Spring heat has the Unusual Farmchick at play!

Weekend Tidbits:
Baby chicks could care less for the silkie hen. They care for themselves very well and free range between the chicken pen and our garden. Still small enough to fit through the fence holes. They stay close between the two, but I have to admit I like hearing their little talk of peeps as they scratch for bugs while I am in the garden.

These two almost pullets are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together, drink together.
Now I just need a Delware roo to breed with this gal and bring back my population of Delawares. I am hoping by next year to have around 10 Delaware hens from a pairing. And more chicks to start selling on the local craigslist.

Little man's Teeter totter/see saw is finished with it's second layer of cement. Yes, you are seeing it right. Someone must have played around the tire while still wet and it has cemented crooked- plus the top board will not fit now...Why? Why does this always seem to happen? I knew I should have put that board in place while it was wet...But I was afraid the kids would try it out before fully dry. Double jeopardy gets me every time. I will see what I can do to make it work, if not then it will be back to the beginning...

Panda's Peace sign greens are growing great. We are putting a mesculan lettuce seed in the background if I do not find a red lettuce tomorrow to plant in it.

What a mess I left! I have sunburn on my sunburn and just did not have it in me to clean up after planting everything into the garden....

The Garden pond is set up for future inhabitants and the sound is just wonderful to hear while around the Hill top garden. The solar fountain we purchased must be returned. It will work for under 5 seconds before no more water flow. You can hear the engine running, but no water flowing out the top. I brought up the electrical one and have an extension cord lying across the yard, from the house, so0 we have water being pumped. The kids brought back some blue gill babies after fishing with Daddy.

Panda planted her garden full of Heirloom tomatoes. Her sugar pea's have grown to about 3 inches.

The Fairy/toad log is home to a tree frog and a garter snake.
The Yarrow patch is bigger beautiful as the logs front lawn!

The Kits are beginning to grow fur!

So now that it will cool down some, i need to get covers for the plants. Things were getting too leggy under the grow lights and had to be hardened off and planted. They could not wait and I would never of had enough containers for transplanting 6 flats of cell tray seedlings.
I still have Rattlesnake pole beans, sunflowers, bush beans, bush squash, more herbs, and of course the 4 blueberry bushes which should arrive in the next 24 hours.
Think I may be a bit over Zealous in the garden this year? Nah... What excess is planted of veggies and fruits will supply the Produce stand. Money which will buy the new camera or help in cost of a new computer.
Now if I could just get a back hoe to help in the solar pit...
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

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How many do U C?, cast begone and Wagon makeover

Did you count them? I had to take a picture just to be sure I was not counting double. There were more eggs under her then I realized. 17 baby Muscovy ducklings. Now what the H*** am I going to do with 17 of them. I had not expected this many to hatch out. I thought maybe 12 or 13 at most. It costs $4 a duck for processing so I am doubting all will be done. We will save 1 female out of the bunch & hope it is not from Clyde. We will go with one that looks most to Bonnie's previous "bo".


Look who got her cast off today! Everyone in the family is happy about that one. The lil monster discovered that her cast makes a great people wacker and door banging is much louder. She was a real trooper. Not a wimper or tear was shed getting it on and not a tear or wimper was made while getting it off. She uses that arm as if there never was a cast on.
Big plans tomorrow. I am taking Panda & Frog to a "country skills" festival which centers around Goats. as i did my checklist of what to bring, it occurred to me, I need to bring something to pull frog in. I no longer own a stroller since they never work on hiking trails anyway. So I decided that our trail wagon needed a makeover. After all, it is 7 years old. It had to have the back wheels replaced this last Spring and the only available ones were bigger then the front. It gives it more of an all terrain tough touch, in my opinion. The inside was getting rusty due to being left outside in all weather conditions and a certain little boy last year decided he was going to paint stripes on the wood sides. So this is the new Frog friendly wagon:
I stripped off the wood and spray painted the (red) Red Ryder body with a sage green color from Rust- Oleum. I then spray painted all the wheels and other "wheel hardware" were spray painted black along with the handle.
The wood sides were cleaned of all dirt and old paint then painted with a "white wash pickling stain" by Minwax ( 1 qt. was on the clearence shelf for $2 from $10).
Of course how could it be finished without some new cushioning for napping little girls. It is one whole piece with 2 separate pillows inside. It ties at the top for easy removal and washing.
The umbrella is great for those sunny days to keep the glare out of her face.

I like it and will keep my eye out for more metal wagons that I can makeover for others. I may see if the local freecycle has any I can repair. I think it would make for a great kid birthday gift. I hate buying toys. I Love making stuff instead. I plan to make a few sun dresses and headbands but one of these would make a big hit in pastel pink...
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

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Ducks are hatching!

Walked out this morning to find 3 Muscovy ducklings have hatched.
1 which hatched out in front of Panda & I.

