New Experience

March 26, 2019

The weather is nicer and I have been enjoying "working" in the yard in the afternoons. Adding dirt and compost to the raised beds, improving the dirt (hopefully towards soil) in the beds by the house by adding compost...
Along the creek bank I noticed some largish rocks that I knew would be an issue when we go to mow so I decided to move them. I noticed something else in the creek bank and went down to investigate...
It was a toilet seat, with a full one toilet, broken into many, many pieces.
I know some "country" people pick somewhere and create their own "dump." We have found what we think was the remnants from a box spring, full on bags of garbage partly buried, tons of contributions to our tetanus bucket (a metal bucket we put random metal stuff that we don't plan to use but want contained until we are ready to take it to a recycling place), many, many items that one of our daughters named "treasures" last summer.
The toilet was different for me for a different reason. For years I have lamented that I wish I was strong enough to move a toilet. The few times we have needed to pull up our toilet over the years I have to wait for my husband to be available. This time I was able to move it myself, though it filled 3 boxes, and they were heavy, I could move them by myself. I have now moved a toilet and don't have a strong desire to ever do it again :)

Spring Break Kick off

March 18, 2019
Today Spring Break had a great start.

The snow is receding 

There is still an iceberg wall in the creek bank

My Awesome brother took the old metal door that we had on sawhorses and

 turned it into a great work table/bench

Panther is hunting mice and found several :)

My Awesome brother made the bunny an amazing hutch and run.

Two levels, hiding places to get out of the weather and space to run and dig

The bunny already made a couple holes to snuggle in.

Hopefully she won't decide to get out, but if she does, she is in the chicken field

Inside the lower part

The "floor" on the left covers the lower hiding place, the cover/roof comes down

 to give her an upper hiding place.

What is left of the thistle pile after winter broken them down some...

This is our two Australorps. Teriyaki is on the right and the new one, Stir-fry is on the left.

Chickens checking out the bunny in their field.

They spent time together last fall when the bunny escaped,

 and hid under some bushes with the chickens,

 so we think they are safe together...

We built a couple plant lights, a couple weeks ago and started our garden plants inside, and have plans to do more as the weeks head closer to frost free nights 

Some of the salad greens 

Tomato and cucumber starts...

A look back, where we were just a month ago, and for the past 4 months...

It was fun, but I am grateful for spring!!!!

Flock

March 4, 2019
The Flock seems to have made it through the winter with no electricity run to the coop. It was a milder winter as far as temperatures. Very few nights below zero. There was a significant amount of snow. They all actually look better. The one in particular that we worried because she was still missing feathers on her neck has filled out. Some were molting late in the year but have all recovered well.
We added a Black Australorp to the flock this past weekend when a friend has problem with raccoons getting to their birds. She has integrated surprisingly well into the flock. I was concerned about pecking order and adding a single bird, but she is doing ok. The two we added in the late fall still keep themselves apart from the rest of the flock.
I am hoping and praying for a hen or two to go broody and raise us a few babies.
We will see what happens....