The Land of Make Believe

“The world has been doing little else but playing at make-believe all its lifetime.” ~ William Hazlitt

#2 daughter signed me up for Facebook.  Then a friend told me I had to join Farmville so that I could send her what she needed to finsh building a barn. 

Two and a half days later I have 2 shamrock sheep, one regular sheep, 4 cows, 1 strawberry cow that gives strawberry milk, 2 calves, 2 horse, 3 foals, 2 ducks, 2 pigs, 9 chickens in various colors, 1 cat, 3 breadfruit trees, 1 apple tree, 1 walnut tree, 2 bird feeders, a resting tent, a picnic table, a rain barrel, a water trough, 1 mandarin tree, 2 lotus, 1 section of whitewash fence, 17 plots of soybeans, 12 plots of strawberries, 15 plots of wheat, 6 plots of daffodils, 18 plots of artichokes, 1 Spring basket with 42 eggs, 35,000 coins, 12 Farmville dollars, two arborists, 1 farm helper, and various materials to build a barn and tack.

Yesterday we went to #1 son's to open the pool and have a BBQ.  When we came home I found Gray (the turkey) missing.  We thought maybe she was setting on a nest since I have not been finding eggs but we can't find her anywhere.  On the plus side we can't find feathers either.  We gave up because it got too dark to see.

I went to the garden to close the greenhouse and a flustered hen came out as I opened the gate.  She ran past me and over to the coop.  I have an old window screen which I put in front of the greenhouse door so if the chickens get into the garden they won't get into the greenhouse.  The screen goes up 1/2 way and has always worked well as a deterrent.  Except for yesterday.  The flustered hen must have flown up, landed on the screen top and then flown up on the shelf.  She proceeded to knock over tomatoes and to walk across most of the others.  I picked up what plants had roots showing and tucked them back in pots then closed the windows and door, leaving it to be dealt with the next day.

This morning I went out to access the situation in daylight.  The flats of cabbage and brussel sprouts went unscathed but a lot of the tomatoes were bent or broken.  I put some dirt around the bruised and battered stems hoping to get them to stand up again after the abuse they took but I am not sure it will work.

Thankfully, I never composted the less vigorous seedlings, so I can transplant them into individual pots and hope for the best.

And #2 daughter asks why a mess around on a virtual farm!  No sweat, no tears, the farm makes money as there are always buyers for your product, people are always eager to send (aka give) you plants, animals or building supplies.  It is always warm and sunny, no weeds oh I could go on and on.

Of course the food doesn't taste as good as what I harvest and you don't get as happy as I did when I walked the dog and found.....

She might have a nest.  I guess we will know in 28 days, if not I am just glad to have her back. Yipee!!!