Chickens, Kittens, Garden

This morning I was out in the yard shortly after sunrise to check on the chickens (I am watching them while our neighbours are gone for the week). Last night one of the three gals did not return to the coop.

I have never worked with chickens before, but since I am a rural boy now, I figured I had better get up to snuff if I want my rural inhabitant card.

So far I am not panicking. From what I can see chickens may spend a night or more out for a variety of reasons. Still, it would be a bummer if one went permanently missing on my first chicken watch.

There's no shortage of predators around, and that is what scares me the most. 

Last night when I closed the coop for the night I could hear the yipping of coyotes in the distance. There are also owls, hawks, eagles, and mink. 

Fun Fact: Nova Scotia has the largest bobcat population in Canada. Yikes!

Speaking of cats, our neighbour's cat had 4 fluffy kittens. Linda and I spent some time with them on our patio for a bit of kitty therapy. 

They are adorable and irresistible, and I am saying that as a person allergic to cats.

There has been a lot of activity in our garden, and now that we are at the end of a fairly wet, hot July, everything is tapping in to the green fuse in a wild way. 

In our raised bed we have garlic, basil, beets, carrots, summer savoury and  at least three different types of tomatoes.

More things self-seeded than previous years. I don't mind this extra addition to our mix.

In this category we have tomatoes, as well as dill and cilantro. 

Everything is hitting its stride as we slide into August and the rest of summer.

In the front of the house I planted pole beans and nasturtiums. Some of the beans run up a pole teepee, and the rest have chicken wire for support. 

I wonder, are those ones called chicken wire beans?

Next to our garden I have made room for a compost area and a small spot of soil where I planted dill.

Because of our success last year, I planted one of my compost piles with winter squash. 

All the seeds germinated. Now they are going wild.

One problem, though. I have not seen a single bee, nor heard their buzzing, around the squash. 

It was time to take matters in my own hands.

I go out in the morning, when the squash flowers are open, and hand pollinate anything newly opened. 

How is it working? 

Well, in spite of not seeing many natural pollinators, there are many squash growing larger right before my eyes. 

With my help, this could be our best squash season ever. Perhaps the best garden season, too.

I do hope that chicken comes home before our neighbours do.