25 chickens and a good time

We consider ourselves chicken people. A long time ago, my mom decided she wanted a few chickens, so her best friend gave us two little hens, one black sex link and one Japanese Black Tail. I named them Rachel and Rhonda. Then we got Ruby and Rodney. I immediately fell in love with Rodney. He was so graceful and had the prettiest tail feathers. As animals do on the farm, one of the hens hid an egg too well and one day we got Ralph. Ralph was obviously Rachel and Rodney's because he wasn't purebred Black Tail. The neighbors complained and so eventually, we sent them all back to my mom's friend. I imagine they lived a full life there on her farm.

Two years ago, I read in a magazine that keeping chickens meant wonderful manure for compost. I garden. So naturally, that weekend we went to Tractor Supply and got 6 day old pullets. Two weeks later, I got 6 more. Then I got 6 more...

Today's official count is 25 chickens. We have a little bantam rooster named Lil Seamus who thinks he's big and rules the roost with lots of confidence. We have a few White Plymouth Rocks and Red Sex-Links, along with a black Australorp named Candy. We added a few Easter Eggers last spring who lay pretty green eggs every day. Once we got the chicken barn up and ready, we added 9 more hens. Pure bred Auracanas of assorted colors, Amberlinks and two Hamburgs. We still needed white egg layers, so we added White Leghorn chicks, along with two Wyandottes and two Brahmas.  The Brahmas will have feathers on their feet. They're already my favorite chicks ever.

Chickens ARE a wonderful source of nitrogen rich manure. Composted down, it's the best fertilizer around, in my opinion.

The eggs are unlike anything you can get at a store. Rich, deep yellow or almost orange yolks, and they bake amazingly well. I love my farm fresh eggs and won't ever go back.

Chickens are also hilarious. They each have their own personality.  They love to see you coming with treats. And they are adorable, cheering each other on with the egg song after a hen lays her egg for the day.

I can't imagine life without our feathered friends. They are the ultimate livestock because nothing is wasted. They live their lives entertaining you, give you eggs and fertilize your veggie garden, eat the critters that would attack your garden, and then themselves be a meal when their time on earth is over. And then, you can take it a step further and use the bones to make bone broth which is invaluable in soups and actually has beneficial nutrients to help with colds and the flu.

Chickens are a perfect animal for your kids to learn to care and be responsible for animals on the farm, too.

The only downside to owning chickens is its hard to stop buying more of them. And...they make you want more farm animals. Which is how I have 3 rabbits in the barn now, and 5 turkeys on order, and plans for two goats this fall.

Do you own chickens or have questions how to get started? If so, let me know! I'd love to hear your stories or answer some questions you might have!

Life on The Farm

It's been 45 days since we moved to what we simply call "The Farm". We didn't plan on moving, at least in the middle of winter. We always dreamed of a farm. Animals, large garden, no (crazy) neighbors.  It was about a 7 year plan.

Instead it became a 12 week plan when we saw this place. Life works that way sometimes.

I now have a bigger house - with a dishwasher! - and barns to put animals. We added 9 more hens and just got 3 bunnies this week. More baby chicks are coming too. I ordered turkeys this past weekend. They'll make delicious Thanksgiving meals for three families, mine included, this year. And, once the turkeys leave we have a place for dairy goats.

I have a 1/8 acre garden, which I just ordered my last set of seed packets for, and, in which I discovered some overgrown apple trees this weekend. I have two greenhouses, long neglected, that will become my project this year. I'm returning them to use fullness and will enjoy fresh veggies all next winter.

My girls have space to run. The dogs have space to run without a leash. The cat has more moles and mice to chase than he really cares to go after. 

My life...This life in the 513 got sweeter 45 days ago. I literally feel like my soul is lifting off with joy when I think of all I get to do this year at this farm. I'm full of joy. And I like it.

Here's a shot of the beautiful sunrise. I took this the other day with my phone, while waiting for the bus with my girls.

How Did That Happen?!

