Live Free

a girl and her chicken

Our eight chicks have provided more fun and entertainment than we ever thought possible. One family member in particular has a very special bond with them.  Yes, oh my, oh my, Bea loves her chickens. More than almost anything it seems. More than toys for sure! 

I've learned a couple of great lessons while being a mama to a toddler and a chicken owner simultaneously. One lesson is this: to a toddler, there really is no greater incentive to getting all that winter gear on than to get a turn to feed the chickens and let them out of the run. The allure of chickens is powerful, people! 

One hen in particular has taken a great big fondness over Bea (and myself).  This hen wants nothing to do with her nice stand-by friends when Bea and I enter the picture.  She quickly loses all loyalty to the rest of the feathered crew and instead follows our every move. Literally. She's hysterical and we love her so. She is also the hen whom my brother predicted will reveal herself to be a rooster. Oh, I just can't fathom.  I certainly hope not as we can not have roosters.  I couldn't bear to part with her, rooster or not.  

A blurb about Bea's outfit:  she's wearing another pair of pants (this time cropped) that I made with the Made By Rae Big Butt Baby Pant Pattern. She likes these a lot especially since she's got pockets with trains on them. She's very much into obsessed with modes of transportation these days. I support the habit, I suppose. She added her own flair and accented the outfit with a western style belt found on the floor of mama and daddy's closet. The rear clothespin clasp was daddy's idea. The photos were taken this past weekend when the weather was mild and sunny, which is not the case now.  

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These girls have been so good for me! They humor me and all my silliness of make believe!

Chickens: Yes, yes Nichole, we suppose it's just dandy for you to pretend you are a "for real" farm girl. Look, we'll greet you at your door and run and fly to you when you make your way to us in the morning. If you sit or stand still long enough, we'll peck at your shoes or perch ourselves upon your knee. You can gaze into our eyes, and wonder just what's happening in our little chicken brains. Rest assured.. not much. In case you were wondering about your early morning "farm girl look", of course, you look the part (but what do we know?) as you tend to us in your pajama pants, flannel robe, and Birkenstocks. We will be diligent to scratch and dust bathe in all sorts of mischievous nooks and crannies that will leave you shaking your head in exaggerated disbelief. Really, we know that once you turn your back away from us, you will be wearing a goofy grin and tickled that shoes and chicken poop are words so frequently strung together in the sentences of your daily conversation with the ones you love. You'll even feel all the more grounded and connected to nature and the seasons.  While cooking dinner in the evenings, you can now peer out into the backyard, and be reminded - enlightened, if you will - daily, without fail, of one of the few certainties in life: chickens really do go to bed minutes before darkness settles in for the night. And we always know just when that moment is occurring. 

Nichole: Yep, y'all are just what I needed. Thanks ladies for helping to make big dreams come true! 

My girls

I feel like I should be talking about our (non-exisistent) advent rituals, all the hand crafted goodies yet to be crafted by this mama, and the general peace and calm that this time of the year is suppose to evoke upon our days.  Bah...it's bright and sunny in my parts, and I just can't seem to get myself in gear on the whole mad list making that is required to pull off a 100% hand-made holiday.  

I almost let Bea run around the yard in a diaper and t-shirt today, then I remembered it's December.  I herded her back indoors, coaxed her into some pants if only to keep the neighbors from talking. I'll get some of what I have planned for the holidays done.  But only some of it. I have to accept my limitations and abilities. I don't know how some of you out there do it. :) 

Perhaps some of you out there have sensed my sarcastic tone today and that I have a bit of love/dislike relationship with the month of December. It's true, I do. I'd love to love it. Yet, in my little head, the sweet, gentle, ticking deadline begins to pound louder and louder with each day that goes by. Deadlines bother me. 

Rest easy, the sarcasm ends here. 

But you know what has offered me the greatest respite to the December jitters - my girls.  After our first tragic experience back in October, we decided to try again with another eight chicks. Much to our delight, these girls have grown quickly and are turning out to be lovely young poults. Yes, I never thought I'd enjoy keeping chickens as much as I do so far.

Byron finished the coop a couple of weeks ago. I love you marvelous man! He used these plans which he has been very satisfied with. He's still working on the hen house which should be complete soon. We've been lucky to have mostly mild nights here. On nights that were worrisomely cold, we've boxed them up and kept them in our garage. Once the hen house is complete, cold nights won't be as much of an issue. The girls will stay nice and cozy in there.  

Oh yes, even the chickens will have a little hand made goodness to make their house feel more like home. 

Just look at them. They are so happy and friendly.

