Life with chickens........

Ethel

     I came home from a very nice day with my mother in law, husband and son to find that my chicken Ethel was in quite a state. She had somehow managed to be seated on one whole egg, and one egg that was crushed. She either crushed it herself or she was protecting the egg from being eaten. Also, she's molting so she's already a half plucked mess. Either way, she was nearly stuck to her nesting box and covered in goo.

     Being the highly intelligent chicken owner that I am I figured I could hose her off while still in my cute day out outfit. Have you ever tried to hose off a chicken? Me either. Now I know that it's not only a bad idea but quite messy as well. Picture this if you will. Me in a cute outfit, holding a chicken who is flapping her wings and doing everything to escape while my husband wields the hose. Egg goo, shell, chicken crap and the like are flying all over us. My husband is looking at me like "really? we really needed to do this now?" Yep, good idea Alexis.

Cute outfit

     So, now that I'm inside, have showered with scalding water and rubbed my skin till it was raw, I can reflect back and realize that chickens and hoses do not mix. Instead of an outfit post today you get to see the reality post. The outfit heaped on the floor. Skirt- blue linen from Target, tee shirt- Target, red sweater- Macy's, learning that a dirty chicken is best left to her own devices- priceless.

DIY by theft.....

     I'm a big fan of Pinterest. Someone wasn't lying when they said "Pinterest is just digital hoarding." Why yes, yes it is. I can keep my house clutter free and clean and hoard the heck out of my Pinterest boards. I'm especially drawn to the DIY pins as well as DIY blogs and websites. However, one thing has been seriously irking me. It might even make you laugh. I'm really tired of seeing all the projects done with STOLEN paint chip samples.

     You may be thinking, "Oh, those aren't stolen, they are free." No, you are wrong. Let me explain. The paint chips are for those seriously considering purchasing paint. Picking them up to make cards, wall art, and scrapbooking punches is not the manufacturers intended purpose. "But, I've bought that paint in the past." That's nice, but justification just doesn't work. It's stealing. The worst part is, it is going to raise the cost of already pretty darn expensive paint.

     I'm sure many of you won't agree with me. You are probably justifying your stolen chips this very minute. Regardless, I just had to rant. Let's be really creative and find ways to DIY with items we either A. legitimately got for free (think roadside or from a friend) or that B. we purchased in thrifty ways. Those Ikea spice rack book shelves? Genius! The artwork with heating up crayons? So cool! So, don't stop being creative. You inspire me. Just don't inspire me to shoplift!

**This post is meant to be humorous. If you are taking offense it's probably because you are remembering that drawer full of paint chip samples with a titch of guilt.

Titus- 9 weeks

     Titus has settled into a routine at our house. He has quickly learned to use the stairs both open and closed, up and down. He is doing well on his potty training, though he still has a ways to go. He is learning what is his stuff and what is ours and seems determined that more should be his.

     In the beginning we are somewhat limited with where we can go with Titus and what activities we can engage in. So, we are mostly working at home. Working on stairs, going potty on leash, heeling (we have a long way to go here) and learning his name are the priorities here at this point. We want Titus to come when called and this week that has been our key focus. His reward is a lot of praise and extra time to play. The more he follows the rules, plays nicely with others and comes when called the more rewards he reaps.

     I will stress that it's not easy raising a guide dog, much like raising any puppy is not easy. I have to remind myself often that he has a greater purpose. When I'm tired or a tad frustrated I go look at my fridge and see Moxie with his graduate and then I'm reminded exactly why we are doing this. This is especially helpful when Titus needs to go out at 6am.

In the garden....

     Things in the garden are finally getting going. We had a late start this year what with snow in June and our lack of adequate space to grow seeds. However, now that things are off and running I'm sure the harvest days are fast approaching.



     Our tomatoes are getting big and already showing some ripening beauties. The grape vine has finally reached the arch in our arbor and can now be trained across. I can't wait to see this covered in grape vines one day. The peas have grown up and out of their 4' wire cages and next year I'll be sure to make taller cages as these guys are going to be mega producers.

