Ruby's Roadtrip~

Meet Ruby.

Ruby is our silly rogue hen, she simply cannot be contained. She hops all the fences and we gave up returning her to the flock a long time ago, so she free ranges around the farm, sleeping on the tractor at night and laying her eggs in the straw bales.

She is friendly, sweet, visits everyone who stops by and LOVES 

when we let the turkeys loose to range (friends!!).

Today our favorite UPS guy, Todd, returned from a 7 month hiatus. 

We chatted for longer than usual, catching up on the latest happenings...

When he pulled out to leave, my friend Jackie was looking out the kitchen window and noticed chicken feet in the truck. We assumed the chicken jumped out as he pulled out to leave. We looked around for her for a bit, then gave up (sometimes Ruby hides very well) 

and laughed about how Ruby may have left with Todd. 

About 15 minutes later, we saw the UPS truck coming back down our lane!

Poor Todd got to his next stop about 3 miles away and opened the back of the truck to find a stowaway!

So Ruby had a roadtrip, Todd now has a new UPS story to tell, and we all had a good laugh.

Oh, Ruby.

Life Happens~ Absorbing Summer

We love summer.

Love love love.

Here are some recent shots of life around here lately~

~~~~~~~

Paul has been working with the hives. 

We had a swarm move into the empty hive boxes in our barnand they built their comb under the lid.
He had to move the brood into frames. The bees will fill in the gaps with more comb.

It's dahlia madness in the garden. 

Eve planted a kajillion of them. Want some?

Mrs. William's hydrangea bush bloomed for the first time this year 

(since we moved here three years ago!). It's amazing. 

Mrs. Williams lived here for 65 years before us.

I created a cocktail, (and promise to post the recipe). 

It's called a" Goosey Lucy" and it is SO yummy.

There has been a LOT of swimming in the pond.

Gathering of friends...  

 Family visits (our entire family lives in PA)...

And my quiet practice. 

Being still and quiet is not something that I do enough, but is so good for me.

Be still and listen. It's something I need to cultivate and work on every day.

We planted flowers in memory of all my grandmothers. The gladiolus are for my Gram Kopp.

Planted in her favorite colors, lavender purple and a peachy pink.

 View of the orchard from the tractor.

Our young flock of hens.

The news ladies' tiny eggs are on the right.

The giant egg in the center is our old, over-achieving Ameracauna hen (Connie). 

She lays a big one every week-ish. It usually has a double or triple yolk!

And of course, there is a lot of knitting happening. And planning. 

The planning never stops. 

Back to absorbing this last month of summer!

See you soon!

xo

reenie

Poetry (by Ann)

 

Poetry is the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy afternoon. 
It is the flow of pen on paper that glides so delicately. Some are intimidated by it. 
Never, ever be intimidated by paper.
Now, you may be thinking, “That is the silliest thing I have ever heard, intimidated by a piece paper and a pen.”
I want to see you sit down right now and write a poem. 
You can, just like that. Sitting down, looking around you, becoming aware of all that is around you. Not just the sights, but the smells, the sounds, the way the grass feels between your toes, that is what poetry is.

 For example, I was finishing feeding the chickens, it had been pouring all day, when the sun began to shine through the grey clouds, creating a greenish hue. The wind began to blow, lifting unknown fog out of the trees and carrying it off. Then, it began to hail. Small drops of hard ice began falling from the clouds. I stood there and watched as they bounced joyfully off the gravel in the driveway.
 That is poetry, it doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t have to make any sense at all. It just has to come from your eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and hands.

by Ann

Alton and His Friends

Our yard rabbit, Alton Brown, loves his chickens.

When we let the hens out to run and play,
 he gets very excited and runs in circles around them.

Eve compiled this cute and hilarious short video of him and his friends.

Song credit~ "Life's a Happy Song" The Muppets (Original Soundtrack) 2011 Walt Disney Records

Video © 2012 Eve Hanlin~

Chicken Coop Bunting~

You all know how crazy I am about my chickens...

