Fish, Pork or Chicken

Today as I approached my usual surf spot I noticed an unusual number of dead fish on the beach. Looking at the water, I realized there were 1000’s of dead fish floating there. Their white underbellies were floating above the surface of the water glowing in the morning light. There were so many dead fish that the seagulls were just eating their eyeballs and moving on the next fish. I guess that is the good part.

The waves were marginal, so I decided against paddling out. While this may seem like an obvious decision, the dead fish did not prevent lots of other people from surfing. In fact, Mexican fishermen, floating in inner tubes, were collecting the dead fish to eat.

Swine flu, thus far, hasn’t become an issue in our area of the country (or so we read). It is truly difficult to get an accurate idea of the risk through all the hype. From the ground it looks like it usually does with the exception that some people are wearing masks. Today there were actually fewer masks than yesterday and most masks appear to spend more time around the wearer’s neck than their mouth. There seems to be an ongoing background dread, not knowing what is really up or how bad it will get, it kind of limits the party so to speak.

On a lighter note, they were selling these brightly-dyed chicks in the market for Easter. I don’t know why but I love colored chicks.

The chicken or the egg

Many of you have heard me joke for years about raising hens in our backyard in San Francisco. An idea I've been fascinated with since reading article about a guy in the neighborhood who has hens that he calls the omelet sisters. I thought how great would it be to have fresh eggs right out the back door as a complement to the lemon tree, Geoff's garden, the worms, and our organic veggie box delivery! Oh and then there was talk of bees for honey, but that is another post.

Well, here in our new home it seems I've just been given the chance to gather fresh eggs, and now I'm not so sure I'm up for the challenge.

About 10 days ago I decided to dig up a dead plant in a pot outside of our front door. About an hour after I finished the job I found a rooster and a hen taking a siesta in the pot. The following day I found a brand new egg, and each day after that, another and another and another. Every day I'd check the pot, document the progress, and ask the same question; the chicken or the egg.

We were up to 8 when I checked the pot and found the hen had come back to stay. It is too late to choose the egg, but it seems I knew the answer all along.

They say it takes about 21 days for chicks to hatch, 19 days and counting...