Our teenage son is sick tonight, and it’s the first time he’s been sick since 2019. He’s not taking it well after all of those years feeling great, I suppose, and he’s so grumpy. It’s kind of funny to me, though I feel badly he feels badly. I just made him some hot tea with honey to help his sore throat, and I admired the tea and cup and towel for holding the hot cup and had to take a picture. It’s cozy. There is a slight chill in the air now, and I find myself looking forward to the cozy of fall.

The tea didn’t help unfortunately, but he asked for eggs. He asked if eggs might help. I told him, if he felt hungry for them, then surely. Plus, I reminded him that an egg makes a life. It’s pretty powerful. The eggs helped, he said, so that’s hopeful. I definitely hope I do not catch whatever he has.

I had to write tonight to share a Mary Jane story. She’s hanging in there and still getting around pretty well. She just moves as this slower pace that is a bit hard to describe. I mean, she has always moved a little more slowly, I think. She’s double the size of all of the other chickens. Still, in her old age, she is extra slow. Poor girl.

This afternoon, I was feeding some garden scraps to the chickens, and I had two sun gold tomatoes. Mary Jane adores these. They might be her favorite food. I gave her the first one, and she moved so slowly that it was stolen right out of her beak. So I broke the second one up a little and let her try again. She was still too slow, and the second tomato was stolen out of her beak as well. Those young hens are quick!

Mary Jane was so frustrated. She just started pecking heads of anyone who was in her general vicinity. I guess it wasn’t too hard, as no one cried, but they all got out of her way. The tomatoes were gone though. I felt badly for Mary Jane. I know how it feels to get older and slow down.

Of course, I could not let it end this way. I went into the house and got two more tomatoes from our dinner allotment. I cut them up into little pieces. As I made my way toward the chickens, I told Mary Jane to be ready, and she surely was. I put my hand down, and she gobbled those tomato pieces.

She’s such a great hen.

Oh, and that reminds me. Her daughter, Petty, is doing great as a broody hen. The babies should be hatching in about 5 days, maybe sooner, as they sometimes hatch a little early. It’s been really cool getting to know Petty. She’s very no-nonsense. It’s so opposite of Ruby. Though I love Ruby to the moon and back, it’s like a breath of fresh air working with Petty. I’ll have to write more about her soon. I hope she’s a good mama.