Henny Penny Farmette

What a difference twelve hours makes. When we retired last night, the mourning doves were on their nest atop our tall ladder next to the cherry trees.  It was day twelve since the birds built the nest in our garden, so we expected to see babies hatching any day now. Alas, this morning the dove family had fled and there was no sign of eggs or babies.

Mourning doves build rather flimsy nests; this one on our tall ladder shelf

I believe something raided the nest. It should come as no surprise. Building it on that site seemed like a foolhardy proposition from the start. And to position it on the shelf of the ladder, exposed and near a hole big enough for a chicken egg to fall through seemed a little ridiculous.

And yet, the dove pair dutifully took turns  incubating the eggs, even when the mercury hovered at the hundred degree mark on the outdoor thermometer.

In the spirit of helping the family, I kept the fountains filled with fresh water and threw handfuls of birdseed along the stone retaining wall so the pair would have a ready supply of food. Each morning, I’d hurry out to check on the doves before tackling more chores.

Her nest is exposed for all the world to see and yet the dove chooses this site as home

When  I noticed the nest today and realized it was empty, the eggs were gone, and there was no sight of the doves, I began sleuthing. On the ground near the ladder lay a single long black feather and lots of leaves, knocked from the cherry trees. Not many clues but enough to make a supposition.

I recall that a flock of crows flew in to roost in nearby trees just before dusk last night. They’re both smart and predatory. They’ll raid other nests and eat eggs. I surmised that either they or a local cat or racoon drove away the dove pair and laid waste to the eggs. And yet as I write this, I can see beyond my garden window that a pair of doves are eating the seeds I cast upon the stone wall. Mourning doves can build a nest and lay a set of eggs six times during spring, so there’s still hope.

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If you enjoy reading about wildlife and other topics (including delicious recipes and gardening tips) related to farmette living, check out my cozy mysteries from Kensington Publishing. The first two in the Henny Penny Farmette series are available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, KOBO Books, and other sites as well as in traditional bookstores everywhere.

BEELINE TO MURDER, see http://tinyurl.com/jo4cxy

First book in Meera Lester’s Henny Penny Farmette series of cozy mysteries, 2015

MURDER OF A QUEEN BEE, see http://tinyurl.com/zu8s7pf

Novel #2 in the Henny Penny Farmette series, available Sept. 29, 2016

Whenever the mercury starts flirting with the century mark on the thermometer, I head for the freezer and take out frozen vegetables and berries to thaw a little before I put them out for the chickens and the wild birds.

One of my silver-laced Wyandotte (black-and-white) hens succumbed to the extreme heat a year ago

Another treat is corn or peas frozen in water in ramekin dishes and offered to chickens on very hot days to help them keep cool. They’ll also like chilled lettuce or spinach leaves, diced fresh zucchini, and crisp cold strips of cabbage.

Short-hair dogs need to be protected from the heat, too

For pooches, ice cubes made from frozen beef or chicken broth can provide a tasty, cool treat. Chilled carrots, or a frozen ball made from mashed banana and peanut butter can refresh a pooch on a hot day, provided the animal has no peanut allergy. Make sure animals have plenty of clean, cool water to drink always, but especially on hot days.

If you walk with your pet, it’s best to go in the cool of the early morning or late evening and avoid the heat of the day. I take my Siamese on a leash for a walk in the garden each day but will wait until the evening.

To protect her from the heat, I keep my cat inside the air conditioned house on super hot days

Cat paws are sensitive to the heat in stones and concrete surfaces. It’s best to steer clear of those heat-trapping surfaces. Stick to grass. Take your cat out in the early morning or wait for a walk until evening after the mercury starts dropping.

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If you enjoy reading about keeping bees, chickens, and other farm animals or learning about growing heirloom vegetables and fruits or making delicious farm-to-table recipes, check out my newest cozy mystery offerings from Kensington Publishing. Chocked full of all kinds of farmette tidbits, these mysteries are available online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, KOBO, and other online stores as well as traditional bookstores everywhere.

First book in Meera Lester’s Henny Penny Farmette series of cozy mysteries

Novel #2 in the Henny Penny Farmette series, available Oct. 1, 2016

Here’s the update: We have a winning name for the cat–Cuddy (for cuddly and cutie and clever and kitty,-kitty). Winner has been notified and a free copy of A BEELINE TO MURDER in a tote bag has been mailed. We thank all who entered for their cat name suggestions.

