Cozy Chicken Coop

The chickens are growing like crazy, eating scraps when they can, and preferring to stay outside.  Thank goodness because they were outgrowing the chicken brooder box to the extreme, and sleeping in the doghouse.

My Mother's Day "present" is finally finished!  Well, it still needs shingles, but it's done, and outside, and chicken-ready!  I am so excited to share the coop with you.  I promised DH there would be no pictures of him on here. I am so thankful for his hard work.  I keep having to remind myself that building/maintaining things IS how he says "I love you" -- accepting your spouse as they are is not always easy, but it is so very vital to your marriage!

Framing

Phase one was planning and framing.  Here's a refresher photo.  DH has this amazing ability to just start putting together an idea and figuring it out as he goes.

Phase two was assembly.  He put the frame up and together, made the roofing trusses.

Phase three was windows and siding, then interior.  We got three small utility windows.  And 4'x8' siding boards.

Assembly

Painted and with door

Siding & windows

Inside you'll find plywood walls and self-stick tile floor.  There are 5 nesting boxes.  In the finished pictures you'll see the perches too.

A glimpse inside -- nesting boxes

DH built a chicken hatch on the left under the windows, and a full-size door for easy access and cleaning.  On the right is the exterior access to the nesting boxes.  The chicken hatch and the full-size door have latches to keep varmints out and chickens in.

We are using a re-purposed dog pen -- and the old doghouse was still in there.  They actually started settling in there before we moved the coop.  DH cleared up the pen, moved the doghouse and loaded up the coop (shingle-free for now) on the trailer to move it.  DS1 & 2 were the big helpers, too.  Before shots:

Temporary housing.

The coop "landing pad" -- blocks leftover from
our porch re-do, and 6x6" timbers to level it.

chickens exploring their pen -- about 2 months old

And the adventure of moving a coop.  Boys in the fort, chickens in the old stock tank/pool, dog in the house, me directing -- just glad I didn't let him hit the garage ;)  This was ratcheted down during moving, and DH used steel pipes to roll it on and off -- from point A to point B.  I am truly amazed at his handle on applied physics and how these things work with one person doing it -- he didn't even need my help!

Now the coop has landed in it's home, and it's propped up high enough that the chickens can get underneath for shelter/shade.

Inside they have perches, a ramp and five nesting boxes, and floor space for the food to be inside until a sheltered feeder is built.










I have also clipped flight feathers, as the girls were perching on the top of our fence.  Hopefully I clipped enough...if not I guess I try again.

Truthfully, one of the neatest things has been watching my boys help dad build this.  They learn by doing -- my dear mother-in-law once said:      

The best kind of play is working along side you.  Enjoy the quality time; they are learning 

real life skills and 
having fun!

Plant, Weed, Mulch, Repeat

Sometimes life is slow going and other times it is non-stop.  The last half of May was going constantly...all good things, yet very busy.  Field trips, class events,wrapping up our MOPS year, planting the rest of the garden, baking for the school carnival, Mothers day, and a family weddng.  So how do I follow that?  I also joined a health/gym place for women only, so I can actually get in shape for the first time in my life without my psyche getting the best of me.  Busy times...very little left for online pursuits.  So, be forewarned my posts may be fewer and shorter.  Welcome to summer vacation!

Now the garden is in and the last of the seeds planted are just starting to peek out of the ground.  Come walk with me in my garden.

Back Patio: Mint, pansies and marigolds (edible blossoms) in planters.  Grapes are just a few feet away.  The grapes are taking off.  This is the second year for them, not sure if we will have grapes yet or not, but they are growing!  I also have a salad bowl and a tray of loosey-goosey plants that have no place in the garden...they will likely be given away.


Kitchen garden: Salad greens are up and will be ready to pick soon.  Herbs have done very well.  Already dehydrated one batch of parsley, two of cilantro.  I put two basil plants in: red and sweet.  The herbs have been going to seed early due to the early season this year.  Most of them are perennial or from last year's seed.






Tea garden: His is where my tea herbs (along with irises) reside.  The lavendar smells fantastic.  Chamomile looks to bloom soon.  Echnicea is struggling--dog has trampled it trying to herd chickens who are in the adjacent pen.  I just put in a rosemary, too.

Chickens: The seven hens are doing great.  Shortly after my last chicken post RedRoo did indeed crow.  It's not very loud yet, but his days are numbered.  They have taken permanent outdoor residency and thank goodness!  In waiting for the chicen coop to be done,the girls have discovered the old doghouse makes a nice shelter from sun and rain.  One night it was late when I got out there and they were all snuggled in so we decided they would be fine in there with a board in front of the doggie door to keep out critters at night.  The actual coop looks fantastic and was moved outside today!

Vine Patch: I'm trying something new here this year, combining plantings.  In the pst  have done 3 or 4 hills of pumpkins and had more than we needed.  This year I have two hills of pumpkins, one hill of watermelon, one hill of muskmelon.

Berries: The dry spell we had here did not do any favors.  We shall see...I don't expect great abundance.  I didn'tater the strawberries as much as I should have.  They have stalled out and some blooms dried up.  Doggone broken sprinkler.  Got a new one right before it rained again.  Go figure.  Blueberries should be on by the end of the month.  Some got frost nipped in early May, but some are still growing!

Fence-row:  I tried something new, planting my climbing cucumbers along the fence.  It sounds good in theory, but I have yet to see sprouts from the seeds.  Not sure if it's that something ate them or if I'm just not patient enough.  Time will tell.  I planted 5 hills, one on each fence post parallel to our main garden.

View from the north-east corner.

Main Garden:  So starting at the gate, as you walk in you will find...potatoes to the left, ready to bloom (5 rows of red and 2 rows of gold) the red are growing more consistently, but the gold are larger plants despite being planted two weeks later.  We'll see which are more productive in a few months!  To the right is the patch of corn -- 7 rows -- just starting to pop up (planted a week ago).  Keep walking and at the left (next to the potatoes) are the 5 rows of green beans.  They, too, were planted a week ago and have started popping up!  Take the left path from here and you see the 8 late cabbage and 3 early cabbage, 2 plants of dill, 2 rhubarb plants and 3 rows of onions.  I have finally managed a healthy onion patch -- 5th try's the charm.  Back at the center path, if you take the right path you see 24 tomato plants, 4 hot peppers, 12 sweet peppers, garlic, leeks, broccoli, a few last-minute cauliflower that may or may not make it (3 year olds don't always watch where they walk :p ).  Turn right at the cauliflower and you see 5 rows of carrots and 5 rows of beets.

View from the south-east corner.

View from the south-west corner.

Touch of Class hybrid tea rose.

Blooming: Out front I have clematis blooming still, and planted yellow petunias in the little wagon by the front step.  At the west of the house, my red asiatic lilies are in bloom (a month early, like most things).  You'll also find my wedding garden here -- planted on our 5th anniversary (3 years ago): white roses, irises (which are done blooming now -- they were supposed to be blue, but are really more purple), and delphinium in pale blue.  *heart smiles*  To the south of the house is my rose garden, in bloom, too.  This was planted for the love of roses I got from my grandparents, who always had roses.  :)

Ville de Lyon Clematis

It's been busy days in the garden.  Plant, weed, mulch, repeat.  It's a crucial process, especially with the dry weeks we've had; mulch will save your garden.  To a point, the weeds actually help your garden, shading the soil.  Yet, eventually they will overtake your plants and steel nutrients.  Better to pull them and mulch the soil.  You can use the weeds you have pulled or wood chips (untreated, uncolored).  We chip up the trimmed tree limbs every season and that provides most of what we need.  You can also get truck/trailer loads from a local landscaper or yard-waste landfill.  They don't have to be fancy, just cover the soil so the dirt doesn't dry as quickly.  Extra bonus: mulch becomes compost, and thus adds back to your soil!

I love the road in the woods image...
added three little squirrels just for a personal touch ;)

Last bit of the check-in for May/June =

Goals: My goal was to paint the picture ...and... I did it!!!  I am so excited to say I actually did it.  I've been keeping that blank canvas on the easel since October.  I'm not fabulous artist, but I love to paint and I love to save money by doing things myself.  It was a fantastic night to just get lost in the paint... I didn't go to sleep until 11:45, but it was a great night!

   Next month, my goal is to get the clutter cleared out: garage sale!


