I have no idea where the last week went. There were no big events, just a lot of little regular-life busy-ness. I’ve so been wanting to make something, but haven’t been able to find the time and the energy both at once. Last night I decided that I had to just make something, anything, so I made a batch of cookies. I tried a new-to-me recipe from a book I checked out of the library. Yummy! They’re Oatmeal Cranberry Butterscotch Chip cookies. What a good idea! The dried cranberries are a nice little twist on the usual raisens, and who doesn’t like butterscotch chips? I’ll be making these regularly. Another secret to these, I think, is that they use more brown sugar than white. I like brown sugar.

I had big plans to take an artistic egg picture for Easter, but every shot I ended up with was blurry or silly looking. I blame the slight bug that seems to have landed at our house this weekend. We were both feeling pretty rundown, although I’ve managed to escape the worst of it, the husband is all sniffly and miserable. We napped a lot this weekend. I tried again this morning, but this was about the best I could do. I think the eggs themselves are so pretty. We’re getting a nice variety now, and they’ve been getting bigger. We’re up to about 10 a day. I think I’m going to have to open an egg stand this weekend.

It’s such a feeling of accomplishment, looking at this big pile of eggs. I raised 26 chickens from the time they were two days old, 8 have gone on to good homes, and I have 17 happy little hens, and a handsome, nice rooster. Not too bad for a girl from the suburbs! I sort of feel like I can do just about anything now!

The broody hen has finally been broken. It took a few days in the pen by herself, and a few nights of sitting on a bag of ice, but she’s out and about like nothing happened. What a relief! Maybe I could become a chicken whisperer.

Well, the ice didn’t work. I went out this morning, and that darn broody hen was sitting on a ziploc bag full of very warm water. So today she is spending the day in out in the pen. I put some food and water out there, sprinkled some scratch, tossed in a few grapes, and left instructions for the husband to take her some more treats this afternoon. I know she’s not been eating enough, everytime I lift her out of the box I feel her crop and it’s completely empty. She’s also missing a few chest feathers, and I want to put a stop to that right now. Apparently, when hens are setting, they pluck out the feathers to control the humidity because the eggs need a certain amount of moisture to hatch. I’ll keep you all updated :o)

I think we are on the last wave of daffodil blooms. One of my favorites appeared this week. These tiny little woodland daffodils belong in a fairy garden, don’t you think? I love the snowdrops too.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and words of concern for my silly chicken, I know she’s just a chicken, but I’ve managed to keep them all alive and healthy, and I’m not going to let one of them fail me now, darnit!

So, Saturday was my birthday, and I decided that I would just do whatever I felt like the entire weekend. So there were spurts of fun and busy-ness and spurts of lazing around. A friend gave me some little wooden egg ornaments, so I made an Easter Tree. I picked up some branches from the yard and gave them a little coat of Spring green paint, and glued silk blossoms all over. I added a few other Easter-y things that I had and I think it’s a pretty little tree. I may try to add a few more ornaments. I just love that little feather chick.

I got my geek on for a few hours, playing on the computer with the husband. Then we went and got the best sandwiches at the deli and had ourselves a little picnic at one of my favorite places.

I spent a couple peaceful hours on the porch, watching a favorite movie on my laptop while eating an ice cream sandwich. I really need to get a daybed to put out there, for the ultimate in laziness.

We paid a visit to the feed store, where the husband looked at goslings and contemplated putting in an order for three. I’m not too sure about this addition to the farm, but he really wants some. Oh dear.

We also had a delicious dinner of seared ahi tuna with wasabi cream sauce and a tiramisu cake for dessert.

I made a little more headway on my list, and cleared up the last of the scrap wood pile. There is still the fallen down fence to contend with, but I’ll just have to tackle that a little bit at a time. We moved some railroad ties over to where the wood pile was, to create an edging for a little planting bed on the edge of the future patio. The chickens hung out with me while I gardened, which was great, at first, as they scratched and pecked and turned the dirt and grow mulch for me, so I didn’t have to do it. I rewarded them with all the worms I found as I dug holes to plant a dozen creeping rosemary plants. It wasn’t so great later, after I finished planting and laid down some wood chip mulch, when they went back and scratched it all up looking for more worms, and nibbling on the rosemary.

Speaking of chickens, one of the Ruby’s has gone broody. For the non-chicken people out there, that means she wants to hatch some eggs, and has planted herself in a nesting box, hoping for some baby chicks. Ifirst noticed that she was sleeping in the box one night last week when I closed the coop. I thought it was odd, but figured she just wanted to get away from everyone else on the roost. But she planted herself in there all weekend and wouldn’t budge. I kept taking her out and carrying her to different places, giving her little treats to eat, but she keeps going back. I’m starting to get a little worried. I collect all the eggs, every day, and even moved the golf balls (we put them in the nesting boxes so the girls will know to go in there and lay rather than outside the coop. They just think they’re other eggs.) out of that particular box. She’s still sitting in there, even though she’s not actually sitting on any thing. I think the next thing I try is to put an ice cube underneath her. It doesn’t sound too nice, but if she doesn’t stop, she could get really weak and sick. Broody hens only leave their nest once a day to eat and drink and poop. Silly girl! I must have taken her out of the box about a dozen times this weekend. She’s in the favorite box, too, so the other hens put up a fuss when they go in to lay. Any chicken experts out there have any suggestions?

