Beginnings...

I'm sitting here listening to Buck barking and going on over something. I'm glad a lot of people in the neighborhood have dogs, because that will justify all the noise my girls will make.

Yes, I'm counting my hens before they're grown, but at least a few should make it! I bought 10 little chickies on Monday...2 each of Buff Orpington, Silver Laced Wyandotte, and Light Brahma. 4 each of the Aracaunas. I was such a sucker too...lol...I was planning on 8, and then the lady had to say something about a discount if I got 2 more. That's a dangerous word around me. =-) Therefore the extra Aracaunas. I love that breed...not sure about how great their egg production will be, but I just love the variety of coloring and those cute little "puffy cheeks," as I call them.

I spent hours that first day just watching them. I'm trying not to handle them too much, but it's been warm and I think they're ok. I really want them to be super tame.

And Aaron, my husband, played a mean little trick. His part was checking on the city ordinances, and as they are hard to get a hold of we hadn't found out for sure before I bought them. We just assumed because some of the neighbors have a few... So he calls and says, "Guess what...no chickens are allowed in the city..." My heart jumped a coupla times, I'm telling you! Here I'm already attached to the little buggers, and he pulls this stunt. At least he told me right away he was joking. He went on to say that there are no restrictions on quantity or anything...just don't let them run loose or bother the neighbors. I'm already counting the days until we might get our first egg! LOL...and you know it's bad when the last things you talk about at night are details of the chicken coop and how much it's going to cost and what materials are needed! Heh. We're loving it though.

I recently discovered Garden Web, and it really is addicting. I was researching on what to do with hellebore seedlings. One plant is surrounded by a carpet of them, and I want to get them potted or moved or something before they get too established. I'm getting fascinated with these awesome plants. Mine are still blooming, and started in January I think. Pretty amazing. I'm really trying to find some gardening folks in the area that I can become friends with and learn from and trade plants with. I think I've found a monthly plant swap, so maybe that's a good place to start.

Oh..and I'm so excited about getting over one of my "humps." You ever have one of those...something that you want or need to do, but in your mind it gets exagerated and "impossible" to make time for? Mine has been bread baking. I've really wanted to start making my own again....one little way to encorporate whole grains into our lacking diet. But somehow I just haven't wanted to buckle down and start the "5 hour" process. (No bread machine for help...and I haven't learned how to get the kitchen aide to do all the work.) lol...I started on Tuesday about 10:30, and it came out of the oven just in time to made a sandwich for Aaron's lunch. Oh...so good too, and the house smelling all yummy. I was proud too of spending less on groceries this week, and buying a lot of fresh veges. Thank goodness things are coming in season now! I really miss that about Florida...everything was cheap all year around, near about. And tropical fruits easier to get. I'll count my blessings here though.

So I'm just encouraged with spring...a good time to start new eating habits and clean things up. I love it! I feel so energetic too. Yeah!

Current projects...getting things ready for the garden, planning everything out and gathering seeds, etc... Finding out if it's possible and not too cost prohibitive to have a goal of organic eggs from the chix. Figuring out where to start with seeing a doc about having a baby. I'm not getting younger and we really want kids soon.

Rainy Random Day

I spent part of the morning out planting the rest of the glad bulbs before they sprout up. When we built the new fence square with the property lines, the old one ran somewhat diagonal, hence having to dig up said bulbs and redistribute them. Whew. The amount of plants on the property is overwhelming, almost. It makes me feel so incompetent. If I'm this overwhelmed with garden and house and animals, how will I manage once a baby comes into play? I really don't know how it's done...I guess one day and child at a time. =-)

More tulips up...a red and also orange one. Oh...and the amaryllis bulbs I brought back from FL have shot up buds and are getting ready to bloom shortly. They're inside on the sun porch in a big pot, along with some ferns and things I hope to keep alive through the winters.

I can't believe how fast things are shooting up with this warmth we're having! The magnolia is putting out leaves...the hostas are coming up like crazy. The money plants have sent up buds and have purple blooms. So very cool....I love this time of year. I am trying to start a garden journal and keep track of what happens when, for future reference, but things are growing too fast! I was also hoping to label the daffodil colors and such so I'll know when I split them next year. Ha. Any tips on that?

It's spring because the ants are making the sojourn indoors. Into the kitchen. For some reason I thought FL was the only place this would happen...that somehow the battle against the critters coming in wouldn't even be an issue. Guess I have to learn the hard way. At least I have some diatomaceous earth handy.(DE for short.) I sprinkled some on the little hostas outside in case the slugs try to come round, and have put some along the windowsills indoors. It irks me to do so, and opening the windows distributes it everywhere. It looks messy and I already struggle with keeping the countertops presentable and dishes put away. I keep convincing myself that it's because spring is in the air and I'm enticed outdoors, but inside methinks this could be a bad habit best nipped in the bud. *grin*

Buck has adjusted to his collar. Though I found out last night that he can still lick where he's not supposed to. I might try to get some green apple spray...I don't feel like driving all the way back to the clinic for a bigger cone. He played just like normal today, chewing on sticks and shaking his rope toy. He could play all day and never get tired. Funny how God brought us the perfect dog for my dH.

Yeah for Tulips!

Well, I was so surprised yesterday to see a tulip in one of the beds outside the front door! I knew the bud was coming along, but expected it to come out next week. It's hot pink, and practically glows alongside the paling daffodils. I'm so excited and glad that warmer days are here, for the most part. (Though in a few months I'll be wishing it was cool again, because we have no A/C and I know the kitchen will be uncomfortable.) I have to learn to enjoy every day and deal with things as they come...

I planted some sugar snaps in some planters a few weeks ago, and this past weekend they popped up and are growing rapidly. I want to put them on this trellis I made out of sticks...(my new hobby is stick creations, since Papaw cut down a maple tree.) but I'm not sure they'll get enough sun on the back porch. Plus I was greeted this morning by one planter being dug out...2 plants almost destroyed and a pansy the worse for wear. Grrr. Not sure if it's the cat or dog. I'll guess the latter.

Speaking of which...I need to post some pics soon. I had to take Buck, the dog, back to the clinic today after getting snip-snipped about 2 weeks ago. He's gotten a bit inflamed...so they looked at him, said he was fine and probably has been licking too much or getting chafed somehow. So....they installed an elizabethan collar round his neck. LOL...it looks too hilarious. I feel sorry for him, of course. But can't help laughing at the way he sat up in the car seat, staring straight ahead with that collar around his face. I keep trying to remember...was it the movie "Babe" that had an animated dog with one of those collars on? Like in those little in between parts where the mice came out? That doesn't sound right...I have to figure that out, because that's what he looks like! He's not too pouty, so we'll see how he does over the next 3-5 days. Heh.

Aaron and I are sporting our first sun burns of the season. I saw this picture in a library book, and decided that since I have this huge tree available, I was going to cut a bunch of straight sticks and make this cute rustic fence with a gate and arbor for the front of the garden. I figure it has to look better than the ugly wire and poles that were there before. So I cut tons of sticks last week, and Aaron dug the postholes for me, and we put it up over the weekend. I think we talked to every neighbor because we were outside so much! One of them said he's seen a lot of fences, but never one like that. (It did look terrible at the time, because we decided to nail all the sticks up, and then come back and trim them neatly in a scallop pattern.) Hopefully he's decided it will look alright, especially after some peonies are planted behind and with gladiolas in the front.

Speaking of which, I have to get out there and dig all the bulbs up and replant, plus get the peony roots replanted. Too much to do in so little time! I'm starting to get some landscaping ideas as I've been out working around the house. The one thing I really want to get started is a climbing rose over the front entryway. I've been looking at all the roses at the Heirloom Roses website, and I think I have a variety picked out. This rose looks like it will go well with the orangey color under the eaves. Plus, I love orange and hope to develop that color scheme eventually.

Thanks for the comments!