Lessons: Life takes lots of tending and maintenance and sometimes we wish we weren't responsible for that; but make sure you don't waste all that effort of the past by neglecting it now.  It's not fun to be unkempt or parched.  Do what it takes to nurture your family, yourself and your relationships.  Most of all don't neglect your relationship with the Creator -- He cares intimately for you and your concerns.  It's so hard, but let Him help you carry the burdens, He is waiting for you to do so.

Catching Chickens

It's been a couple of non-stop weeks around here (and finally winding down -- much more peaceful).  My apologies for lacking a chicken update last week.  So here are weeks 4, 5 and 6.  The girls are growing fast.  I would say they are about the size of a gallon jug -- only bird shaped.

4ish weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

Marshmallow -- notice she has a bit more white baby fluff
left, compared to some of the others.

The girls have lost most of their baby fluff and are flapping around -- doing the flap and fly.  As they get bigger they are supposedly not flyers, but right now they can fly/jump over small obstacles and get up on top of things about 3' tall.  In fact, the kid-pen turned chicken pen has been retired in favor of the dog-run turned chicken-run.  The coop isn't done yet, but we are putting the chickens in the big pen during the days because they were flapping right over the sides of the kid-pen.  Fencing is 6' high in the big pen, much better.  At night they still come in, but those girls are awfully cozy in the brooder box.  They jump in and nestle down, as there isn't much room to run.

Red Roo, notice everyone else's combs are smaller and
blonder -- me thinks Red will be repurposed, eventually
invited to a potato and carrot bath :(

The other side of them being in the brooder box at night is that they are ready to run by morning.  Red Roo is our resident dominant chicken (we call "her" Red Roo as we aren't entirely sure it's a "her," but rather a "him." -- the comb and wattles are bigger and bright red, legs are bigger, too)  So Red Roo has jumped out of the bucket everyday this week in transit from the house to the pen in the mornings.  I'm definitely ready for the coop to be in the pen and those girls to be outside full time.  Don't need DH chuckling from the windows as we try to round up errant chickens.

The coop is coming along nicely.  DH has it just about done (with the help of my DearSons).  There are 3 utility windows, a chicken door, a full-sized door, 5 nesting boxes and a tarpaper roof, right now.  After it's moved, we will get shingles on.  These chickies are gonna be comfy -- there's insulation in the walls, ventilation, and plans for some varied roosts, too.  All that's left is to paint, move, and shingle!  I'll get pics up after we get it all together and moved -- a commensurate coop post ;)

Red Roo also likes to perch on the bucket and
watch over everything, too.

The pen is not entirely ready -- there are pallets, which we
are leaning for shade/perch until the coop is in.  The dog-
house is also still present, though the dog isn't
 -- the girls don't go in it (smells like predator, I think)

Yes, catching chickens can be fun.  The pen itself seems to be holding them, but the transit between is the challenge.  Red Roo jumps out of the bucket, as I said; so I've seen Tula, our GSD, corner Red and then Red demonstrate the (male?) behavior of jumping feet first on an adversary.  Tula was more startled than anything.  Our city ordinance does not allow roosters, so if "she" is a "he" -- it won't be staying.




In trying to get escape artists back where they belong, sending the boys to catch them does NOT work.  They just go head-on and scatter them; a losing battle.  I've found herding the chicken is better (hmmm...kinda like boys).  I go this way and that way and get the chicken to go the way I want, then grab them when they are cornered against something.  Sometimes patience works better than chasing.  There's one in particular that doesn't like to be caught in the evenings.  Everyone else is in the bucket, and "RoadRunner" is doing laps around the pen.  I sit and wait; soon RoadRunner is curious enough to come see where everyone is, and she walks right up to the bucket.


So the chicken lessons of the week:

• Love (appreciating the support of the people I love, and being gracious and forgiving when others don't think the same way I do).  
• Joy (nothing is better than getting out your box and running on a sunny morning). 
• Peace (being content to get to a calmer point in life). 
• Patience (wait for the chicken to come to you).  
• Kindness (letting the kids help whenever they can, even though I would rather yell preventatively, "get away from the chickens!"). 
• Goodness (always taking care of what is out charge, provided for our needs by the Father).
• Gentleness (the watch-word whenever boys want to hold or pet them).
• Faithfulness (DH has worked diligently to finish the coop for my hobby-homestead).   
• Self Control (no crazy antics with chickens, please boys -- and be calm with the boys, Mama).

