been online rather than physical sheets of paper. This week, I have two online lab report (15 each), the lab paper for Wednesday’s lab (20), and an exam for a double section (43). Next week is one more online lab report and Monday’s lab papers. By Halloween, I hope to breathe again.

I have been taking pictures all along. Let’s start with the chickens. On October 9, I went out after dark to see how things were getting along in the coop. Five of old girls were huddled on the east end, farthest from the door and presumably the preferred post. Five of the new girls were clustered at the top of the ladder. And in between, Nadia and Helen were either roosting together or guarding their respective borders.

East side: The old girls from Lizette to Nadia

West side: Nadia and Helen at the border, the rest of the new girls around the top of the ladder.

October has brought us beautiful sunsets, a little earlier every evening. We may have rain tonight, which would be welcomed. It has be 34 days since we had anything measurable. The ground is rock hard. While I am not eager for mud, some precipitation would help us get the dead plants out of the garden without using a pickax. Terry rototilled half the garden before it got very, very dry, and I was able to get the garlic planted on Sunday. Check that off the list.

Sunset over the fifth oak