Third time's the charm

At least that's what we're hoping this year as it's the Third Annual Alameda Bicycle Chicken Coop Tour this Sunday. Anyone local is invited -- it's a lovely day out with the kids. I think mine are planning a bake sale and lemonade stand.

At my house, just a week ago we had another tour come through, so you'd think we'd be completely ready. Alas, as I did my rounds this morning, I realized I'm going to be picking up on Sunday morning. Just a few things need moving around; stuff in the bee yard, some kid-left items, etc. I had hoped to get a bale of straw to mulch some beds and fluff the coop yard. Anyone have some locally to spare?

This group of hens is slightly less amenable to visitors than others we've had. They remind me of the scene in "Holy Grail," where the knights yell, "Run away! run away!" Maybe it's that most of them are Americaunas, maybe it's because they didn't get a lot of handling.

One of the birds is unusually handsome.

For some reason, she's a soft dove-gray. Just as freaked out as the rest of them, though.

Those massed aphids (why are they black on the onions in the winter and spring-green on the apricots in spring? Bizarre) are back on the leaves. I tend to nip them off and hand them over to the crew.

The seem to like them. I wish this garden resident on the going-by snow peas

Would move over to the apricot tree.