Today, my son Silas turns sixteen. How time flies. It didn't seem that long ago, a Navy Corpsman was telling me I was pregnant, and I was terrified. Kids weren't in the plan. I was weeks away from being 20, and had barely begun what I had hoped would be a long career in the Marine Corps. I hadn't babysat as a teenager, had never changed a diaper. I'm not even sure I liked kids. They always seemed sticky from some unknown candy and I could never understand their babble. But I was having a baby.  

I had been adopted by my father's family and grew up not knowing my mother's side. Meeting them a year before had a profound effect on me, so giving my child up was not an option. I don't believe in abortion, so that was never an option. My only option was to take full responsibility and raise my child. There were a lot of opinions about that. My dad simply said, "It won't be easy, but I know you can do it." My mom was shocked and hurt, but within a few days, made her peace with it and started sending care packages to me filled with baby clothes and toys. I got an apartment off base and began preparing a nursery. I made a few close friends that helped keep me company; one had a little girl, so I learned how to change a diaper and talk baby talk. 

And at 10:27 pm on the 19th of January, I looked at the birth father and told him not to get too comfortable on the couch...the time had come. It took three trips to the hospital for them to decide to keep me. I was 14 hours into my labor at this point. My best friend had joined us. It took nearly 10 more hours, but Silas Jerome made his entrance. He had jet black hair (a full head of it), bright blue eyes and the prettiest complexion. He stared at me in wonder and I'm sure I looked at him the same way. I loved him madly, instantly.  

Being a single mom, we spent a lot of time together. He was my little buddy. He was hilarious, a happy little boy who was full of hugs and kisses. When I left the Marines and came back to Ohio, he quickly became Grandpa's boy. He's still the only grandson. 

He still has a full head of hair that I wished he would style better and cut more often. His eyes are a gorgeous hazel, but usually green. 

Dear Lord, the boy loves sports. He almost never stops talking about sports. He plays baseball and runs track and cross country. He runs like the wind. It's a thing of beauty, really. 

He made the honor roll last quarter after struggling first quarter. 

He's still hilarious. 

He drives. He has a lot to learn with that, though. His dad probably will never ride with him again. 

And today, he's 16 years old. 

My cup runners over with pride for this boy, almost man. I may not have known a lot about parenting when he was born, but I knew how to love him fiercely. I think I've done an okay job. I think he will do amazing things in this world. God has great plans for him, I just know it. I don't know how 16 years went by so quickly. It's almost not fair. It's almost terrifying. But it's also been the sweetest 16 years of my life. Parenting is the most rewarding and permanent way to leave your mark on this world. I might not have had kids in my plan, but thank God, the good Lord above had them in HIS plan for me. I love being a mom. I love this young man with the crazy hair and kind of green eyes and his two silly little sisters. Sometimes we wonder "How did this happen to me?" and God answers with His plan. And His plan...gave me a remarkable son. I couldn't be more thankful for that. 

Got Neighbor Drama?

I do. Have neighbor drama, that is. And it sucks.

I live in a small town, not 100 yards from President Grant's birthplace. Everyone keeps their yards picked up, their homes in reasonable repair, and are friendly to one another. Except that one neighbor. And it hurts my soul because we are so blessed to be in this little historical setting - also the oldest settlement in our county. I feel that since we have so many people and school groups come into our town to tour Grant's Birthplace, we should take even more pride in our area. And we all do, except that one neighbor. 

And it's more than that. We're talking biting dogs, barking dogs, dogs attacking our chickens and cats, property line disputes, their kids bullying ours, chopping down a shrub by our mailbox because they just didn't like it, putting nasty letters in just about everyone's mailboxes, and erecting small fences in the right of way between our properties so we couldn't mow behind our mailbox - and then lying to the township zoning office saying they did it because we mow all the way to their driveway, 66 feet away, which was a complete fabrication. My teenager mows, and it's chore enough to get him to mow OUR lawn. He certainly isn't mowing an additional 66 feet! When the township removed the little fence, they filed a police report saying we stole their fence. When they found that to not be the case, they trespassed onto my property to hang no trespassig signs on their fence - including the line about violators wil be prosecuted (and another hand written line stating "so will fence/sign stealers"). Then they went so far as to walk back onto my property and photograph my home without my knowledge - while my children were home alone. 