You know, come to think of it, that's been our verse this week: Galatians 5:22; the Fruit of the Spirit -- look it up, you'll be blessed by it.  The mom-prayer challenge I've been doing has focused on it for our sons, and it's a good way to reroute the attitude boys get during busy times.  We sing it, we quiz on it (earning grapes or strawberries for each one they remember), and I see it everywhere.  Amazing when the Word becomes the Living Word -- seen in all aspects of our lives, even chickens.  "Against these things, there is no law."  Amen to that, and thank goodness!  Blessings to you! :)

Dance in the Rain, Mom

Some days are bright and warm and sunshiney -- and some days are like a thunderstorm.   As a mom of boys, I see the changeability of the days three or four times a day.  Some moments are great -- they are coloring quietly, helping in the garden, building a massive frontier-log homestead together, speaking gently to each other -- SUNSHINE!  Other moments are arguments, messes, sassy mouths and holding grudges -- STORMS!  So, what's a mom (or dad or other caregiver) to do?

Soak up the sun when it's out, and then make the choice to enjoy the storms!  Here in the midwest we had a few days of this, last week -- literally.   The mornings start cloudy, the sun comes out, the weather warms and makes me wish school was out so we could spend the day outside non-stop.  Then it gets really warm -- almost hot.  A storm brewing, no doubt.

Now, I'm not a "fan" of storms.  I would rather enjoy a sunny day warm and delightful, than be stuck inside with the booming and the rain.  But...can I plant my garden without the rain?  A storm is the natural way of clearing out the dead brush and limbs and undergrowth in the woods/fields -- that's how the creator made it, to work in harmony.  The sunshine feeds life, the rain grows life, and the winds complete the cycle.  So on those stormy days I appreciate the time to catch up inside, if the chores are done (shocker, believe me) I have the freedom for some reading time or a game with my kids.  The blessing in the storm, if you will.

Life with boys is like a late spring day -- changes constantly and there's usually a storm brewing.  But there are so many joys too -- the moments of wholesome boy play, getting good and dirty just for the sake of being hands-on, jumping to help mom (because that's what good men do).  In the storms, I have to choose to appreciate what I can of it.

It's a challenge in the thick of it -- to not lose my cool, or feel the failure.  To keep heart and faith that God will see me past that valley of life.  At one point I was ready to throw in the towel -- I had a 2 year old and an infant and I was overwhelmed.  Almost two years later I had a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn -- really overwhelmed.  As they grew it was moments of complete contrition.   I'm not worthy to be their mother.  I will never get this right.  I'm losing my mind.  How will they learn to be good men if they have an angry, frustrated mother who can't get past her own hormones?  I was on my knees crying out to God to carry me through that -- the depression, the unworthiness, the fear over my lack of control in my situation.

The amazing thing is he did carry me through it.  He brought me to a group of moms that knew exactly where I was at -- fellowship and understanding, someone to walk along side me.  I grew by leaps and bounds spiritually those first few years in my MOPS group -- I'm still growing.  He carried my marriage through it to -- we made it past that typical "7 year discontentment."  I don't call it the itch, because I never really wanted to leave, but it was so hard to really focus on what we wanted for the future of our marriage when my own selfishness wanted to focus on what I wanted for my future (or my family's future).  But our gracious God did not stop at taking care of me and my marriage, he changed my perspective on my role as Mom.

As moms of boys it is our privilege and our calling to be here for our boys.  We guide them and nurture them.  My philosophy is I'm not raising boys, I'm raising men -- hopefully strong, good, faith-filled men.  Men who will be husbands and fathers and leaders.  Can I do that of my own free will?  Is it my effort alone that will bear fruit?  Is it my actions that will affect my kids and generations to come, for my name alone?  Yes, I hope to leave a legacy, but not one for me.  I hope to leave a legacy that in how God leads me and uses me, as his hands and feet, will indeed be ultimately glorifying to Him.

A friend challenged me to join her in the 21 Days of Prayer for our Sons Challenge http://www.themobsociety.com/21-days-of-prayer-for-sons/ and I have seen two benefits immediately -- though I'm sure there's more fruit to come.

