As the winter winds begin.....

Winter is quickly closing in on us. Our mornings great us dark, with frosted roofs and lawns. The afternoons warm up to about 1 degree, with little wind and a little bit of sunshine now and then.

The hens were still going out in the afternoons till about a week or so ago. They would all run to the camper to dust bathe underneath. Then out to stroll the yard in 2 groups, one of 5 red hens, always together, I call them the trouble makers. The other with 3 red hens, the 3 black hens, and Tracy the big white hen. They love scratching in the fallen leaves, looking for bugs and worms that surface in the afternoon warmth. I enjoy the sound of them outside, the singing of the ladies and the constant rustle of leaves. It makes me smile, apparently the neighbour was enjoying them scratching in his leaves too. Momma hen, the one who set on the 4 eggs this past spring is locked in with the Polish chicks, in hopes that she might bond with them, and regain some status when spring time comes seeing as she will be friends with the new roosters. (Fabio and Sylvester)


I had to separate the Polish and layer hens a few weeks ago. We had a few days of awful rainy, and cold weather, so I kept all the ladies inside. It was just too windy and cold to let them out. Well I guess that they got bored or angry at the little guys and began picking on them once again. I went out in the morning to discover all of the tail feathers missing from 4 of the 7 chicks. When I call them chicks, don't think of little yellow fluffy guys, these are as tall as my hens, just not as plump looking. They are still young however and are afraid of the big hens. They also still peep like a chick so the hens feel more secure when pulling their feathers out. I was shocked to see what those "bitties" did to them in one afternoon. I tried them back with the silkies, but to no avail as they tower above them, they stole their heat lamp, their food, pecked at them, and chased them into a far corner. So I ended up doing a chicken house reno that day, so now the Polish are in their own 9 x 3 pen inside the hen house, waiting till they mature a little more and the roosters begin crowing, and the hens begin to cluck. At that time, they will all be able to be together without problems. I hope!

I have been keeping rather busy, I have one end all sanded and primed on my sink. The front is in the process but I ran out of sandpaper, so it is on hold till I go and get some this weekend. I have been busy crocheting, I made a cute little basset and an equally cute little monkey. 2 more bassets to make, and 2 beagles. I have been working on my Christmas card, I finished my rough draft then changed my mind. So back to the drawing board this weekend. We had some beautiful weather 2 weeks ago, so with plenty of help from my hubby we got the new door on the "Hens Nest" it looks really great. I also got the window and door trim painted, as well as the soffit and fascia. Now I am just looking forward to getting the rest done in the spring. I have big plans in my head!

It was snowing here, we already had about 12 cm, but that has nearly all melted now. I do believe that the weather network said it is supposed to come down all tomorrow afternoon. Yay, it makes the boys really excited when they see the snow and they have to dig out their snow pants because it is getting so cold out. They are looking forward to having enough snow to get out the snow mobile. Oh and lets not forget about Christmas, what kid isn't excited about Christmas. With a month left today I am going to have to get my shopping finished! About half done, and haven't even began my baking yet! So until next time, keep warm and hug those you love! Unless it's a goldfish, might be better for him if you just "kiss his glass"!!!!

Birds of a feather....

Well I think that I can let go of all of the serious stuff for a little bit. Just when it comes to dogs, I don't feel the need to just sit back and watch bad things happen. I will never understand why people do not spay or neuter their pets. More so how people can abuse or abandon such a loving and loyal companion. Just do not understand..... It really breaks my heart.


