Molten B's

It's now March and the 3 B's are molting. We've discovered how vain these Polish hens are, as Lil' B can't even bear to look at the camera during a photo shoot. While I tell her she's still a very pretty B, she doesn't believe me. She sulks ands asks for cheese. Just hearing the cheese package opening gets the B's very excited, and they forget just how disturbing they look right now. I do feel like I've neglected them of late, as I'm back at my day job after a 2 1/2 year absence. So now I have 3 jobs, my own business (truedecor), Project Manager remodeling our commercial building in Georgetown (we're moving our entire picture framing operation there) and back at Picture Source/Art Club as General Manager.



Working 60-70 hours per week does cut into cuddle time with the 3 B's, so they've resorted to re-establishing the 'pecking order'. At first, it was B Master B all the way, but now B Diddy and Lil' B are throwing some smack of their own. That's impacted each B in an unfortunate manner, as each one has taken a hit to their new crest feathers. So I've been both nurse and referee of late (when I'm actually home). B Diddy was the first to show evidence of picking, and I'm happy to say she's recovering quite nicely. Lil' B has suffered the least, but I have spent some time healing scalp wounds. But B Master B is faring the worst, I've removed many damaged feathers and have had to deal with multiple feather cysts. I'm not sure why my B's get some many cysts, but I do remove them as they form. Bottom Line, the 3 B's are high maintenance B's!

The 3 B's visit the farm

To the bemusement of all, the chickens quickly went to work ridding Aunt Betty and Uncle Jimmy’s garden of bugs.

As we headed east on I-90 towards Montana with our two mini Aussies and 3 polish chickens my wife looked vaguely amused. At least that’s what I went with as twilight approached and we began to climb Snoqualmie Pass with a jeep load of animals. In 1910, my great grandfather homesteaded in Charlo, Montana, the heart of the Mission Mountain valley. Every August since I can remember, we traveled to "the ranch" for a family reunion with the Steindorf clan.

B Master B strikes a pose against the Mission Mountain Range.

Married, living in Seattle it became more and more difficult to make it over each August and before I knew it, almost 10 years had passed. As August neared, the family hinted strongly that we were long overdue for a visit. Point taken, we packed and headed east. The 3 B’s were 6 weeks old at this point and weren’t old enough to stay home. What better place to take them than to the family homestead? The urban chickens could see how their country counter parts live. As we arrived at the ranch and began to unload Uncle Jimmy (think George Bush Senior’s twin but ultra liberal) pointed out that the city folk had brought the only livestock on the ranch. Apparently, the homestead while a working farm was now without any farm animals.

Uncle Albert hypnotizes B Diddy at the family picnic. Uncle Albert is an expert Chicken hypnotist.

The urban chickens’ arrival was a big hit with the family Steindorf and I think we will go down forever in infamy. Now we aren’t just the city folk; we’re the incredibly ECCENTRIC city folk. Not sure what we’ll do for an encore.

Buy cage free only

The European union will ban caged hens for egg production by 2012. Will Obama bring real change?

'Lil B is surely enjoying her 1st Super Bowl. Her Godfather Big Mike is sitting right below her and they are both for the Cardinals.

'Lil B is a total lap chicken. She will curl up with you for hours.

To the Beach

Since the 3 B's were growing up just as summer was getting under way, they became well adapted to traveling the 90 minutes it takes to go to the beach. We spend those not so lazy summer days on Harstine Island, merrily slaving the time away on landscaping, oyster growing or gardening, all in preparation for a rare visit from friends or family.


One weekend I decided to head to the beach a day early, as the weather was good and my schedule was free. Darnell planned to drive down the next day. After a long day of enjoying the Puget Sound (working), I went inside to relax, enjoy a beer (maybe two or three), and watch a little tv. I put a blanket down on the sofa so the B’s could watch too. The B’s like tv. The next thing I knew it was 3am. The B’s were crashed on the sofa, they seemed comfortable enough, so I left them there and crawled into bed. They are such well behaved chickens – they didn’t move through the night. Fast forward to the following evening. Darnell has made it down, it’s late and I’ve got the B’s settled in on the sofa for the night. Darnell looks at me skeptically, suggests I put the chickens in the kennel (where they belong she tells me). I assure her they do not move in the night and that they LOVE the sofa. Well, as luck would have it, I was awoken by my fair wife in the night with some language I won’t repeat. B Master B had decided she wanted Darnell to know just how much she had missed her. There in the middle of the night, as my wife lay in bed sleeping, B Master B decided to fly up and land on her chest. Apparently my wife doesn’t like to be woken from a sound sleep by a chicken. That, of course, was the end of the B’s sofa slumber beach parties.





Today I wonder if the B's miss the beach or did it even make an impression? The dirt there is different, air is salty and they really enjoyed picking salal berries and huckleberry. They are still just chickens I'm reminded with a look of wtf from the wife.

Greenlake Take II

It's still sunny (when it's not foggy) in Seattle. This often seems to happen in January, where we experience a sustained high pressure system, and 1-2 weeks of fog and sun. The B's have really enjoyed the sun this week and we feel for the freezing B's out there, lot's of chitter chatter of comb and wattle frostbite on the backyard chickens forum. The 3 B's don't have to worry about that, they live in the house when it gets below 30 degrees (until I run electrical to the coop) and install a heater. These look like a reasonable route to take for that purpose.