They Grew While I Was Away {two days}

Last week I adopted the little white rock chick {I’m pretty sure she’s the white rock and Nellie is the Americana for sure now}.  She is fitting in wonderfully with Nellie and Stella.  The same night I brought her home I split the two bird populations up.  The meat birds are over twice the size of my layers now and the little gals deserve their own space.

I got home Sunday from being gone two nights–one night to see a John Prine concert in Duluth with a friend and her family and another to see Mountain Stage and check out the folk school in Grand Marais–to just enough daylight to put everyone outside to play while I cleaned their homes.  I got word that three of the meat chickens found a way out of their box-home while I was gone…hmmm.  I think this week I will start leaving them outside, but first I need to make sure they can be secure in their tractors which will require staking them down and surrounding the perimeters on the ground with chicken wire.

So far there hasn’t been a frost, and I don’t think one will be a possibility this week.  This evening I surveyed the pumpkins again and was happy to see they’ve decided to take off in size.  I’m still hoping for a little more grow time for them.  This weekend was beautiful–perfectly cool and sunny.  I think this week will be the same way.

It was good to come home and see my happy birds, the garden, Susan sleeping in the chair that had been kicked out of the classroom, and to be greeted by an overjoyed to see me dog always helps one feel loved.

Growing Up

Chicken Watching

New Birds

Rabbit Tractors and Movable Chicken Coop

 

I can check two of the rabbit tractors off the to-do list as of this morning!  The movable chicken run is also just about finished.  All that's left is the actual coop and sliders.  It was an early morning, up and staple gunning at 6 a.m. with my coffee so that these could get finished before I take off for a few days.   It feels so good to have them done!

And what was Jewel doing the whole time I worked on these contraptions?  Digging a mega-hole of course.

So Far So Good

Pictures of the gals playing in the dirt this evening...the ducks enjoy it when the chickens are gone for a while so they can dominate the water--definitely making a separate duck hotel for them this summer.

Yesterday on the way home from work I heard a story on All Things Considered that made me a bit concerned about this avian flu outbreak that has been in the news here in Minnesota--mostly related to turkey farms.  This time the story was a national one and focused in on chickens.  The main thought line became the idea that this is coming from migratory waterfowl.

I have a literal migratory waterfowl highway over my chicken coop.  The chickens and ducks seem perfectly fine.  It sounds like once birds get sick the end is in a few days with no treatment options.  I will be watching everyone closely and waiting eagerly for summer temperatures that are suppose to do away with the virus.

A Splash of Color

Brown is the theme around here this winter and spring--quite the difference from last.  The idea of green seems so far off, but one day I know that all of a sudden it will show up.  The days are longer and therefore brighter, which is enough for now.  I find that I try to stay outside for as long as possible, brushing down the horse or tending to the other animals or tossing the tennis ball to Jewel or going for walks.  The other day when I let the gals out to play {the ducks stay in the coop because they are quite wild and have unclipped wings} I couldn't help but love their color compared to the very dull backdrop of mud and dead grass.  I'm so happy eggs are showing up again--today I got the prettiest speckled one from Ida and Quinn the duck is laying about every other day too--I feel like cheering every time I collect a stash each day, because I've really missed having a supply of eggs at the ready.  Chickens are the best.  Out of all food producing animals they are by far the most spectacular and easy to raise--and my gals have fantastic personalities to boot.

The afternoons around here are some sort of hybrid between winter hibernation mode and spring appreciation.  After it gets dark I resort to books, sewing, and Netflix {it is especially dangerous that TURN has been made instant--I've always found that early colonial and Revolutionary American era when my ancestors were busy impaling redcoat heads on spears along fence rows in North Carolina fascinating, so my sleep will surely be deprived until I catch up and finish Season 1}.  But that is what winter and these early spring days are for, and soon it will be summer when I forget what television and hours inside feels like, when instead of seeing soft, fluffy snow showers come down intermediately throughout the day, soft rain will fall and water the garden.

Note the deep ruts behind the chickens...that's what I drive down every day to and from.  I'm so glad Minnesota isn't full of "gumbo" like South Dakota or I would not be going far at all.  I'm looking forward to some green and feel like lilacs will be even more appreciated this year.  For now I'm gazing at my chickens....

Chilling With My Chicken

Finding ways to smile, laugh, and just generally feel good was my goal going into this week.  It means making {un-caffeinated} tea in the evenings and just taking time to unwind, listening to music more--especially new albums I've been wanting to give a listen and new artists I've been wanting to give a try, taking a walk in evenings before it gets dark--even if it's short because the wind is making it so cold, pausing to look out my classroom window during the day to enjoy the view, making myself stop at urgent care at the start of the week to address the nagging head congestion and headaches even though I'm tired of doctors and really didn't want to go but luckily did, because I'm already feeling 80% better, making sure I get up in plenty of time to work out at least three times a week at the gym, reading the paper, reading books on my to-read list, trying new recipes, and picking out a new scarf or top if it catches my eye, all that jazz...basically just taking time for me and getting back to me.

