25/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

 

The end of season BOX SALE at our local greenhouse.  My MIL and I went to peruse the flowers – annuals and perennials – on Thursday.  Then, Dash needed a few woodworking supplies, necessitating another trip to town … so, I invited my MIL to come and we stopped at the Box Sale again!  Lots of great deals.  We filled the suburban …. twice.  The cool deal is that I came home with three FREE rose bushes.

Centennial Morden Shrub Rose planted earlier this summer.  This is a VERY hardy and beautiful rose.

 

So, where did all those new flowers go?? 

The annuals will go into the bed by the garage to provide some color.  AND, how come I did not know that Stock were so wonderful smelling!?!  The smell reminds me of Gardenias.

The majority of the perennials were planted in a new bed.  This bed has been in my head for the last few years, so it was great to finally dig.

Above:  Japanese Iris

Below: Show Off Day Lily

The new bed will run the length of the front of the garden.  Two rose bushes will frame the entrance, which will eventually be high-lighted by an arbor or pergola.  Maybe Dash’s next 4-H woodworking project??  Or a Birthday/Christmas gift from my Dad??  Maybe it would just be easier to go shopping!

The garden is looking great.  Rain has been plentiful.

Fresh baked buns.  We are hooked on the Baker Boy frozen buns (made by a bakery in Dickinson, ND and sold in Valley City).  These are less expensive than bakery ‘dollar-sized’ buns and are the perfect size for lunch-time sandwiches.  Leave them in the frig overnight to thaw, let them rise on the counter or in an oven heated to 170 degrees, bake for 15-20 minutes and enjoy!

Sewing, sewing, sewing.  We finally finished the pajamas, the skirt, and the shirt.  The skirt and shirt will be modeled in the Sew & Show, too.  Oh, it’s so wonderful to be done.  I won’t document the number of ripped stitches because I can’t remember their number.

I couldn’t resist picking up this little horror.  Flies seem to really like my kitchen.  Of course, the open garage door is sooooo very inviting …. eat little plant, eat!!
 

New chicks on the farm

Who’d have thought I’d be doing this routine again!  But, the little fluff balls win us over, we enjoy watching their antics, and we don’t care so much about the extra chores anymore. 

Ameraucana’s are a heritage breed.  That basically means they have been around for quite a while, but heritage breeds also tend to mature at a slower rate.  They haven’t been bred to develop in 12 weeks like the broilers!  I like the breed because they lay green to blue tinted eggs; they’re also know as Easter Egg chickens.  In addition, they’re cold hardy – necessary for our ND winters – and are considered good producers of large eggs.

I ordered from Randall Burkey this time because they will ship smaller orders.  The little group of 15 was perfect for us this time.

The chicks arrived today, after being shipped out on the 21st.  I was expecting them on the 24th, so was caught off guard … AGAIN!!  There’s nothing to do, but go pick them up at the post office and set up their brooder.  Around twenty weeks from now, they could start laying pullet sized eggs …. that’s around the end of November.  I can hardly wait.

The chicks are all different colors and so are the adults.  It’ll be fun to see what grows.  Three of the chicks are yellow, the rest various shades of brown with some striping.

Their eyes look so cool. The dark chicks have black encircling their eyes, which makes them look exotic.

Louis was VERY excited to see the chicks.  Although, he keeps banging on their water tank brooder, which gets them all riled up. 

Monday DayLook: June 20, 2011

Looking out from my back porch... cloudy, cool and rainy.  It’s been a wet spring and summer thus far. 

I am thankful for... not having to water the flower and vegetable gardens.

I am reading… just magazines (Cooking Light) and newspapers.

I am hearing... Louis and his dad in the kitchen.

I am wearing… beige capris, orange t-shirt, sandals.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… Dash finished up his pajama shorts, but they DON’T fit him!!  I just went by the waist size for the pattern and should have had him try the pattern first … we were short on time, so skipped that step.  SILLY me!  It’s generally NOT a good sign when the elastic isn’t being gathered a lot when you’re inserting it into the waistband.  Mmmmm … is the elastic going to ‘gather’ anything at all???  Oh, well.  They turned out nice and he can give them to his brother. 