That was the final straw. The sheriff referred me to the prosecutor's office then. We go for mediation next week. That is, if they show up. I'm not sure what it will show, except that we want to put an end to these silly games they play, while still behaving as adults. I'm not hopeful they'll keep their end to any agreement we may come to. It's hard to reason with unreasonable, entitled people. 

I keep praying for peace on the matter. My faith tells me to love my neighbor, but I find myself wondering if some people are unlovable, and how that would impact my faith. Would I be a bad person? Would I earn an eternity in hell because I just could NOT love my neighbor? And what if mediation fails? What then? Do I have to move? Why should I be the one that moves? My husband's family has owned this house 1992; they've only lived here 6 years. I love this area. I love that my home was built on the original foundation of Grant's birthplace in the 1890's, and moved to the little hill where it now sits in 1936. Why should I give that up for people who just cannot be reasoned with? 

It's even harder when you have kids. Even when their kids are calling mine "gay" or "liars" - I have to teach mine to be polite, always. My girls have learned a lot about life not being fair thanks to my neighbors. I would've wanted them to be a bit older than 5 and 6 before that lesson needed taught.

So...have you had neighbor drama? What did you do when ignoring the situation didn't make it go away? How do you find a happy place where everyone compromises and can live peacefully next to each other? Is that even a realistic expectation? I'd love to hear your advice! 

So You Want to Can...

It's about that time of year for us gardeners. We have bumper crops and if we ate just one more tomato...well, let's just not have another tomato, shall we?

My spring/summer never really got scorching hot, so my hopes and dreams of a bumper crop didn't happen. But for some with more space to garden, and more direct sun, THEY have more than they know what to do with. Which is how my neighbor ended up with a crazy amount of tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, jalapenos, and cucumbers. Naturally, she decided to can her windfall so her family of five would have fresh veggies, salsa and pasta sauces for winter. She was lucky enough to have a mother-in-law that already had all the canning supplies she needed, she just had to find out HOW to can. 

That's where the wonderful internet comes into play. My neighbor found the site for the National Center for Home Food Preservation. It is a fantastic site to get you started. She learned everything from how to use her pressure cooker, to what foods can be water bathed, to recipes. Sweet, right?! 

The most important things to know is that you have to clean and sterilize your jars, wash your foods thoroughly, and make sure you listen for the lids to pop when they seal! Canning is a great way to store this season's harvests for later, but you want to make sure you're doing so safely! The NCHFP has great info on methods to follow.

I won't lie - it took all day in a hot kitchen to can up all the veggies her best friend's father gifted to her from his large garden, but it was totally worth it! She ended up with pasta sauces, Bloody Mary mix, green beans, salsa, and jalapeno relish.

My garden is running a bit behind, but I'll be canning up pasta sauces from my roma tomatoes soon, along with pickling some peppers, and making a bruschetta from cherry tomatoes too. With the large garden expansion we are planning next year, I fully expect to spend at least a couple days in a hot kitchen, prepping for winter. Let's face it: once you've had fresh veggies from a local, organic garden, what you can buy at the the grocery is inferior. My neighbor gets to enjoy that freshness this winter, and she didn't find it all that difficult after reading over the amazing info from the NCHFP. I encourage you to visit a farmer's market if you're not already growing your own food, and take a day to do some canning - winter will be so much tastier! 

Here's some photos I took of my neighbor's efforts after everything was canned:

Isn't it all so pretty?! I have to admit, I'm a little envious! I'll be doing my own canning soon when my roma tomatoes finally all ripen. Yes, it's going to cost some money upfront to get the supplies you need (unless you're lucky enough to find someone who will lend you their pressure cooker and supplies), but the money you'll save when you're not purchasing from the grocery will more than make up for the cost of the supplies. You'll also be able to reuse the jars, so next year you'll only need to invest in new lids/rings, and possibly more vinegar and seasonings (if you didn't already grow those seasonings too!). 