Bea and I love to visit with them. As soon as we come near the door of the coop, they are welcoming us in. When I squat to feed them, they hop in my lap.  Bea is just plain tickled by their presence. She loves to just sit amongst them, laughing and squealing at their chicken ways.  

Chickens: my solution to holiday stress.  

Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf

The weekend was bittersweet to put it mildly. I'll share with you happy, sweet moments first. Halloween, of course, turned out to be hoot, even though, for a moment, right around 6 pm, when we were STILL having dinner and NOT out on our street trick or treating, I was having my doubts and inner meltdowns.  

Little Red Riding Hood

I managed to pull together Bea's costume by Wednesday night, as she needed to arrive at the school party on Thursday as Little Red Riding Hood. 

For the hooded cloak, I used this pattern as a guide. I made Bea's with a liner to give it a heavier weight (and to avoid the unfinished seam look.) Then I whipped up a little dress using this pattern.  Easy peasy. I planned to spruce up the little dress with a decorative pocket or two, but before I even realized it, I was sewing the two pattern pieces together (yes, this reversible dress is made up of only 2 pieces) and I completely forgot about the pocket. Crazy me.  And I was in no mood for seam ripping. Little Red would have to survive without a pocket. Oh well, good thing she had a basket.  

It was nearly dark before we got our act together to make it out our front door. Bea was in awe of all the children in their funny costumes making their way from house to house. Oh boy, did she want to fit in and do what she saw them doing. And she did...so well! She was quite focused and serious about her task of trick or treating.

She carried her basket proudly.

She walked up the sidewalks,

knocked on the doors,

chose her treats carefully,

and then gave a huge whole arm wave goodbye (even to the ghoulish denizens!) How brave and so sweet!

Halloween ended up being everything we wanted it to be!

We trick or treated to nearly every house on our street - a lot more than I thought we would manage to visit. But she loved it and couldn't get enough. 

An hour or so later when we arrived home, she emptied out her basket and took inventory of her treats!

The Big Bad Wolf...

The sad, sad news is that yesterday afternoon, Byron, Bea, and I came into the house to let Bea have her afternoon nap.  Lately, when we've been home, we've been letting the chicks outside.  While the coop isn't finished, we made a temporary one out of garden stakes and chicken wire to let them enjoy the fresh air and outdoors. And it was working out nicely. The little cage was secure enough so that even birds of prey couldn't access them as we covered the top as well. The chicks got to scratch and peck and sunbathe during the day while we were home. Everyone was happy, so it seems. Yesterday afternoon was quiet, warm, and peaceful. Bea went down for her nap easily and then Byron followed suit. I rarely nap during the day, but yesterday, sniffly, stuffy, and coughing, I glanced at the couch and it called to me.  I curled up for what must have been 20 minutes. At that point, Byron woke up to continue working on the coop. Then I heard his call. And I knew. I asked "How many?" "All of them." We stood there in our backyard, dumbfounded, lost, sad, beyond disappointed, heartbroken for ourselves and for Bea who LOVED and cared for these chicks. A neighborhood dog who has a tendency to escape from his owner's home came into our backyard (we'd left the gate unlatched too). Without a sound, he killed all eight of them. Didn't eat them. Which, to me, is even worse than having a raccoon, owl, hawk, or snake get to them. At least in those instances, the loss of chickens can be rationalized as being part of the food chain. But a dog looking for fun...not so.  All for naught. Eight little ones. Our home and our lives feel empty without their presence.  

8 Little Ones

The grand plan for Byron and I, is to one day, have our own place with enough land to raise our own animals and grow our own food. Oh, and with a view of green mountains. We're not there yet.  And honestly, who knows when we will ever arrive?  This is why over the last five years or so, we've been tossing around the idea of having a backyard flock of hens. We've hemmed and hawed on the issue, never really ready to commit.  Perpetually waiting for the right time, the right house, the right place. Well, our patience has waned and we've grown tired of waiting.. of putting our life and dreams on hold. So we jumped...into the cold water...feet first. Eek! 

He's building the coop on the weekends with his little helper, of course.

 

I picked up 8 baby chicks from Callahan's and we are determined to make part of our grand dream come true. Urban farmette here we come! The girls we chose are all know to be docile and great egg layers. We've a couple of Americaunas, Barred Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Maran, Wyandotte, and a Cochin

They are so darn cute! Bea is in total love! And I can't wait for the Spring when these little ladies begin to lay a colorful array of eggs!  

 

Garden rescue and other backyard tidbits

The garden news is this: (almost) everything is growing and thriving and generally making me feel really proud and happy when I look at my little garden bed. "Ah," I muse to myself.  "My little slice of bucolic farm life right here, right now. I've got a back yard, a garden, birdies singing, a toddler in my skirt. My dream." 