We finished off birthday weekend last night with ribs and corn on the cob for dinner while watching a recorded episode of Battlestar Galactica, followed by a couple Advil for the aching muscles from the woodpile clearing, and a good night’s sleep :o)

I keep spending all my free time outside, but I do have to come inside (reluctantly) when it gets dark. So I’ve done a little more rippling. I had to snap this picture quick, as my camera battery was dying, so I’m not thrilled with the picture, but you get the idea. Crochet uses such unique hand muscles, sometimes I feel like my left hand is a gnarled old claw. But I just ‘shake it off’ and keep going. I’m just adding colors as I go, nothing is planned out, and I’m okay with how it’s looking. It’s so interesting what the colors do as you add them. The first orange stripe looked so vibrant when the yarn was in a ball, but the stripe itself, I’m not crazy about. It’s sort of darker and browner than I expected. And I wasn’t liking the light grey at all, but now that I see this picture, it doesn’t bother me much, it sort of blends in and isn’t too noticible. I love the way the whole thing changes with each new stripe. Of course now I want to try some granny squares, but I’m determined to stay focused until this is done. Good luck to me!

I know, I know, enough with the Spring already, but I really can’t help myself. Here’s the thing you should know about my husband. Don’t ever, ever tell him you like something, unless you really, really like it. Because he will make sure you have more than you could have ever thought possible. I believe I mentioned that I liked daffodils once, and so now we have daffodils. Everywhere and every kind that you could possibly think of. I picked one of every variety that’s blooming right now and took pictures of each of them. There are some varieties that have already bloomed out, and some others that are just getting ready to go, but here are the most of the current ones:

How could I ever pick a favorite? I love the icy white ones, and the pale apricot centers and the double-ruffles, and the tiny, fragrant ones and the gigantic ones, and the pale ones with the deep orange centers. I know, this is my favorite:

All bunched together in a sweet smelling bouquet.

It seems that my sister is smitten too. Even in Italy, daffodils have an irresistable charm.

I don’t have too much to say, because I’d rather be outside than in front of a computer.

I can’t possibly choose my most favorite flower, but I sure do love these little grape hyacinth. We planted a patch of these about four years ago, and they’ve come up faithfully every year since without any demands or special needs. I didn’t see any sign of them a couple weeks ago, and was afraid that they had finally succumbed to our neglect. But I needn’t have worried, a couple days ago hundreds and hundreds popped up, seemingly overnight. The daffodils are continuing to bloom and I hope to take some pictures of the various varieties this weekend.

And since there hasn’t been a chicken picture here for nearly a whole month, I also took a picture of the chickens milling about under one of our oak trees the other morning:

I rented a cute little PBS documentary the other day called, “The Natural History of the Chicken“. There actually wasn’t much chicken history, just a bunch of people who understand the allure of chickens as I do. There was a short segment about how laying hens live that really turned my stomach. I don’t think I can ever buy eggs grown like that again. I shared some of our eggs with all our neighbors, and I think I may have some regular egg customers. One has already placed a standing order for a dozen a week.

The sunshine and longer days always fill me with energy, which has me making big plans. Who knows how much I will actually accomplish, but so far by big plans for Spring include:
*Put up a clothesline. I just bought this clothespin holder to make hanging up my wet clothes much much more fun:

Don’t you want to come hang up laundry with me?

*Build at least two raised planting beds, one for herbs and one for vegetables.

*Clean up all the various scrap wood piles, some left by previous owners, some the result of a fallen fence.

*Lay paving stones, which are piled here and there, in front of guest house for a new little patio area, near future clothesline.

*Paint ugly black iron table and chairs a cheerful turquiose to go on new patio area. Cover seat cushions with cheerful oilcloth.

*Paint inside of guest house light, bright white.

There’s much more to add to the list, but I better stop there for now. Happy Spring!

It was so beautiful this weekend, I spent as much time as possible outside. First I went to a couple local nurseries and got a few new plants. The husband had to give me a birthday present a little early, because he was so excited about it. It’s the terra cotta chicken in the pictures. Isn’t it cute? I love it.

The chickens were, of course, very curious about what I was doing. I planted some herbs and flowers in this pot. I hope they’ll have a chance. Yesterday there were about five chickens perched on the edge of the pot investigating it’s contents.

Then I made one of my favorite breakfasts, potatoes, mushrooms, onions and fresh herbs, a grilled tomato and fresh eggs, over easy. Sprinkle with a little hot sauce, grab a good book, sit in the rocking chair on the porch and put up my feet.

And enjoy the view and the beautiful day.

Ahh!