Community Chickens Post! ~ Cats and Chickens

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Wordless Wednesday...

Catnap in a flower pot...  with Boswell, the cat.

Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday
Camera Critters
Outdoors Wednesday

March Blooms...

Crazy weather in the Midwest, it's been 70-80°F all week. Everyone (chickens and cats included) has spring fever!

Grape Hyacinth and Heritage Chickens!

Forsythia--a sure sign spring is almost (officially) here...

Forsythia also makes a great shady spot--for a chicken...

Hellebores--They've bloomed non-stop for the past month :)

"Little Kitty"

Daffodils...

  

Catnap in a Birdbath...
I quit using this birdbath (as a birdbath) for the above reason!

For more photos of February blooms, visit the sites:  May Dreams Gardens, and Tootsie Time...

Community Chickens Post!

Cats and Chickens...

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DIY Beeswax Ornaments

About fifteen years ago I saw instructions on how to make beeswax ornaments in a magazine. I am still using those ornaments years later. They have been stored in the attic and an underground storage room, withstanding heat, freezing temperatures, dampness - and they still look great! I remember looking everywhere for the main ingredient, beeswax, and ended up finding it at the hardware store. In the past the wax was used for coating nails and screws in woodworking and used on window sills and drawers to allow them to slide more smoothly, but since then it must have been replaced by something in a spray can..   Next I went to the local mega store - the one that has everything - and I was directed to Burt's Bees... I should have looked at a craft/hobby store first because in the last several years, thanks to the popularity of candle making, there is plenty of beeswax to be found. However, I ended up purchasing a few blocks from our local beekeepers, Honey Heaven.  It just seemed right to support our local business and it feels good that my ornaments were made by local Missouri bees!

The only supplies you need in addition to the beeswax:
*A mold--soap or candy molds work well.  This year I used a cookie sheet  mold.
*Wire for hanging
*This year I added dried rosemary to the wax of some of the ornaments - it adds an aroma, texture and color..




I do remember that when you melt the wax it was a pain to clean it out of the pan.  I've revised my melting method - I now use a recycled tin can in a pan of boiling water, a double boiler method...

When the wax liquefies, you simply pour it into the molds.  I've read other instructions for making these ornaments that recommend using a candy thermometer and cooling the wax to 170 degrees prior to pouring it into the molds. I've never messed with using a thermometer and haven't had a problem - it's just that simple..

The wax begins cooling fast and when the edges start solidifying, insert the wire into the ornament. After the wax has completely cooled it will pull away from the mold easily. I added the crushed rosemary to a portion of the wax that I used for the Christmas tree molds. I'm not sure if I like it as well, but the smell is wonderful and it adds some interest to the ornament.

Pretty simple.. and they'll last a decade!


Merry Christmas!

Catnip and Cats--understanding the attraction...

It's winter now and as a gardener, who hates the cold, I'm forced to find indoor ways to occupy my time.--Forcing narcissus bulbs, growing sprouts in a mason jar, and enjoying my Christmas cactus.. which always seems to bloom on Thanksgiving..


I dried some herbs from this past season and I decided to put my limited knitting skills to work and make a catnip mouse for one of the five lucky cats that our part of our family.  This has got me wondering.. Why are cats so attracted to catnip in the first place?



Catnip is a member of the mint family and according to one source, there are more than 250 varieties of this perennial herb.  Common Catnip (Nepeta cataria), it's the one my cats are obsessed with, has small white flowers and grows to about 3 feet. I also have Catmint (Nepeta mussinii) growing along the edge of my herb garden, it has smaller leaves, purple flowers and only grows to about 15 inches in height, my cats do not seem as nearly interested in this selection. 

I have two other varieties of mint in my herb garden, Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens) 'Variegata,' and Peppermint (Mentha piperita), yet I have witnessed on more than one occasion that my cats ignore all the other scents and head straight to the catnip.  In a sort of possessed, trance-like state, they start rolling, rubbing, purring and eating this herb. They seem to be in another world--"a kitty-high."

As a nurse, it's important to understand the drugs I'm administering to my patients so perhaps I should have a little more interest/concern in what I'm exposing the cats to. It's amusing to watch their reaction, but is it safe?  After I did my feline research, it appears there isn't anything toxic or harmful about catnip. The chemical in catnip, Nepetalactone, causes the odd reaction we witness because of a special olfactory receptor the cats have for this scent. They do get a kind of elated sensation, but it's short lived and doesn't cause any permanent side effects.

So I suppose there's nothing to be concerned about and I'll just continue to enjoy the show..



The mouse turned out great and my cats appreciated their gift!--Here's a link to the pattern..

Catnip Mouse Toy

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