What is growing well in your garden?

Yard sale woes......

     Yesterday, on the way to a birthday party, I passed by a yard sale. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the cutest little vintage child's rocker. However, good conscience won out as I didn't want to be late to the party. Later, when we left, the yard sale was all closed up. A part of me wanted to door knock to see if the rocker was still there but that felt a bit stalkerish obsessive creepy. So, instead, I kicked myself all the way home for having missed out on a would be gem.

     This morning the loss of the item was still present. Keeping in mind I didn't even know the asking price, or if the item had sold I figured it wouldn't hurt to do a little drive by before church. So, packed in the car and with Mr. Rural and Little Rural in their suits and ties off we went. As any person who loves antiques and garage saleing knows, you should always buy what you love when you see it. In this case, the item was gone. There was no more yard sale.

     Now I am on the hunt for a super cute little vintage child's chair, preferable a rocker, for the little girl's room we are setting up. I figure I'll remember next time that if I see a good garage sale it is always better to take a moment and stop.

   

Day trip- California Science Center

     Today Mr. Rural, little rural and I ventured off the mountain and into the depths of Los Angeles to visit the California Science Center. The best part about this place is, it's free. We learned about space, the environment, the human body and so much more. I think little rural had a great time!

     After we took in our fill of the science center we visited the famed rose garden across the street. It was hot and the garden had been watered so we didn't last too long in the humidity. However, we'll definitely be headed back again. Last, for lunch, we went to the famous Philippe's for some french dip sandwiches and 75 cent lemonade. Overall a fun family day!

The case of the missing eggs....

     Mr. Rural and I have been short a few eggs of late. Okay, truth be told, we've been short almost all of our eggs. With six chickens and a mild summer we should be getting about six eggs a day. We've been getting maybe one. My first instinct is that something is wrong with the girls. They need more snacks, they need more cans of tuna and leftovers. The poor girls are probably just hungry. After a couple weeks where the chickens were eating better than we were I started to get a tad suspicious.

     Next step, an egg hunt. Mr. Rural and I grabbed our flashlights (his is much cooler than mine. a whole other story) and crept out of the house after the hens were abed. We crouched low, we moved the few objects in the chicken yard, we even checked the neighbors yard. Mr. Rural saved my life pulling me away from a giant black widow who was just waiting to prey on me. It was an adventure, but alas, no eggs.

the culprit

     I threw up my hands. I consulted the internet. I read my chicken manuals and scoured the chicken keeper forums. Surely there must be a medication or supplement the girls were needing that I wasn't giving them. I was feeling like a pretty bad chicken mom. Then, I came out into the yard one day when I heard the all too familiar egg song and............ I found Dorothy eating an egg (cue the duh duh duh music)! The chicken mystery is solved. Or, at least I think she has been causing the problems. Now it's golf balls in the nest box, then mustard filled blown out eggs. We'll try to cure her of her horrible new habit, rehabilitate her if you will (we all know how well it works with inmates), but if she can't be fixed we'll be fixing her into a stew.

     Any advice you'd like to offer by all means post it below.

Getting comfortable in your zone......

Rose of Sharon

     Today we took our new guide dog puppy to his first training class at the school. Afterwards we were able to visit one of my favorite nurseries where I wandered around as happy as a bee. One of the best ways to learn about new items for your zone is to simply ask an experienced nursery professional. That is exactly what I did today when I wanted something purple, flowering and with some size.

Lavender

     I came home armed with a list of potential new items for the front yard along with a nicely size Minerva Rose of Sharon. This hibiscus like flowering shrub can grow to nine feet and has amazing purple flowers. A quick trip to Trader Joes yielded a fragrant and nicely sized lavender for just $5.99. We are trying to stick to yellows, reds and purples for the front.


     Tomorrow we'll try and plant these beauties and work on adding the lighting to the front. It's a very slow process on a very limited budget but the yard is coming together. What projects are you working on?