Another had poked a hole before our eyes which was amazing to watch and then see these eggs jumping around in the nest along with little peeps.
As of 9pm, there are 8 that have hatched out with one who appears to be still soaking wet.I think I saw 5 more eggs left ( a which few I could see did have the beginnings of a hatch) which also means i was kinda off on my egg count from before. 2 rotten eggs exploded today and another looks black as they did- which leaves 4 good white Muscovy eggs and 2 chicken eggs yet to hatch. Man it stinks in that shed! The egg exploded right in the nest which means I can not do anything till she is ready to move off the nest with her babies. Hopefully the morning will bring a nest full of babies all hatched out and healthy. Lots of colors in the batch. There is one who appears to be brown and yellow. 1 looks all yellow and a good amount have Clydes black markings.
I'll be sure to get a few good shots of proud mama and her babies on parade soon.

Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

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Peek into my messy garden...

Sugar pie pumpkin sprouting Spinach taking its first glimpse

and just a peek at one of 4 gardens beds:

in front is broccoli & cauliflower Timber framed Lettuce bed has butter crunch (bright green sprouts) and romaine lettuce (in the back half not really visible).

I have a small trench running the length of my beds. I put wide wood boards there for the toads to hide under. I have to give reminders to the kids about how we want the toads to stay around the garden so stop lifting the boards! There seems to be at least one under them at every "lifting". So I must be doing something right. The stones in the beds are for stepping. Little helpers cannot reach the middle with their watering cans and need safe spots to plant their feet.
Bonnie and Clyde have been reintroduced to the main pen. They have been doing great! Of course it was not my idea. I was sitting on the back deck late the other night and saw something white moving on the hill. I kept staring and then noticed what ever it was, it was shaking its butt at me. I yell out "bonnie- clyde". and they start waddling my way. That was the first night of having their pen cover removed and Clyde decided he wanted to go home to his old pen with his new lady. So Be it.

Mr. Turken was getting the crap beat out of him (by Clyde) and so was Mrs. Turken. So a switch in pens was best- the Turkens in the old 'scovy pen - the 'scovy's in the main pen with Lady Chia & Captain feather~sword's old lady harem. I wonder why he picked on just them. Clyde demands room for Bonnie and keeps the other's away from her during feed time. He is sure to clear way for her to sit in the nest at night- Dr.Seuss's favorite spot which is sometimes shared with her- and keeps her in his sight at all times. I do believe he loves her...
For Mother's day I got a new sewing machine. Nothing major. Its a Singer "Simple". I like the extra embroidery automatic stitches. Very nice touch for a machine under $100.
My first project to be sewn comes from the inspiration of SouleMama. Making a picnic tablecloth and matching napkins. Not exactly like hers, but the idea came from reading her blog. I will be doing the "rock pockets". Just LOVE that idea. It will also be dual purpose. A lawn blanket/picnic tablecloth. durable, warm for those chilly late summer nights and pleasing to the eye. Can't wait to share- heres hoping it comes out how I envision **cheers** and
Summer dreams,
~Tammie

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Spring cleaning & O.k,!! I get it already....

Disclaimer** no animals were hurt while taking these photos. Mentally scarred, but physically sound.**

Today was filled with cleaning out that Goat cabin. I experimented with the "layering system" this last winter and I will never do it again. A good 2 feet deep hay/straw tightly compacted that was soaked in big spots. Must have froze during th winter because the smell did not start till I got a foot deep today. gag....cough.... hold breath for a scoop... run quickly out... and breath in fresh air.....
It felt wonderful to get it all done. I had so much of it and I knew it had to be spread out to dry before I attempt to compost since the ammonia smell was so bad. Funny thing. I have sat down in there (on a board placed on the hay) with them and could not smell it until I got past the 1 foot deep layer. That second 1 foot layer must have held it in real well.So here it is all spread out to dry in the sun. (today hit 50F and the sun made it enjoyable!)
Yes. that would be the pile of pine trees ( in the back) we have yet to do anything with. Great ideas and dreams but our time is not so creative lately.
The weather seemed to have an effect on everyone around. On the right you have Lady Chia browsing away while I make her home all clean. She must be on a line since it is a weekday-I prefer no more visits from zoning, thank you. To the left we have one very desperate muscovy drake Clyde... That would be Mrs. Turken he is being rather amorous with. Below is a close up- when I walked out I did not know whether to stare in fascination of the odd couple or to laugh my butt off. I keep the camera with me so snapped a few shots to share the Spring Love. Don't worry. I did chase him away from her. He waddled his way back to her so i picked him up and held him down to the ground whispering how the chicks/ducklings would be the freaks of the neighborhood. Could you imaginge- if it were even possible-which I think it is not. A bare neck chick with the puffy red Muscovy "mask". How frankenstein would that be?!
He appeared to have calmed his mood and waddled to the pen to watch me muck out their home. Otherwise today was uneventful. Maybe this week I can squeeze some extra money from the tree and head down to the auction house to buy Clyde yet another wife. He best hold on to this one or he will just have to be happy with a goat as his companion. You don't think he would try to mate something that big do ya?.... (LOL)
Sunny dreams,
Tammie

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