Highway 126

When we go to visit our friends and relatives we travel along highway 126 between Valencia and Ventura, California. We have traveled this road many, many times and we never get tired of the scenery. As the seasons change the views change and there is always something new to see.

There are farms along highway 126 that produce lemons, avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, cabbage, strawberries, peppers, oranges and broccoli (just to name a few). There are also cut flower farms, commercial tree farms, pumpkin patches, a wonderful Cactus farm and a Christmas tree farm. We recently went to Ventura to visit friends and I brought my camera with me this time. I wanted to share a few pictures I was able to capture as we drove along highway 126.

A young orange grove with potted palms on a commercial tree farm in the distance

Banana trees on the side of the road

A new field of Orange trees (or lemon, not sure)

A new field of strawberries

A lemon grove

I like this random clump of large Palms. A couple years ago, when I was driving through, there was a motor home fully engulfed in flames parked under these trees and it caught a couple of them on fire. They recovered nicely, I always think of that when I drive past them.

Here are a few Pomegranate bushes along the road.

I like this dry stack stone wall.

Avocado trees

More Avocado trees. Note the security fencing around this farm. Avocado theft is common because you can get alot of money for them.

A hillside covered in cactus

One of the vegetable/Plant stands along the way. I usually stop and get something. This time I loaded up on butternut and acorn squash.

Here you can see (if you click to enlarge the picture) the large Avocado groves on top of the mountains. The weather is this part of California is perfect for growing Avocados.

I hope you liked your road trip!

Doggy Dress-Up, Part 2

Last night was the guide dog's annual Halloween party and doggy dress-up contest. There were about 50 dogs there. They awarded a first, second and third prize for the best costumes in four different age groups. Besides that, they had a little doggy haunted house full of new sights and sounds that we walked our dogs through. Popcorn was sprinkled here and there next to the decorations. The dogs were supposed to look at the decorations and leave the popcorn there. Even though we tried our best, Hayden was not able to resist and he ate several pieces.

Here are pictures of all but one of the dogs in Hayden's age range (8 weeks to 4 months). I was so caught up in the festivities that I almost forgot to take pictures. Hayden was such a good boy. He didn't try to take his costume off even once during the night.

Hayden didn't win a prize for his costume. We sure could have used a new doggy toy. I have to say my competitive spirit was disappointed, but it graciously accepted it's defeat and has moved on :)

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the first place winner in our age group. He was an 8 week old Labradoodle puppy dressed up as a doctor. He was very cute. Here are pictures of the 2nd and 3rd place winners and some others.

This dog is dressed as a cowgirl. Her costume was an embellished denim coat and a hat.
She won 3rd place.

Here is a puppy in a lion costume, very cute.

This one is a shark.

These two babies are a zebra and the other one is wearing an orange cape.

Here is another shot of the little one in a zebra costume.

This sweet girl is a Lady Bug. She won 2nd place.

Here is Hayden relaxing at my feet. I have to say, he made an adorable skeleton.

Maybe I'm Not Feeding Him Enough

Poor Hayden, he is just skin and bones. OK, I know Halloween is over but he doesn't know that. Tonight is our monthly guide dog meeting and it is also the annual Halloween party and doggy dress-up. It took some thought but I came up with this costume, what do you think? I hope he wins the costume contest tonight.

This is actually a child's (size 2T) costume that I bought on Sunday at Walmart for 1/2 off. I cut it apart and sewed it into a skeleton costume fit for Hayden, the pitch black Lab. The trick has been to get him to wear it without trying to pull it off. I have put it on him a few times for practice then I distracted him with treats. So far it has been working. I think once he is distracted by the other dogs at the meeting he'll forget it is even there. The other dogs may be a problem though, what dog doesn't want a bone?









I have to say, I can't help but laugh when I see him in it.

Our Halloween Weekend

My husband and I spent Halloween here at home, alone. I made a pot of Chili for dinner and we sat on the couch and watched television most of the night. My youngest is away at college and our oldest was off with his cousins for the weekend. We left the porch light on just in case we had trick-or-treaters come by. We did, there was one lone boy that came by. He was about 10 years old. His parents were waiting in the car for him so we think they were driving him from house to house. My husband and I had a laugh about that. We remembered how we used to take the boys out to trick-or-treat and how many happy memories we have of being together, as a family.

Our neighbors, the ones that I have mentioned before, had a loud party on Halloween well into the night. By about 8:30 we were dozing off on the couch so we turned off our porch light and went to bed.

