Catching Up

 It has been such a while since I have posted, there are loads of things that have happened, like:

• Picking strawberries...

• Playing and fishing on the lake...

•  Car shows...

• A visit to our local zoo...

• A new kitten...

There has been gardening, family gatherings, trips to amusement parks, kids' sleepovers, cookouts, family walks (that is how we came home with a new kitten, more on that later...), swimming in the pool, the construction of a new chicken coop, the list goes on and on.  I love flipping through all the photos I take, it's like a diary of sorts.  Anyway, the day is calling me to get away from the computer and get outside! 

More Baby Chicks!

Okay, I am no longer allowing myself  to visit any farm supply store or hatchery until all baby poultry has been cleared out for the season.  I have no self control, and when my two children are with me in these places, we have no self control times three.  We came home today with another batch of baby chicks.  Two brown leg horns (Tia and Terra) and two buff orpingtons (Butterball and Snowball).  That brings our total of new chicks this spring to eight, and the grand total of all chickens in our family to twelve.  I am now officially in need of a new chicken coop and chicken yard.

Little Chicks

A bit over three weeks ago, my kids and I went to the local hatchery and picked out four new baby chicks.  We chose two Black Sex Links and two Easter Eggers.  We have four grown hens who are going gangbusters and laying two to four eggs for us every day.  I wanted to add just a few to our flock to make sure my family is well supplied with eggs as my hens age.  So our new baby girls, Pepper, Wildfire, Vanilla, and Hershey, who have been staying 24/7 in a tub in the house, have just made the move to a brooder box in the garage.  While we were moving them into their new digs this afternoon, they got their first taste of sunshine out in the driveway.  Sheer bliss.  I wish I would've had my camera.  There was tiny dust-bathing, rolling and stretching out tiny legs, spreading out little wings to warm in the sun.  Bliss.

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Okay, I got the camera and shot some photos of the little girls soaking up some rays.  Too cute.  We all can appreciate the feel of that spring sun in our face after such a long and cold winter. 

(I'm wondering if this little one might just be a rooster.)

A Possum-Free Hen House

Tonight, like every other night since we got our chickens, I went out after dark to close up the coop.  I always shine my little flashlight in the nest boxes to do a head count and make sure the girls are all accounted for.  Tonight, there was an extra guest in there.  A big old possum was curled up in the hay under the nest boxes, probably driven in there looking for a warm place to sleep and get away from the cold.  I'm telling myself that, realizing that possums are nocturnal and I probably just walked up before the little beast could get a bite of one my chickens.  With spotlight in one hand, and a garden rake in the other, I poked and scooted it's little butt right out of there.  All the girls were fine, just annoyed by the light and commotion while they were trying to sleep.  Hopefully the possum won't try to sneak in again tomorrow. 
 

Gluten Free Donuts!

Yeah, GLUTEN FREE homemade donuts!!!!!!!  My daughter hadn't eaten donuts for over four years, since before she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  For a myriad of reasons, donuts have never been a staple in our kitchen.  Recently, though, I found this book.

There are several recipes I want to try, but the first one had to be the donut recipe.  My daughter flipped out... even my wheat-flour-loving son flipped out over these donuts!  The first copy was one I checked out from the library.  Needless to say, after the first batch of donuts I bought my own copy of the book.  I can't wait to try the sandwich bread recipe. 

Update:  We have tried the sandwich bread recipe, as well as many others, and they all have gotten "thumbs up" from my kids.  I love a gluten-free success in the kitchen!

Back At the Creek...

 

This past weekend we took time to get out the fishing poles and head to the creek.  My husband and kids all caught fish.  My job was to keep hooks baited, remove the caught fish from the hooks, and photograph the whole thing.  The great thing about this spot in the river is that there are all these deep areas under the trees.  Every single cast into those spots led to a fish on the hook.  We released every fish they caught, though.  We already have plans for another visit this weekend!    

Chickens!

We finally have chickens!  Meet the four hens:  Rosie, Mystery, Sally, and Lucille Ball (listed in the correct pecking order, too).  We have had them for several weeks now, and they are each happily laying an egg a day.  I could spend hours out there watching them scratch and fluff and go about their business.  There is a new "necessity" on our weekly grocery list:  either a Cup-O-Crickets or a container of nightcrawlers.  Never underestimate how much fun it is to watch four hens scramble around to catch every last cricket or chase each other like football players when one of them runs off with a giant worm dangling from her beak!

The cats are endlessly entertained by watching the hens in their pen.  It is outside this window, and Sparkles and Minnie have the perfect view...  Neither one has ever seen a bird that big before!

I don't know if four are going to be enough...  :)