Progress + A New Addition

What is this, you ask? Our chicken barn is nearing some stage of completion and now we have a "wing". Haha! I kill me. Anyway... Here are the ladies. The run isn't finished, but as something was eating them in their old home we decided we'd rather have chickens in cramped spaces than no chickens at all. (And no, this time is isn't the Bad Dog.) Here they are eating the corn that the dear didn't eat...

Ok. I would like to brag on Adam. The coop was one thing, but this is a whole other. He built the addition in two hours. For us, that is good. Eli, from the post below, called yesterday and asked Adam if he still wanted a dominicker rooster. Adam, of course, says yes. I then say, "Well dude, where are we gonna put him cause he's NOT goin in with my hens". He says, "Of course not, we're gonna put him in the rooster pen." This being news to me say, "What rooster pen?" and he says, "The one I'm gonna build. We talked about this baby." Oh me of little faith...

Here is the big guy. He's pretty, isn't he?

We finished up as the sun went down. And I do mean we. As soon as I finished teaching I hauled backside down there to help.

Slightly confused, but fairly happy rooster, I think.

Very tired, but happy and satisfied husband.

He didn't stay on the perch long. Our predator(s) made an appearance. Big boy here slept in the back corner of his uncompromised pen, though, and made it through the night. Anymore this is a huge accomplishment for a chicken around here!!!!

Happy day to all of you!!! Don't forget to smile... Smiling is a very important thing.

LOVE!

Malinda

Dog Days in June...

The dahlia's have been blooming for a couple of weeks, but the red ones are always later. I found them yesterday... Are these persimmons?? And if so, do raccoons eat them? If you know the answer to my question, please email me!! www.music.farm@hotmail.com

Evening on the front porch.

Adam is calculating for his chicken coop roof building. He said to me yesterday, "Baby, this is gonna be the most complicated roof I've ever built." Watch out. When this comes together well, he'll be wanting to make buildings just to try different roofs! I love him... and am quite proud. Neither of us are any kind of carpenter and despite ourselves it seems as though we're building something that a)won't fall down b)will keep the rain and sun off of the chickens and c)has a cool roof :) and d)will, when we are finished, deter predators such as owls and raccoons. (Notice this is not the first time I have mentioned raccoons in this post...more on that later...)

We measure twice and then hopefully only cut once. That has been the case thus far. See the new coop in the back kind of? The walls are done and we framed out a door. Now for the roof. Today is gonna be a busy day, folks.

We could buy stock in kiddie pools. This is the new "pond" for the chickens. We put the block in the middle so that it didn't blow over and it has turned into a little island. ("No chicken is an island", ya know... ) I don't know why it makes me happy that they stand on that concrete block. It just does.

The chickens have been so SO HOT in this hundred degree weather we've been having. They just pant. Did you know that chickens can't sweat? Really. I'm not joshin'. When they get really hot the hold their wings out from their little bodies and let them droop. It looks funny, but they might catch a breeze like that. They drink lots of water (we add fresh water a couple times a day) and they open their beaks and pant and just sit or stand real still in the shade until it cools off.

Bee Balm Blooming By the Barn

Have a wonderful day!

M

If Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words, Then Why Do I Still Have Words??

We ordered seeds for this plant three or four years ago. The flowers are so pretty and dainty. The plant is called Marshmallow. If you are interested in learning more about it, here ya go:
http://www.woodlandfairyacres.com/historyofmarshmallows.php It was too much for me to summarize this morning. Just click the link if you want to read about it.
I love the simpleness of the flowers...

And the bees love it. See the one flying off? I think he's shy...

Purple Cone Flower...

This cat followed me everywhere this morning. We had a love fest on the front porch. Funny thing is, this cat has never let me touch it very much at all and actually ended up in my lap trying to groom me. Thing is, I had told Adam to take this very cat (among others) to the pound because we just have too many and due to circumstances beyond our control have had a few more show up.

Scary grooming session, but he wasn't hurting me - just trying to get me to hold still... I don't know what lesson I'm supposed to be learning, but the cat still has to go. Now I just feel worse about it. Sorry cat...

We took a trip together to the yarrow. The pink variety bloomed yesterday. It is so pretty. By now, you probably think I have issues because I have three different kinds of yarrow. Well, I'd have more if I could find it. I have no idea why I think it is so pretty - I just do. It makes me happy to look at...

See? I bet you feel all happy now, too! How can you look at that and not smile, I ask you??

Then we went to the chicken coop. I forgot to get the eggs yesterday and my grumpy hens will start eating the eggs if I leave them for very long. So I go to get the eggs and the white chicken that always escapes escaped. The cat there watched me chase it around the yard for five minutes. She is very tricky, that hen. You have to heard her just right or you go in circles for days. Five minutes is about close to my best time with that chicken. I'd have taken a picture, but then it would've taken longer and it has become a personal issue with me. She doesn't do it to Adam... maybe it is because he closes the door to the coop when he gets the eggs... :)

We have eaten and gifted a full bed of potatoes so far. Don't worry. There are more. LOTS more...

We have a whole trellis of peas that we are going to let ripen for seeds for next year. We love sugar snaps and I have decided that next year I am going to plant peas like we planted potatoes this year. I will then be happy with the amount of sugar snap peas in my garden.

We like to plant turnips and kohl rabi in the pea beds. They fit perfectly and feed at different levels in the soil. We take up less room in other beds and also do not waste space in the beds we plant in. See the turnips at the bottom of the picture??