The next morning we were up bright and early. The time change made it even extra early. We were up at 5:30 am. My mom was coming and I wanted to get some things done before she got here. Not to my surprise, when I looked out to the front there were broken pumpkins, a broken bottle, and beer cans in the street in front of our house. My husband went out and picked up the glass and beer cans. The Ravens were cleaning up the pumpkins, so we left them there. I am so disappointed that we have to be subjected to the disrespect of our partying neighbors. Of course, the broken glass wasn't in front of their house, only ours. A little later my frustration grew when I found 3 more beer cans in my backyard. The cans had to have been thrown over our fence, there was no other way for them to get there.

My mom came to visit and stayed overnight. She hadn't seen my chickens since they were chicks. We had a great time sitting and watching them. My mom loves chickens. I tried to convince her to take a few of my baby chicks but she is worried that Raccoons will kill them. She sees Raccoons almost every night in her backyard. As we sat outside watching the chickens a flock of quail landed near us in the yard, that was a treat. I wish I had pictures to show you but of course I did not have my camera.

While she was here, she told me what little she knew about her grandparents, (I love to hear stories about relatives I have never met), I also colored her hair, she trimmed my hair and we even squeezed a trip to Walmart in on Sunday. We weren't doing anything special, but that may have been why it was so enjoyable. It ended up being a very nice weekend despite a few beer cans and some broken glass.

Make A Fun Dog Toy

Dog Toys are a necessity around here. They keep my silly puppy occupied for long periods of time and keep his sharp teeth off of my furniture. We have an under the bed type plastic tote in the corner of our family room and keep all the toys in there. It is easy to toss them in there when I want to clean up and Hayden and Taffy just climb in to get the toys they want. Of course they always want the same toy. I have a variation of toys, different textures and sizes, so when they are bored with one they go to the toy box and get another. Our floor is always covered with toys. As soon as I toss them back in the toy box they become interested in them again.

I got this idea from a dog toy I saw in Walmart. They sold a canvas cover and you were supposed to put the plastic bottle in it yourself. It was on the clearance rack, so I guess it didn't sell well. It did not have stuffing in it and I thought that would be better.

It took me minutes to make a version of the toy I saw. It looks like a pillow, which is very enticing to Hayden. He loves to wrestle with my pillows. It ended up being one of Hayden's and Taffy's favorite toys and it cost me nothing. I am making good use of a plastic water bottle too. All you need is a scrap of fabric, some stuffing, needle and thread, a sewing machine and a used plastic water bottle.

The technique is not important. You can make it as simple (such as how I did) or as fancy as you want. What makes it so much fun is the crackling sound the plastic bottle makes when they bite on it. They have had it for a week now and it is still in one piece. The bottle is crushed inside but still makes the crackling sound when chewed.

The material you use does not matter, I used upholstery fabric because it is a bit tougher than others. I am going to make another one with Denim. I rounded the edges because toys with corners do not last long around here. They chew the corners off. I stuffed it to keep the bottle from forming sharp edges that would poke through the material or even possibly cut their gums. I took the lid off of the bottle so that it could easily be crushed with their jaws.

Here is what I did.

Here is what you need (and a sewing machine too)

Make a shape that the bottle will fit into. Leave an opening. I zig zagged it so it would be more sturdy.

Turn is right side out. I did not trim the edges. Again, for sturdiness and the need for less stuffing.

Put some stuffing in.

Put the bottle in, then add more stuffing around it. Stuff it like you would a pillow.

Stitch up the opening.

Viola!

Thanks Mom!

Save Your Pumpkin Seeds For a Natural Chicken Wormer

When carving those pumpkins this week, remember to save the insides for your feathered friends. Refrigerate them or even freeze them so that you can use them later as a part of a natural wormer for your chickens.


In the October/November issue of "Backyard Poultry" there was an informative article written by Susan Burek and Laura Corstange, both Herbalists titled, "Fall Season Herbal Wormer & Alternative."

So many of us chicken lovers want to avoid the toxic medications required to worm our chickens yet still worry that maybe they do have worms that can be passed on to our other animals through their droppings. Now we can do something proactive and safe to eliminate the parasites that likely live inside their intestines.

This remedy can be used when your chickens have signs of worm infestation or as an alternative. The authors of this article say that "the foundational action of an alternative is one that promotes a healthy state of functioning and restoration of balance". I love the fact that without the use of harsh chemicals there is no need to waste eggs or to be concerned about tainted meat.

This is a natural fall season remedy that is an alternative to medication. I am condensing the information provided in the article, but it includes some other interesting information including how to grow the ingredients yourself.