From the school room... Confession.  I STILL haven’t corrected that final paper of Dash’s.  I admit to NOT wanting to look at it again … EVER.  But, I’ll correct it at some point.  Maybe it’ll be his first assignment in August; a before-school-get-your-mind-on-track-with-writing-assignment.

From the kitchen... After two weeks of sandwiches, we are looking forward to a few meals.

From the Garden…  It’s growing and looking better than last year.  Yesterday, I put up the pea trellis/fence and tomato cages.  I’m short on tomato cages!  Also fenced the garden to prevent deer damage.

From the FarmYard…  We lost two more laying hens on Friday.  I’m sure due to the stress of the dog attack.  One had puncture marks, so it also could’ve been internal bleeding or infection (although that would probably have taken longer to develop).  On a surprising note, the hen who was noticeably worse off and had large gashes, is healing!  The neosporin did it’s job.  I was able to catch her yesterday and was so surprised to see the wounds being knit together under the Hen Saver.  We are down to 14 hens.  And, wouldn’t you know the DARN hen who pecks eggs is STILL here!!!  I tell ya, she’s gone at butchering time.

A successful moment… Dash completed his welding, woodworking, and sewing projects this weekend.  Pictures later.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Dash leaves for EYC (4-H extension youth conference).  TKD for the other three.

Tuesday: 4-H project work for Angelina and Zeke

Wednesday: 4-H project work for Angelina and Zeke

Thursday: 4-H project work for Angelina and Zeke.  Dash returns from EYC this afternoon.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday:   Family wedding on Friday, hotel swimming for kids, 4-H project work for all.

A picture memory...

Happy Fathers Day!

The Fathers Day gift (Eric picked it out) – Dash set it up all by himself.

 

Do they ever sit still?  Nope, not at all … there’s no time to sit still.

Zeke begged to have the pool set up.  He cleaned the suburban to get the privilege for everyone.  Of course, it took hours to fill!  The edge of the garden – now fenced – is at the right edge.

24/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

God bless my FIL for putting up a fence for the little chicks, who are really not so little anymore and really needed to get outside!

Sturdy fence … stands up to Louis’ shaking!

This is what he rides in to get around the farm when I’m too tired to carry him at the end of the day.  This wagon is WAY better than the little red kids wagon we own.

In the pic above, I was trying real hard to picture the ‘chick’ I believe is a cockerel.  He’s the black and white that is lighter and has his head up.  It’s quite amazing how much bigger the Cornish Rock X chicks are compared to the Barred Rock, which are a slower growing heritage breed.

Need to think of a good name for our ‘cockerel’.  I told Angelina that we need to keep him tame, so she gives him extra attention by picking him up and hand-feeding worms.

 

Progress was made last week.  On Tuesday, I came home to an almost completed patio and they even planted some of the landscaped area!  Very exciting indeed.  It was raining … again … so I didn’t get the best shots.

My herbal Mary Garden is planted!!  The bottom planter is a Tumbler Cherry tomato, herbs, and leftover pink polka dot plants.

Here she is!

…and her name is…

BELLA

After Tae Kwon Do tonight, Eric and the four oldest kids drove to Jamestown to pick her up.  Check-outs are only scheduled after 5pm and this is the only day that worked for our family.  Long night, but fun.

The kids all helped pick out treats and toys for her.  They also helped clear out the corner of the outside garage where the dog door is located.  That inside corner had become Eric’s ‘store-it-all’ section of the garage.  It looks better now …well, the corner does, we won’t offer a picture of the rest of the garage!

A new red collar and leash.  We didn’t want to let her just run this first night.  Need to figure out how she reacts to cars, chickens, pigs, sheep, etc.  So far, she just wants to run and sniff.  Thank goodness Zeke is more than willing to hold the leash and run with her!

Angelina and Eric moved all the supplies to the outside garage.  Dogs need some stuff … at least my crew thought the dog needed some stuff.  Bella probably would have been happy with an ice cream pail for holding her feed and water.

The picture above is the dog door.  We are still working on that outside kennel … on the calendar of the local cement guy to pour a pad and sidewalk to the front.

So far, so good.  We now own a dog.

Wordless Wednesday

I do not know why!