I'm humbled to realize that it's not my power and action that will take my sons to that ultimate goal -- it is the faithfulness of the Lord.  The thing I am assured of is that if we pray faithfully and believe He can do anything in our children's lives, He will answer that prayer.  The timing is not always our own -- but I have faith that his purpose and timing are better and more purposeful than my own.  Prayer is the single most powerful thing we as moms can do for our sons (or daughters, for that matter).  The commentator challenged us to wear holes in our jeans praying.  Not holes in our shoes chasing, or crackles in our voice lecturing.  Holes in our knees, praying -- bringing our boys and their futures before our gracious God who concerns himself with even the littlest of our concerns.  We don't have all the answers or solutions to every problem or question, but we do have the opportunity to show we have faith despite that lack of knowledge.  Believing without seeing or knowing is true faith.  Letting go of our own control and giving it over to the wisdom of the Lord.

Second, I have been blessed to really grow in my prayer life through this.  To feel like I'm finally doing something right and making an impact for my boys and their future as men.  I find myself not only in prayer for them, but for their future wives as well.  For their future families and the impact they in-turn can make on the world for our Lord's purpose.

Then today in church, as our Lord is so apt to do, I was presented with a neon sign.  I pray for neon signs, you see.  I know in my blur of a life, I'm prone to miss subtlety; I need big clear messages.  Our pastor was in Matthew chapter 9, and he reminded us that the least likely believer is the one that Christ makes His priority.  That wayward son will be sought by God.  My boys are too young to be real heart-knowledge believers yet, but I know the promises of the Lord don't say they won't wander.  The Lord knows what the future holds, I don't.  The promise of the Lord is that if I point my sons on the right path, when they are old they will not turn from it.  

It is my hope they grow to know the Lord and stay in his truth -- that it will be warm fuzzies all the way.  The reality is the enemy tells a tempting lie; he makes it easier to believe the world than the Word.  It is my job as mom to never lose faith in the Lord's work in my sons' lives, no matter how overwhelmed I am by the circumstances.  No matter how hard it gets, I must never cease praying and never lose hope.  I will always love my sons unconditionally -- through the good and the bad, through the mountains and the valleys.  Just as my Father loves me unconditionally, so I must distinguish between the sin or error and my son.  Hate the sin, love the sinner -- always.  After all, aren't I one, too?

There are days that are full of challenges, but I can either lament the difficulty of it, or I can look for the teachable moment and pray my sons and I grow from it.  I look forward to the moment when I can look back on our lives and in retrospect see the times the Lord has brought us through the valleys and back to the mountaintops.  A speaker at a women's conference I attended recently, Holly Wagner, made the poignant point:

Wouldn't it be great if life was mountaintop, mountaintop, mountaintop, Heaven?!  That's not how it works -- life is full of valleys.  But where does the fruit grow?  Not on the mountaintop, but in the valley!

When we are overwhelmed by this calling we have as moms, it is not the point to give up, but rather to cling to a purpose and faith stronger than my own efforts and will.  So my message this Mother's Day is this -- don't run from the storms in life.  Look for the blessing, dance in the rain, and know the harvest is yet to come!

Budget-Saving Garden

There are three reasons I grow a garden.  The top reason for me and my analytical brain: saving dollars makes sense!  The other two are health (knowing what my food is exposed to is very attractive) and industry (being productive and teaching the boys to work for what they have is enjoyable to us).  With three growing boys all three of these topics are near and dear to my heart.

I read that the average garden costs $70 to put in and has a return of about $1 per square foot.  Our garden consists of 40x45' main garden, 10x10' strawberry bed, 4x7' herb garden, 4x7" salad garden, 24sf of blueberries, 3x20 pumpkin patch (though it grows past that).  Grand total: 2040 square foot of food-producing garden.  That doesn't include our chickens, who will be making eggs this fall.


