Spring Break???

Give me a break!

Wouldn't this be lovely if it were January.

Last year at this time I was starting to get my garden ready.

I guess I'll just have to daydream of warmer times.

When you see wild fires, tornados, and floods that others have been dealing with, I guess this isn't that bad.

I did start some tomatoes. When a family member has a party with these plastic containers, I "recycle them" into little atriums.

I wrapped the table because it's over a heat vent giving the little seeds a warm tushie.

The deer have been visiting again.

The kids have spring break starting tomorrow.

I'm hoping to get some projects done since

there wont be much computer time in my future.

Like finishing my quilt that I started last June. Yep, It's a fish. Yesterday I duct taped the 2 bottom layers to the floor and pinned it all together. Quilting and binding are next. I plan on spending a lot of time in the basement this week, its the kids hang out, so I may as well be productive. I'll have a quilt that I made from the scraps of the curtains I made two years ago. Do you think I put projects for me last?

Maybe it will warm up enough for me to clean out the coop.

Browine is testing out the porch pot for egg laying.

Here's to a nice spring break in spite of the weather you're dealt.

Our power went out right as i was finishing this. Good thing I didn't lose this post. All the things I need to do today require power. So I unplugged the critical stuff, built a fire and wandered around aimlessly looking for active things to do. Luckily it was only out about a half hour.

Never dull here.

T-Bone at work

I was asked how I trained our pup to work with our chickens. Long story. I am going to try to give the short version. I'll start by saying I have no knowledge on dog training, I've never read a book about dog training. I am no expert at all nor do I claim to be. I just had my own things that i wanted/hoped in a dog.

We got him the summer before we got our first batch of chicks, and he was curious, I'd let him sniff them, while I held the chick, telling him to be good and in no way were they food. I also wanted the chicks not to be afraid of him.

The herding was a lot of trial, error and frustration. I would walk with him after the girls with a broom. I wanted the girls to be nervous of the broom, not me, giving T the idea I wanted. Then I would send him after the chickens and it would end up a little too much like a chase. So I just keep repeating easy, easy, to slow him a bit. It took work, but his breed (Border Collie) has a herding instinct so I think it was way easier for me. It also took the chickens to learn what T wanted from them. I'd stand next to the coop calling them, sometimes they would do laps around the yard/house until they just tired out and came to the coop to get away.

The older girls now know what to do, sometimes they just follow me to the coop, sometimes if they don't want to go in but with a dog nudging you along they don't have a choice.

With each new batch of chicks we get, when they are old enough to go out, T and I have to train the new ones again. He gets impatient and wants to go play, but I just keep telling him to get the chicks, and when he's all done, he gets to play with his jug. He loves that jug.

He's a great dog.

I also taught him to be on alert. We would be out in the yard and every time one of the girls would cackle, egg laying or panic, I would call T and we'd run to see what was going on. Now I can be out in the garden and hear one of the girls and he runs to see what's up without me.

He loves to work and is uncomfortable with too much praise, he's different from any other dog I've had. He learns quick and wants to please.

I don't know what I'd do without him.

What we did for Easter weekend.

Warning: This post contains way too many photos. If you are someone who can't stand looking at other peoples photos, I understand, thank you for stopping by and will not hold a grudge if you leave right now. For those of you staying, I thank you in advance for your patience.

Some of the photos you can enlarge, I still haven't figured out why some do and some don't.

The kids had a 3 day weekend, the girl did artwork....

.....and took some more photos of Rat Face for me to discover on my camera.

I cleaned my sewing space. Look you can see the floor!

We went to my Mom and Stepdads on Sunday. What do we do for Easter in Michigan ?....

...we go sledding.

Me, my Sister and Mom on the toboggan getting a shove.

There was snow boarding too. (My Man)

And crashing into the fence at the bottom of the hill.

(While enlarging this one I noticed the pants crotch repair on my hubbies pants, for those of you needing a cheap thrill or laugh, go ahead and look.)

He made it this time.

Dogs running around.

Grandpa on his radio flyer.

Dogs quickly on hand to lend a paw or tongue to the crash victims.

No sled? No problem. A cardboard box will do....

...but a kiddie pool wont.

T-Bone and I ready to go. He really hates this and jumps off halfway which sends me tumbling.

The Guinea Hens were watching out their window at the crazy people.

