big things today

We got 9 new babies out of 9 eggs.

Here is a peek of a few of them.

We put that found goose egg under a broody hen.

Its day 24. We candled it (high powered flashlight) and it is growing.
It could be wild or domestic, the neighbors have geese.

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Best of all, my boy is 15 today.

He gets to drive in Drivers Ed, have tacos for dinner, ride in a parade in my Dads 57 Chevy and toss out candy, then on to Dairy Queen for a waffle bowl sundae. Not bad for a birthday.

Raindrops are falling on my bags.

With all my shows coming up, I put myself on a working schedule that I am trying my best to stick with.

This rain has not been much of a problem since I work in the basement. But since I am trying to take pics of my work, I need good lighting, FROM THE SUN. And my schedule says today is picture day.

So the fashion model and I went out to do the best we could. These four are what I've been working on this week.

The fashion model and I weren't alone for long.

Curiosity isn't just for cats.

I see you back there.

Oh geez.

I'm not known for my photo skills anyway. I frequently get on line customers informing me how much better my bags look in person. I still try anyway.

Luckily we missed the raindrops and no bags got wet in the making of this post.

It's summer!

Memorial Day Weekend jump starts our summer.

Sometimes the temps don't feel too summery but its this families official start just the same.

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We lost all our fish in our pond over this past cruel winter and being a family who loves watching our fish, fishing, eating fish, it was a hard blow.

We took steps to insure that this doesn't happen again.

We got a windmill with an aerator pump.

See the bubbles.

It looks so cool and farm like.

So with that in place, now we need more fish.

We placed an order with a fish hatchery from up north and they brought a huge truck load of fish down for us and 47 other families to our local fairgrounds.

Now this is the place where if I had brought my camera, you could have seen pictures of the truck with all the tanks and the guys with nets filling orders, and us sitting in the hot sun for 2 hours waiting our turn.

So instead you can see the buckets with the bags pumped with oxygen, waiting to be opened next our pond at home where my camera was waiting.

We got 25 large mouth bass (in this pic) 25 hybrid bluegill, and a couple of koi.

On the way home, we picked up a couple of 5 buck pizzas and after setting our new fishies free, we ate on the dock.

I am hoping in a couple years to have a better than local supply of fresh fish to feed our family.

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Our little town has a parade on Memorial Day.

The parade goes right past the Art Center that I belong to.

My kids and I volunteered to run the free Lemonade stand.

(my brother built it, thats his boy on the left)

I made cookies to serve at the after party.

I did bring my camera this time but was too busy standing and clapping to get shots of the veterans marching by.

I did get our High School Marching band (who all came back for the free lemonade).

I got a pic of the art center van.

I got a pic of one of the 2 fighter jets that passed overhead. (they flew over 3 times)

I wonder if they could hear our cheering from below?

I got a pic of the crowd that followed the parade to the cemetery and listened to the speeches that honored our Veterans.

It was a terrific day.

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I got word that I am going to be in the Ann Arbor Art Fair at Kings Courtyard again this year.

(the one that almost did me in last year)

They are offering spaces at a discounted rate due to the economy and barring any wicked weather it should go smoother than last year. (knock wood)

I have been sewing my fingers to the bone to get ready.

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I want to leave you with a video that I hope wins "the cute video of the day award"

(not a real award, just something I made up)

9 and her chicks taking a bath.

I'm a Sponsor!

The bags I made last month, well I ended up charging less than usual due to the fact it is a charity event.

2009 Women's Football Academy - View Our Sponsors

Yay for me!

I finished a quilt

I was having suffering from sewers block at the tail end of winter. Needed to make something other than bags and was itching to make a quilt. The plan is to try to sell it at one of my summer shows.

I made this quilt top, or bottom in March. (its reversible)

Here is the other top, or bottom, before quilting.

Some of the fabric has sea creatures on it so I quilted it with watery swirls.

Here is the top or bottom all washed and puckery.

I love the puckery.

I finished binding it on mothers day.

Speaking of Mothers Day, the guys went to get Chinese take out while the girl and I made egg drop soup, hot tea and set the table for out Mothers Day lunch.

I know that was forever ago, but this pic was on the camera when I down loaded the pics and I couldn't resist.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes to my girl.

She likes to decorate her own cake, she got her cake decor skills from me.

It's a party!

Tomorrow my baby turns 13. I know what you are thinking, "How can such a vibrant YOUNG woman be the mother of 2 teenagers?" I know, me too! Snirt.

I asked if she wanted a dinner out at a restaurant (rare treat) or a party. She picked party. So that means I need to clean and cook, she's worth it.

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Speaking of party, this Sunday with be the circle of art auction.

My bag I donated is in

this video from last years auction at about 14 seconds in. Don't blink or you'll miss it!

Maybe next week I'll have time to put my feet up.

Feeling Broody

I got my first batch of chicks 6 years ago, and ever since then I was hoping to have a broody hen so I wouldn't need to buy chicks. I like the idea of having some self-sufficiency around my mini farm.

Last summer a couple of my Golden Laced Wyandotts went broody. I got fertile eggs from my dads Jersey Giant and from under 2 hens I got 6 chicks. Sadly raccoons found their way in, I lost all the chicks and one of the moms.

In the fall, one of my Dark Cornish went broody. I didn't want chicks during the cold winter so I placed wooden eggs under her, she snuck in a real one when I wasn't looking and we ended up with our Uno.

Here is our Uno today. She is from our Silver Spangled Hamburg roo and a Dark Cornish Hen.

So Unos mom (i call her my baby mama) went broody again in February. I was taking care of my Dads chickens then so I took 4 of those eggs and another 4 from mine. The four from my dads were duds as well as one of mine, an egg eater got 2 so we ended up with one again.

This is Winky today, I believe she is a pure Dark Cornish (and a girl).

Are we destined for one chick at a time?

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I had a few more Dark Cornish (the queens of broody) go broody.

Hoping to hatch out some chickens for meat this year, I left the 2 Dark Cornish roos free to roam with the Dark Cornish, Partrige Rocks and Golden Laced Wyandott hens. They are all dual purpose breeds.

I separated our SSH roo, he's a smaller breed and put him in with our Americaunas. I had read somewhere if you cross a white laying breed Roo with a green laying egg hen, you may get more green egg layers. We shall see if that is true.

So 3 weeks ago, I placed 9 eggs under one of my broodys (7 brown, 2 green) and yesterday morning, I heard the sweet little peep sound coming from under this dedicated mama.

By the time I went to bed, six had hatched and by this morning the other 3 were dry, fuzzy and looking adorable.

This broody hen was in the box next to the first hen and thinks some of them should be hers. The one below is on some eggs too.

I moved the mama and chicks and she keeps trying to get in and claim some as her own. She got in once already and had a little chick under her. She has her own clutch that should be hatching in the next couple of days, if she will stay put.

In the last few days I noticed this Dark Cornish is in the Broody way. She wouldn't even leave when Hoot wanted to lay an egg so she just moved over.

That's not all!

This hen is Broody Too!

My husband found a wild goose egg out in the yard yesterday, do you think I should try putting it under her to see what happens?

That's Crazy!


Dark Cornish are a friendly breed, have tasty meat, not as pretty as some breeds but are wonderful if you are looking for a broody hen.