Almost. 

Something is feasting away on my jalapeno, get this - my zinnia, black eye susan, and spearmint leaves. Aren't the last three in the list above suppose to be hardy. Usually, I am worried about my precious tomato plants. This year they are beautiful (so far). Yet, it's the perennial flowers and herbs that are taking a hit. Who knows.  And if you do, please enlighten me. 

One of two images demonstrating the most devastating results of pests. 

This is the spearmint plant clearly showing signs of defeat.  

My strategy thus far, has been to release 1500 ladybugs into the bed. The release happened last night. And though I didn't literally take a head count this morning, my guestimation is that a fraction of the 1500 are actually still inhabiting the garden. Oh, but I did see several couples procreating. So let's hope this population grows and sustains itself in my backyard for a while.  

In other news, a swallowtail egg hatched on the fennel a couple of weeks ago. The caterpillar ate and ate. Bea really enjoyed watching it grow, pointing at it, and getting really close to squeezing life out of it a couple of times. This morning, the caterpillar ventured away from the fennel. We found it and placed it back onto the fennel, just in case it was still hungry. A few hours later, we went back out to check on it. It was gone. Must have been done eating. We should of known. These guys are severely hard wired. They know what to do.  (S)he's off to find a nice, high spot to form it's chrysalis. Good bye caterpillar. We'll watch for you to flutter by in a few weeks.  

This is the caterpillar molting his old, tight skin. 

My last backyard news for the evening is that this guy cannot get a break these days.  

Every time he braves up (with lots of encouragement and coaxing from us) to go outside, the grackles assume position, occupying every corner of our backyard from above. They grackle at him continuously - literally as long as he is outside. They follow him around. And if he moves, they move. I know he is so ready for this reproduction tradition to run it's course. I'm ready too. These guys are extremely diligent at protecting their offspring! It's ironic how the birds are giving Blackie a hard time and not the other way around. Oh, what luck this guy has! 

What's wrong with this picture?

Why is Sandy on the couch and I'm on the floor?  I've been a baaaad dog master lately. You see, it all started a few weeks ago during a cold spell. Sandy looked so cold and uncomfortable laying on our hard, cold floor.  She has a little bed that she likes to sleep on when we're not around. But when we are around, she likes to be close to us. And when she's on the bed, she just doesn't feel like part of the pack, you know. Here Byron and I are laid out the couch and there she is three whole feet away all alone on her miserable floor bed.  

As I was saying, I was feeling sorry for her.  So one night, while Byron was out playing chess, she came and put her front paws on the couch.  She inched them further to the back of the couch. She stayed that way for about 20 seconds.  Repositioned and secured herself. Put one hind leg up. Stayed that way for another 20 seconds. Then slowly, ever so slowly, to make sure I'd never notice that there was an 75 pound dog sitting next to me on a couch that has never welcomed dogs, she brought up her last hind leg. I pretended not to notice her sneakiness and gave her a nonchalant rub between the ears as I continued to surf the net. She was on! She loved it. She snuggled up against me and put her head in my lap. She looked so content - like she was finally home! Of course I shooed her off like a secret lover the minute I heard the door knob turn and the hubby return. He caught the tail end of her scurry to the floor. He was shocked as he thought he had my trust and a deal which strictly prohibited Sandy from the couch.  

And now? Now, she's wearing her welcome out on the couch. She can't wait for one of us to get up so that she can take our place. The couch is quickly becoming one more haven for Sandy's fur to retreat in. 

Learning to love the couch was so easy for her. I wonder if learning not to steal bread dough and cat food will ever be as easy to learn?  Hmmm....She certainly has selective capabilities.  

My Very Own Quilt

Earlier this summer, a friend of mine encouraged me to start a quilt. At first, I dismissed the idea thinking that it would take forever and essentially become an unfinished project. She brought it up a few times. I asked her if she sewed her quilts by hand. She said no, she just uses her machine. Hmmm....that got my wheels turning. I'd never considered quilt making with a machine. Maybe I should. Maybe that would make the task more successful for me. So we decided we would get together and do some quilting. I helped her get started with the cutting. I learned about the cutting board, the roter cutter, the straight edge ruler, and ironing. Suddenly, after watching her get started, everything seemed more doable. It was just the push I needed. Soon enough, I was off to Joanne's gathering my supplies. I stayed up until the wee hours cutting fabric and then sewing. I finished the top piece of my quilt in about two weeks. Once I got started, I just couldn't stop. I found the repition to be really relaxing and of course I loved playing with fabric squares mixing and matching until I found just the right contrast of prints. I have to say I'm very proud of my efforts.