Up and Running

Thanks to a very nice reader, I was able to delete some old albums. If your looking for blog posts prior to 2010........they may be missing pictures. Sorry for the inconvenience but in order to keep blogging and not pay for more photo storage-it was a must do.

Starting this week I will have some new posts. In the meantime, here's what we've been up to:
-we took a week's vacation in New Hampshire.
-we added 8 new baby chickens to our flock of 8.
-we planted a huge garden and I have lettuce and all kinds of greens coming out my ears.
-our homeschool group has been growing like gangbusters and keeping me very busy.
-my daughter won the division soccer tournament, got braces and grew 2 inches.
-I ordered a whole new curriculum for the two youngest kids.
-this year I will have a 10th grader-yikes.
-my Lyme test came back positive resulting in more health complications. ARRGGGHH.
-I've tried tons of new recipes.
-We have a house blessing coming up in July.
-we will be spending the 4th of July on a boat with friends watching fireworks over the lake.
-I discovered I love my DROID.
-we bought 10 yards of mulch that still isn't moved.
-we've taken several homeschool field trips.

Stay tuned for some posts and some blog changes.

Signs of Spring

We've been outside enjoying the sunshine this week. Our homeschool year is winding down. The kids are a few weeks ahead in some lessons and it gives us ample opportunity to be outside.

While I love spring, I don't love the weeds. There are dandelions everywhere this year.

The Violets grow in abundance here and by next week I will be picking them to make Violet jelly. I made a big batch last year and it makes a great glaze for hams or chickens. It's also very yummy on top of cream cheese and a bagel.
If you search on the this blog you will find the recipe for Violet Jelly.

The Lemon Balm is already coming up in huge amounts. It makes delicious tea, lemon extract and fills out flower bouquets with such a lovely smell.

The brocolli has grown quite a bit.

The onions have been planted.

My buddha has a bit of a head injury after the long winter.

He happily sits next to my sage plant.

Tae found some time to play on the Zip Strip.

When did he get so tall?

Or cute?

The Maple trees are starting to blossom with the Chartreuse green, tender buds.

I'm happy to use my clothes line as well.

The chickens are finding tons of bugs and ticks to eat.

But....this is a problem.

They love this garden for dirt baths.

I don't know how we are going to put mulch in it this year.

They really do make a mess of my side walk and seedlings.

The view from my upper deck shows the chickens having a wonderful time.

While it looks like a chicken massacre...believe me...it's not.

These girls roll around, upside down and sideways to make sure every inch of their feathers is covered in dirt. They always look awful afterward.

Moonlight the cat just strolls by them totally oblivious to their glory.

She learned long ago to leave the chickens alone.

A few too many pecks and she went running.

See? Dirty chickens.
Destroyed garden.

Divots and caverns where they lay. My seedlings gone.

I believe next weekend we will be building a small fence.

Sigh.

What's blooming where you live?

Fall Chickens

Our baby chickens that came at the end of May are all grown up.

They are so fun to watch and a great homeschool project for the kids.

They all helped with the coop construction, cared for the babies and helped raise them.

Patrick loves the chickens.

Yes, that's a chicken in his lap. Her name is Chipmunk. She's a terrible layer often laying soft shelled eggs. Even increasing her calcium has never helped. When she does lay a good egg it is a beautiful blue-green color. We should get rid of her for her poor laying but really she's the most friendly chicken ever. A lap chicken.

Surrounded by chickens my son is very happy.

That's Chipmunk sleeping on his lap.

And I had to post these because our house is covered in Ladybugs or the Asian Beetles. It's gross. You walk outside and they fall in your hair and if you kill them they stink and leave big stains on your walls. Can't stand this time of year for the bugs. Ewww.

This is Sugar-I call her Blanca. All of our chickens seem to have two names. She was our first baby to lay an egg at 21 weeks. They are the tiniest eggs but will get bigger overtime. We all watched her lay her egg while freeranging. I thought she was sick because she was acting funny. All of the sudden she laid two eggs right in a row.

Her first egg had no shell and the dog thought it was a great treat. The second egg only had the membrane so we gave that to the dog too. The poor chicken was so confused as to what to do. She felt much better after her eggs were laid.

This is Butter. I call her Butter. She only has one name. She is our Beautiful Buff Orpington.

When you pet her she squats down-a sure sign that egg laying will come soon.

Here is our older Buff Orpington named Rosie. She is moulting and looks ridiculous.

Her feathers are missing and she's cranky.

We ordered all hens from My Pet Chicken. We got 3 Roosters. One we gave away and two we kept. This is Paprika. Patrick calls him Phoenix. He's a stunningly gorgeous Easter Egger Rooster. He has gold hackle feathers and fabulous cheek puffs. We hope to breed him.

See? Gorgeous. His neck feathers are blue and the rest of him is well, Paprika colored.

