Rubber eggs and stuff

Once again I hit the ground running this morning and didn't make it home until after dark. I'm getting a lot done which is a good thing.

When I watered and checked the chickens and looked for eggs I found a very strange thing.

My guess was this -- the hen had low calcium, the hen was stressed, or it was just one of those things that chickens do from time to time.

Mom looked it up on the interwebz (her pre-lookup conclusions were very similar to mine) and found that the hen either had low calcium or stress or it was one of those things that chickens do from time to time.

Thank you for that algore. Without your own personal invention of the internet, the computer, electricity, sodium bicarbonate, and hypocrisy, we'd have never figured it out.

Well, we did ask. And we asked the interwebz. But I also felt like taking a gratuitous shot at the algore. Some experts (such as mr algore of course) call these thin-shelled eggs "rubber eggs." Or at least that's what Mom told me the interwebz said.

Directly after mr algore solved our problem I hurried down to the Cederburg pasture to check cows and to see how my stock tank float adjustment had worked.

I found the cows busy doing their cow jobs and enjoying the day.



I double checked the north tank just in case the character of physical law had changed over night. It hadn't and the float still needed adjusting. It wasn't running over but the level was right at the top. On a calm day. Add a touch of wind and it would be running over for all intents and purposes. Sigh.  I did get an unexpected early Christmas present though!



Then I headed over to Brig's Tank to see if I'd done a proper job or made a proper mess of a simple job. It was the latter of course.



So I went and changed boots. While I was at it I had some town errands to run including having lunch with the Snow Girl whose Snow Brother has already rotated back into treatment. It's a process. The girl has taken some lumps but she's got a new job and is enjoying it so far. She's also asking good questions and more importantly doesn't seem to be afraid to ask good questions. If I had a magic wand I could wave and fix things for her I would...break the firetrucking magic wand! Life can be tough and she's had a harder go than many, but also a softer go than many. There are no guarantees but if she keeps suiting up and showing up and taking responsibility she'll one day be a real shining example to others. She's got potential. As does her brother. As do we all.

Then I went and drained both stock tanks in the Cederburg pasture. After shutting the water off of course. Here's how you start the drain. Sorry about the wind noise.



And here is how you drain the tanks with a two-piece plastic drain plug. Kinda. Setup:



Conclusion. Sorta.



It takes thirty minutes to an hour or so to drain tanks, so I fixed fence rather than sit idly by like a bump on a noggin. I did take a break to shoot a video tutorial on cow slobber.



I once again shortened the chain on the float in Brig's tank. Replaced the drain plug. Did the same on the other tank. Turned the water back on. Red supervised.



Over at the other tank the water was flowing. Which was good.



And that was pretty much it for the day, except for all the parts I left out or forgot to mention. In the morning we'll know if I did any good on the tank floats or if I screwed everything up like usual.

I think tomorrow Mom and I will make a seasonal shopping excursion. That'll be fun.

Be well and enjoy the blessings of liberty.