Gardening with the Grands, and some Goose Gaggle Pics

Our day started out really early this morning.  Jax and Paiton are coming to my house daily this week,, as this is the "gap week" between school being dismissed and day camp (which they love) starting.  

Grandma usually doesn't get up at six, so you can see that everyone was tired, and Jester 

did not want to go outside, just sleep with his kids. 

Pardon the bins, you will be seeing a lot of them, I am in full packing mode. 

Okay, so despite the unseasonably cool weather, we went to the farm 

and worked on the garden.  Paiton complained at first and then REALLY pitched in. 

She had on flip flops, which made it doubly hard.  She is bringing tennis shoes tomorrow. 

Why yes, those ARE huge cutters Jax is carrying.  He did awesome work with them. 

We found lots of interesting things, a big toad, lots of spiders, and 

lots of ladybugs.  I reminded them all these creatures were helpful to us. 

There was one bit of bristly greenbriar in this bed, and I showed it to 

both of them and told them to stay away from it. 

Jax cut and cut. 

Paiton dug and dug. 

She also pulled weeds by hand, and shook the dirt back into the bed. 

As you can see, we uncovered two more beds, and started on a third.  There are eight all together. 

Jax is checking out that clump I left in the bed he is looking down into, because there was a big toad in it. 

So, before we left, we watched the birds for a few minutes. 

We saw an indigo bunting, a goldfinch (male), and a 

Baltimore oriole.  We are going to buy some oranges tomorrow, 

and put the slices on the bird feeder.  I'm going to hang a nyger seed 

feeder out for the finches, and we can watch them. 

No pictures of them today, though. 

The birds are getting used to us working near them. 

Here's a pert little female Red-Winged blackbird. 

And one of the ubiquitous blue jays... they are all over the deck as soon as we leave. 

We started out our day at the Ag Hall, though, taking care of these: 

Those are 24 new 5 day old cochin chicks, in five different color varieties.  I'm changing out that poopy paper daily, btw. 

But we have more babies at the Ag: 

After we did the chores, we went down to see the babies. 

Saturday, I drove the train for a birthday party, and the babies kept coming 

up the hill to the train tracks, scaring me to death.  The horn is no longer working on our engine. 

So... I was waving my arms like a psycho. 

Today, there were lots of little heads down in the grass, and mom and dad watching them. 

(There is a second batch to the right, who are about a week older). 

All of the sudden, the older goslings sprang up! 

And then the little heads came up. 

Paiton and Jax were being VERY quiet so as not to scare them. 

Mama was watching the mallards in the background. 

These. 

The older babies are getting quite big. 

Tonight, on my way home from the library, I saw some just 

a bit older than these by a local small lake... their heads look like 

Canadian geese now.  It won't be long until these do. 

You can see how big the earlier batch is.  

And I just realized I did not get pictures of the little ones eating! 

Just one. 

We are expecting rain again tomorrow, but we 

are hoping to get out to the "farm" and work some 

more on the garden beds, then I'll put fresh dirt in them 

and we will plant some tomatoes that the kids can enjoy this summer. 

Wednesday, we're going to the zoo after we do chores!  YAYYY!