Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Chicken Update

Frost warnings are out for this week. Just in time, the Brick got the furnace fixed and running. (It's been out pretty much all summer.) We keep our house cool, compared to most; last winter, the temp was 67 during the day, and 62 at night. Surprisingly comfortable, with a sweater or a little boost from a space heater, as needed. We'll also build a fire in the fireplace now and then, too. And the energy savings are great.
    What are the chickies doing?
From our standpoint: absolutely nothing. Oh, they enjoy running around the yard, chasing after scraps and grasshoppers. They're certainly eating and pooping on schedule. (Just cleaned out the coop yesterday -- I know.) We actually caught our neighbors watching them with binoculars the other day. (The neighbors thought a mountain lion was on the other side of the fence. I think they probably just saw Charley, whose fur is yellowish.) 
    But no eggs. Not none.
What do I have to do: schedule laying sessions? Exercise therapy? Pep talks??
    sigh. 

While I'm brooding about this (get it?), you might enjoy the eggs of wisdom laid here and there on the Internet:

 Jeffrey Gundlach got his $10 million art collection back! Police arrested the manager of an Autosound store in Pasadena, CA, among others; the paintings were found in the building. (Another painting was recovered from a home in Glendale.) Hey, offer a reward of more than a million dollars...I'm sure that didn't hurt. (See the original report here.)

From the "Now I've Seen Everything" Department: a cat who eats with a fork. Really. 

Freezer cooking for the busy mom -- from Keeper of the Home.  Using freezer meals has saved my bacon several times during busy deadline periods. Also, take a look at her post on 10 Easy Meals When You Forget to Plan. Not that this ever happens to me... :)

An interesting airline brouhaha...the airline wants to charge parents $60 extra, so they can sit next to their 5-year-old child. Hmmm...

A bulldog, a trampoline -- and bliss.

Paying debt on a really tight budget; a guest post from Stacy Makes Cents. (One of the questions in The Simple Dollar's mailbag also pertains to this, big-time.

Celebrating birthdays the frugal way, a post from yours truly on Penny Thots.

Helping a deer in distress. What a kind thing to do. (It's not uncommon to see dead deer out here on the prairie, stuck on the fence.)

Thirteen Halloween treats kids would rather trash than eat, according to Len Penzo. Plus 10 treats they'd do anything for. The Mama will be thrilled; she hands out popcorn balls every year, and these were on the 'good' list. She even made us a batch before she left. (How long did they last? Errr cough harrumph...well, let's talk about something else.)

Have a great week.