Thursday, June 25, 2009

Clearly, Blogger is having issues!

Been trying to post an update, but I can't get to my own screens, or they won't upload the content. Hopefully, blogger will get it together soon and I can show you pics of the chicks, the garden, the kids and more. Actually - I hope you can read this post!

Until then I am sending a shout out of love and support to AF Mom Betty, the most awesome snail-mailer of us all, as she endures a personal medical odyssey. Sending prayers to you and your family, dear one.

Love and feathers,
moi

Monday, June 22, 2009

SkyWatch ... monday



Fellow AF Mom Deb sent this pic to me after I admired it on her FB page. I'm a big fan of "Jacob's Ladders".

Deb doesn't participate in SkyWatch Friday (and neither have I in recent months) but she gave me permission to post it so you could see it too.

AF Moms totally rock that way. They want you to see and enjoy every beauty they see. Maybe it's that we all want to find and capture the beauty around us to share with our kids, and others? I'm not sure, but it seems to hold true for the AF Moms I know. They/we see and are moved to share some lovely stories, videos, pictures, poems, crafts... which bless my life.

So today, enjoy Deb's picture. She wants you to! :)

Friday, June 19, 2009

Da Chix!

Three weeks old tomorrow, and oh so adorable...

Da CHIX! Roxie, Coco and Buffy

Monday, June 15, 2009

Pics

One more row of staples and it's done!
Avivah inside the new coop...



Then we went to pick out our new chicks. On the left is: Coco (Shokolat, an Isa Brown), bottom middle: Roxie (Rock Star, an Aurcauna) and on the right: Buffy (the bug slayer? A Buff Orpington).



Their initial brooder, a plastic bin, was green. I decided that moving it by the window and that having a clear bin would be better for them. They have a heat lamp, but sunshine is important too.



The chicks were all hatched on June 1, making Sunday their 2 week birthday. To celebrate, and because they were handling the temps well, Joshua and I created a play pen for them to go outside. Their first outing was only about 20 minutes, but they loved it!


And YES! Joshua really did graduate High School, and Avivah really was here for the occassion. :)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Update

Sorry for the lags in posting. My aol browser which held my quick links, favorites and even my huge list of away messages crashed and vanished nearly three weeks ago. Add to that a much heavier than normal work schedule and that Avivah has been here for almost three weeks and... I've been burning the candle from every end possible!

Yes, Joshua graduated High School. He was even selected to sing at graduation (in front of 3,000 people) with a few of his friends, all Seniors, who formed a group just to audition for this occasion. They sang: A Song of Purple Summer, from the musical Spring Awakenings. They did a seriously incredible job at it too! You guessed it: me, mom and Julie all teared up. Uncle Steve video-taped it, so when I get that I'll certainly do my best to post it here.

The chicken coop is nearly done! M (who brought over every tool known to mankind) spent a day helping me, along with Avivah, Justin and Joshua, and the basic framing was done and painted in a day. Since then Avivah and I have worked on nearly it every evening, completeing doors, the nesting box, an interior roosting bar, and staining.

M's biggest accomplishment was like a dream come true to me. He mathematically traced and then cut a perfect STAR into the front door! I was and am totally delighted.

Avivah and I held a brainstorming session with T and J and we came up with a pop-door opening/closing system - which the plans did not include. This girl should have been an engineer. Together with M's help to design the track, we created a pulley door that is easily operated from outside the coop... and voila! It's so sweet.

Which leads me to today, the most bittersweet of the past three weeks.

This morning the kids and I will carefully set the coop on its side and add the chicken wire floor (to help keep critters out). We'll set it upright and attach the ladder, hardware wire the outside and set the top cap so the coop will be complete, enough (I'm still working on the cedar shingles, they're expensive). Together we'll go pick up the girls: "Roxie", "Buffy" and "Coco" (Shokolat)!

I say bittersweet because today is also the day that Avivah returns to Minot. :( It seems that no matter how long she's here it's perpetually too short.

Such is my day and the update for now.
Blessings, moi