IMG_1984Well, started off normally enough. We did the morning chores and then put in some doors on the top brooder, so that we can more easily get in and out.  Sue made them right quick out of scrap wood and put some chicken wire over them.  They work great! It is so much easier to get in and out of there to do food and water and stuff.  Then we took about 1/2 of the littles and put them in the brooder below. There were 30 in the top brooder and they are getting just too big! They are much more comfortable now and have room to grow and scratch around without getting in each others’ way. Next, we took care of the feed and straw in the back of Sue’s truck. Those chickens are going through some food lately! Alfalfa and straw go over to the Goat Boys for later. Filled up the dog water and watered the flower garden and the herb garden right quick. Then we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and toast.

IMG_1991THEN, we took some time to go visit the Sandhill Cranes that are wintering over in the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area over in McNeal. I talked a little bit about this the other day. We’re thinking of taking my folks there when they visit for Thanksgiving, so we wanted to make sure that it was a good trip, we could see the cranes, etc. It was a beautiful day to be out there! We got there around 10am and they were all just flying back from where ever they go for breakfast. Flying in in waves! It was so cool to be able to watch them.  There were other birds there too – coots, red shouldered black birds, ducks, little birds we couldn’t see very well to identify, and a bird that looked exactly like a sandpiper, might have been. It is a really nice area to visit.  The photo above is of the wetland area that they were flying into… no cranes in this photo. I took most of the good shots on the DSLR with the telephoto lens, but I haven’t had a chance to go through them yet.  I’ll post some of the good ones on Facebook and link to our page. If you’re visiting, I recommend taking a trip out to this wildlife area – especially at this time of year.

IMG_1993When we came home, just did a few things around the farm. Sue went to pick up manure from our neighbors, the Zimmermans; I trimmed some of the bushes by the house that had grown a bit gangly.  Then I planted some bulbs that Sue ordered from Arbor Day. A nice mix of tulips, crocus, and glory of snow (I had never heard of these, but they are really pretty). While I was digging in the flower beds, I came across a grub, as we often do, and I set it in the bulb box to give to the chickens later. We often save them as we find them and give the chickens these tasty treats. As I planted the last bulb, I came across a large squishy area and I thought maybe a mushroom was starting to grow – but when I dug it out I actually saw that it was a Grubzilla! Check out the photo. Normal size grub next to Grubzilla. Amazing! The chickens LOVED it!

Happy-Veterans-Day-images-2017-5-1024x576Sue said that everything she wanted to get done today was done. Chicken doors, move the chicks, and this afternoon she finished the last thing which was to add more hay to the goats’ barn.  So, all that together with a side trip; what a great day off! Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day, so I think I’ll take the resident Veteran to lunch 🙂  If you’re reading this and are currently serving, or have served in the Military – thank you very much for your service! Enjoy your weekend and we’ll catch up on Monday. Until then, as always~
Thanks for reading!

Today’s Weather: Absolutely beautiful. It started out at 49° and later this afternoon I noticed it was 82°. But there was a slight breeze and it made it wonderful to be outside!

Egg Report: Yesterday we had the requisite 2 duck eggs, and then 14 chicken eggs. This morning there were 2 duck eggs, but we only ended up with 7 chicken eggs. (Just came in from putting the chickens up for the night… found 5 more eggs! So that brings us up to an even dozen!)

Gratitude: What place are you grateful for? I am grateful for this place – this little homestead, this adventure in permaculture; and I am also grateful for the home where I grew up – where I was first exposed to farming, gardening, and the like.  What taste are you grateful for today? I think today I am grateful for the fresh, clean taste of water. We are very dry up here at this higher altitude – I never drink enough water, and today when I finally had my first huge, cold, glass of water – it tasted so wonderful. I am very grateful for our ability to have this precious resource at hand.