Happening these days in and around the purple house

(Thanks for the good gear, Tim and Eric!)

(look familiar, Jules?)

(Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem doing songs from "Ranky Tanky"--a current fave)

(Julie, once we'd talked about it, it had to be done immediately!)

RIP, Rosie

Today we are mourning the loss of our beloved chicken, Rosie. When I went out to feed the chickens this morning, large dog footprints led to a gruesome scene. I am so, so sad, and full of guilt for not having better protected her.

Chickens in the garden; shoo, chickens, shoo!

I just went out to shoo the chickens out of our new "garden" (containers on the driveway). I brought my camera along, because I keep forgetting to photograph this garden. The chickens had destroyed the box of chamomile, but everything else survived.

Miscellaneous pots and containers. See the pile of abandoned leaves we never managed to remove this spring? That's what invited the chicken-scratching trouble.

Full of vines that are going to need support soon.

The box that started it all. It's this great old trough-type thing I got at a barn sale once, and have tried to plant before near the house, with little success. Newly-drilled drainage holes and a new spot on this driveway, and it's now full of happy-looking bean plants. Once it was in the driveway, all lonely and small-looking, it needed some company.

I'm happy with my new labels. So far, everything I've tried has become illegible over the summer. But this time I used my new-favorite paint pens (thanks, Carol!) on some beach rocks, and so far, so good!

Returning to the chicken coop, I found no eggs for the day. Uh, oh. What other trouble have you ladies been up to today?

Found them in the herb garden, in the trampled echinacea. Oh, well. I love them all the same.

Handybaby

Our chicken coop had fallen into a very bad state. (Excuse that "roof." It was "temporary" two years ago. Oops. And the lack of paint? "Temporary," too.) The skunks were getting in, so it was definitely time of some repair! Guess who was determined to get in on the action?

It took her about 3 minutes to figure out how to use a screwdriver.

And a measuring tape.

Working with her as our apprentice made it so much more bearable a task.

I was so inspired by finally, finally getting to this chore that had been weighing on me for too long, that I dug out two beloved riding toys that had broken and fixed them so that Lucy could have her chance to enjoy them. I'd gotten this Radio Flyer years and years ago, because I knew someday I'd like to share it with my baby. But all the other kids came first, and it broke. Now, it's her time at last.

And this? I was so sad when someone broke off one handle. But now it's all mended and ready for more play.

Not super creative work, but oh, so satisfying to have these things finished!

30 days of beauty, day 8: scenes from an "urban homestead"

Ok, so I don't really think we're quite deserving of that term, yet.
But I think we're well on our way.






(The sap you see boiling was canned today: a little more than a quart, so far.)

Back to regular posting soon; we're battling a nasty bug here. This time in the spring-y weather yesterday helped us on our path to wellness.

30 days of beauty: day 4

Ok, these 30 days don't have to be consecutive, but I've gone much too long! I've been sick and sleep deprived and February's been grey and it's been hard for me to see the beauty. But I'm feeling a bit better today and the sun is out and I decided to look until I found it.

Rosie, enjoying the sunshine and staying near--but not too near--to me and Lucy:



A bright spot in an otherwise dull garden:



Our garden girl, awaiting the summer:



And my very favorite: our new view of Lucy--holding our hand, wanting to walk with us everywhere.

Thaw!

It's a brilliant blue day, warm enough to go out in just a sweater. I've been really disappointed in the minimal snowfall so far this winter, but I can't complain about a break in the cold that's as lovely as this!

The ground has turned to mud and that meant the chicken coop was in desperate need of a clean-out. I had to chase the chickens out of the coop and into the sun (they're very timid about the snow).

They fluttered in a flurry of ineffective wings from muddy patch to muddy patch.



Slowly, they began to dare to step onto the snow.



They escaped cold toes by roosting in my neighbor's "rust garden."



But then Rosie dared to mince her way across the expanse of snow to the woods.





Where she goes, the others follow.



Now they're happily scratching and foraging in the sunny leaf mold under the trees. And I'm off to do more chores that will take me outside.

Basking in the sun

Weird as it feels to have a day in the 60s in December, it was just what we all needed today. Here are my two favorite images from a morning outside.

Night, night

All tucked in and ready for bed by 8:00 tonight. Just what this weary family needs.

Too tired for more than pictures