I'll have some step-by-step photos and recipes for my pasta sauces when it's time! But for now, I'll simply invite you to read up on the process, and get started with some locally grown produce!

Fresh Ingredient Pot Roast and a Day Off

Finally...a day off without a ton of errands to run! I took advantage of the Lowe's Labor Day sale today and rescued some discounted plants too, so I guess that's technically an errand. 

I also made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a pot roast for dinner tonight. One of my faves, and it is so easy in a crock pot too!

I'll share the recipe, but remember, I'm not a measurer so most of this is "to taste". 

First, I use a carton of beef broth, add a packet of beef stew seasoning and a can of cream of celery soup and start that, along with the roast in the crock pot. Then, I chop up lots of carrots and potatoes and add those. I also add about a half an onion, a couple cloves of garlic and a small stalk of celery (I use the leaves on the celery too!) and toss that in. Finally, I add in salt, tri-colored peppercorns, and some fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, summer savory and thyme. The very last step is to sprinkle in some Worcestershire sauce and let it all summer on low in the crock pot for about 6-7 hours or until the roast is fork tender. 

Here's mine when it started a couple hours ago - my house smells amazing right now!

A Meager Garden and a Lesson in Hope

I'm a gardener. Not a great gardener, but an okay one. I didn't start out that way. My mom could grow anything. Her green thumb was prolific. Me, I hated the outdoors. I hate creepy crawlies and I prefer to not sweat. I hated getting dirty.

Somewhere along in my late twenties, we had a house without any real landscaping. So I bought some annuals and they grew. Big, and beautiful. Flourished. I made mixed containers of different annuals and they were dazzling. And I was hooked. My mom is probably smiling down from heaven, getting a good laugh at how far I've come from the teenager who didn't like to mow the yard on a riding lawn mower, let alone grow plants! 

Every year, my garden gets bigger and bigger. My interests get more complex, more varied. I subscribed to probably a million blogs and magazines, watch all the gardening shows and plot my next project. 

My husband is an enabler. And even though he doesn't LOVE to dig holes and build rock walls and divide and transplant, he goes along with all my schemes. He even bought me a beautiful garden journal for my birthday, to enable me further. He also lets me drag home every little half dead plant from the clearance shelf at Lowe's so I can try to save it. Bless his heart, he loves me!

I'm even hoping to take the Master Gardener course at my local extension office this fall. I want to volunteer and help others have beautiful gardens and maybe even help start a community garden. It's serious stuff, people! 

This year I had a hard time shaking off the winter blahs to get off on a strong foot. I didn't plan as well as I should have, spring took forever to get here, then it rained a ton, and finally it's almost September and we are just now in the 90's temp wise. It's not been a good year for veggies at my house. Everything has taken forever to produce fruit or bloom, and now it's so hot and dry, the plants just aren't performing the way they have before. I'm a bit bummed to have small, meager harvests, but I'm hopeful too. Next year is right around the corner. Yes, my gardens are winding down for this year, but with next year comes a new layout, new seeds, new plans, and hope for better weather, bigger blooms, more fruits and veggies. I'm convinced gardening is a lesson in hope. I like it that way. I may have a meager little harvest this year, but I love the potential for next year. My garden takes a LOT of work, even if it doesn't do very well sometimes, like this year, but every moment I spend in it molds me into an optimist, always hoping. 

What does your garden do for you?

Today's little harvest of tomatoes, okra, and peppers. 

I thought of pulling all my struggling tomatoes, but instead I had hope they'd fruit. And they have. Now I just wait for them to ripen. 

A small harvest from a few weeks ago - this year was better than last year for zucchini. I just know next year will be even better!

Our garden at the beginning of the season. We've come a long way already!