Artwork by Ollie

Ollie made me a picture tonight at Mom and Dad’s:

Yes, I framed it. Of course I framed it. It’s a hand turkey. Made by a 3-year-old. The teal-colored wattles on the turkey actually started out as a teardrop, which made it look as if it had killed someone in prison, but I think Jamie convinced Ollie to modify it.

If you wouldn’t proudly display a toddler’s rendering of a turkey with a prison tattoo in your home, I’m not sure we can be friends.

Hazel had a birthday party today. She’s 5. Mom asked me to take a picture of all three kids together. I think she was hoping for something suitable for use on Christmas cards. This was the only one that didn’t have someone making a face or squirming or wandering off or giving bunny ears or some combination of the above. The boys have cake and Kool-Aid all over their faces, and Hazel is completely distracted, so obviously the party was a success.

Emily

Compliance

I still feel sort of morally obligated to flout the city’s anti-chicken ordinance on the grounds that I don’t see the city treasurer’s signature on that check to the mortgage company every month, but I keep reading things that suggest quail — which are perfectly legal — are actually lower-maintenance than chooks, so I haven’t ruled them out.

The main advantages of quail, as far as I can tell, are:

1. They’re smaller and can be moved indoors easily if the weather gets too nasty.
2. They have better personalities than chickens. Personally, I loved my chooks, but some of them did have attitude problems.
3. They’re cute.
4. They’re quiet.
5. They’re legal. This is an advantage from Ron’s point of view and a disadvantage from mine.
6. Their size makes them easier to butcher quickly and cleanly. (Of course, this might be a wash, since their size also makes them adorable, which makes them harder to butcher, because who wants to kill something cute?)
7. They’re mostly dark meat.

I’m still trying to decide what I want to do, but that last point might be the determining factor. Anybody who’s known me very long knows I like dark meat better than white meat, and if I’m going to have a freezer full of something, I’d rather it was something I actually like.

We’ll see what happens. I’ve got all winter to make a decision.

Emily