Ode to Posey Crumbpacker

Usually when we lose chickens it's due to the foxy foxes. 
Two of our chickens we know the heritage of and we got them when they were 5 weeks old  (Ginger the Buff Orpington and Rocky the Plymouth Rock).

• One, a bantum, was given to a college student right before Christmas break as a gag gift and we ended up with it  (Melanie).

Seven of our girls came from a woman who couldn't keep them anymore and she couldn't bear to separate them.  

• Little Maudie, a white bantum with a blue beauty spot and 5 furry-looking feathered toes on each foot.  
• Three sisters of questionable heritage (Violet and Daisy the twins, and Hyacinth of lighter color). 
• A Rhode Island Red (Rose).
• Dorothy the gynandromorph Polish hen.
• And Posey Crumbpacker, who laid the absolute largest eggs we have ever seen.

On Sunday we realized Posey was dead on the nest.  We believe she died from being egg bound.   Her eggs were not only large, but thin shelled.  Had we observed she was having trouble, we could have placed her in a place of moist heat and she may have been able to pass the egg naturally, but we did not realize she was in trouble. 
You were a winner Posey, and we'll miss you.

Keep feeding the chickens, keep watering the plants.

When is it time to kill the chicken?
Today we collected a single egg.
20  legs of unknown chicken descent are hobbling around out there.
The price of corn is going to go up, has already gone up to $18 for a 50 pound bag. 
Here we happen to have photographed among our rescued brood, Rose, Daisy, Violet and Hyacinth (left to right, top to bottom).  Probably Rose lays eggs.  We aren't sure about the 3 sisters.  A dilemma.

It rained about an inch here all summer. Still the year ended again, with a bountiful harvest, despite the fact that this weather site  shows 2.5" precipitation for May/June/July/August combined.  In the garage we still have tomatoes to can and a root cellar with tomatillos I plan to process into salsa.  Have enough garlic to plant (still to be done) and last through until next summer. Have jars of pickles, applesauce, jams, juice, beets; frozen bags of corn, rhubarb, peaches, beans, peas, spinach, peppers.  Have pumpkins, some squash, a few cabbages.  Grew a watermelon I didn't even realize was there (it was DELICIOUS). 

Count it all joy.