1,000 eggs

It was a dark and stormy night……………..

No, wrong guess.

Picture this:  It was a beautiful, blue sky, warm, sunny June afternoon, 2013.

I was extremely sick.  It wasn’t pretty.  It took effort just to get dressed and put lipstick on. Not the “movie star” kind of sick.  The real life, not good kind of illness.

My wise friend was stopping by to visit and bring something. I was thinking a nice, pretty card or a cheerful bouquet of flowers.

No, wrong guess.

Out the kitchen window, I saw a huge truck pulling a horse trailer pull through our circular drive way.  Along with her, were 4 teenagers.

Next they unloaded a brand new chicken coop, 3 chickens, bedding, organic feed, treats, water & food containers.  They caried it and set it all up in the backyard.

In the same whirlwind that they arrived, they left just as quickly.  They were headed out to pick up a load of hay for their horses.

That left me and our Golden Retriever, peeking into their coop, looking at 3 very young chickens.  Alone.

How the heck is this going to work?  (She had made a side deal with Mr. Right, if it didn’t work out, she would graciously take them back to her ranch.)

Remember earlier, I called her my wise friend?

Somehow, she knew I would have to turn on the computer and read.  She guessed I would have to get dressed and have Mr. Right drive me to a book store, to buy a couple of books.  In her smarty, awesomesauce, cowgirl way, she knew, I would have to get up off the sofa a couple of times a day to feed, water, fluff straw, check on my new animals.

My wise, amazing girlfriend had a feeling, that I would need to clean the coop.  Carry water, lift bedding, fill the food container.  In the beginning,  I was not able to lift a 25 pound bag of bedding, so I took small buckets.

My wise, amazing, thoughtful, beautiful friend, Kristy, knew that I needed organic eggs to eat.  She knew that I needed to be around “farm dirt” and straw and outdoor good germs to build my immune system.  In her wisdom, she knew I needed to feel grateful and thankful every single day.

Surprise, surprise, Mr. Right, only helped when he absolutely needed to.

I took care of them myself.  I never skipped a day.  Some times, it took me a half hour just to change the bedding and straw and give them fresh water.

One day, my little grand girlie was helping me and she said, “egg”.  WHAT!  I couldn’t actually believe that we had gotten an egg!  I had to take a picture.

Then somehow, a week went by and another.  People asked me how many eggs I had collected.  I kept track on the calendar.  I started taking pictures to share.  I didn’t want the eggs to roll off the counter during the photo shoot, so…….. one thing led to another and ……..well.

I started setting the eggs in things.  A basket, a dish, a creamer shaped like a frog, I put them in a fruit basket, and a bowl that had coffee beans.  I used anything I could find. I even made a calendar showcasing 12 pictures.

Here’s the update:

I still have one of the original chickens.  Since then, a couple more chickens have joined the party.  I currently have four chickens.  Yes, I still keep track of how many eggs I collect.  (It’s the best part, sort of like an Easter Egg hunt everyday!)  I am healthy enough to lift the bag of bedding.  I can move the coop.  I can walk to the neighbor’s to share my bounty.  We donate 20 chicks a month, so others can flourish, just like me.

Today, Friday, November 18, 2016, I am celebrating my 1,000 egg!  

I am grateful.

I am healing.

Thanks in a huge part to my friend.  She was the only friend who believed I could/would do it.  She knew that I would get out of bed, put on my boots and tend to other creatures that needed my help.  I felt needed.

 

Those dang chickens need me in the beautiful, blue, sunny skies as well as the blustery, wild wind, cold, pouring rain, boot wearing, dark stormy days.

Oh, I get it!

My friend.  She was there for me in the dark, stormy days…and yes, today, on a clear, beautiful day, she is in my corner, celebrating 1,000 eggs.

Boy Howdy, I am one grateful chick!

Who knew chickens could help me heal?

She did. 

 

 

 

 

be nice to the new girl

In a twisted, random turn of events, as of today, we have one more chicken.

Here in the Pacific Northwest a huge storm is a brewin, working up a pretty good fuss and everything and every living creature is unsettled. Things seem topsy-turvy.  Wackadoodle.  Strange.

Late last night, I received a text message from our daughter in law in Alabama.  Would I adopt a chicken from a friend?

Tell me more.