For me numbers make more sense than just saying -- "save money by doing this!"  So here's an example of a spring's garden spending.  My spending total so far:

Asst. Seeds (some 2-3 years worth)  $23.69

Growing pots, flats, seed starter    14.95

Bulk Onions (est)     2.00
Garlic Bulbs     3.20

Hot Pepper Plants (budgeted)     5.00

3.45# Seed Potatoes at $0.54/#      1.99

20 Broccoli Plants      6.94

8 Cabbage Plants      3.38

$61.15

I also get a $15 budget for annuals (flowers) every year and stretch that across wherever.  This year I spent $11.20 on 27 pansy plants (3 9-packs) and planted them in 4 planters and 3 hanging baskets.  I'm also allowed to add one perennial landscaping plant/grouping.  I watch for canning supplies on sale -- just bought a few flats of quarts for $7.99 a dozen -- long term investment.  I would advise setting your limits for each category and sticking to them -- that's the best way to budget!  Keep all your receipts in one place to make this easier.

Some tips for making your garden dollar stretch:

• Start your own plants, if you can.  A sunny south or west window works great.  Make them only one layer deep or they will be reaching across the shelf/table for the sunlight.  Some plants like to be misted rather than drenched -- keeps the leaves from drying out in the house once you take the dome off.  Start them in small pods/packs, then transplant the ones that do indeed grow into bigger pots so they grow better and deeper.

Saw this on Pinterest and had to give a go!

• Store your leftover seeds.  Some seed packages go a long way (like tomatoes and lettuce).  I can stretch then 2-3 years, some times up to 5 with herbs.  Store them in a cool, dark, dry place to prevent them from starting to germinate or decompose.  I have a shoebox that I store closed, in our basement, over the winter.   http://www.motherearthnews.com/ask-our-experts/seed-viability-zb0z1203zmat.aspx has some great info on this topic.

• Save containers.  You can reuse many containers/growing trays for years.  This year I had to do some replacing/restocking so my bill was a little higher than normal.  This goes for the containers your store-bought plants come in, too.

• Watch for things to be on sale -- Most garden stuff goes on sale early in the season to get people excited and buying.  After-season clearance is a great time to shop, too -- if you don't need it immediately.  You can often get shrubs and perennials for 1/2 price at that point!

• Look into saving your own seeds from year to year.  I've not done this yet -- but that would cut my bill in half!

Cut Hosta into 1.5 - 2 inch sections and plant, making sure
you have multiple leaves and a good section of root.

• Get perennials from gardening friends if you can.  Strawberries send off shoots every year.  Hosta grows exponentially, the same goes for bulbs and rhizomes.  Our hosta around the north and east of the house came from a single plant at my parents' house, the ones around our patio splits off my sister's plants, lilies came from my in-laws neighbors.  Odds are, they are just looking to get rid of the excess and it's a win-win!

• Trade plants with friends.  If she grows hot peppers and you grow sweet peppers, there's bound to be extras of each.  Help each other out!

Multitasking -- while sauce simmers, make jam!

• Plant for what you want to preserve -- you save even more money off your grocery bill by cutting out prepared items and making it yourself (My spaghetti sauce from the garden averages 1.41 a quart, compared to 1.98 at the store -- less if my onions and peppers do better this year; strawberry rhubarb jam is 1.77 a pint -- compared to 3.95 at the store.)

Do it yourself!  That's what a garden is all about -- grow it, dig it, plant it, tend it, harvest it -- reap the rewards!  Your family will benefit, not only financially, but also in health!

Being frugal is a big part of our lives.  Not just for the times and the economy, but also for the sake of being good stewards of the resources we have.  How awesome it is to see a $1900+ net return on our garden!  All on the platform of being willing to work for what we have and the faithfulness of our Lord to provide through it!

April 2012 - Cold Weather Growers

April is drawing to a close, and I thought a garden tally was appropriate, for those of you wondering what to grow and when -- or just what I do with my day besides blogging and chasing boys.  The unseasonable warmth had me put these things in a little early (some a week or so before normal), but I don't think it's too late to plant them yet.  Just make sure they have enough water as it gets warmer.  A partly shady garden spot will extend the growth of these plants, too, as it's cooler in the summer than the full-sun areas.

Potato plants coming up now.

By the end of this April I have the following in my garden:  26 broccoli plants (some home-grown, others store-bought as my seedlings were very thin this year), 5 rows or red potatoes (from last years stock), 2 rows of yukon gold (purchased), 3 rows of red onions (purchased), a square plot of garlic (3 cloves), 5 rows of beets, 5 rows of carrots, and 8 cabbage plants (new this year).  I have pea seeds, but I'm still not getting my trellis figured out.  Ideally I'd like a trellised entry over the gate, but that means buy ($$ no thanks) or adding another construction project.  I'll have to keep noodling that one around.

Finally, it's a salad garden, instead
of strawberries!

I'm looking forward to fresh salad and herbs.  Some herbs are approaching bloom already -- insane early!  The salad garden is just starting to pop out of the ground.  I also have a salad bowl planter and a planter with chives next to the patio for quick-grabs.

I've staked off the peppers and tomatoes.  Strawberries are blooming (early, I might add) and I don't have the heart to pluck the blooms like I'm supposed to -- I may just let them go and see what happens.    Blueberries and grapes are in various stages of blooming, too.  This will be our first year harvesting those.

This week was also spent transplanting plant starts so they will grow better.  The tomatoes last Thursday (into peat pots a little bigger than the 9-pack seed starters).  Peat pots are worth the expense to me because you don't disrupt the roots when planting in May.  I did the same for the strawberries Tuesday and peppers yesterday (Wednesday).  I'm growing for myself and a few friends.  The leftovers will go in the garage sale for a few extra bucks.

Dog pen, soon to be chicken run.

Chickens, foraging in the green grass.

Our chickens were the big adventure of the month.  They are about 4 weeks old and growing like crazy!  The coop is coming along and boys are trying so very hard to be helpful.  Eventually we will move the shed, clean out the seldom-used dog pen, put Tula's house and a tie out elsewhere in our yard (only to be used when we will be gone for most of the day), set up the coop and have those chickens outside.  For now, they still spend their nights in the brooder box indoors and their days in a re-purposed kid-pen in the sunshine and grass.

Finally, it's always enjoyable to beautify the yard, too!  The boys went around with the garden sheers and trimmed around beds and fixtures.  I planted some pansies in hanging baskets and pots.  I get a $15 budget for annuals (flowers) every year, only spent $11.20 and filled 4 planters and 3 hanging baskets.  I could grow more flowers for the buck from scratch -- but without grow lights, some don't do as well.  I'll be planting marigolds and sunflowers (leftover from previous years' seeds) in the main garden for varmint control and pollinator attraction.  I have a few other potted annuals that were actually in the house over the winter -- one more way to save the bucks!

Miss Bateman Clematis (climber)

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (shrub)

Just a glimpse of what's blooming, for posterity's sake:  Clematis -- my Miss Bateman is blooming, but the Ville de Lyon (pink-red) and the purple/white one (the name escapes me) are not quite there yet -- just buds.  The iris are just popping -- they are one of my faves -- especially the blue ones in my anniversary garden, as those were one of our wedding flowers.  The roses are budding, but not open yet.  The lilacs are just finishing (a month early!)  My flower bushes in the front yard bloomed about two weeks ago and are now just a pretty red leaf.

Hanging baskets --
$2 planter, $1.24 in plants each

Last month I made the point of setting a goal: to paint the picture for our bedroom.  Nope -- didn't get it done.  Guess I'll have to forward that to next month.  I did do some creative things, including some gifts for others, finishing a 2-year crochet project, brainstormed a few ideas, and fixed a few pairs of shoes with my trusty hot glue -- that's a craft, right?  In truth, I feel I get my creative edge when I dig and plant, too.  I'm so blessed be able to get dirty and nurture the various life in and around our home.  Being a mom is just kind of like that -- a little messy, but well worth the rewards!

Moving On and Moving Out

It's so warm and cozy in the nest...but is that where we belong forever?  Nope.  I was reminded of this in life and in watching our chickie babies.  So, first the chickens, then the life-lesson.

Chicken Update -- week 3...ish
Okay, so I'm late posting this, but the pics are at about three weeks.

Chickies are starting to outgrow the box.

Cozy Chicken Box
I tell you, these chicks are growing by the day!  They get a little frenzied (aka assertive) when the food or water runs low.  And if you open the box, they flap a bit and some try to jump out.  They have just about out-grown the box -- very little head room, and if they stretch they can easily reach the top screen.








Growing Girls
They are getting their big-girl feathers too, though there's still some baby fuzz. Just waiting for what some have called the "dinosaur chicken" phase -- they loose the fluff before getting all their feathers and they look like the equivalent of a scraggly, scrawny teenager.  But for now, they are still cute!