This evening I simply enjoyed hanging with the chickens for a few extra moments.  They are comical entertainment, a good way to shift from the work day to the time at home.  I love my gals.

Love: Chickens in the Snow

It's interesting at first....

but it quickly loses its appeal!

Last night and this morning windchills were down to -30ish*.  It was a balmy -4 by the time we went out for evening chores.  However, I got the impression from everyone that they wanted me to just hurry up and get them over with so they could go back inside and snuggle in to our respective comfy spots.

Chicken Siesta

These two chickens are very close to one another.  Eva, my dominique, is more aloof, but these gals are pretty inseparable as can be seen from this dirt bath experience where they spent at least 40 minutes content to roll about and generally chill out side by side.  Eva just went back into her coop which had the door left open and laid an egg.

 

Yes, chicken watching while gardening {in the garden I haven't shown you yet!} is a lot of fun....

Three Eggs {Again}

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Being back by the chicken coop yesterday working in the garden allowed me to see how these girls spend their day exactly.  I went out to find Eva in one of the nest boxes pretty early.  I have been giving out extra laying rations and all sorts of goodies, padding the boxes with fresh grass, all different kinds of things to make her feel loved and ready to lay again--I think all worked, because this morning she laid the first egg in almost a month.  The other girls probably thought she was too much of an early riser, because they usually don't lay until noon or a few hours after.

Later that day I observed Ida hopping into a box and settling in.  Pansy followed to investigate and chit-chat, then went to hang out in the next box over.  They talked back and forth for some time before both finished up business and went down to join Eva going through the new dirt I had brought into the coop floor full of leaves, ants, and whatnot.  Not a bad day for a chicken.

Really, I was working in the garden--not just chicken watching--back in the garden finishing things up today.

Happy solstice everyone.

Tramatized

Eva is alive and well {picture from just a few minutes ago}.  I guess my previous mention of her led some of you to believe she wasn't...sorry for that.  Remember how I said we took apart the hen house?  It's been almost four weeks since the chickens have had their home shook up and Eva is still so upset with the change that she's stopped laying eggs.  She stopped the day after demolition and hasn't laid one since.  Not sure how to get her back to happy.



*And for those of you who are worried {after talking to my sister}...I really am okay.  I know you all are looking out for me...Eva and I will get back to ourselves sooner or later.  It seems something can be done and my doctor up here has more sympathy {and wants to recommend me to some study due to my rare susceptibility--I passed on that opportunity for the time being}.  I should hopefully be feeling better in a few days and it's giving me the needed excuse to commit to more chilling out.

Around Here

Tilling of the house garden was suppose to take place last week.  It's now on my to-do list for this week.  It will be put in at about the same time as last year's garden and the only thing going in from seed will be the winter squash, kale, spinach and some other greens.  They'll be fine.  I do have a few black krim tomatoes that will have to be planted pretty deep and lots of leaves to take off due to them having to wait for their permanent home.

I'm told I have a hummingbird battle going on.  Two are disputing territory in midair over rights to the flowers on the deck and the feeder.  I'm also told the oriels are back and a bald eagle keeps cruising over in the evenings.

My sister unloaded tons of flowers on me.  One of my projects this week is to try to plant them in something.  These are ones she started from seed.  I've never seen the green or the pink/brownish/purple petunias before.  I think they are named lime sophisticas and antique sophisticas.

I have a chicken coop to finish up.  We had taken apart 95% of the hen house and had plans to build one with a window in the back and hinged opening for egg collection {kind of like some of these}.  Their hen house wasn't bad, but just boards that created a simple house and a door with a ramp.  Now the girls just have a bottom floor with their crates {yes those are from the former classroom...}, but it's summertime and fresh air is good, so the project can get done little by little.  The girls act completely fine with their simplified digs so I'm fine with it too for now.

I have committed to getting my rabbit barn squared away with better hutches this week.  The girls will get their new homes first.  They've all been very patient through the long winter and deserve a little spoiling.  The two current batches of kits have been living in the traveler this past week.  My sister went out every 2 or 3 hours at night to make sure they weren't being eaten by anything while I was away...I owe her big time. Certainly in need of more housing and some more outdoor movable pens for the summer.  I've decided to wait a year on bees.  Last week I was suppose to pick up a hive, but with all that happened obviously did not.  Instead I'm going to throw my efforts into the rabbitry this summer and finish getting it set up.  I can't keep up with all the people inquiring about silver foxes and so focusing on them would probably be wise.  There's a local honey bee club I learned about that I plan on delving into though.  It will mean I'm even more prepared for bee arrival next spring.

Most of Sunday afternoon was spent outside checking up on things and mowing grass and it felt good.  I have had paint waiting to finally finish up the barn trim and got that started this evening too.  I think the color scheme is going to make it look like something straight out of New Mexico.

Flower seed planting was finally finished {I had planted in front of the cabin and things are sprouting...but the battle to keep the dogs out of the beds of cosmos and zinnias has begun...there are a few spots that will need to be patched up}.