Years ago, Gabi, our daughter in law, worked with a gal & they have kept in touch via social media.   Her friend’s sister had a chicken come to visit in their backyard.  They questioned all the neighbors.  No.  No one had lost a chicken or knew where it came from.  They did not want to become chickenistas.  They have been searching for a “farm” to take it to.

Enter social media.

They needed someone to adopt this chicken.  Our Gabi saw the picture and asked me if I would consider it. 

Sure, okay.  I will do it.

note:  All those times you have heard…. the animal went to a nice farm to live with other animals……….Today, I became that “nice, green pasture (read that as lawn) farm”.  I promised to continue to share pictures with the four-year old girl who was happy to hear I live on a “farm”.

Earlier today, the new chicken arrived in a cardboard box.  As we all were, she too was soggy.  With the rain coming down and the wind gusting……….here you go.   No time for a welcome party, this is just a quick howdy do.

Martha, Ginger and Dolly……meet the new girl, her name is Coco.  BE NICE!

Name, What to Name her?  Stormy?

Daughter in law, Gabrielle suggested that I go more Glam with the chicken names.

Like Gianni Versace, Vera Wang, Gloria Vanderbilt or Coco Chanel.

That’s it!

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel  better known as Coco Chanel.  So in honor of Daughter in law (Gabrielle) and her glam suggestion……………

Welcome to the flock, Coco Chanel. 

Geesh, why the need to “claim” their pecking order all over again?  Interesting, the most quiet, calm, nice girl, Martha has become the NASTY, BOSSY, MEAN girl.  Jeepers.

It is rough on them and me. All our feathers are ruffled.

No, there is nothing I can do.  Extra distractions, keeping her separate is not an option right now as the storm bellows through.  I just have to trust nature to do what is right.  Everyone has shelter, fresh food, water, treats and a big lovely cabbage.

Hold on and be nice. In this together, friends. 

 

 

girls vs boy

Big News!!!!!!

It’s a girl!

It’s a girl!

While Mr. Right teases me and makes jokes about buzzards chickens, he was the one who drove, had the box ready, paid and arranged the meeting.

Welcome to the Wilson’s!  I have two new chickens!!!!

I am one of those people who name their livestock.  Okay, Monday morning,  4th of July………….let’s see…….. names, you two beauties need names.

I’d like to introduce you to Martha and Dolly.  That’s Martha Washington and Dolly Madison.

Martha is a Blue Andalusian.  When the sun catches it just right, her feathers are so black they shimmer blue.  Dolly is an Americauna just like our Ginger.

While they are only a few months old they both are laying eggs already.  Which is rather lovely.  I collected and am grateful for egg number 832.

While I was fussing and fluffing the coop yesterday, they were being quite shy.  So I decided to tell them a little about me. I first said I was nice and would bring them goodies almost every day. I always say thank you, aloud when I collect eggs.   I said while I am wearing ugly black boots today, I wear fancy toe nail polish and when I wear flip-flops they will be magically drawn to me.  ha

I offered up a bowl with plain yogurt garnished with meal worms and fresh picked blueberries and spinach.  yum.  (yes, they need the good bacteria of yogurt as the 3 adjust to each other) They all dug right in, so apparently my culinary skills are appreciated.

How are they adjusting you ask?  The first night around midnight, I went out with a flashlight to check on the slumber party.  Everyone was sleeping next to each other.  Guess they got to know each other, did each other’s hair and enjoyed the movie and popcorn.

How am I adjusting?

5 girls (me, one girl dog, 3 girl chickens) VS one boy, Mr. Right.

Odds are good in the Wilson house.

Smiling

 

 

 

 

suet, suet

Tis the season.  My chickens, like all chickens are molting.  That means, no eggs.  Well, I get one now and then from Ginger, none from Lovey.  They are using all their protein to produce more feathers to help keep them warm in the winter months.  I know, I would be doing the same thing.  Yipes.

I am learning and researching and one of the things that will help them is to increase their protein intake.  So last night I made a delicious treat.  For the chickens (and birds) not people.

I purchased a block of suet.  It cost $1.79 Who knew, you could still buy this?  Anyway, I melted it down, then I added raw peanuts, raw sunflower seeds, seaweed and some sunflower seeds in the shell.  I poured into a pan.  Then set in the freezer to harden.

This morning, I scooped out balls of the,soon to be tree decorations and treats of goodness.

I put suet balls into those net bags you save?  Easy to tie onto the outdoor Christmas tree!  I also hung one (with a bit wider weave) of the delicious suet balls inside the chicken coop.

Now, today is not freezing in my neck of the woods.  However, on those brisk winter, extremely chilly mornings….. taking a couple treats out of the freezer to offer up to my outdoor friends will make them very happy and I in turn will be happy.

Tis the season to give!

It’s all about the happy!

Who knew suet would make this vegetarian girl so dang happy?

Weird.

Happy Friday, y’all.

Christmas tree in May, (not so festive)

Each year we have a gorgeous fresh evergreen tree on our outdoor deck.  White lights and some bird seed balls. I even hung some bells made out of bird seed.    With a light dusting of snow, it is really picture perfect.

The calendar page is turned and come January 8 or 9th…. not so magical.  Somehow, what was  once breath-taking, lush, full and lovely just a few weeks before, now just looks sad and ready for the recycle bin.

I am trying my very best to be  knowledgeable and natural when it comes to raising chickens for their fresh eggs.  One way I keep bugs at bay, is with fresh herbs and plants.  I change out their bedding weekly.  I use cinder vinegar in their drinking water, I provide fresh straw, hang fresh herbs, make my own natural cleaner & sprinkle lavender around.  Smells lovely, calming (to lay better eggs) and in the colder months I line the laying boxes with evergreens for warmth.   We have several trees around, so it is rather easy to find my weekly branches.

Ah, back to the Christmas tree.  We kept it and have been cutting branch after branch each week.  A couple of days ago was the last of it.  We upcycled or recycled the tree for the chicks.   The timing was perfect.  The weather has turned warmer (for us, sorry Colorado).  We used the last tiny bit at the very top of the tree.  It sure has past it’s prime.   Time to move on.  Not quite as festive as it once was.

Unless there is some holiday tradition I don’t know about?    Some holiday, where the people celebrate with a 7 foot bare tree, with just the top couple of branches to decorate with?   Let me know and maybe next year, I can plan accordingly.

 

fa la la la la la la la 

you can’t eat an egg through the computer

Last night four people were laughing and giggling and smiling for about 20 minutes.  Two “older” people were huddled around the computer screen, laughing wildly at the two best grandgirlies in the world.  Mr. Right and I were Skyping with two people in Alabama.  I know this because the older girl, who is three told me she lives in Alabama.  Only, I noticed a very slight sweet, southern drawl.  Good gravy she and her sister have only lived their four months.

God Bless the person ( I hope it was a grandparent) who invented Skype.  Yes, I know it has a few bumps and hiccups.  However, from this grandparent point of view, one of the best inventions since “calm down curly wild hair gel in a bottle”.

Some of the time during our chat, the sofa on the Alabama end was empty.  It just made us laugh harder.  Their very patient mom, asked them to please get back on the sofa so the grandparents could see them.

Right before we were scheduled to visit, our dog wanted to be let out.  So, I let her out, but left the screen door open.  I didn’t want to have to get up and leave our conversation to let the dog in and make a loud screeching noise with the sliding screen door.  At some point, the dog came in and settled herself just fine.  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement.  HOLY TOLEDO, the door was still open so one of our chickens took that as an invitation!!  I jumped up and screamed and flapped my arms and shouted and yelled get out.   Then the girls in Alabama started screaming and laughing and giggling.  It all sort of got crazy after that.

We tried to calm down and be somewhat normal.  We asked questions and listened to both girls answering at once.  We got to see how long and curly and beautiful someone’s hair has grown in the last few months.  Said girl was wearing a Tupperware bowl on her head as a hat, some of the time, so the hair do was rather “joyful”.   We got to hear stories and dreams.  It was all tangled up and lovely.

Then I held up two eggs to show them what I discovered in the nest.  The oldest girl laughed and giggled and screamed, “YOU CAN’T EAT AN EGG THROUGH THE COMPUTER”.   Not a sentence I thought I would hear our three-year old grand giggle.

They were bubbly and full of energy and LOVED showing us their “Frozen” pajamas.  Each had a picture of the latest greatest princess on the front.  They explained the princesses names and that Aurora wore an “ambulance” around her neck.  Her mom, gently and clearly said, it is called an “amulet” that she wears.  Oh, yes, she has an “ambulance” around her neck.  Then the grandparents couldn’t stop laughing.

Technology at it’s very finest.  And we got to be right smack in the middle.  Pure Goodness!  Can’t wait for next time. TO  DA  LOU!