Smoke!

Yesterday I was over on Quartz Hill, across the little valley where I live.  This photo was taken looking back across Quartz Valley toward home.  Yes, there is a mountain over there - somewhere.  The fire isn't anyhere near home.  The smoke is coming from the Seiad/Happy Camp area, on the other side of the Marble Mountains from here, but we are getting our share of the smoke.  The last I heard, some homes in the Seiad area were under orders of manditory evacuation. 

While I was over on "the hill" I set up a couple of calling stands, but didn't have any critter responce.  I saw a small bear track in the dusty road, and a pile of scat where it had been eating manzanita berries, but that was all of interest that I saw.  I haven't been getting out much lately, just trying to get caught up on chores around home, but small game season opens in another week.  I'll start prowling around more then.  It sure feels like an early fall.

Replacements

A new batch of chicks just out of the nest.  I'm sorely in need of some replacements.  With all the varmint trouble I've had this year, I'm down to a bare minimum of chickens.  Hopefully most of these will turn out to be hens, but with my kind of luck the whole darned bunch will be roosters!  The hen was setting on a mixed batch of eggs, some of which didn't hatch, but it looks like most of these are Araucana with a couple of Cornish thrown in.

I only have 2 other hens laying right now.  If one of them will get broody I'll see if I can beg, borrow, or steal some eggs from someone to slip under her.