The authors emphasize the importance of understanding that the ingredients work together as the remedy. They say, "The foundation of the remedy is to bolster the immune system, create and inhospitable internal living environment for the parasites or worms, and then finally add support to the body to expel the parasites."

Here is the simple remedy that the authors have developed:

• Pumpkin meat (raw) - It is cooling and moistening (95% water), holds medicinal value but less than the seeds.
• Pumpkin seeds (raw) - Contain cucurbitan (an antiparasitic protein that anesthetizes the worm). Also contain fat, protein and are high in zinc that is supportive to the immune system.
• Crushed Garlic - used to address digestive stagnation and tension for diarrhea (parasite overload) and immune support.
• Chopped Dandelion Greens - The larger more mature leaves are best. It addresses stagnation and is a diuretic working with the pumpkin to remove the anesthetized worms from the system, supports the immune system, helps to stimulate the kidneys and the flow of bile. It Replaces potassium that may have been lost if the birds are having diarrhea due to parasites.
• Grated Carrot - Provides vitamins and minerals that support the immune system as well as containing some sulfer. It helps to expel the worms and is good for intestinal inflammation and diarrhea.
  

It is important that all the ingredients be given together. Give this for 14 days in a row. The authors suggest that you give your poultry a chunk of raw pumpkin with all of the other ingredients on top of it for them to pick at. After reading the article I feel that it is very important to include plenty of pumpkin seeds each day. I know that my chickens love them. Unless you have access to a large number of pumpkins, I think it is a good idea to ask friends and family that may be cooking or carving pumpkins this fall, for their seeds. The authors do not give a quantity of any of the ingredients. I do not think it matters as long as the chickens have enough for all of them to share.

I am sure that the ingredients, especially the garlic, will change the flavor of your eggs. Mark them or put them in a different container so that you do not use them for baking.

Make sure that you will have all of the ingredients available for 14 days so that it works to rid your birds of the entire lifecycle of the worms. Give the Ingredients as free choice to your poultry and they will eat what they need. It may take a few days for them to get used to it and eat it more readily, that's ok, just keep giving it to them each day.

I have enjoyed my subscription of "Backyard Poultry" and have learned a great deal of useful information from each issue I have received. If you don't get it already, I recommend it.

I hope you find this information helpful too. Have a great day everyone!

A Fall Favorite

One of the reasons I look forward to the arrival of Fall is that it brings with it one of my favorite fruits, the Pomegranate. I picked up a few of these beauties at the store yesterday. I will snack on their sweet, tart, juicy seeds until they are no longer available. Where I used to live I had a Pomegranate tree of my own. I do not have one here yet but wish I did.


The Pomegranate grows well in hot dry Mediterranean climates and the tree is a nice looking addition to the garden. It is shrub-like but can be shaped as a tree depending on how it is pruned. They are cultivated in California (and Arizona) so at this time of year we usually have a nice supply from October through December.

Besides the Pomegranate seeds being a delicious snack, they add interest to many recipes. They can be sprinkled on any salad. The website below has some great looking recipes available that I plan on trying this year. I love that they are extremely nutritional too. Here is an excerpt taken from WWW.Pomegranates.Org

"Pomegranates are now being featured as one of the hot new "super foods" that both tastes good and is good for you. Nutritional research confirms that pomegranates contain mineral e.g. calcium, potassium, and iron, plus compounds known as phytonutrients, that help the body protect against heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. The powerful antioxidants in the fruit also help retard aging and can neutralize almost twice as many free radicals as red wine and seven times as many as green tea. As a further benefit, some researchers suggest that the crunchy seeds help flush fats from the digestive tract."

When Pomegranates aren't available I buy a delicious Organic 100% Pomegranate Juice from Trader Joe's and drink a 4 oz glass of it each day. I want to get their health benefits throughout the year.


Some people pass on the Pomegranate because they think that it is difficult to get the seeds out of the fruit. It really takes no longer than it does to peel an orange. You make a cut about one inch into the center top and pull it apart. Then you get a large bowl of water and submerge the fruit as you pull apart the segments removing the seeds under water. When finished drain the seeds. A fruit the size I have will yield about a cup and a half of seeds. (The bowl of seeds in the picture came from just one half).

Another misconception may be that you need to spit out the seeds, so they are messy. The fiber is in the seeds. You just chew and swallow the entire seed. It is a much better idea to keep it all in your mouth because the juice stains. It is even used in some cultures as a fabric dye.

Besides being delicious, the Pomegranate makes a beautiful decoration for the Holidays. A bowl of bright red Pomegranates looks terrific as a center piece.

Do you like Pomegranates too or grow Pomegranates of your own?

