I realized today just how long it has been since I have spent any time in my backyard – two months. Yep. That’s WAY TOO LONG. But what’s a mother to do? My priorities are just different at the moment. But I still miss it. I miss the smell of the grass. I miss the… Read More I miss my backyard
“Chick, chick, chick, chick.” Silence. “CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK!” Little red hen heads pop up from the brush on the side of the yard, and fat hen bodies start waddling their way over to where I am. When I step forward, the hens turn in unison and head into the chicken run. I… Read More When did I become a male chicken?
This morning started out like any other morning. I was half awake, in my pajamas, outside feeding the rabbits and chickens. And then my husband shouted from the garage door “There’s an opossum in the cat food!” It was suddenly not an ordinary day, and I was very awake. Turns out a very young opossum had gotten… Read More More adventures with opossums, or, this is how marriage works
Brrrr! It’s cold here today! There is a storm warning, and the sheen of white on the ground isn’t frost, it’s ice! Of course, it’s winter and all to be expected. But winter brings more trouble to a farm than just a low thermometer. Bedding for animals becomes necessary. Rabbits live on wire floors which become… Read More The troubles with winter
I read once that having livestock was publicly announcing your willingness to run outside, at any hour of the day or night, in any state of dress or undress, to deal with whatever emergency happened. I scoffed at that. Certainly there is time to put on pants or a jacket, right? Nope. Hubby and I… Read More Midnight adrenaline!
The price of rabbit and chicken feed is rising. A LOT. The drought conditions that affected the MidWest’s corn crop in the summer of 2012 have been trickling through the rest of the feed supply. If there is less corn, then what there is costs more than it did previously. And those who purchase corn… Read More I might as well feed them dollar bills
A friend of mine recently said that reading my blog makes her tired because of all the things I do. So today, I think I’ll give her a good reason to go to bed early! Here is what today is like in my life… When I got up this morning, my dear husband had already… Read More A day in my life
It feels soooo good to be home. I really enjoyed the Philippines, and expect to go back at some point. But home is home. We left Manila at 9:30 am on Tuesday, and landed at San Francisco at 9:30 am on Tuesday. Weird. Had a 4 hour layover, so one of my husband’s relatives who lives… Read More We’re home! Update on animals, sunburn, sea snakes, and more
The obvious downside to me not having an office job anymore is the drop in disposable income that went along with that. So, when I need things for the animals, I can’t just go buy them – I have to be creative. In spite of that, I am very happy with the supplies I have… Read More Repurposing old stuff, and how to do it
Hey, that rhymes! Seriously though, I got bitten by a pullet tonight. Not pecked – bitten. I didn’t know they knew how to do that! The chickens have been on lockdown for the past three days in the hope of getting them to roost in the coop instead of the trees. But three days wasn’t… Read More Bitten by a chicken
Ranting About Rectangles 