I Feel So Guilty...

I have actually wanted to update this blog so many times but since I let it go so long I was actually embarrassed to even look at it. It is not like my blog berates me for ignoring it but I actually have some interesting things that happen and I never write it down. Then i update it, finally, and I have to spent a few days summing up the last 6 months!
In the immortal words of Inego" You keeled my father, prepare to die" Montoya, "Let me explain...No there is too much...Let me sum up"

There is several good things like We got a new dog, a Great Pyrenees Named Mel, And she and Ike had 8 awesome puppies. The bad news is she got really sick and my neighbor Cheryl and I spent 2 weeks bottle feeding the pups until Mel got well enough to take care of them. Still, she did get better and because a great mom and I think this is my best litter, yet!

   We had a ton of ducks this summer. Those Muscovy's are prolific! I love them to pieces even though they think my porch is their home and the poo has to be power washed  at least 2-3 times a week. I really want to eat one but I have not had the guts to kill one since I love them so much more than chickens.

I got a chicken plucker for my Birthday (Thanks, Mom and Dad) and I hope to use it soon. Here are some of the things we did this summer, best told in pics.

The weeds got huge but Jack attacked them with a saw.

I am attempting to homeschool Mason without any violence.

17th anniversary pic.

17th anniversary at Ruth Chris Steakhouse...Awesome but $$$$.

This was dessert and it was worth every penny!

 Assassin 2: Electric Boogaloo is so weird.

jack got the whole family hooked on the new Doctor Who. Really great and I love David Tennant.

We had a lot of poultry or "Feathery Minions" as I like to call them.

The duck peeps were so cute.

My cat Princess buttercup.

Zombie doesn't like me to read.

Mason Loved the Peeps.

2 of my newest litter.

Gracie thinks she owns the place.

Boog in a bag.

Go to the Smithsonian and you can get hit by a bus!

More puppies!

The boys at King's Dominion.

Family trip to King's Dominion.

Mason licking a statue.

I did NOT want to ride this!

Jack convinced me, but I had my eyes shut the whole time.

Dinosaur Park.

Mason teaching kids how to properly play in the sand.

mace punching a T Rex.

Now Dad has to do it.

Everyone is so brave.

I love setting fires.

April Showers...

I think I wrote a huge post here and it got deleted. I am not rewriting it.

I feel so guilty!

I don't think this will hatch.

At least 6 times I have looked at my blog and said I need to update and I just haven't. I have been planting though, after the chickens have eaten all the seeds I left out I decided to go with seedlings. I also need to fence the garden area. They are very helpful with the bug dispersal but they also like to throw my mulch everywhere and stand on my plants and eat every seed.

Their new trick is roosting on my porch, the car, the garage, the AC box and anywhere else that is not their actual barn. Free ranging does have it's downside. Everyday I have to actually look for eggs all over my yard. They hide them everywhere. I know I am missing some so one day I will come across a huge egg hoard.
    I have several ducks sitting on nests right now. I can not wait until they hatch. I love duck peeps. I hope the predators don't eat them. Our neighbors in front of us have left and their house is for short sale. I would love to have that place. It is almost 6 acres with a small pond. It might be under contract right now but I am hoping my friend DW will get it. He will let me use the acreage and the house as a rental.
Spring has been very pretty.
We didn't have a good
Fall or winter so I am glad
Spring didn't disappoint.I am going to try update more often but I will be very busy this month planting, fencing, and getting very dirty. Whoo hoo!

March Madness

Despite not having Winter, Spring is here for sure. The trees are lovely. The dogwoods are all white and fluffy and the cherry and some other ones are pink and purple. My allergies are definitely telling me it is Spring. The price I pay for the pretty flowers. Tomorrow I will take some pictures of my trees and post them.
  I have a ton of yard work to do. So far I planted several blueberries and raspberries. I have more to plant of them. I want my whole yard to be as edible as possible. It is so warm now that I need get my spring plants in the ground. I don't even need to grow the seedlings this year.
   In the next day or two I will write about the Birthday adventure we had and about my new chickens.
  

Goodbye Janurary

Is it spring yet? I am not asking because I am weary of winter but because I have not seen winter so far.  On one hand it is good because We don't have a furnace right now so having warm temps is a help but I love winter and snow and we haven't had much more than a dusting.

    Maybe we will be able to get the $6k-8K for the new furnace and heat pump by late Spring. I can get along with no heat in winter but I can not handle no AC in Summer. I am not going to be able to work at the restaurant much longer. My shoulder is pretty messed up and now my neck and back are hurting trying to compensate for it. I hate the thought of quitting a job but I just can't take much more wear and tear on an already broken down body.
    Still waiting to hear back on the mediation concerning the hospital. I can't say how much I hope this turns out well. I want this over with so I can get some closure. If I get a settlement I would like to pay off debt and go back to school.

At least we had a little bit of snow.

It's been awhile....

It has been so long since I updated but I feel like I am just waking up after a long coma. Since the loss of my job and the attack of my animals I have been so depressed that I have been barely keeping up with the family and animal needs. Now that I am working again and pursuing legal action against both the Hospital for discrimination and the man who let his dog kill my animals I feel like I am getting better.
     I also went to the doctor and got some new medication for the constant pain I am in. I haven't been on it long but I am noticing it helps me to walk better. Any lessening of the pain is bonus. I am working weekends at Outback and still enjoying it.
    We have had a lot of upheaval this year. The squatters nearly ruined us financially but now we have great renters so that is good. The financial fun continues with both the fireplace and the furnace going kablooey at the same time. So for this winter we do not have a working heater. All is not lost, we do have space heaters and a pellet stove in the basement but if we lose electricity it is going to get quite chilly. The good news is it has been an amazingly mild winter but that is also a bummer because I love snow and cold but it might be bad to get hit by a big storm. I will probably get a kerosene heater for backup but I am terrified of them since we got carbon monoxide poisoning from one when I was a kid.
     The worse part of the depression has been my apathy for farming. It was what I was living for in Colorado. The feeling I would get when Colleen and I learned something new or made a meal out of something we grew or raised was amazing. Of course, having a friend that loved farming as much as I did made all the difference. I miss that the most. The weather was so bad from July to November that my joy in being outside was ruined. I am hoping so much that this spring and summer will be mild and we will have a real fall. It rained so bad during September that most of the leaves fell while still green. Very Disappointing.
   So things are starting to look up and I am trying to keep positive. Hopefully I will be in a farming mood by spring.