Monday, June 29, 2009

Kicking out the flock

Our little chicks that were so cute a couple weeks ago have reached adolescence. The incredible amount of dust that they stir up in our basement has worn on their hosts, and so it is time for them to leave and strike out on their own, to seek their fortunes with little more than the feathers on their backs, and to define their own sense of success and failure.



We wish them well, especially since our chicken coop, while largely varmint-proof, has not exactly been tested yet. And our local coyote has been leaving plenty of signs that he's around.



From the pictures you may notice that it's awfully dark in there. The coop is unfortunately far from finished; we have plans to add windows, another chicken door, and--oh yeah--a run so that they can venture out into the rain! At the moment they're simply locked up with this door providing the only light. And it doesn't help that the sun has been out maybe three times all month....


We also hope to do some free ranging, although we're a bit skeptical that they'll actually come back at night. Also, what do you think Whidbey will do with a yard full of chickens? Hmmm...she tends to play a bit rough, that one. But I picked up a fishing net just in case I have to rustle up me some stray fowl. I guess we'll see.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

A Wet Fathers' Day

My third Fathers' Day! Pretty exciting. Despite all good intentions, we were thwarted in our plans to go strawberry picking today by the excessive rain this month. Not a good year for strawberries apparently.



Instead we opted to head on down to the beaver pond to take the canoe out for a spin. We received a fantastic life jacket from Lallie and Papa yesterday for Myrick, so we were all safe as we checked out the resident muskrats, beavers, red-winged blackbirds and Baltimore orioles. Bugs weren't too bad. While it's nice to reminisce about Seattle weather, I think we're all ready for some sun 'round these parts!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Stomp Your Feet, Baby

While Akie was here taking care of Myrick, she taught her some funny things that she continues to do. Like when we're outside playing, she will occassionally run and wrap her arms around the basketball pole and yell "Home free, home free!" The other thing that she loves to do is to do this "routine," where she says "Clap your hands, stomp your feet, shake your head, nod your head." She has corresponding motions to go with all of them and likes it if you do as she instructs! She has recently taken to telling her doll what to do, which is what this clip is of.

Mommy Made Me Put Bows in My Hair



We wrestled... and I won.

The Chicks!


Blondie


The Chicken Dress




'Tis the Season

'Tis the season for transplanting tomato seedlings, raising 24 little chicks, finding lowbush blueberries and wild roses all over our land, harvesting the wild alpine strawberries from our yard, hanging laundry on the line, walking Blueberry Trail with Myrick, smelling the delicious peony in bloom right outside our front door, getting the chicken coop ready, finding coyote scat in our driveway, sleeping with the windows open, watching the peas and trumpet vines make their journey upwards, and last but not least, celebrating the end of school drawing near!