He's a very good Rooster and keeps watch over the girls. He's very friendly too and by that I mean he doesn't attack me. We had a white silkie rooster that attacked everyone.

He's now living on a farm with a flock of 40 girls. In the back of the Roo you can see our two Cuckoo Marans (gee did we ever name them?) that will lay chocolate colored eggs, we have a Dominique (named Dominique), a Silver laced Wyandotte (named Raisin) and two Black Australorps that we call Panini and Licorice. Only ten layers and two Roosters.

Those poor girls are already sick of the Roos.

Our other Rooster is named Ruby. We thought this was a hen for a long time as this bird was very slow to develop anything that looked like a Rooster. He was already named Ruby when we discovered he was of the male gender so now we tell everyone that it's short for Ruben.

Ruby is also a stunning Easter Egger Rooster.

He has gorgeous iridescent green tail feathers layered with many, many colors. We also hope that he breeds with some of the girls.

See his tail feathers and coloring? He's beautiful.

It's been a great learning experience for all of us. And the fresh eggs are delicious and nutricious for our family. Can't wait until the other babes start laying.

Chicken Antics

Our baby chicks are eleven weeks old now and pretty close in size to our big girls. They have been mingling with the big girls during the day but prefer to go back to their corner in the coop where they are used to the perches. The big girls like to give them a peck and chase several times a day just to show them who's boss.

On the left is our White Rock named Sugar. The bird on the right-well we call her Ruby but she might be a Roo. Her comb is hennish but her size and tail feathers are kinda rooish. She's just beautiful and even if she/he is a Rooster-we love her markings.

We'd like to find a home for this evil Rooster named Cotton. He's not actually evil, just dumb. If you sneak up on this bird he will attack you but come face on where he can see you and he loves to be picked up. It must have something to do with him being able to see you coming. My chicken whisperer loves this bird. Me...not so much.

The flock of babies. The one in the front is a Rooster too. He crows. We call him Ginger. Yeah I know-girl name. We ordered all hens and got 2 possible Roosters out of the bunch. Someone was not paying attention at the chicken factory!

Tae is always thrilled when he can catch a chicken. This is Chipmunk, one of our older girls. She thinks she is a dog. Seriously, if we free range her she lies down next our lawn chairs and talks to us. And she likes to lay in your lap and be scratched under the chin. Dog.

See? Dog.

Lap dog.

And a totally cutie patootie kid.

Chicken whisperer and the new Rooster. He's free. The Rooster I mean. I can't get rid of the chicken whisperer because he makes me laugh...and brings me coffee. Let me know if you want a Rooster...and I'll throw in a free cup of coffee.

Chicken Whisperer hypnotizing Chipmunk.

Our big girl Wyandotte with her man. Dig a hole, find some worms.

Cuckoo Marans in a bucket.

Now this is not a burial hole with a dead chicken. Our baby Buff Orpington dug a hole and was taking a dirt bath. Yes, chickens can dig-better than a dog.

Did I mention this beautiful Rooster was FREE !

Ruby? Rudy?
Strapping young lady if it is a hen.

The Dominque'. It's her breed and her name.

Left to right-Sugar/White Rock, Paprika/Easter Egger, Licorice/Australorp. We try to give them all food names. I have no idea why.

We still have several more to name. In time it will come.

For now we are enjoying the chicken show.

Chickens in the Trees and the New Babies

We had to clean the chicken coop out again today. The babies dumped all of their water and the litter was soaked. Nothing worse than wet litter mixed with chicken poop. So while we were cleaning the coop the big girls got to go out and free range. I haven't been letting them out of the coop because...well...they do this....

Roost in the trees. Not just roost but roost very high up. And they won't come down or go back into the coop despite begging on my part. Despite me playing chicken pinata with the broom to get them down. Dumbest creatures I've met. Of course they are probably saying the same thing about me. This is Chipmunk. She's a dog. No really. She may look like a chicken but she's a dog. I'm sure of it. Follows us around the yard, likes to sit in our laps and talks to us constantly.

Notice how high up Rosie is. Amidst the poison ivy and vines and at least six feet over my head. No chance of anyone capturing her. She clucked (read laughed here) all afternoon at me.

Then she called all of her friends and made them laugh at me too.

And Raisin came to see what the excitement was.

Rum joined them after her egg laying was done.

And Cotton, the very cranky Rooster stood guard down below causing a ruckus because he couldn't reach his girls and they weren't listening to him. I know the feeling Cotton, I know the feeling!

This is a bucket O' chicken. Babies. Eight weeks old now. And have been mingling with the big girls during the day without too much incidence.

I do have my favorite babies though. Like this White Rock. She doesn't have a name. Still.

Any ideas?

Oh and this baby. This is Ruby. We thought she was a Rooster but maybe not. Our Easter Eggers are much bigger than the other girls. Strapping you might say.

Isn't she marked so pretty?

Yes, I think she is my favorite.