Monday Updates

Well, we have a new look we are trying out for the blog... time to shake it up a little.  I'm also working on some pages to add, so that people who are just reading for the first time can go back and see whom is being referenced, or what has happened in the past. 

 

This picture shows something remarkable:

 

I know, it's hard to see in the light... but it's the little flock from the pasture pen, out in the pasture for the first time.  While Cocky was alive, I tried to let them out several times and they just would not come.  His son Junior, in the shadow, is trying to take care of them at six months... and pulls himself up tall to try to scare the other roosters.  They only came out for a while, but they were having such a good time I had to sit and watch them.  Their pen leaks from the tarps, and is wet and nasty, and I'll be so glad to get them moved.

 

 

And, moving right along, here's where they will be moving.  The nest boxes are almost complete, and the Happy Hobby Farmer is working on them even as I type tonight.

 

(Yes, they will have sides on them)  I'm also going to hang curtains!

 

And here was something happening at the fence.. I got a little picture of it the other day.  Jackson really likes me, and likes to lay right by me... which he was doing while I watched the Pasture Pen Gang.  Then, I heard his chirping starting up... he was doing this:

 

 

I know this one is hard to see, too, but that's Jackson squaring off again against Gertie, and they paced up and down the fenceline, with Jackson chirruping to her. 

 

Jackson is sleeping in the henhouse for the time being.  He's not that happy about it, but he's safe, and right now, that's what counts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Spots

Well, some of them are Saturday evening spots. 

 

Like this one:

 

Though Jackson and Annabelle are not as friendly as Clarabelle as far as approaching you, he likes to follow me around and watch what I'm doing.  He's snoozing here while I filled the water bin in the pasture last night.

 

I don't know why I'm still filling it, no one is using it hardly.

 

 

Here he is a minute later, listening to something with his eyes closed still.  He cracks me up.

 

 

Ranger LOOKS scary, but Lilly Ann is the one to be careful if you are up to no good at Calamity Acres.

 

Her abrasion on her side is healing up nicely.

 

 

I made this one extra large on purpose, because it cracks me up, too.  I planted this butterfly bush in the spring, and it took off like a jet.  All summer I watered it from behind... daily, almost.  I was so proud of it.  I was standing there a little while ago this afternoon and realized there is a HUGE WEED in the middle of it... look at the top.

 

I pulled it out and it will take a whole bag of Miracle Gro soil to fill in the hole.

 

Here is the bush without the weed, still looks good.  As you see, I have pulled out all the sunflowers, so summer is OFFICIALLY OVER here.  They are going down to the brush heap in the pasture in the back of the truck tomorrow while Keith is at work.  I spent the afternoon putting in perennials, and I will have to go get Max Mix tomorrow to fill in all the holes where I pulled the HUGE sunflower roots out.

 

 

I put a late hummingbird feeder out because I have seen hummers twice in the last week.  Kathy says they are visiting her feeders a lot here in the last few weeks, so we think they are getting ready for their trip south.  Keith came in from the golf course yesterday to say he had seen a lot of Canadians overhead.  I planted mums of several different varieties... blanket flowers, physostegia, and have some more things to put in tomorrow.  As you see, it was a gorgeous early fall day.

 

And finally, Keith is progressing:

 

 

The wooden framework is for the netting that will go over the pen, which I will call to order tomorrow.  It takes a week to ten days to get here, as it is cut and grommeted according to what dimension we order.  Once it's ordered, Keith will finish the two decks, make the stairs, and we'll do the inside work (flooring, nest and roosts) and then move the flock over.  We intended to move girls only, but now again are considering moving everyone from the big henhouse for a few weeks, so that we can clean it out, clean it up, make repairs, and get it winterized.  Then we'll move the old birds and non-producing hens back over.

 

At least that's the plan as it currently stands!