My favorite kind of November weather

Last year I remember being stunned by the fact that in Georgia, the month of November--synonymous my entire life with sleet and gales and greyness--can sometimes be downright idyllic. So it is today: 75 and sunny, with bright fall leaves and woodsy decay scenting the air.

I cleared the last of the tomato and pepper plants out of the main garden. I mucked out the duck and chicken houses, hoed some weeds, and piled everything on the compost heap.

I actually saw a Barred Rock hen lay a large dark-brown egg. Clunk. Here's the part where I ask you all for advice. I suspect our friendly Barred gals are doing a lot of the "heavy lifting" when it comes to egg laying. But they are not my favorite chickens looks-wise, and our current Barred Rock rooster is slated for elimination because he is neither attractive nor pleasant to be around. Should we nevertheless add more BR hens as part of next spring's chick order? Surely there are aesthetic considerations here, since much of what I love about raising chickens is simply being around them. But then again, we need good producers.

Here's another thought: Our friend V., a chicken farmer, says Barred Rocks mix well with other breeds, producing spectacular multicolored/test-patterned offspring. Maybe we should just breed our current four BR gals with other types?

The s.o. spent most of the day at our friend Diane's, learning how to bottle a few different kinds of fermented beverages. I am especially looking forward to the tej (Ethiopian honey wine).

I am nearly two-thirds done knitting one of my Christmas projects. I did a lot of it on the porch.

A lizard got into the kitchen and I managed to move it outside before the dogs found it. It ran halfway up my arm, but I managed to remain calm. Lizards are awesome, but their little feet are sticky/prickly.

Everything seems really glowy and happy right now. Maybe it's the election.