the blahs

The weather is beautiful. I have a little more time than I did. I ought to be out working the horses, a job I have been neglecting. And I'm sick. AAAAARRRRRG!!!! Stupid @#$% cold! Maybe *next* week I will feel good enough to be out there! Grumble grumble gripe gripe.

I might take more birds to auction on Sunday, I haven't quite decided yet. There aren't a lot. Last year was a really good year, I had a lot of really good birds. I don't know what's up this year but I'm just over all not that impressed. I think I'll be lucky to get one or two "keepers" out of the Black cockerels. Maybe the same from the BBReds. I have to wait and see how they all feather out before I decided what to keep, since sickle length is an important factor in that decision. The BBRed pullets are better this year, at least a few of them. Now I have to cross my fingers and hope they don't turn white in the face. That's the downside to the new bloodline I brought in to part of the flock a couple of years ago. While it vastly improved the feather color, it also produces white-faced birds. You know, if it ain't one thing it's another.

The Brassies and Blue Brassies need work next season. I've sorta let them go and it shows, they are too inbred, and WAY too small. Compared to my black ones they are just teeny tiny, and that's not so good. I think I will use one of the Brassy Back sport males (from the Blacks) to put some new vigor into that line. Might mess up the color, but I'll deal with it.

The big Indiana show is right around the corner now. In a way I wish I was showing birds there, but at the same time it's nice not to have to worry about it, and none of them would be ready anyway. I do sort of wish I was going to have an art booth there, since I would probably do pretty well, but again it's a relief not to have to mess with it, and it would also be very expensive. It's funny to think about all the stuff I hauled back to Ohio on the airplane 4 years ago, I think with all the restrictions these days I'd probably have to drive in order to bring everything I would need! I'm planning to get a jacket or something embroidered with my name and logo on it, I want to be easy to find, and I definitely want to do some marketing while I'm there! Darn it I wish could be done with the Standard by then!

Well, back to it. I'm moving at the speed of cold molasses today, so my drawing may go even slower than normal.