Like I am about my cats.

Walking that crazy cat lady edge, and of course the crazy chicken lady edge as well...

Yesterday I added a bunting to the coop.

Inspired by Soulemama and the exquisite dottie angel.

 One across the front~

 One across the back...

Roger and Pearl approve...

Cross posted on my personal blog ReenieHanlin.com ~ 

Happy Chickens~

I love my chickens.
It may even be the beginning of a sickness.
Always had bird-ick-itis... but I am enjoying them as much as I do my cats. (gasp! I know, right?!)
I have even been considering making them some accessories and outfits, but have managed to keep that obsession at bay... for now (grin).

Today we adopt 14 new hens and a second rooster. No pics of them yet, they have not arrived, but here are some portraits of my ladies and dude, taken by Eve & Ann. (will take pics of the new angels once they adapt).

 (click images to see larger versions)

One of my favorite photos.  See the white bunny? That is Alton, he has a tunnel-home he dug in the barn where he sleeps at night.  He spends his days hanging out in the clover patch or with the chickens.

I love this shot because it shows how our animals all co-exist peacefully (not typical, I know).

Stella considers them her pack and protects them. 

Alton and her play chase frequently, but she never tries to catch him, she only gives him licks. 

See how Salatin is checking the bunny out to make sure he is not danger? They are probably talking about the dog.

This is Salatin, the current reigning dude.

One of the pretty Rhode Island ladies posing for Eve on the deck.

 Cheese!

Any day I am home I let them loose from their "area"... 

They then entertain the cats and myself on the deck.  We call it Chicken TV.

Here is one of the Rhode Islands when they were younger, playing "Chicken of the World".

Bambi, the broody mamma, when she was sitting on Pippin's egg. Here she is all puffed up in warning. I love the chirpy sound they make when they are broody. Feisty!

Here comes Pippin! It takes about 24 hours for a chick to work it's way out. 

It's important they do it themselves... makes them stronger.

 Hello beautiful! Welcome to the world.

Pippin is now about 3+ months old, and so far is looking like a GIRL! and looks to be pure Rhode Island, so Bambi was her adopted mother, not her biological mother. Love that.

Bambi sat on three eggs, so not all of them were necessarily laid by her. 

Bambi is a Buff Orphington, the rooster is a Rhode Island Red.

 Mamma and Pippin hanging out in the nesting boxes.

Ladies all in a row, laying their magical eggs.

An egg photo... the greenish blue eggs are laid by our Ameracauna hens.

 One of our Ameracauna ladies.. they are so pretty, and comical. 

They remind me of Muppets. Plus they lay the green eggs!

Fluffy Ameracauna butt.

This is Agatha, our granny hen. She came to us from a friend, and I don't think she lays anymore, but she is harmless and healthy and occasionally gives Salatin some happy-time, so she is welcome to stay as long as she needs...

Meet Maureen. I named her after myself because she is chubby and the first to come running for snacks. She looks mad here, probably because there were no snacks.

Posing ladies on the deck.

 Freed ladies scratching in the flower beds for bugs and worms.

Is that enough Chicken info for today?

xo Reenie

Peep Progression~

The Rhode Island Red chicks (from this post) are now about 10 weeks old and have been living in the coop with the 'big' chickens for over a week.

They are spoiled rotten. Ann is our chicken whisperer... she took this video.

They come running when we are around and peep with happiness.
Come fall they will make us a lot of yummy eggs, well, except for the two that are roosters, they are named Guavo and Popeye.

The Ameracauna peeps are still in the brooder box. They are 4 weeks old and get to play outside  in a small fenced area when the sun shines. They will give us pretty blue/green eggs this fall. Not sure if any are roosters, it's hard to sex this breed. Time will tell...

Welcome Salatin~

Here he is! The MAN.

We needed a rooster to keep our ladies protected.

A few craigslist inquiries and we found this handsome fellow.

Named Salatin after Paul's hero, Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms.

Here he is on the coop, crowing to remind us all (and the hawks) that he is in CHARGE. 

Such a pretty guy.