Front yard makeover- step one

     We don't have a lot of time this weekend to work on the yard. However, we managed to slip in a little time this morning to outline our new walkway and get started. Step one was clearing up all the rocks and then lining the new, more creative, pathway with bricks.

Here is a before- Pretty boring and too much rock

After with the new pathway

I can't wait to add fountain grass, lavender, sweet broom and a lot more colorful plants. Next up we'll be putting in the pathway lights. Other plans include an arbor in that corner, and a dry creek bed way off to the side.

Some things you just have to say out loud.....

     The thing about blogging is you never know how personal you should get. Do you tell everything? Only a partial list about your life? I figure the really big stuff should be documented because my readers are my friends, my family and a support system for me. This week's big news; my husband and I are pursuing adopting a child.

     The first things I've learned about adopting through the county is it's a bit daunting and a little scary too. We have literally no idea how long the process will take and if/when we might get a placement. We understand we'll be asked a boatload of questions about what we could or couldn't handle. Still, we are complete novices when it comes to adoption. I am fortunate to have a sister in law who's been through this, just last year in fact, who can help guide us along and be our cheering section when things are slower than we'd like.

     Being the DIY girl that I am I'd love to tear into our office and get going transforming the space into a little child's space. However, the process is going to be undoubtedly long so I'm mass pinning on Pinterest trying to refrain. We know for sure that we'd like to adopt a little girl making our own little guy a big brother. He's just as excited as we are.

     So, fellow bloggers, family, friends and readers this is my big share. Of course add your tips to the comments section. Or, if you too are curious, stick with me because I'll be detailing what goes on along the way. The best way to move forward is with a positive big step so we're stepping forward and giving this all a go!

Tomato sprouting inside....

     Today I was prepared to play gourmet chef and try an amazing grilled cheese sandwich recipe I found here. I cut up the tomatoes I had on hand (organic from Sprouts) and was surprised to find piles of sprouts inside! Now, this didn't just appear in one tomato but in all three.

     The tomatoes were in good shape, not rotten, but I decided to feed the lot to the chickens. I've read that this can happen in about 1 in 10,000 tomatoes but I was still too creeped out to eat these beauties. The chickens had far fewer reservations. Other items on the chickens menu today included 1 cantaloupe that was sadly under ripened, a handful of grapes that were starting to lose their luster, a pile of strawberry tops and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese that was the end of the package. Yep, the girls are pretty happy!

Graduation Day- Moxie

Moxie in his big boy harness

Titus

Gandhi said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Today, as we watched Moxie interact with his new owner we were overjoyed that we were able to play a small part in someone else's life. We are proud of Moxie and know that he is off to a great life. We are also excited to start the next chapter as we begin to work with Titus.

Introducing Titus- Guide Dogs of America puppy number three

     Today was puppy pick up day at GDA. We came home with our newest family member, Titus, a seven month old yellow lab. Titus is one of seven litter mates, 5 boys, 2 girls. I can already tell he's full of spunk! I think I finally got him tired enough to sleep for a few minutes so I can write this blog post. Wow, I'd forgotten how much work puppies can be.

     We are often asked, "how can you give up a puppy you've raised for 18 months?" The truth is, for us, it's not a tough decision. These dogs have a greater path in life than merely being pets. To give us further determination to see yet another puppy through to the end we are fortunate enough to be going to see Moxie (GDA puppy #2) graduate on Sunday. This will give us just the push we need to get over these very trying first days home with Titus.

     Welcome home Titus. We have some serious work to do!

Back from Minnesota..... Moxie update

     I'm back from a fabulous wedding in Minnesota. The weather was great until it was time to go home and then it was pretty darn hot and humid. I got to do a little bit of antiquing while I was there and found a really beautiful signed and dated (1908) watercolor. I think this week I'll work on researching the artist!

     I received news on Moxie as I was about to board the plane and....... HE'S GRADUATING! Moxie is now officially a working guide dog. Hooray! We pick up our new guide dog puppy in training on Friday and graduation is on Sunday. How very exciting. Now I just have to prepare a short speech. Eek.