Poor ugly Peggy!

Poor Peggy, she was never much in the "looks" department, but thanks to an overzealous rooster, 3 times her size, she has become even uglier.

 Scrawny, shabby and small with dingy white feathers and a flopsy  comb, you would think the boys would completely shun her.

 But not this handsome Big Bruiser, he adores her and has mated with her so many times, her poor little backside is bald and scabby due to his claws. She spends much of the day hiding under a concrete table in the garden just to avoid him....but he always knows where she is, and is never far from her side. He is smitten. I have treated her raw skin with ointments and am attempting to make her a little padded vest  to protect her back from the roosters deadly talons.

Hopefully, most of my Lavender chicks will turn out to be hens and NOT roosters.

  If so, the big Bruiser can divide his romantic intentions between MANY hens and not devote all his energy and ardor to the poor dilapidated Peggy.

 And since I'm on the subject of  LAVENDER chickens, allow me to boast about my lovely patch of Lavender, which, by the way, actually does look purplish, unlike some little chicks that I know.

 A month old now, pullets and cockerels. Hmmm. I keep wondering when they will turn colors....

BUT

 in the Potager, just look at that!

  For the first time ever, my lavender patch is producing prolific blooms.

AN update on  the sitting peahen, Hettie Pepper. She didn't have the patience to stay on her two eggs, which is probably a good thing since they turned out to be DUDS.

.

So now she's back to pestering the young pullets and cockerels all day long.

 It is an honor to be included in my favorite magazine's:

Early American Life Magazine

My work  was accepted in two categories for the "Directory Of Traditional American Crafts" for 2016

       1.  My Book Illustration, under the category of

 "Painting"

and

2. My  "Hopalong Hollowfolk"

 under the category of
 "Toys".

I've read this magazine for over 30 years.
To see all the wonderful craftsmen and artists selected this year, you can get the August issue at new-stands later this month.

One of my Hopalong Hollowfolk will be pictured in the Christmas issue coming out in September. 
The magazine kindly sent some free copies my way and I would love to pass out 5 of them to my readers. Just leave a comment below and Next week I'll pull 5 names outta the hat for the winners.