Nelson County Rocks

Our 14 hens have been averaging 10-13 eggs per day for the past several weeks, and today our cumulative total surpassed 500!  Since we can’t watch the laying boxes inside the coop all the time, we’re not absolutely sure if all the hens are laying (we think that one black australorp is not yet ready) and which eggs come from which hen, although we’re pretty sure that the darker brown eggs come from the Barred Rocks.   Monika continues to spoil her “babies” rotten with special treats, which they gobble up with great gusto.   I guess cold and dark winter days may test us down the road, but so far we enjoy the routine and structure that caring for our flock gives our life here.  And they remain fun and fascinating to watch!

Below, some recent pictures and a link to more…

   

    

click here for more (annotated) pictures

p.s. We haven’t been eating all these eggs.  We’ve been sharing them with friends and neighbors.

  

Above: Views along Route 56 en route to the Spy Rock trailhead.  Note: Nelson County has more cattle than people: roughly 19,700 vs. 14,500.

   

With hunting season only days away (which effectively closes most hiking trails around here), I returned yesterday to Spy Rock, which I’d last climbed with Nic, Felix, and Cally last May.  While there were still nice fall colors and views of The Priest  on the way up route 56, most leaves had fallen on the trail up to Spy Rock and on the surrounding mountains.  Still, as always, I was struck by how wild and beautiful Virginia looks from this vantage point.

  

   

 
  

Recently I took a walk along the rails-to-trails path along the Piney River, which marks the southern boundary of Nelson County.  I was pleased to observe that several benches have been added along the section between Rose Mill and Route 29, and by one of them these reflections caught my eye.