It feels like summer is here when we finally enjoy strawberry shortcake made with our own strawberries. This year the fruits are tiny for some reason—we will have to figure out some way to reinvigorate the plants—but they are sweet and delicious. There’s simply no comparison to the beautiful but tasteless strawberries shipped cross-country in plastic containers.

As I finished my workday last night, I heard Cherisse telling someone to “get out, go.” Both the dogs were with me (they enjoy computer work) so I went out to see who was causing trouble. The chickens were scattered everywhere in the vegetable garden, plucking ripe or nearly ripe strawberries, and then eating them as fast as they could. I watched Cherisse trying to herd the chickens out, but they simply wove their way around the beds, or hopped over them—she was no match for seven chickens and I was laughing too hard to help.

Our eighth chicken is still settled on her nest. Cherisse moved her to the bottom box and blocked off the coop-side, so the broody hen no longer gets shoved off her eggs. We hope she’s getting up to eat and drink but every time we look she is on her nest. If the eggs are going to hatch, the earliest possible date is next Sunday. So we may have chicks!