That's an amazing story Donna. I'm so happy all three of the eggs hatched. I have a bit of a funny story about my TRES. They started laying right before the cold spell, and so they weren't around much. A HOWR destroyed their nest. They rebuilt and relayed. The other day she had three eggs in there, so I decided to check and see if she laid a fourth. I am rather short, and didn't feel like lugging out the step ladder, so I opened the box and gently placed my fingers in where the eggs should be. Boy if I didn't get a surprise! Instead of feeling the eggs, I felt momma TRES. She never budged. So I guess I will also be looking forward to three TRES babies.

I do find it unfortunate that school curricula tend to centre around American lit., even in Canada. Sometimes it expands to British lit. too but it's extremely limiting. I teach at an International Baccalaureate school where we are required to teach literature from around the world. Although the translations are not ideal, it adds such a variety, not only to content, but to style of writing and style of thinking. Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing pieces of American and British literature that I could not do without, but to allow students to see beyond the Western, English speaking world is a big deal in Canada. Specifically in Toronto, where we have so many students from so many cultures, they are more open to literature if there is a variety. Even old Canadian literature is not useful for teaching what these children need to know. I, however, would like to read more of Davies' books.

I don't have one. I suspect they are nice and easy where and when the soil is loose and moist...maybe not as good if the soil is harder. I love my regular hoe. Many of my weeds are one here and one there...not always a need for mass cultivation.

Ha! I can't take credit for the jerry-rig -- I had the "initiative" to look on line:), but I'll pretty much do anything to NOT stand at the stove. Yes, I tried to make this smaller; yes, I send thermometer pics to my kids so they'll try to cook more:) Poaching chicken breasts. Lars, I'd love to see if you try cheese-making -- I know you're an adventurous cook:) I don't eat a lot of milk products cause I can never quite tell what the reaction is going to be, but I'll take a risk to a have just a bit of this. Going to watch Ina, Cindy Mac. She's usually my go-to as her recipes are pretty spot-on. Plus, she doesn't like cilantro and neither do I, so we have that in common --LOL! And chloebud, oh my. That sounds delicious. Annie! My grandmother said that too! HA! She's also the one that taught me to knead over the phone when she lived in Pittsburgh, and I lived in New Jersey. I loved when we moved back to the 'burgh -- this woman always had great food even when you dropped in unexpectedly. I digress, but I miss her:) So, I'm now probably going to go down the mozzarella rabbit hole some time this summer because your thread was pretty inspirational HA! Thank you so much for finding it. My goodness, what a fun and unique time! Is there a hint for this or will I know: "The curd was cut into large chunks. If you cut it too soon, it affects the texture and results in dray grainy cheese, so timing is crucial." And I love this encouragement: "Mozzarella takes between half an hour and an hour, I was surprised it went so well. Trust me, you could do it." Have to look for rennet and citric acid too. Linda, I googled lactose free ricotta and there are some sites. Can't verify this one, but it looked similar to the process I used Lactose Free Ricotta. There is also a you tube. You're such a seasoned cook, if you have some milk left over give it a whirl and make our grandmothers smile:) Laceyvail, that's a good idea. Cathy in SWPA