And I'm trying to appreciate this phase of gardening more this year.  I've often found that I get impatient during this first stage when things are so small or may or may not sprout {things almost always germinate}.  I don't know why...possibly because in my mind there's this race until the fall frost {or in previous years a race to get the harvest in before things got too hot}.  But things will grow and harvest will come and this is an exciting time in the garden.  I'm glad I put in a few planters of lettuce earlier than everything else.  They should tide me over...I was able to cut some mizuna this evening for supper.

I broke down and stopped at a nursery I used to go to growing up a few days ago on the way back to Minnesota and bought some herbs I had not gotten seeds for and never grown before just for something fresh and new--purple basil, fennel, and marjoram.  My Mom had marjoram in the kitchen window when I was very small and it brings back happy memories of a pretty free spirited childhood in hot and humid Florida with America on the radio and my sister and I collecting toads in the evenings and running in to the kitchen sink to fill a container for their water dish in the bottom of a 5 gallon drywall mud bucket, and then letting those same toads go on their way in the morning and watching them happily hop off across the yard to freedom.  Sometimes I would reach up and grab a leaf to eat.  I don't know why I never thought of planting marjoram before, but when I passed it in the greenhouse as I aimlessly browsed around it instantly brought back all those memories and resulted in the other two coming home to join it as well.

It was good to be greeted by the crew.  They have been in good hands and spoiled even more than usual under my sister's care.  Them being there and hanging out does make the cabin feel more welcoming to return to.

And Jewel and Tuesday seemed to be getting on fine.  It took Jewel months to get used to niece Sophia {which meant months of hiding under beds and behind end tables}.

Most of you already know this, but for those of you who don't--Mike was killed on the 29th of May in an accident along with a friends little boy while visiting a friend from the service and it all feels very unreal still.  Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.  I don't know what else to say.  My mind is a mess right now.

Spring Routines

There are a few evening routines out here...going out to look at the stars {and Mars which is currently situated among the bows of one of my favorite pine trees}, feeding the rabbits and chickens and everyone else..., and usually sitting back with a book with Jewel who insists on curling up as close as possible to me on the couch.  The chickens roost in exactly the same spot each evening {and usually in the same order}, Charlie lays in the exact same spot on the floor, and the deer walk down exactly the same path to sleep in the thicket behind the house.  Now a loon is back and adding it's call to the evening routine once again.  So far it hasn't gotten an answer to its calls, but any evening now there will be a symphony once again.  It's all very comforting really.  And any day now garden routines will resume.  The frogs have woken up, the grass is growing.  It looks like temperatures will not get below freezing in the next week and beyond.  This means peas and lettuce--planting to begin this weekend!

And Now It's Time to Clean the Barn

It hasn't been above freezing at my place since November 25th.  I flirted with something above 32* around Christmas one day and also one day back in January, but the thermometer at my house never made it all the way there--and right after those tantalizingly warm days which felt so foreign it plunged way back down.  It's been a very cold winter with hardly even days in the 10* to 20* range up here in the woods.  But today it got up to 45*.  Let me say that again--it was 45* up here!  I could hardly believe it and kept finding every excuse I could to be outside, from fixing a bird feeder the squirrels had gotten a hold of to shoveling off the slush from the deck, or just to watch the animals enjoy it all too, anything so that I could just marvel at the fact that it could get that warm again and breathe it all in deeply.  So much snow was melting that from inside, where I had every single window in the place open, it sounded like rain.

It was also a day to start cleaning the barn.  My little barn--yeah it started its life labeled utility shed but it says it's a barn because it houses animals not lawn mowers, has been in a frozen state pretty much since December.  That means there's a lot to be cleaned.  But by tomorrow evening it will be on its way to being ship shape.  I'm looking forward to the day that the chickens can go on out to there outside run, which is about 4 feet deep in snow, until perhaps next December...maybe by the end of the month?  It did feel good to be out there, outside, working in the freshness of it all.

Everybody and everything seemed to revel in the change today brought.  It's something how weather--something totally out of our control--influences moods, hopes, energy.  I know that this burst in temperatures has certainly boosted my spirits, and I didn't even realize they needed boosting.

It has me missing my horse, whose been such a trooper this winter after 4 years in the desert, and I found myself getting the saddle that has been collecting dust all winter ready to go instead of vacuuming.  It has me ready to sit out on the deck while I drink my morning coffee again.

The to do list was long today.  Cleaning inside and out, rabbits to get in the freezer, and pedigrees to finalize for rabbits to get ready for new homes.  My parents will be visiting in the next few days and the room they will be sleeping in is a compilation of sewing supplies and unpacked debris from moving...but at the end of today it was nice to stop it all and go out and watch the sunset in only a sweatshirt knowing more days of the same are ahead according to the forecast.  I can almost hear the forest thawing and breathing a sigh of relief too.

I'm not naive enough to believe there won't be another stint of cold or snow, but today sure felt good!