Burst of Sun & Toddler Fun

Sunflowers pop up in our front gardens randomly because of the birds we feed all winter. It's rather fun to see where they appear; mostly in the gardens right under my mother's balcony but several are scattered throughout the gardens along the front of the house.
This one emerged first and is the first to bloom but first by far; it seems rather early for the sunflowers to be blooming, does it not? Perhaps it's special; we counted eight blossoms on its stalk. Maybe it had to start early to fit them all into the season.

My father-in-law says everything is early this year. Others at our birthday brunch for my mother-in-law's 85th birthday concurred. 
"That means an early fall," he said. "And snow in October."
It's a wonder he gets invited to any parties at all with that kind of talk.

Speaking of sprouts, the chicks are growing. They're reaching that gangly, sprouting stage where they leave behind the cuteness of their chickhood and enter into the chicken version of adolescent -- no longer a chick, not quite a chicken.
Now it's less easy to tell which ones could be roosters. I thought I had it pegged but now I'm not sure. I hope "Goldie" (far right) isn't a rooster but she's getting quite big.

There is still five; one was pecking around in the other corner.

The chick with the deformed beak.

Now this poor little guy, for I thought the two chicks with the most black on them were roosters, he's doing poorly. See that little brownish bit out to the right side of his beak? That's his lower jaw. His bottom beak doesn't line up with the top and it could be preventing him from eating properly. He's sluggish, sleepy and stands with his head hunched down into his shoulders.
"I don't think he's going to survive," I admitted to my husband.
"Well, let's hope he's a rooster, then," came the practical reply. And one must be practical about these things; although I can't see us 'doing away' with the chick in order to prevent suffering, neither will I try save him. It's unfortunate that he was developed this deformity but that's the way it goes.
I have to admit, though, if he's able to survive and thrive even with a crooked beak, I hope it's a female because then we get to keep her. We have NoNo, the hen with no toes; why not add a hen with a crooked mouth?