If I had to title this picture it would be, "Really Big Honkin' Turnip". Because that is what that is. Now I have nothing against turnips, but I don't eat them like I do potatoes or chocolate, ok? I'm not afraid to tell you this. Adam does love his turnips better than chocolate because he doesn't really like sweets at all. I could say, "Honey, we are having creamed turnips for dessert." and he would be giddy with excitement. I don't know what is wrong with him, but what is wrong with me is that we don't grow chocolate and I have know idea what I'm going to do with all of the turnips in my keeping. Adam just says, "Well, Baby, they store well..." Thanks, dear. Thanks a lot. :) Now I'll just invent a place to store them... They are pretty, though, aren't they?

The bees were going crazy this morning. They were covered in pollen and buzzing around everywhere. Please ignore my weeds. We are not ignoring them - it is just that there are a LOT of them and two of us!! We're workin' on it - promise!

Mr. Ladybug was covered in pollen. Do you see it on him? You know I can't resist a ladybug picture... Thanks for tolerating my eccentricities!

My first stargazer lily bloomed this morning. All is now well with my soul.

And I hope it is well with yours. If not, go look at some bugs and flowers. You're bound to feel better!

All my love,

Malinda

Friday

Big honkin' cabbage plant... We (and I do mean WE :) ) weeded like fools yesterday. The garden is so big that it doesn't really matter how much you weed because there is always weeding to do. The cabbage and brussel sprout beds were pretty scary. I had started to refer to the crab grass as "living mulch". Really it is choking, take-over plant so we attacked those beds yesterday (among others) with fervor.

All of the "chicken food" in the wheel barrow did not come from one bed, by the way. ;)

Speaking of chickens... they know what he is getting ready to do and they are EXCITED...

I leave the clods of dirt at the rootball on a lot of the plants I pull up so that they can get the worms and bugs down in there... shhhh don't tell Adam I gave the chickens his precious dirt!!!

We put Bad Dog's tie out front. He was very happy...

We moved the little replacement chickens down to the pen. We have to get more netting and shade cloth, so we had to make a makeshift pen for them until we get more, but they still have waaaaay more room than they did.

Watch out!! Flying chicken...

We had let the run in this pen grow up so that when we put chickens in it they could eat it down. These are doing that one section at a time! They are so much happier in the sunshine...

Happy chicken....

Happy, sunny day, my friends!! I'm gonna go weed my garlic now...

Love,

Malinda

Busy Weekend (part 2)

I have become a fairly early riser. A fairly happy early riser. My dad would probably think that was funny because in the mornings when I was growing up, he called me The Bear. I think maybe I was a tad bit grumpy in the mornings back then. I digress.

My wonderful husband is NOT an early riser so I have mornings much to myself. The ritual is dogs out, don't let the cat's through the door while doing dogs out, check the baby chicks, wash hands, brush teeth, make coffee, get dogs, turn on computer, check coffee (I make it on the stove because it just tastes better that way), check email, get coffee, blog, then start my day. Sometimes I do things like this... And this.... I like to take pictures of my morning shadow. This particular sunrise was delightful by the way. This was Friday morning. I was waiting on Adam to get out of bed and also on my parents and Granny to come for a visit.

Granny wanted to see the chicks. I'll just say right now that somehow I didn't take a picture of my sweet Mama. You will see her tomorrow, so don't fret!

She had barred rocks when she was growing up... it was so good to have her visit!

BoJangles decided Dad was ok and preceded to sleep on his foot. I think Dad thought that was pretty cool.

Saturday was the baby sister's recital.

I got to be part of it as did another sis...

Sunday was my day to do music at Dad's church. I'll talk more about that later....

Have a lovely day. Keep smilin' even if the sun ain't shinin'!!!!!

Lately...

We have declared war on the fire ants. What was that? You didn't know there were fire ants in Tennessee? Well, let me assure you there are because THEY ARE ALL IN MY GARDEN. It started out innocent enough. A little hill full of ants. "Let them be, Adam," I say. "They aren't hurting anything." Then the hill gets bigger and BIGGER and BIGGER and someone down at the market asks Adam if we have any fire ants and he says "Ummm, I don't think so. How can you tell if you do?" The guy says, "Well, it is a huge hill of ants." Then Adam says in a calm low voice, "Yep we got em." He comes home and we decide we'll just set a really big fire on top of the fire ants. Makes sense. Kill the fire ants with FIRE! Not REALLY. They then conlonized our GARDEN and the dear, Lovin' Husband went up to the co-op and talked to the really nice lady who thinks we are very weird people. She told him what to get and did one bottle work? Did two? We are on, like, bottle eleventy million and they are still finding new places to hide and it HURTS when they bite you in between your fingers. Betcha didn't know that! The red below is one of their recent attempt to recolonize. They carry their young. How responsible of them. Enough of that...

Hangin' with BoJangles.

Watchin' Maggie declare her utmost love, loyalty, devotion, and life to Adam. She really wishes she were me.

Now if that isn't precious I don't know what is...

Feeding weeds to the chickens. My goodness they start singing when they see us coming near them. It usually means a juicy treat of some sort. Worm here + weeds there = happy chickens.

See how they're waiting? They Know he's gonna come through for them.

Mmmmm. They cluck the whole time they're chowing down.

Watched Matoike the cat try to catch a dragonfly. I'll see if the video will upload.

Have been admiring the pretty flowers. This is my sage blooming...

Mowed the backyard (me! I did it!! - not even vicariously through Adam..., but completely by myself. He was proud...)

Nothing makes me happier than to sit down in the yard with Adam after a long day of work and watch the sun set through the trees and watch the shadows move across the freshly mown grass. Mondo likes it, too. See him?

Have a wonderful day!

Love,
Malinda