March 31.

Daphne-almost ready to bloom! This is the first flower I see every year- before there is a leaf on any tree, this random stick in the woods will have beautiful little pink flowers.

 

I think the snow is gone for good this time, yeah, sure, it might snow again, but April snow always melts fast...plus, I'm all done with snow, so it can't snow again...right?

band of turkeys

I've had a busier than expected spring semester. It's a little more than half way over now, and I just signed up for summer classes. If all goes as expected, and I pass both of my Praxis tests, I'll be student teaching in the fall, and will have FINALLY finished my degree! This has been a very long time coming, so I am getting pretty excited!

I started some scallions and some jalapenos a bit ago. The scallions are 2-3 inches tall, and the jalapenos are just emerging. This time of year is so strange, things seem so slow and so fast at the same time. I've got plenty of prep to do before I think about gardening- like getting some fencing to keep the chickens out, and getting some manure....but the ground is still mostly frozen, so I need to hold my horses!

Speaking of chickens, we lost one to a hawk this past week. Poor Peaches, the Buff Orpington. It's sad, but this is what can happen when you free range. Some people may think I'm cruel or dumb to continue to free range, but that is how it's going to be. They enjoy it, and loss to predators is part of the risk, even if they are penned. Moving on....

Last week we had a full moon..a big, bright one, and it made for a crazy week. The beginning of the week was crazy, but I was finally able to shift my mood and start to find spring when it turned a little warmer and the sun came out. We are in that " brown and gray" time of year, and I am really yearning for some green, and maybe a flower or two!

Pretty Peaches, RIP

Penny, my one and only blue egg layer has finally started laying again.

Can't We All Just Get Along???

Adding the 5 new comers to the existing flock was not without it's problems! A few bullies emerged ( my two white rocks) and because of this, one of my new buff orpingtons obtained a bloodied rear end. We brought her in for the night, and then coated her almost non-visible wound with blue-kote and sent her back in the next day.

almost done!

All 10 of the chickies

 And now, after a week, everyone is getting along. Also, we are done with all of the structural building on the coop and run. We spent 6 hours yesterday putting up the posts and chicken wire. Joe will make the door today. The chicks are all about 7 and 9 weeks now, and are better than watching TV! We bought a pair of Adirondack chairs and have the set up facing the run...

Peaches having a treat

We Doubled Our Chickens....

My original order of chicks was for six. Two White Rocks, and 4 Aracaunas. After much nursing, one of the Aracaunas did not make it, and for some reason, I just felt that 5 chickens was not enough, so Joe gave me the go ahead to replace sick chick. I replaced sick chick with 5 more! We picked them up this weekend from Empire Acres farm, and so far, so good. No major fights, just a little bosy rudeness. ...Because really, what could be better than 5 chickens.....but 10 chickens!


We added 2 8 week old Buff Orpingtons, an 8 week old Aracauna and a pair of 6 week old Barred Rocks. It's funny though, my six week old girls are about as big as the new 8 week olds...and the new six week olds look tiny...apparently I have some fat spoiled chickens!