The Chick Inn

Above is pictured a pretty fantastic December 2011 sunset. The view is looking West from from our driveway (note attractive minivan!)

I was going to post another photo of the sunset showing the back of our house. But then I realized the back of our house still looks like a junkyard. I've been collecting cardboard for sheet mulching the front (which I still haven't finished) and it's blowing all over the weeds in the back. So, I'd rather just paint you picture with my words. I'll bet you're glad I just did. Probably feel better about your own yard now, don't you?

So, today our friends deposited 4 little 4 week old chicks to spend a week at the "Chick Inn" while they run off to Utah and Colorado. I still don't understand why they wouldn't want to undertake the drive with four prolific poopers (in addition to their three kids). I guess that kind of adventure is not on their 2012 list. Anyhow, the Chick Inn is located in Valerie's bedroom. She's delighted. The little feathery birds haven't spent much time in their pen. They've mostly been carried around on the shoulders of the neighborhood kids.

Napoleon isn't too put out by the new visitors. But he wanted to remind me that he should be star of this blog post. See below.



That said, he is a little curious about the new critters.





Amira says Valerie is opening a pet shop in her room. We say Valerie is a pet shop. Remember, Ellie May, you're just chick sitting. We have to return these critters when our friends come home.




In other news, I've been drawing up more plans for that backyard. As soon as I figure out how to use the scanner, I'll put them up here. Needless to say, we've got some more fencing and gating work cut out for us. Also, some trenching for pipes. Today I just put in an order for 25 White Rock Roosters to be delivered around the week of February 6. Those will be our "meat birds". We'll see how that goes.




I've also got to talk to the feed store about ordering some turkeys. I think I'm going to get 3 Broad Breasted Bronze (that will take about 6 months to get to market weight) and 3 Bourbon Red (heritage breed) turkeys that will likely take 18 months to get to weight.





Oh, and I've got my feelers out for bees. I'm getting ready to order an assembled starter kit for bee keeping from Dadant. They've got a shop right close to the house. And I'm hoping to hear back from Selby Honey to see if I can order some bees. I hope to get them installed in time to pollinate that orchard.





Between all these critters and the garden and other yard issues ... well, okay, as usual I'm overly optimistic. Probably. But, if I want to have eggs, chicken, turkey and honey and veggies, a girl has got to get on it. It's a process. That reminds me, I still have some lard to process and sausage to make. I'm sure I'll find the time.

Awwwwwwe!

Okay, so he was totally asleep and had his little white belly showing. And when I tiptoed up to him (CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMP!) to take a picture (CLICK! FLASH!) he woke up. It's so hard to get him still.

Remember September

Once again, it has been so long since visiting, that I don't know where to begin! First, let me say that we are reeling with assorted pet tragedy. You may have heard that we lost our dear Turbo Fluff just before returning from Costa Rica. Upon our return we had a little memorial for him.

Then a few weeks ago Sally (our Americauna from the original batch of chickens) started staggering around the backyard not looking so good. I didn't know what was wrong or what to do about it. I had to admit it had been a while since I'd treated the chickens for parasites, so I went to my source for Ivermectin. Sadly, I believe I aspirated my poor dear Sally of the delightfully green eggs with 1/2 cc of medicine. That's all it takes.

On the first day of school this year for Amira and Valerie, the excitement was tempered with loss. To add insult to injury, I had Sally sent to UC Davis for a necropsy. The result? Other than drowning in her medicine, she was a healthy chicken. I felt terrible. But in other news ... no salmonella or other crazy chicken diseases. And I still don't know why she was staggering. Whatever it was is not of the usual contagious disease variety.

Here's a picture of Sally & Buffy. Sally is the darker hen laying down.







So, along comes the end of September and we are all ready to do our annual trip to see Uncle Dave in Santa Cruz. Every year we have a three day stint where we go to the Monterey Aquarium, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and the beach. Well, along the way down there something came over me that we just had to have a bunny. The house felt so empty. And every time I had a bunch of cilantro in my hands, it felt odd to not feed it to a furry little critter. Anyway, we found an organization called Rabbit Haven . They hooked us up with our new little guy, Napoleon Bunnyparts. Or, as the kids have proclaimed, "Napoleon Bunnyparts Dynamite Santa Cruz".



He's a crazy little guy. We think he is pretty young. He's a dwarf agouti bunny. He likes to hang out on the book shelf behind the chair at night and listen to stories. He loves to run around the living room rug like a race track. And he is litter box trained. What a good little bunny!!



Upon bringing our new family member home, our excitement was tempered by yet another loss. Our little cuckoo maran, Lucky, went missing Friday afternoon while we were gone. And a red tail hawk had been spotted sitting in our yard Wednesday before we left town. While harvesting squash from the garden I found the crime scene. Pretty sure it was a hawk. Poor Lucky probably never saw it coming. She was the sweetest, dumbest chicken I've ever had. I will miss feeling her little feathers on my legs when I hang out laundry. She had a knack for digging in the laundry basket looking for treats and running around my ankles.

Here's a picture of the four "chicks" we got in March. Lucky is the black and white speckled hen. And, of course Happy turned out to be a rooster. So, of all these guys we just have Olive and Perch. (Olive looks like Sally and Perch is the fluffy white chicken).



So, we are officially down to 4 chickens. We have Buffy (our menopausal hen), Agnes (who is in molt), Perch (who is broody as all get out) and Olive who has also gone broody. Not so many eggs for this chicken family. Oh the irony have having this much chicken poop and no eggs!

Anyhow, that is our sad news. Now, on to the fun stuff! Santa Cruz was a blast. Each year the kids get a little taller and are able to ride more of the rides. And although not taller, I was conned into getting on a roller coaster with Valerie.













Also, the aquarium has some new features like these interactive videos where they pop your face up on a screen. But I have to say we miss the big tank.



Rex and Valerie grabbed the camera and got some great shots of seals out in the bay.



I think Uncle Dave survived. Not sure. We haven't heard from him since returning.

In other news I went on an overnight field trip with Valerie's class to the Grinding Rock State Park where we camped like Miwok in Umach'cas (bark tee pees). One of the dads was in charge of all the cooking and menu planning. That was a relief to me. And how nice was it to wake to nice hot coffee in the morning. Usually I'm brewing it. I tell you, camping has never appealed to me because it's like all the cooking and cleaning I do anyway but more difficult because it's all dirty. This was actually fun. And the weather was fantastic. I didn't even need a sweatshirt.





The kids got to go on a night hike, hear Native American tales by the fire, drink hot cocoa, make honor bead necklaces and medicine pouches and help with all those chores like cooking, cleaning, hauling water, etc.



Lastly, on the long drive home there was much monkey business in the back of my van (what with five kids and all!) Anyhow, Valerie stuck something in her mouth, someone else ripped it out and her bottom tooth went flying through the air and was caught by another student.

When she got home she was re-enacting the story to Amira. And as Amira ripped some cloth out of Valerie's mouth, out popped the bottom tooth on the otherside. Here's Valerie showing off her toothless smile.