First I had to clean out the chicken run. I wanted to do a really thorough job before it got cold again and the chickens were flat out purring when they came out of the coop. While I cleaned they moaned and groaned and watched me from the window of their coop. I raked and shoveled. Then I shook out some diatomaceous earth, threw out some oyster shell, spread some straw, picked 3 or 4 handfuls of fresh clover and spread it around, put the feed and water back in and then let them out. They walked out, started scratching, pecking and purring and never raised their little heads. They were happy, happy, happy, and it made me happy just to watch them.
Then I brought in some of the larger summer decorations and stored them in the shop, pulled the cherry tomato vines out of my climbing roses, put them in my wheelbarrow and dumped them over the hill. I had 2 decorative ferns, the ones hanging from the gazebo, that were still just gorgeous, so I watered them really well and brought them into the garage. I'm hoping I can salvage them, keep them alive and use them again next year. After that I had to scramble into the house and get lunch ready.
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By the way, remember a blog or so ago I talked about how stinky valerian is? While I was chopping them up they really didn't smell all that badly. I took them downstairs and decided to put 1 of the drying racks down and dry the valerian and the echinacea on the drying rack. Folks, it smells so bad downstairs right now you would upchuck. The valerian must be extra potent this year because it's not only smelling up my garage, it's starting to seep into the basement kitchen. Oh it's just awful - but it will make an awfully awesome herbal medicine!!! You just gotta take the bad with the good!!!