The Keets Are Growing!

The Keets at 3 weeks old

The keets are growing!  They are so cute, they are flying now, roosting on the highest perch in the coop with only a couple flight feathers on each wing!  At least that's all I can see.  They are skeetery little guys, I'm probably not handling them enough...so much to do and such little time in which to do it!  They're three weeks old in this photo, five more weeks and they're supposed to be ready to turn loose outside.  It doesn't seem possible, but we'll see.  I'll keep you posted on their progress.  I'm hoping Kheli and Kahn will have learned to leave them alone by then.  I believe they're good flyers, hoping that little fact will save them!

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

My Wildflower Garden!

My Wildflower Garden

I have never been good at planning and growing  flower gardens, but I do love them dearly.  Then when we moved here to an entirely different climate and soil structure, I was really lost.  We came from Florida, tropical and sandy, to North Carolina, seasonal and hard clay, so landscaping has been a challenge for us.  One day when we were in a home improvement center, I saw this package of wildflower seeds for a reasonable price.  Against my husbands advice, I bought it.  I thought that surely these would grow and look pretty, and they shouldn't require any maintenance on my part.  I am here to tell you that I just adore my wildflower garden.  It reminds me of an English garden, lacy, frilly, and a little messy!  It sets off the chicken coop rather nicely, and I'm guessing when the chickens can begin to free roam they will enjoy this little garden as well.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

What's That In The Chicken Yard!

Kheli and Kahn - day one at the farm!

This run was built for the chickens, but, another pressing purpose took priority.  Kahn and Kheli, our Anatolian Shepherds from Clear Creek Kennel in Mt. Vernon, KY will be sharing this space until the property fence can get done.  We ran into a few snags with the fencing project, but think we're on track to get it done now.  Not planning on Kahn and Kheli sharing these digs for too long, they need to begin doing their jobs as our livestock guard dogs, and the chickens need their yard back!

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

The Chickens Love Their Yard!

Chickens Enjoying Their Yard!

Well, the chickens are just loving their new play yard!  It took them a little while to venture out and explore, but last night as I went to close them up, one of the white roosters decided he wasn't finished outside, so as he was making a run for it, I began to close the chicken door.  He made a fast turn around and dashed back inside.  It was clear he didn't want to be locked out all by himself!  They are learning really fast.  It is quite comical watching one of the white roosters jumping as high as he can trying to get to the blueberries higher up on the bush!  They LOVE the blueberries.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

I Then Shall Live!

I Then Shall Live

Something to shoot for!  This song inspires me every time I hear it.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

The Chicken Yard!

The Chicken Yard Complete!

After thinking it will never happen, the chicken yard is getting completed. Bill built a frame for the run, it is 12' x 28' x6' high. He put about 6" of wire cloth below ground level and back-filled with rocks and soil to discourage predators from digging under. Then he put the fencing onto the wood frame. Next, constructing the 4' x 6' high gate, then, like magic, it's finished! Our plan is that the chickens won't be able to fly over the 6' fence, but that the guineas will, which will allow them to free roam the yard and garden and eat up all those Japanese beetles we have flying around here! 

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

Bumper Crop Of Blueberries!

14 Quarts blueberries, 10 Pints Preserves!

I love blueberries, and this year we've had a bumper crop!  Bill has picked almost all of them by himself, the weather has been so HOT this past week!  I cleaned and canned fourteen quarts of them, ten half pints of preserves, and froze sixteen cups.  I'd consider that to be a productive day!  They look so pretty sitting on the counter, I almost hate to put them away.  We will be enjoying and sharing these for a long time.  God is good!  I am so thankful for the food we grow.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

Our Keets Have Arrived!

Four day old keets for the farm!

Our keets finally arrived yesterday.  These baby guineas are just the cutest tiny little things ever!  They're about half the size of chicks, such delicate little creatures.  They will be such a joy to raise, and, for me, I can't wait until we can turn them loose on the Japanese beetles in this yard!  Hope they like them.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill