Odds and Ends

These, my friends, are starlings battering themselves against a window in the henspa. 

Yes.... I found a dozen in there when I went to do chores this afternoon. 

I almost cried.  

Only ONE time before has a small bird gotten in through the pophole, but alas, we have not kept the 

net pulled up to the building this year. 

I opened the front door widely... and waited for them all to find their way out.  

UGH. 

 Several finally stopped in exhaustion. 

I might have been yelling "Starlings, get out!"  

The total output of two henhouses today.  Seven eggs. 

Only four from the henspa, where there are about 28 layers. 

Pretty disappointing, but I have been donating 8 to 9 dozen a week, so I can't complain about a short day here and there. 

We got a dusting of snow last night, but they are saying real snow for 

Sunday.  Not sure how much. 

I can tell you that when I brought the warm water out and loosed the ducks, they 

ran straight to the fortex, and Spice jumped in imeediately while everyone else got a drink. 

You notice Donald is drinking too, he usually stands back and lets the girls go first... but in the morning, they are all desperate to get that first (warm) drink. 

Ducks need water to keep their bills clean and clear. 

Look!  The maple tree is really budding out!  

Winona, the Putting Up book is yours... please 
send me your address to ksredhead1950@gmail.com, 
and I'll get it in the mail. 

Ramona at The JR, we have never "met" and 
I don't have an address for you, but the 
Creamery book is yours if you will just 
send me your address at the above 
email.  I could not find a way to contact you. 

The Dairy Goat Book is still up for grabs, and if no 
one wants it, I'll pass it on to the Dairy Goat Project 
for the local 4H kids. 

At mid-day, I usually go out and refresh water for all the animals. 

You see, by then the starlings have slurped up every bit of water for the ducks and chickens on the old henhouse side... and all of the feed.  I re-feed and re-water. 

The above short video shows the ducks who were so glad so to see some feed in front of them.  Donald is standing off to the right, quacking softly as his girls ate ravenously.  They HAD been out in the pasture all morning, and had already had some leaf lettuce as a treat.  

I have just heard on the five pm news that we are expecting 
lows as low as 3 degrees next week, so we are not finished with 
frigid temperatures around here. 
I am undecided as to whether or not to bring the ducks back in... but I will NOT be 
letting the chickens out in those temps. 
The warming light is back on in the goat barn. 

I'm praying for Winter to loosen her hold on all of us! 

Another Great Book from Country Living

Okay, first let me say I'm not compensated for this book review, I just love Country Living magazine, and have for many, many years.  The years I didn't subscribe, I bought it on the newstand.  This is the January issue.

I have always dreamed that my house would be a Country Living house.... decorated as if it stepped out of the pages.  So I buy their books regularly.  I am lucky, because a dealer at an antique mall I frequent (Front Porch Antiques in Ottawa, Kansas), often offers copies of Country Living books for sale in her booth, and I have picked up many there at bargain prices.

Before Christmas, I bought this one, on Amazon, brand new:

And I have to tell you, I loved it.  I wrote Serena Thompson, one of the "Farm Chicks" a fan letter and SHE ANSWERED ME!

This is a wonderful Christmas book if anyone is looking ahead to next year:

and of course, the house at Calamity Acres looked like this at Christmas... NOT!

It was full of wonderul decorating ideas, and recipes, and just generally good Christmasy stuff.

So now I have this one, and I am showing you the ad from this month's magazine on purpose:

Restore, Recycle, Repurpose was written by Randy Florke, a designer, with Nancy J. Becker.

This is a very good design book, in a pleasingly plain vernacular, by someone who obviously is not high-on-the-hog. 

The reason I show you the ad from the magazine is so you can see the title on brown in the middle.  I RIPPED THIS OFF, thinking it was a wrapper!!!!  DON'T DO THIS!!!!

Point made (laugh)

Inside are lots of good ideas, even for someone like me who has a very shabbily unchic house

I don't have a keeping room or mud room, but if I had, I would want it to look like this

The designs are not too frou-frou (frou-frou has it's place, but not here in our house, I'm afraid)

I had to show you the "pink" retro kitchen, though, just because it was so unique!

In two years, we hope to remodel the interior of this small house that we love so well.  It is approximately 1000 square feet, and was a dwelling place for workers who picked here on this strawberry farm before it became a home.  Several families have lived here, but it was cobbled together by people who were not great builders.  The family who proceeded us here, a father and three sons, were not attached to this land as we have become, it was merely a stopping place for them.

For four years we fought a leaky roof, until replacing it last year, the first big project.  We are continuing our outdoors projects, but will soon begin to concentrate also on replacing the things we need to, indoors.  We need to replace all the ceilings, and completely replace the soiled, stained rugs throughout.  We have decided to go with tile, it is easier to keep clean with the animals and muddy feet. We have begun replacing light fixtures, and will eventually paint all walls and replace the windows.  Our miniscule kitchen, six (literally) cabinets and a very tiny sink, will be expanded around one wall and I will finally be able to keep food in the kitchen instead of the steel pantry in the laundry room. 

I have picked up some good ideas from the above book for inexpensive things we can do to bring the country look to our "new" house, when we are ready.  If you have a chance to look at it, or buy it, I would recommend it!