Another Chicken Post

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Momzoo

Chocolate is my chicken gal,
she is doing a great job, and has done a lot of research and could probably tell you everything you would ever need to know about raising chickens.

I thought I would share some pictures of our little flock
they are getting big

Living in the coop

Scratching around the chicken yard

Dodging the cat

Teasing the dog

Running for cover when birds fly over
(caution is good, we have hawks out here)

Chasing lizards

Squeezing through the fence Eating the kitchen scraps

This guy above is a rooster,
and my favorite.
I want to get some hens of his variety next year, I love the coloring.

Taking dust baths

Practicing flight

running from the kids, especially Monkey, who loves to chase them

Growing big and strong, turning into egg laying machines!

(I had to post the below picture again of my little chicken whisperer, I love this picture!)

Landscaping the Wild

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Momzoo

Being that we aren’t in a typical neighborhood, things like manicured lawns and flower beds aren’t what we are putting our effort into.

Our land will always be a bit on the wild side
and I don’t mind one bit

However,
being who I am, I have to do a little something here and there. We have a U shaped drive way, leaving a U shaped patch of land in the front of the house. It is a great spot for a little wild landscaping. I am a little enamored with some of the nature pastures and meadows around and my plan is to mimic that.

The bare, U shaped area in front of the house. The only landscaping that has ever been done, as far as we can tell, was a load of driveway gravel dumped and spread about.
(blek)

We got the kids to work, raking out old tumble weeds and other garbage and setting out some drought tolerant plants I purchased.

The key, for landscaping a natural looking meadow, it to not do too much. We added a couple grasses, yarrow and a bush or two.
The biggest thing in achieving our meadow look was to add water.

Liquid gold.

After about three weeks, this is what our little meadow looks like:

It is lush and green, mostly natural grasses that just needed a little coaxing.

I never knew there were so many different grasses, and so many colors of green.

Pretty wild flowers.

All in all, I am pretty satisfied how it has turned it.
It is wild
and natural
green and pretty.

I plan on adding other meadow/pasture areas as things on the farm progress.
The next spot will be the orchard.

Planting the Garden

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Momzoo

These pictures are about 4 weeks old, but I felt I had to get them posted, so we can have a record of our progress.

The view of the garden area, it is a 100×70 foot plot.
I thought it would be enough
we will be adding more next year
(shhh, don’t tell Dadzoo, he doesn’t know yet)

Another view of the garden.
Under the little hoop house are onions, they have been in there since the first of April and are thriving.

Little Man “owns” the pumpkins this year, and he got to help me plant them.
He is going to make a great little farmer and a wonderful pumpkin grower.
(we are planning on having a lot, and hopefully will be able to sell some for his piggy bank)

The pumpkin patch with little paper hats to keep the critters (quail especially) from eating the seeds before they sprout.
Sassy “owns” the cucumbers, and here is her “pickle patch”.
We planted two hills of eating cucumbers, and the rest are for pickling.
Sassy and I are going to make lots and lots of pickles this fall, it will be a first time for us both and we’re excited for the challenge. And one corner of the garden has three goose-berry bushes.
Someday I am going to make goose-berry pie,
doesn’t that sound all old-timey and romantic.

I tend to be a bit of a romantic
in case you haden’t noticed!

Clean up

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Momzoo

Our property has a lot of…. stuff, laying around.

Piles and piles everywhere
mostly construction debre

A lot of unusable wood and ruined plywood, 2×4’s and posts, brick, vinyl, beer bottles, milk crates, misc metal parts, rock, and garbage.

And it is all over, covering much of the property.

As part of the cleanup effort we have been spending our evenings gathering up wood pieces and stacking them.

The ~~slaves~~ kids bring the boards and misc pieces to Dadzoo, who cuts them into 16 inch lengths and then they are stacked, or if they are smaller than 16 inches, they go into a scrap bin.

Stacked just so, they will be used in the wood stove this winter, and the smaller pieces in the fire-pit outside.
(this is just the very start, we have a lot more where this all came from)

While it is frustrating to see such a beautiful place be mistreated and used as a garbage dump, we can help but see the blessing in free firewood.

(Lou found this stick while picking up boards and played Gandalf the whole evening, jumping in front of her, very annoyed, sisters saying “You shall not pass!”)

These are pictures of parts of the unspoiled pasture, I never knew there were so many different grasses here in the high desert, or so many shades of green.

So lovely.

Learning to Like Cats

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Momzoo

I am not a cat lover.
It was bred into me.
I was born to a Mother, who didn’t like cats.
No, “didn’t like” is way too mild, she HATES them, she has a cat phobia, she won’t even look at pictures of cats.
It’s a pretty strong emotional reaction.

Anyway, as a child of a cat hater, I learned to hate too. I never wanted a cat, I didn’t like them around, they annoyed and irritated me, digging up my garden and flowers.

Then we moved, to the country, and we have mice, lots and lots of mice.
Everywhere.

And, after much thought, and a post from a friend on facebook looking for a new home for her cat, a mouser, who was neutered and had all his shots, I gave in.

The cat hater got a cat.

And is slowly starting to like/love this cat.

Our cat is named Stitch, he is an adult cat, that honestly has the soul of a dog.
Not knowing much about cats, only the bad stuff, I figured he would be aloof and onery, eating my chickens and using the garden for a potty.

Was I wrong.
He is friendly, pleasant, good natured, doesn’t potty in the garden, comes when I call him, teases the dog, watches the chickens, and goes on walks with us.
(funny, huh, when I walk in the mornings he follows the whole way, I’ll walk a couple miles with this funny guy trailing me)

Most of all, and what finally won me over.
He loves the kids.

And is so patient with Monkey and all her tail grabbing and ear pulling.

I have yet to sit with the cat in my lap or even pick it up…. my past prejudices are still strong, but I do give him a bowl of cream on occation. And Monkey adores Stitch.