Chicks have loved being able to forage --
haven't been eating much feed when they are outside.

Good Day Sunshine!
The sun has been shining and it's been warm enough to put them outside for the afternoons.  I was a little unsure, as I thought they would be at least another week old before we could do that, but my sister, a seasoned chicken-veteran assured me they have enough feathers and they would be fine.

On Kids, Dogs, and Chicks
We've had the chickies in a hexagonal baby-gate style pen (leftover from trying to keep the half-pints in one place while we gardened or socialized).  I love being able to re-purpose something and this baby is handy.  I scored ours at a re-sale shop for half the retail price.  Actually, I got two, one for me and one for the sister who had kids the same age.  We hooked them together for family outings and vacations = giant kid-pen... until DS2 figured out how to prop it up on his rubber ball and squeak out!  Blah -- that kid -- but that's a whole other story!   Hopefully he doesn't teach the chickens any tricks!

Watching you, chickies...

So far DS2 has been very gentle with the chicks; he's earned the privilege of helping put them in the box by picking them up and setting them down, based on his careful behavior.  They all love feeding the chicks by hand, though DS1 gets startled and dumps the feed.  DS1 has been my challenge.  He has some impulse control hiccups -- yesterday I saw him toss a chick (I was inside and he was out).  "I wanted to help it learn to fly."  If I were a cartoon I would have had all those angry squiggles and stars above my head, with funny pointed eyebrows!  DS3 just follows suit with whatever the big bros are doing... still working on him.  They all love to pet the chicks (only when Mom or Dad are holding them).

Tula wants some attention!

Tula keeps going back and forth between guarding them, herding them, and hunting them.  She gets swift discipline for the hunt.  So far said pen is keeping her out, though she is mighty jealous when we pay attention to the chicks and not her.  She stuck her nose in my armpit today while I was trying to round them up!

close-up of Bertha

Naming Babies
Now this is the chick we have dubbed Bertha -- we're concerned she may indeed be a "Bert" the way she likes to strut around like she owns the pen.  We've another that seems to be a little older than the others.  She's a little bigger and her comb is turning red earlier.  One is a little yellower than the others, that's Peep.  And Bo is the smallest of the flock (get it?  Little "Bo" & Peep?)   DS2 has named another Marshmallow. (I think it's because he heard us say Peep and we got them around marshmallow peep season, but who knows).  I hadn't planned on naming them, but sometimes it just fits and sticks.

Cozy Nests and Spacious Sunshine

Coop is coming along, too!

The chicks are nice and cozy in their box, but they LOVE being outside.  Sometimes we have to jump out of the comfort zone to grow the direction we are supposed to.  In case you haven't guessed yet, I'm a junkie for a good metaphor. ;)  When we transition them back into the house for the night, they make such a fuss and squawk getting put back in the bucket to go in, and out of the sunshine they really make a ruckus.  But picking them out of the bucket back into the brooder box is easy, they are calm, and cozy down pretty fast under that warm light.  The comfort zone is always there for them, so they are safe and healthy, but it's much more enjoyable for them to spread the wings and run!  And soon enough their pen and coop will be ready, then they will be out of the brooding box -- their childhood nest for all intents and purposes -- and onto their own home and their own nest.

Leave & Cleave
The Word tells us we are to leave our childhood home and cleave to the new one we are building with our spouse.  Our new family unit supersedes the old one.  You don't forget where you came from, but now there's the new comfort zone, too.  That's where you spread your wings and run in the direction God is sending you.  Going back to the comfort of the nest is wonderful.  I totally dig an afternoon at my mom and dad's house, or vacations with the in-laws.  Yet, after a while we itch for the life we've built outside of that.  We itch for home...and eventually our own nests, rather than that of our parents. We know we are always welcome, and love going back, but there is a new place for us where we fit even more.  It's healthy to leave and cleave... God says so, and he's never wrong!  It's normal -- not something to feel guilty about.  Do my chickies feel guilty about flapping around in the sunshine when they were raised in the brooder box with a little lamp?  Nope.  Stretch your wings and run!

Note... the leave & cleave is intended for grown ups -- teens should not leave and cleave, teens should stay and obey the authority of their parents until they reach their majority, as God designed the family unit to teach you what you need to know for your grown up life.  Just a little mom-ism disclaimer. :)