Tip: If you like weird looking birds that sound like two pieces of metal scraping together loudly,

then these birds are for you.

My boy built a ramp at the bottom of the hill.

Here is my sisters attempt.

My attempt.

My brother landing on his feet after his jump.

NICE!

My Hubbies style with T-Bones help.
What?

My Brother in law the wins funniest jump.

My niece wins best air.
I guess when you are light as a feather you fly.

And don't need a chiropractor like the rest of us.

My Stepdad is a talented man. Look what I got!

I hope the birds use it to nest in but not as a potty.

I hope that those of you who celebrated had a.....

Happy Easter!

The girl and I colored eggs yesterday, the boys were lame-os.

Tip: when using brown eggs, the red based colors work better

when using green eggs, the blue based colors work better.

Happy Easter

Oh Spring!

I love you spring. Not only that you are here on the calendar, but today happened to be a springish day. (We wont discuss they are predicting 2-5" of snow tomorrow)

The sun has been out all day!

The girls and I got some yard work done.

Lola, Freckles, and Chip.

I got some wooden eggs for the girls nests, I'm hoping to convince one to go broody.

Then I plan on getting fertilized eggs from my dad. He has a rooster.

I caught Hawkeye giving them a test drive.

(Old particle board dresser, rescued from the curb, nesting box)

I cleaned off the porch. Hauled the last of the firewood in. Note to self: next year split more wood, winter is looooooong.

I got the bench, chair and birdhouse (all free) from 3 different places and only recently discovered they all are the same shade of green. I was planning to re-paint but I guess I'll have to think about it now.

The zucchini bread in the crock pot turned out well. I may have to take it on our next camping adventure as a nice baking oven. Just need an electric source.

Isn't it cute!

I have a pumpkin cake in there today. I may try "real" bread next.

This is kind of fun but I do want my oven fixed.

I just finished the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". Gives you tons to think about and makes me want to make my "almost too big for me to handle organic garden" even bigger. And our orchard is doing well, hubbie is in charge of it and is obsessed with blueberry bushes. He bought a bunch more as well as more fruit trees. I'm giving him another grape vine for Easter, so don't tell him.

My hubbie and I are getting some meat chickens this year. My dad has gotten some Cornish Rocks in the past, but the fact that you have to butcher them before they drop dead of heart failure is a little unsettling to me. So I'm looking at maybe the Dark Cornish as an option. Does anyone out there have experience with that breed?

guess who?

Commission bag is done.

Backside of my Latest bag lady bag. (Well not her real backside, you know what I mean)

I love how the back looks, it seems a shame to cover it up but I must.

This is her quilted but before assembly.

(you can click and see her up close)

It's nice to do a commission job where the person buying it picked out such wonderful colored fabrics, wanted a bag lady and gave me artistic freedom to do what I wanted with them. I love bright colors. She showed me a bag she liked for size and style of what she was looking for.

And I did a Zipper! My first attempt. I can't believe it turned out perfectly on my first try.

I also got the zipper from an estate sale, new from the package but it feels a little like recycling.

I did it all starting early morning into lunch, finished and took another mom and 5 kids in my daughters class on a field trip to a Mexican Restaurant. Then on to an orchestra concert, grades 5 all the way up through High School. It was wonderful. Both kids are in orchestra so it's nice to get both kids in one outing.

On a different subject, I am wanting to make a temporary cold frame. I also wanted to use things on hand (cause I'm cheap). Do any of you people who are way smarter than me know if you use an old tire as your "frame", does it leach nasty stuff into the veggies? I know it doesn't sound like something you'd see in House Beautiful but it is only going to be for a short time and will be hidden behind the house.

We are having a crappy weather week but it sounds so trivial when you see major flooding and tornadoes in the south. I'm going to count my blessings and hope everyone down there is ok.

I forgot to add, this lack of oven has given me baking withdrawals so I'm trying zucchini bread in the crock pot. Wish me luck.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Since I am 1/4 Irish I wanted to give all the other Irish people a shout out. (even if you are just Irish today)

For some weird reason our milk always turns green.

Any and all baked goods too!

(note: still baking in the toaster oven, this is tough for the gal who always doubles recipes)

One year the mayo on my kids sandwiches turned green and my son was too grossed out to eat it. He usually humors me, strange.

Corned beef and cabbage for dinner tonight!

Oh and I did take "the wreath" down yesterday. One week before Easter, not bad.