Who's Coming To Breakfast?

More adorable little chicks!

More chicks arrived today!  They are such cute and lively little guys.  The Farm is coming alive with little creatures.  I thought it would never happen!  Looking forward to having some delicious farm fresh eggs in a few months!  Who's coming to breakfast?

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Birdies In The Treetop!

Our tiny little bird eggs hatched!

Checked on our teeny tiny bird nest today, and found at least three hungry, furry little babies.  There were four eggs in the nest just a couple days ago, but I could only see three little open mouths.  I was trying to hold down the branches with one hand and hold the camera and snap with the other while not disturbing the nest.  I'm not too good with that, but you can see them fairly well.  I'm still not sure what kind of birds they are.  I just love Spring!

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Garden, The Miracle Within!

I love the garden when it's freshly planted, the earth is so clean and bare, and filled with promise!  The idea that we can put tiny little seeds into the ground, and with care and hard work, reap a harvest of abundance fills me with awe.  I look out at the patch of naked earth each day with hope and faith that it will bring forth the life it holds within.  What a miracle it is! 

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Garden, The miracle Within!

The Chickens Have Moved In!

Baby chicks!

The girls have moved into the coop!  This is not just any ol' coop, this is Cluckinghen Palace! We have six Black Australorps, six Silver Laced Wyandottes, and one free unknown rare breed!  Next week we get a shipment of six New Hampshire Reds and fifteen White Leghorns.  The blacks, silvers, and reds are our dual purpose chicks, and the White Leghorns are meat chicks.    These babies are so cute and fuzzy!

Cluckinghen Palace, Completed!

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

And Another Mystery Bird Nest!

Bird nest about 4" diameter with jelly bean sized eggs, blue with brown spots

On my post of May 9th I had a picture of a nest, about 6 inches in diameter, with blue eggs and brown spots, the eggs were about an inch long.  It turned out to be a mockingbird nest.  Here is a different nest with eggs that I found in our cherry tree, it's much smaller, about 4 inches in diameter, and the eggs are about the size of jelly beans, but they are also blue with brown spots.  I have seen the mommy bird, she is small like a sparrow, maybe smaller, and colored like a sparrow, but has a dark red stripe on her head.  I tried to find her on the internet, but have had no success.  Anyone know what she is?

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

Chicken Coop Chicken Doors

My husband designed these chicken doors with a pulley system so I could open and close them without having to go into the chicken area.

Chicken Coop Chicken Door Pulley System

It is a fabulous system, as the chicken coop has an entrance area that is our supply and storage place, a foyer (or fwa.je if you will).  They are designed on a pulley system, and are very convenient.

Yet Will I Praise Thee!

Habakkuk 3:17

I saw this today, and thought about how sometimes I get concerned that we will never quite get our farm to where we want it to be.  I tend to be the impatient kind, however, being married to my wonderful, extremely talented husband has taught me to be much more patient than I ever thought I could be!  This verse from Habakkuk spoke to my spirit and said, "Thank Me, praise Me", for I have much for which to be grateful.  Gotta love it!

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

Bird Nest with Eggs

Bird eggs

While I was enjoying our orchard today, I came across this bird nest with eggs.  Does anyone know what kind of bird they belong to?  I'm thinking either northern mockingbird eggs or cardinal eggs.  I'd like to know if anyone knows for sure what they are.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Our Orchard is Growing Up!

I took a stroll around the orchard today, and was I ever pleasantly surprised at the abundance of fruit on our little trees and bushes!  Most of our trees are only about six feet tall or so, but they are like "the little engine that could"!  Now if we can just keep the bugs and birds away, we should be having a nice harvest this year.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Blueberries!

Cherries!

Grapes!

Peaches!

Pears!

Handmade Goat Milking Stand

Goat Milking Stand

Goat Milking Stand

Anyone need a lovely new goat milking stand?  These are pictures of one my extremely talented husband made for Flumgummerie Farm.  I hear they are using it and enjoying it very much.  Contact us today if you would like to purchase one.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Chicken Coop Nest Boxes

Chicken Coop Nest Boxes - rear door view, open

Chicken Coop Nest Boxes - rear door view, closed

Chicken Coop Nest Boxes

These are the photos of the nest boxes in our chicken coop that Bill is building.  He designed them so that I don't have to go inside the chicken area to collect the eggs.  There is a back door that opens up for egg gathering.  He also made the box bottom to lift out to make for easy cleaning.  What a guy!  I'm thinking he wants to be certain that I keep the job of caring for the chickens, and that it doesn't fall back on him.  That will work until I find my first snake in the box!  He's trying to make certain that doesn't happen as well.  We'll see!

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

The Little Red Barn

This is our little red barn, the first of what we hope will be three.  The new chicken coop that we're working on now is the "baby bear" of the three, this is the "mama bear".  I wonder how long "papa bear" will take to build?

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs

Kahn

Kheli

These are the livestock guard dogs we will be bringing home to guard the livestock here on BLT Farm.  We purchased them from Melanie at Clear Creek Kennels in Mt. Vernon, KY.  She has some gorgeous Anatolian Shepherds up there.  I can't wait to get these guys home!

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Building a Chicken Coop

Bill hard at work

Building a chicken coop, how hard can that be, right?  Well, we're going on to month three and we're not finished yet!  My husband Bill is engineering this coop so carefully, these hens will be living like little princesses!  And so will I because caring for them will be so convenient!  You think they'll give us bigger eggs?  I'll be posting photos of the inside soon.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill