Thursday, February 23, 2006

pinecones

This morning while doing chores, I got to witness one of life's little miracles when I entered the hen house at the exact moment that my hen was dropping an egg.  Hens have to stand up just before they "lay" their eggs.  So my hen was standing up and depositing her egg in a position where I was the very first living creature to see it.  I saw it before the hen did! 
 
Want to see it?
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It was still warm, even through my gloved hand.  What a world,eh?  One minute I am the only pair of eyes to see it, next minute people half way around the world view the same thing...  notice all the pinecones on the ground....
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Pinecone harvest
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Pinecones are everywhere since the last big wind.  (That is, the wind that took out a portion of fence around the garden).  I figure there is a pinecone every 10 inches.  I am tired of stepping on them and feeling them crunch under my feet.
 
What to do with all the pinecones...I recall my neighbor telling me that her great-grandfather would collect them and sell them down in NYC to the florist...and then pay the taxes on his land with the money from the pinecones.  Maybe...in a perfect world... 
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The smaller ones come from the hemlock...the large ones are from the spruce and white pine.
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A pair of gloves came to visit me.  I knit them from some of my early handspun, back in 2002.  The pattern was the sideways gloves from the cover of the winter Spin-off.  I had given them to my brother, and like so many things forgotten I had made them.  I was delighted when they came back for a few small repairs.  The yarn was thin in places, and was not wearing well, so I darned those troubled spots first.  Then, because he mentioned he was used to a cuff, I added one in a contrasting yarn....well.... I didn't have any of the original yarn leftover.
(It was a Wensleydale top roving that went by the name of ocean mist...but I could not even remember where I had originally purchased it.)  He seemed to like the alteration very much.
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Oh, and he tried the earflap hat on, and went home with that too.  He didn't take off, even while he was inside, but tied the flaps up on top of his head. Guess he liked it.

14 comments:

Jessica at Bwlchyrhyd said...

That egg is excellent! I saw one of my hens lay an egg once -- it's almost like it just sort of fell out... Like you said, they do have to be sort of standing before they can lay, and it always amazes me that the egg doesn't break from the fall...

cyndy said...

Hello Jessica!!

Yea...it is kinda funny how they sorta "plop" out of the hen! Once when it was very, very cold out in the hen house, I saw a hen lay an egg that was "steamin"...

Dawn said...

If you find a market for pinecones, let me know. We have 40 acres of mixed forest (pine and maple mainly) where our cottage is, and I could use a new business these days.

I have to have a much longer cuff on my gloves/mitts. Always had to get my mother to knit them longer for me. I couldn't stand having snow on my wrists when my coat sleeve moved up. That was cold!

Anonymous said...

Between the egg going plop & the pine cones having paid someone's taxes long ago....whew! It is wonderful! How warm is that egg, warm enough through the glove? I like your brother's ear flap hat. He's a lucky brother!

cyndy said...

Hi Dawn--

Hey...check out ebay..they are selling pinecones..(average price is about $5.oo for a lot of 50)...that would take quite awhile to pay my taxes!

cyndy said...

Judith-

I am so glad you asked!

The temperature of the egg when first laid is the same as the hen's...which on the average is about 106 degrees, but I have read that the broody hen has a higher temp (and that could be what triggers her broodiness)...

also, I liked the earflap hat too, and was going to keep it for myself!... must make more of those...

Anonymous said...

Yes she has a VERY lucky AND THANKFUL brother but she hasn't opened her sock drawer to see a field mouse becoming a mother!

cyndy said...

Hello my Brother!

And it's a good thing I never have opened my sock drawer at the exact moment to witness that little miracle! EEEKKKK! "I hate mieces to pieces!" (ps...which cartoon character was famous for saying that??)

Anonymous said...

but where in the world did you get that lovely hat pattern from that your lucky brother that is wearing right now? (just kidding)

cyndy said...

That lovely hat pattern would have been sent in a link via e-mail from my lovely SIL! Thanks for stoppin by, and thanks for the link to the pattern!

Anonymous said...

LOL! Lovely rhyme by your lucky brother. You guys must have had a wonderful time. I'm envious of him - visiting you AND getting the hat!

cyndy said...

And hello to my other lovely SIL!
It would be great to see you too-- (I will put you on the list for an earflap hat!)

Elise said...

I usually just visit your blog and keep quiet, but I just had to let you know when I was a teenager we had bantam hens that were always finding places to lay eggs and try to sit on them. I found one sitting in my ponies hay manger and decided to reach under her to take the egg away (we didn't want any chicks). Just when I reached under she laid her egg in my hand! Such a weird feeling, I can still remember the warmth and at the time it felt like the egg was soft at first and I wondered if they come out soft and harden in an instant. Maybe it felt soft because it was warm. Now, thinking about it, I must have had my palm facing up, not sure why but glad I did! I did feel sorry for that poor hen. All she wanted to do was lay her egg in peace and sit on it so she could have some chicks. Not only was I not letting her have chicks, but I rudely interupted her egg laying!

cyndy said...

Hi Elise!

Glad you are reading the riverrim, and always happy when someone leaves me a comment!

I enjoyed hearing about your experience with a "new egg"...and as far as I know, most egg's shell's are hard when they leave the hen, however, there are rare instances when they are soft.

Its funny how some hens take the business of laying very seriously...but others seem like its all in a days work!

Nice hearing from you, and thanks for your comment.

cyndy

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