pretty + simple

changes

Finally.

We changed the clocks.  The sun came out.  The temps went up.

And the ladies in the coop came to the front door!

 

Marcy is never one to be shy.  She was the first one to ring the doorbell. 

I think all of them are just as excited as I am about the changes these days!

garden assistance

When housekeeping arrived at the coop yesterday the ladies decided to take flight and head to their favorite place.  The garden.  Complete with fresh compost.  It was like a dream come true for them.

 

 

 

They were very, very busy little ladies and when the time came to head back to their freshly cleaned leaving quarters, Buffy came flapping around the corner pleading...

"Aaaaaah... already?!  We just got out here!"

 

Yes... hard to believe.  Easy to imagine.  :) 

found

Last weekend Gordy and I came across these little ladies:

I am really loving their living arrangements.  So clever.

And no.  We didn't take any home.  :)

Although I am keeping my eye open for a little red barn.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

 

coop awards

Who loves a fresh pile of weeds from the garden more than me!

Nugget, any guesses from you?

Ummm... One Feather?

 

Close, very close... but this time around the Weed Lover Award goes to...

{ Marcy! }

or "Mousy" as one of her favorite little people like to call her :)

(Marcy shown with her weed of approval for the photoshoot)

Happy Friday...

... from your weed loving friends!
  
  

facts

{ about summer }

your t-shirt makes an eggs-cellent gathering basket when no other can be found

fresh cut flowers are like little happy faces looking back at you

rubber ducks really do love to hang out in the rain barrel

a clean coop + fresh bedding (made by Gordy) + dinnertime

always bring a roaring round of cackles from the ladies

And...

Mrs. Bush has been spotted at a local garden this summer!

Who knew that summer could be so fascinating in these parts?!
 

 

all ears

Tonight while I has outside Susie came racing over (they really do race) and insisted that we play a game of shadow puppets.

From what I can see she's very good at her bunny ears:

I'm not sure how she thinks of these things. 

A little too much time in the coop today I guess.

 

thyme

 

Last week was like a flash in time which makes for long time since I've posted here.  Busy and fast days make for a fast life and I prefer a different one to that.  I was home over the weekend and it felt great.  I've said this before but I really do love being home.  I had piles of everything that needed tending to... laundry, bills, papers, dirt, dust bunnies... you name it... the pile was there.  The weather this weekend was absolutely gorgeous and that makes me even more tickled (and content) to be at home.  Yesterday we went for a late morning/early afternoon bike ride on the trail not far from us.  It felt so good to have the warm sunshine on your skin and the breeze on your back.  The scenery is turning greener by the day with the leaves slowly popping out on the trees.  Those are nature's curtains.  They hide us from the neighbors!  :)  Or they hide the neighbors from us.  Yeah, that's it. 

 

Speaking of neighbors, we've been noticing that when we leave the chickens out during the day they like to venture off through the woods over to the neighbors.  For hours.  My sister said they go over there to smoke and talk smack about me!  Hmmm... possible ... but they just don't seem like the smoking kind of fine feathered ladies that we've raised.  One day Gordy followed them on their little escapade.  It seems that the neighbor has not one but TWO giant bird feeders in their back yard and the landscape vacuum cleaners chickens have been enjoying the smorgasboard like there's no tomorrow!  Nice.  No wonder why they aren't hungry when they get home from the all-you-can-eat buffet.  After talking to the homeowner about the intruders chickens we come to find out that she *loves* when they come to visit each day and wonders what happened when they they don't drop by.  The plump ladies gave me the "I told you so" look and I advised them not to wear out their welcome and always remember to use their manners. 

They cackled back with "but... but... but..."

Fluffy bottoms are such attention getters, aren't they?!

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

I'm off to celebrate my Mom's birthday with my two sisters.  My Mom is 71 today.  She's sweet as ever and full of love.  The sun is shining just for her.  We're taking her out for a day of shopping and some special one-on-one with her daughters. :)  Happy Birthday Mom! 

{  Enjoy your week!  }

peeking in at spring

This past weekend we had beautiful weather for Easter.  The forecast had predicted rain but somehow we missed out.  Just a tiny sprinkle on Easter morning and that could hardly be counted.  There was an Easter egg hunt later in the day at my parents and I think the adults have just as much fun as the kids do.  My niece and nephews had a blast!  Check out the loot and no I didn't eat their candy... but I wanted to! 

I've also been noticing a few changes in the last couple of days with the warmer temps that we've been having lately.  The trees are starting to bud and green is the new "in" color.  The wood ticks are back and apparently they didn't get my eviction notice.  Along with the mosquitoes.  It's true I saw one.  Please tell me if you have these where you live so I know where I can move to next!  I'm serious.  Oh and do you have Asian beetles at your house?  I do.  Tons of them.  No joke.  The chickens don't care for them either although they do like wood ticks and mosquitoes... that's when I pat them on the back and say go get 'em girls!

A friend of mine planted a few things in her garden already.  It seems a little early but I think it's just my cold feet getting in the way.  Right now this is what's happening in the garden:

 

worm hunters  ::  Silvie and Susie  

 

It's all the rage with the fine-feathered ladies.  They compared it to spaghetti only better.

This is Nugget singing about it from the rooftop of the birdhouse.

 

She also takes worm hunting very seriously.

And I wonder why I don't have my garden planted yet.  Hmmm... seems to me I'm always getting sidetracked by my chicken co-workers. 

8 little chickens... jumping on the bed...

Someone's been jumping on the bed (that was a straw bale) and no one is staking claim to their messy bedding!  Instead I find all the ladies strutting their stuff down the boardwalk next to their newly formed riverfront property.   

Since March made its appearance, the sun has been shining, the temps are above freezing, and everything is getting all wishy-washy around here.  We still have loads of snow yet but the ladies always manage to find every bare patch of ground they can.  Dirt baths are a favorite activity.

Oh, and so is this...

Swinging the comb in the sunlight.  This is Nugget showing hers off.

She says the trick to keep it glowing and perky is to use Oil of Old Lady and drink lots of water.

Every day.

~xox~
 
 

sweet sun

The chickens love when the sun comes out.  In fact they like to refer to it as Chicken Fun in the Sun.  They are clever chickens, aren't they?! 

They like to start off with one of the fine feathered Black-Eyed Susans playing a game of Simon Says while basking in the glow of sun rays:

Simon Says hold up your left leg...

Good job Susie!

Next up we have the local dance instructor here to teach the ladies how to do the Chicken Dance on the sunny ballroom floor:

 

"A one-anna-two-anna... "

After all the activity they start dreaming of dinner and they never miss dinner time!

And that's when they start cooing:

"Hey, hey good looking! Whatcha got cooking?!"

Such sweet talkers, those ladies...