After the Flood

Last night it rained so hard we had standing water a minimum of 2 inches deep everywhere.  To make matters worse, the storm hit so hard and so fast that I did not get to put away my chickens.  I chose not to worry.  I thought,  “If it gets bad enough they will put themselves away… after all, they did it in the wind storm.”

Never trust a chicken to do the sensible thing.

Later in the evening I went out to do what I should have done earlier in spite of the downpour, because no sooner had I gone out than the sky just opened up!  Bob came out to help and running as fast as we could, without slipping in that 2 inch water,  we went to the chicken coop to lock up…

The poor little critters (remember they are chicken brained) were huddled it the wettest spot in the run IN THE RAIN!  Who’s the “chicken brain” now?  Not only were they soaked, but we were too!  Necessity being the mother of invention, we quickly turned over the biggest of the two umbrellas, and  ‘poured’ the little wet things into the umbrella thereby making two short trips out of the job.  It did not matter we were still soaked to the skin by the time we got done.  Thankfully, the good Lord held back the worst of it till we got into the house, for no sooner did we get in than the lightning portion of the storm hit.  What a show!

Needless to say I will be watching them closely over the next few days to make sure they are not coming down with some form of chicken pneumonia!  Further, I will take this as a lesson learned about good stewardship.  I will no longer put off putting away my critters based on the assumption they will take care of themselves in a storm.  They are after all just animals and cannot reason as well as… I should have.

This morning I awoke to fog and when it burned off what was left was blue skies and sunshine!  Here is a view looking out my picture window at my herb and flower bed, and as you can see, I am almost done getting this winter’s grass and spring’s weeds out of it.

The Iris float above my garden like some exotic butterflies.

I was surprised that they are none the worse for the storm.  And the chickens?  See for yourself!

Chickens are Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks

The Goslings in the background are my Pilgrims.  I think all this rain made them grow some more!

Things found on the ground…

A new Robin’s Nest

Can’t be all that bad. “Why?”  I can hear you asking  “How is that not bad?”

Well, because it was an unused Robin’s nest!

And finally,  a beautiful Butterfly resting on my lawn!

She opened her wings and then my camera’s battery went dead ~ pooh!

New Members on the Farmlet

We have new members on our farmlet.

I have begun another task in my new  life.  I have begun to keep bees.  I am not an apiarist, no not really.  I am merely a supporter in their cause. For an apiarist is:  “One who keeps bees, specifically one who cares for and raises bees for commercial or agricultural purposes.”  I look forward to watching the hive grow and getting a bit of honey for my friends and myself, but more importantly I need their services in my garden.  For that to happen I need to take very good care of them.

I like this shot because it has action and depth.  I love the bee’s shadows!

Also on our farmlet are the goslings.  When I was young we had geese for a while. Right up to Thanksgiving and Christmas that is.  I loved Guss-Guss and Goose-Goose.  They used to follow me everywhere and like Mary’s Little Lamb they even followed me to school (several times actually).  Poor mom.  She would get a call in the morning:  “Mrs. Strong, would you please come and get your managery?”  For you see it was not only the geese, but my billy-goat “Dumbell” and my dog ‘Butchie” as well.

There are two females which are gray and two males who are turning white. This was their first official ‘swim.’  Water bowl diving doesn’t count!

And finally, I have replacement chickens!  I am so happy for this!  By the way, I never did get any compensation from the owners of the renegade dogs.  Not because I couldn’t,  but simply because I just could not bring myself to go over there and ask for money for replacing the birds.  I think it had something to do with pettiness. I felt that to ask for the $90 dollars that is the going rate was out of the question because they could not afford it, and to go ask for the $15 dollars (the actual cost)  to replace the birds was just petty on my part.  It would not help me that much because it is so little and it would be like ‘rubbing it in,’ as they say, to go over there and ask for it.  Bygones.

I thought to post a picture of the group, but decided on just two from the group.  These two are such characters!  The little black one is so feisty!  Almost from the first week he has challenged me when I put my hand into the brooder,  and as you see he was the first to make it out of the brooder under his own power!  He used to sit up there and survey the world several times a day.  When he jumped down and went ‘walk-about’ I knew it was time to take everybody to the outside hutch!

Feisty!

This little buff colored fellow is called a Buff Polish.  He is the the epitome of independence, and has no fear as he struts about the world of chickendom… like he owns all he surveys!  He looks a bit silly now, but wait till he is full-grown.  His color will darken and he is going to be a beauty!

Oh yes, and Bob the confirmed chicken hater who once stated that “The only chicken I like is the one on my plate”  well, he actually likes this fellow!  So he and his mate will be Topper and Tippi and are destined to be our living  lawn ornaments.

Topper!

Update: extreme garage makeover…

The new garage is actually starting to resemble a garage.  Well, almost…

It is very close to being done, but not yet.  We have a roof, now we need doors and flashing to tidy it up.  We have a promise of this Sunday, but we’ll see.

Bob says, “It’ll get done when it gets done.”

I say, “I’m tired of living with the usual garage-type detritus in all my spare rooms!”

Even our newly painted Bedroom is not exempt!!!  Gaaaack!

Sigh.  But then, it is much better already than what we had when we moved in!

Moldy, termite ridden, and full of rodents.  In a word – NASTY!

A word or two from me ~ to us

I wrote this in answer to a friend’s writing and then decided I liked it so much that I brought it here to share with you.  I have been feeling particularly upset lately with what has been happening here in the Huntsville area.  Yet I realize that it is no different here than anywhere else really.  So although I brought my own words home to share with you I also needed them to be a reminder to myself.

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We hear the news and ask:

“What is this world coming to?”

The answer?

“The end.”

We fear not.

We pray and have faith,

For that is our hope.

Rejoicing we lift up our hands and say:

“Hurry your soon coming!”

We live out our days. . .

know not when,

yet are assured.

Selah