Poultry Progress

Here you can see the progress of the chicken tractor. It's moved forward each day, leaving a patch of thoroughly eaten-down grass behind as the hens are treated to greener grass and fatter grubs. Supposedly the grass will grow back a lot more luxurious thanks to the mobile fertilizer.

I'm really a fan of the Barred Rock hens.

They're pretty fat and happy right now.

This chubby biddy right here lays some of the most beautiful green eggs ever.

Somebody, apparently, couldn't quite make it to the nesting boxes in time. I wonder who it was...?

I won't name any names, but I have my suspicions.

Bad Day to be a Rodent

Meet Twiggy.

Hello, Twiggy.

Twiggy was a brand new cherry tree planted last year. He was carefully planted, watered, pruned, and painted (to indicate which variety; Twiggy was a Chelan).

But it was curtains for Twiggy.

Under that healthy veneer of shiny bark and lanky limbs was a dead tree.

Twiggy has no roots.

Not a single root. You just had to look at him the wrong way and he fell over; no support or taproot underground whatsoever.

Twiggy was a victim of the sneaky silent crop killer: The Gopher.

The Gopher tunnels around underground looking for a free buffet. Tender tree roots are a popular salad variety for this voracious vermin.

Twiggy and 200 defenseless companions were claimed by The Gopher this year.

Retribution will be hard and swift.

If you're a gopher, be forewarned. Your days on this farm are numbered.

Flying Around the Farm

I'd like to take you on a little flying tour of the farm...

The Robins are everywhere.

So are the Magpies, but they're a little camera shy.

Here is one fat little Quail... a whole covey just flew away.

This sweet little bird and his mate are soaking in the warm sun and eating the first of the Spring grasses.

This little guy is the crown jewel. I'm not sure... Western Meadowlark?

This is as close as we can get to him.

This concludes our flying tour. Goodnight!

My Favorite New March Tradition

Right now... my fifth grade niece is doing Spelling and is lamenting the fact that the entire 3rd grade (her little sister) is home sick. I'm sitting back, happily surveying the fruits of my weekend labor: a tidy house.

This weekend... was exquisite.

On Friday, the Solemnity of the Incarnation, I received a revelation during Mass.

I'd had a nightmare the night before, a recurring one that happens whenever I feel like my life is going too fast and is utterly out of my control (I had them most often during my senior year of college). In the dream I'm in a car, careening downhill with no brakes. I guess I was stressing a lot more than I realized about this whole land/house situation and so on Friday morning I took it to God in Mass.

I wasn't really expecting any answers, only hoping for some peace, but when I asked in prayer the answer came back very clearly: "Trust your husband. I will guide him."

What a relief!! What a burden lifted!! Isn't marriage incredible!? I don't have to bear the weight of this decision alone -- in fact I don't have to bear it at all, I just have to follow my husband's lead.

Yay!

Also on Friday I saw on Facebook, "For those of you who are Lord of the Rings nerds, happy Anniversary of the Destruction of the Ring." LotR nerd? That's me. So my husband took me out for (yes, for all of my "real food" convictions, I keep an 85/15 diet -- 85% good whole real food, 15% 'cause I want it food) fast food burgers and curly fries. When we got home we polished off some homemade ice cream in root beer floats and settled in to watch the Extended Edition of Return of the King. We split the nearly-four-hour movie between two nights, but I think we'll have to make this a tradition; it was just too fun.

On Saturday it was all work out at the farm. But more on that later this week.

Sunday was one of the most glorious of recent memory. I love my life.

Some plans for this week: I really want to learn how to make cheese. Swiss, Gouda, cheddar, Muenster, Havarti, Colby, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack...? Add "smoked" before any one of those and come to mama!

If I get some time for myself, I want to... get a haircut. Maybe. I haven't had one since my lovely locks were butchered in October of 2007. It was right before I presented my first academic paper at a Philosophy conference, and I was mortified when the stylist cut my hair like a man's. Anyway, I've never trusted scissors near my head since. My tresses actually look very nice when I take the time to style them, but Summer is coming and to avoid the fate of the teeny-bopper ponytail, the time has come to remove the temptation and whack off my hair... and maybe get some bangs?

Special prayer intentions for this week: for Nadja's son, and for my baby nephew.


Something that makes me smile: Something, or someone?

Happy sigh.

Religion Quiz Fail

Disclaimer: Slight exaggeration might be present in this story.

"What is the First Glorious Mystery of the Rosary?"

 

8 year old niece: "The Assumption of Jesus Descending on the Apostles Teaching in the Temple."