We have been so busy around here. I have about 30 jars of pickled beats down stairs in the pantry. It looks so nice down there. A whole shelf full of things that I made and grew in my own garden. Really too, it is rather exciting. It has finally been raining here. The pond has come up a few inches over the last couple of weeks. There were puddles all around the yard, and the lawns have all thankfully greened up before the winter winds will settle in on us. We are in the midst of a beautiful Indian summer. It has been wonderfully warm outside. Into the mid 20's and high teens nearly every day. Gives us plenty of opportunity to get all of our outside chores done before we wake up to snow, then get stuck in a rush to get it all done in a hurry. The yard is now all tidied up. Flower posts emptied, humming bird feeders washed and stored away for next summer. The outside chicken feeders and waterers are all washed out and put away till spring, even though all of the ladies are still out nearly every day. The pig went to the slaughter house today, I am not too sure when we will be getting the call to go and pick up all of the pork. I will go out to the back yard tomorrow afternoon and take down all of her fence and posts. Store them nicely in hopes of getting a few more piglets next spring.

The majority of the potatoes are still in the ground. I have just been digging as we need because the cold room isn't really cold enough yet because it has been so warm out. They have been rather nice sized so far, and not too bad of numbers to each plant. That is all a good thing. It is looking like we will have a few hundred pounds again this winter. We usually share some with a few friends too. I mean who really doesn't like fresh potatoes, and even better when they are FREE!

The firewood is nearly complete, the woodshed is filled right up to the top, and there is all ready a whole pick up truck load tossed into and piled neatly in the basement. I felt so relieved when we finished up that shed, knowing that we are finished. There is just a little more out there in the back yard to be cut and split. A pick up load is going to a good friend of ours, they are planning on supplementing their heat a little this winter seeing as out electricity is so expensive up north here. The last will either be tossed into the basement again, or just piled out back for next years long cold winter.

As I had said, the chickens have still been out nearly every day. The 3 chicks left that Momma had hatched off have taken to the trees and are refusing to come into the chicken house at night. We found them out there a few nights ago and they are sleeping a good 20 feet up the tree and have no plans of sleeping inside what so ever. We don't know what exactly we are going to do about them out there, if they will have to be caught and put inside, eventually come in on their own, or if they will end up staying out all winter! My rooster has a new home as soon as I find the time to get him out to his new place. I am sure that he will be happy there too. My polish chicks are free running now with all of the big hens, and are doing better everyday. Growing really fast now that they are able to get outside. They don't seem to be getting bullied too badly, and are doing a great job of sticking together. A few of them are looking so good too, with huge puffs on their heads. They are turning into stunning birds. The 2 bigger silkie chicks are getting big and fluffy now, the 5 little ones, even "crooked feet" are all getting big and are loving all of the space that they have in their half of the chicken house.

The houndies are doing really good, they love this fall weather, well that is if its not raining, especially now because we have filled the woodshed, which was their hiding place out in the yard when it rained. But they love the warm days, the flocks of birds, and all the fancy new things to smell. Pebbles is a "rockin' and a rollin'" I haven't seen the lynx in days and days now so she has been allowed to accompany me for walks to the back yard again. She loves that, and becomes a puppy again in an instant.

The kids, hubby, other critters and myself are all good, we had a virus come through the house, Big Daddy was the only one lucky enough to avoid it. But we are nearly 100% again. We found the boys old scooter and skateboard a week or two ago and they have taken up both activities with a vengeance. My little guy built a post to skid on and alley oop over. We have just a gravel yard, and the road in front of our house has too much traffic so they just practice in the garage. The men of the house have good plans on finishing their go-cart this winter, they have an engine and are waiting on a clutch. We will have to go out of town to get the clutch because we aren't sure on the size to just order on line. Apparently they are not all the same. They will go out early on a Saturday morning and light up a nice fire in the garage so that it will be nice and warm to work all day, and those 3 can usually get a lot accomplished in an afternoon out there. They will also begin working on the old beater snow machine soon too. It belongs to a friend, but he hasn't used it in years, so said that if hubby and the boys want to fix it up and use it they are more than welcome. They all enjoy the time spent together, and the boys are learning how to weld and fix engines. All talents that will be appreciated when they are adults. I, myself am not missing my job in town, I have been so busy here that there is just no stopping long enough to get bored! I like that too!

Wordless Wednesday III