Cold Day in June

The end of May flew past. So did the beginning of June. So much time has been eaten up by summer classes. My Biology class is honestly kicking my butt! Class for 5 hours 2 times a week, plus studying every other waking second- well, in between work for my other class, work, and everything else that must happen on a typical day to keep things running around here!

Nothing beats fresh lettuce

The garden is 90% planted. Everything that is planted has sprouted ( yay!) 

I planted strawberries, and make a little fence, that is not doing it's job! Strawberries were just starting to get red.....next thing you know, chickens got through it and had a little snack.

 

Speaking of chickens- we lost 3 last week, in the middle of the day, to a predator. Based on the attack, type of wounds, and location of the bodies, we are guessing fox. There were some tracks down by the brook, but the mud was quite deep, and the tracks were distorted- they looked like the could have been bobcat or fox.  It was particularly sad because it was 3 we had raised from day olds, 3 super friendly girls. It's impossible to not notice their absence, as they were the type to always coming running whenever you went outside. Everyone is locked in the coop when we are not home now.


We are headed towards Houlton to pick up some new layers and a rooster this week. I think we also need to expand the run if they are spending more time there. Or...we could just get a guard llama!



Chickens in a sun shower

Something else interesting to mention- we've got a few newly hatched fly catchers in a nest up under the covered porch of the shed! This is the 3rd year they have built a nest, but the first year they have hatched chicks. It's got to be the same couple- I see them every year, they spend a lot of time in the apple tree, and near the garden. I love to see them swoop down and pick off bugs. I had to sneak a peak up in the nest the other day- mother bird was not happy with this though, so I quickly got out of her space.

Green

Things are getting green again! I love this time of year. It is super busy, but also super beautiful, and there is an amazing energy that the earth puts off only right now- everything coming back to life, even the rainy days are lovely.

My big maple

 I finished school for the semester yesterday, and I have a week before my summer classes start- in that time I hope to get a head start on the garden and a few other projects around the house before the crazy condensed courses start!

 

The garden has been tilled, and I have planted some- radishes, lettuce, beets, chard, scallions, parsley and early carrots. I may plant another row of lettuce and beets soon, but I will wait until the first of June to plant most everything else- we will still have cold nights and frost, so I'd rather wait than lose important things like green beans and corn and have to replant.

Honestly, this thing scares me, and it's hard to work!

Julian, the rooster went to live back at his old house, he was leading our hens too far away-like across one neighbors lawn and on to the other! We have 2.5 acres here, so that really is not necessary!

I was not completely on board with getting rid of him, but I agreed under the conditions that I could get a few new hens, and a new rooster just happened to come with them.  We got a Light Brahma (Daisy) a Cuckoo Marans ( unnamed so far) and a pair of Maradunna Basques- (the hen is Honey). Integrating new chickens can be a pain, but so far, so good.