The original post follows here:

Despite Holly Golightly calling her feline companion “Cat” in the the Blake Edward’s film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, cat lovers everywhere were probably cringing. Cats are as unique as the people who own them and, I believe, every cat should have a special name.

The newest addition to our farmette menagerie of animals

Recently, I adopted a beautiful unnamed cat from our local animal shelter to live with me on my Henny Penny Farmette. Only a year old and possibly abandoned or a runaway, she’d been found in a field. She was hungry, cold, and frightened.

She’s intensely curious and loves slipping into the cave hole in her cat tree

Immediately, she was checked to see if she had been spayed, and she reacted defensively. The behavior earned her an “unadoptable” status, except to a cat rescue organization. I lobbied the shelter staff to let me adopt her. They did.

Now I need a name for her Highness, and I think a contest might be the way to find that perfect name.

Here’s a little info about her to help you dream up the perfect name.

• * She’s eager to give and receive affection, intelligent, and curious.
• * She bears herself as though she were royalty
• * She even looks regal–her animal shelter card states her breeding is believed to be a Siamese mixed with American domestic short hair.
• * Her coloring is cream and lavender-gray
• *She loves playing with kitty toys
• *She sniffed all the books in my bookcase the first time she entered the house. (Methinks she likes being around books and writers)
• *The window ledge overlooking the garden where the chickens, squirrels, and wild birds freely roam is her throne.

CONTEST RULES: The contest begins at midnight Friday, November 6, and ends on Thursday, November 19 at midnight. The winner will be announced on Friday, November 20 at 12 noon (Pacific Standard Time).

PRIZE: The winner will receive a free copy of A BEELINE TO MURDER novel and a tote bag.

TO ENTER: Simply send an email to: Meera@hennypennyfarmette.com with your name and snail mail address and your perfect name for my cat. Limited to one name per entry, one entry per person. In the event, multiple people send the chosen name, the first person to have emailed it will be declared the winner.

And who knows–this cat may become a character in one of my future cozy mysteries. Check out the Henny Penny Farmette series of cozies, starting with A BEELINE TO MURDER (my debut novel).  See, http://tinyurl.com/nkn4vh3

The backyard and farmhouse patio bathed in morning sunlight

Each day on my farmette starts with chores involving plants and animals . . . and writing. The latter might seem a bit strange until you understand that my farmette–with its organic heirloom vegetables, eggs, and honey–has evolved into a brand that includes my forthcoming Henny Penny Farmette novels. It’s business. I have to write three novels in three years. I’ve already written two.

Like any business that involves regular tasks for keeping the enterprise thriving, my farmette novels require a daily commitment to writing. Excellence in my writing endeavors is just as important to me as the quality of my Henny Penny Farmette jams, honey, eggs, and this blog.

Chickens are an integral part of the farmette landscape

I rise early,  at 4:00 AM, to get a jump on my day. The roosters start crowing around that hour, but the sleepy hens remain on the roost until daylight. I like to stroll outside, see the edges of the black sky turning lighter at the eastern horizon, observe the position of the moon and stars, feel the cool predawn air on my face, and notice the silent vapor of fog receding like gray shroud being tugged upon.

I enjoy the scent of pine and orange blossoms (when the trees are in bloom), and take note of the occasional spritzing of a skunk or cat marking its territory while out prowling. These observations become notes in my journal.

At bedtime and when I awaken during the night, I practice yoga nidra, a state of deep relaxation and lucid dreaming. Often, though, the lucidity may be nudged aside as sleep and dreams in which I am not aware of my physical environment take over. Still, I sometimes work through problems in my life or my stories and awaken with a solution . . . sometimes, but not always.

A pretty corner of the garden on the farmette

During the morning hours before sunrise, following a good night’s sleep, I feel sharpest and most in tune with nature and my deepest, inner Self.  One of my favorite writers John O’Donohue observed the profound and numinous presence of nature and wrote in his book Anam Cara:  “Landscape is not all external, some has crept inside the soul. Human presence is infused with landscape.”

The Henny Penny Farmette landscape has echoes from the past in it. I’ve re-created my grandmother’s farm garden where I spent happy hours of my childhood. But also, I’ve got my own personal stamp on this landscape. It’s a lot of work, but I embrace the daily chores and the discipline needed to keep the farmette and a book series going. It’s an ongoing journey to a new horizon.