PS: I don't work for the Pomegranate Growers, I just love this fall fruit. :)

"Hayden Heel"

Tonight is Hayden's 2nd obedience class. As you all know, Last week we went to class. There were about 12 dogs (and raisers) there and oh boy, was that a major distraction for Hayden. He thought "Woo Hoo PLAYTIME". I felt like I wrestled with him most of the hour. Hayden can sit, stay (for a little while), down, down/stay (for even a shorter time) but he has a very hard time with "Heel".

The trainer had us start right away with walking the dogs in a circle around several orange cones. Her yard is not very big so we were close together as we walked. Hayden either pulled ahead (to the point of choking himself) to get to the dog in front or he stayed behind hoping he could play with the dog behind us. If he wasn't doing that he was grabbing the cones in his mouth or pulling me to the side to sniff something. I was pulling him back to heel with the leash and releasing like I was told but Hayden would go right back to pulling on the leash. I felt myself getting frustrated so every time the trainer told us to stop and have the dogs sit, I would take a few deep breaths. I knew that as I got frustrated, he got worse.

After last week's class I realized that I needed to figure out how I can let go of my expectations and stay in the moment, frustration free. I spent quite a few hours this week reading about dog training. There is some very good information on the Internet and I also read the book, "How to Raise the Perfect Dog" by Cesar Milan. I have learned that the "Heel" command is one of the hardest commands for a dog to master, especially in the presence of distractions. I learned that there is a big difference between heeling and walking on a loose lead. For the dog, heeling takes a great deal of concentration. I learned that it is very important to set Hayden up to succeed. If that means having a successful training session that is only 30 seconds long then that's what we should do. And from now on, I will make sure that our training sessions always end on a successful note, not a frustrated one.

Hayden and I have been practicing heel every day for just a couple minutes at a time. We are taking it in baby steps. He is able to heel here at home, so I know he has the concept. I have lowered my expectations that he will heel at obedience class tonight. He is just still too young to have all of that excitement around and to be expected to heel. If he is able to do it for even a few seconds I will be sure to praise him like crazy. Obedience class is a great opportunity to teach in the midst of distraction and also a great opportunity to desensitize him to being around other dogs. No more frustration for me, just persistence and a whole lot of patience.

Please Meet Gizmo

I'd like to introduce you to Gizmo. Gizmo is the "free" exotic chick that we got with our shipment of baby chicks from the hatchery. He has become a favorite of ours. He is bigger than the others and a much more relaxed, easy going chicken. Like I told you in an earlier post, our guess is that he is a light brown rose comb Leg Horn. We still think so. We'll have to wait and see if we are right.

Here is a picture (below) of a straight comb Brown Leg Horn Hen that I found on the Web.

This (below) is the picture of the rose comb brown leg horns from the Murray McMurray Catalog.

If he is a "He", I do not know how we will get away with keeping him. Someone will surely complain to the Home Owners Association. The president of the Association lives four house up from us, she will probably hear him crowing.

I am going to spare you and not get going on how much I can NOT stand having a Home Owner's Association. It trumps the local laws, which allows roosters. It is fine by association rules to have horses but they may not allow roosters if it is a nuisance, go figure. For now, I am going to enjoy him as long as we have him, and hopefully that is for a very long time.

Have a great day everyone!

Hayden's First Day of School

It wasn't our turn for rain. I guess we were just a bit too far inland this time to get a share. We had just a sprinkling, not enough to keep my automatic sprinklers off for another day. Today the sky is blue and we are in the mid seventies. The tortoises are out of their hides once again. The chickens get to range in the yard. Taffy is sleeping in her bed on the patio enjoying the sun. It is a beautiful day. Tomorrow it is supposed to be hot and dry once again. Hopefully we will get rain soon.

Last night Hayden got his new crate. He was a bit cramped in his little crate at night (the one on top). I figured he would like a little more space to stretch out in. It is like a three bedroom condo right now, but he will grow into it. He slept well through the night so I think he liked it.

Now the exciting news. Hayden and I are going to his first obedience class tonight. He and I will be going every week for the next six weeks. It is taught by a woman who is a guide dog trainer, and she will have a class full of guide dog puppies at varying ages. Hayden might even see a few of his brothers and sisters there tonight.

Tonight is like the first day I took my children to preschool. By that I mean the wonder of how he will behave while we are there. Will he be a good little boy and pay attention in class or will he goof around when he isn't supposed to? I wonder. I explained to him carefully that while he is in school tonight he has to be a good little boy and sit quietly while the teacher is talking. He looked back at me with his sweet little face. "I will Mommy".