The Chicks of the Farm

The Chicken Palace is actually a grain bin and a corn crib with a soon to be constructed run between them. The problem quickly emerged that the chicks were still small enough to squeeze themselves between the gaps and take off running. Sure it's funny at first, but not so fun when all ten chicks are on the loose at the same time. Hobbit helped herd them and Lil'Bug is amazing at catching the fast little chickens. 

Still, it was up to us to fix the problem as the day was heating up and the grain bin would just get too hot, plus the light set up did not work like we intended. The Farm Chicks (Mama P, Lil'Bug, and baby Blueberry) headed to the local lumber yard and purchased 50 ft of chicken wire, 3 ft tall. 

We wrapped the corn crib with it, all but the door (we were short 3 ft.).  It needs to be tightened still and secured better, but it works just like I wanted. Awesome. 

The thing is, right now we are catching each chicken and moving them by hand every morning and evening to move them. The connector run has got to get constructed SOON. I will not want to do this for the next batch of chicks (30 of them) or the next (30 more) or the guineas (um, 30......but hopefully 30 of the previously listed chicks will be chicken pot pies by then.....). So hopefully that will happen THIS weekend. 

She is so good at this chore though. Moments like these remind me why we moved here in the first place. That rooster bit her, by the way, and she named him Nuggets. Cute.

It Just Wasn't Meant to Bee

The bees are gone. As I had worried earlier in the Spring, they were dead and mostly moved out. the recent activity was that of scavenger or robber bees. It must not have bee-n meant to bee. Sorry, couldn't help myself. :)

We had a wonderful time cleaning out the hive though. Jill and Sean of Blue Gate CSA brought equipment and experience, yet we got two trash bags full of bees wax that will be processed into candles and wax blocks. Cool. Jill also gave Lil'Bug a story that she has really held on to this week, about the moon and the sun fighting. Trust me that she needed it. 

We are grateful to Jill and Sean for more than this afternoon, so much more. We met them years ago at a Farm Crawl, Sean gave us a tour of his bees. Then last year, as we were moving down here to their neck of the woods, they invited us for apple cider (and for us to ask all sorts of questions about all sorts of farm things). When I have a question about local things from when to plant, soap, propane, ect.....I shoot Jill an email and always get an answer. Lil'Bug and Blueberry adore them and they make us love living here even more. So a HUGE thank you to them. 

Sprouted new.....

Lettuce, spinach, chard.....

Eggplant that I mistakenly direct sow'd. 

Zucchini 

Green beans

Yellow onion

Maybe the beets. My tags are there but the names washed off. 

I will be weeding today because the weeds also loved the rains.

Yuck and Other Things

I am so done with having chickens and ducks inside the house. They are still incredibly cute, fuzzy, and chirp-y BUT they are also poopers and stinkers and the warm weather has really amplified these abilities. ESPECIALLY THE DUCKS.

This week has been interesting. Lil'Bug and I installed chicken wire around the corn crib and the first 10 chicks went outside. Oh for the day when all the little future pot pies move out there with them. (We watched Chicken Run with new perspective this week.....)

We also planted more: onions and broccoli. Cabbage goes out today I hope. 

We welcomed home our new used tractor. It is beautiful. I named it MacBook Pro, Mac for short. I know that the tractor will earn its keep well before a new computer would, but still. It is my way of keeping my humor about. Sometimes I still want to name our farm Wits' End, you know? 

The porch is jacked and ready for operation bee relocation. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. 

I finally ordered soap from the local ladies, Prairieland Herbs,  (still incredibly sad about Foil Hat though, her Tupelo Honey bar was like bathing in sunshine.....) and it is really good soap. Actually I bought the Bug Off shampoo and body bar in my panic freak out about the ticks that turned on ME. I mean, I love Hobbit, but once the jumped off him and went for me, it meant WAR. It's not like anyone makes Frontline for people. Well, actually, the Bug Off soap is pretty darn close. Not a single tick since using it on me or Lil'Bug, which is something. 

I'll post pictures later, but that's the short of it so far today!