Chicken Updates

The 1 month olds-group shot


Katherine, an EE


Fiona, a BG & Clara, a BR

and the 3 month olds



group shot

Celeste, a GLW and Charlotte a RS


Louise, a LB and Harriet, a SLW


another group shot--I give them grass clippings weekly to forage in. I also give them every table scrap for treats. They love it!!!

Making Jello

I feel like I need to post something, anything, but I really don't have the gumption to do so. Am I running out on the joy of blogging?!, Maybe. Am I learning to chill, without any really great insights, thoughts, or need to share my personal life on a blog?! Maybe. This summer has been all about making jello (which by the way I dislike--the real thing that is, not this analogy) Have I lost you yet? LOL

For my summers I try to plan some huge outings, somewhere, anywhere, for the the last few years it has been Haiti. I thought I may be going this summer, to pick up Mim... it probably won't be happening for awhile, so we are making jello...you know, how right after you mix all the ingredients together you have to let it set in the refrigerator to allow the mixture to form chemical bonds that can't be broken, no matter how hard you shake it. Well, that is what we are doing...forming long lasting chemical bonds between Tuks, Ve and me, so that no matter how hard we may be shaken in the future, the bonds can't be broken...so here we sit all summer in the fridge bonding. Not too exciting, but definitely necessary.

Our Cup Runneth Over

Last week Saturday I was diagnosed with Lyme's disease. Within hours of starting the antibiotics I entered into a state of delirious h@@@. I was cognitive enough to meet the girls needs, but mainly I was laid out flat with a TREMENDOUS headache along with the chills and fevers. It wasn't until I broke the fever by wrapping myself in blankets and sweatshirts, 6 hours later, that I started feeling better. The whole time the girls played along side of me. I was MORE than impressed and gained a lot more appreciation for my two daughters for how understanding they were. Each day over this past week I have gained my strength back and all is back to normal again. WHEW!!! Let's just say Lyme's' disease sucks!!!! and BIG Thank you to my friend W for taking the girls for a few hours on Sunday so that I can rest. It is always nice to know one has friends that can be counted on in a pinch.

I included a few photos from our past week.


The five baby Phoebe's last week in their nest before fledgling during mid-week. I am always surprised that the nest holds them as long as it does.


The girls working and playing together..very cute to watch


New flowers are blooming

in the different gardens

and a trip to a local waterfall with their cousin N on a cool day.


posing for the camera


the trio



climbing on the rocks


some scenery

goofy pose


a surprise visit to a ice cream shop


yum, yum...they slept all the way home

A Thousand Words

I love pictures!

I don't feel the need to apologize about a post with only pictures as I have seen on others blogs. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. I also like to focus on the positive rather than the negative. I'm not saying it is wrong to focus or talk on the negative, it just that is it not my style--too often that is. Getting real as I have read in various blog spheres can be good and real just as easily as it can be bad and real...hope that makes sense.

I could write many posts on the fact that Ve, still after nearly seven months has only had a handful of dry nights, or I could go on about the fact that even though her first Giardia test was negative, the three after, with two episodes of treatments she is still positive for it and now we have to see a Infectious Disease Specialists. Tuks is negative, Thank God!!!

I could also talk on and on about how I have been working quite intensively with Ve about lying and truth telling, even though she may get into trouble. Or even how when I make a instruction extremely clear, she continues to try and walk over, under, around and through that boundary. I see millimeter improvements daily, so I keep on keeping on.

I could also blog about the fact that I don't understand the problems with Mim's file and why whenever I call M, she isn't available....EVER!!! I am becoming suspicious about it.

Instead I focus on the fact that the girls are bonded tightly as sisters, and if you didn't know that they hadn't been together since birth, you would never be able to
tell by watching them. They are as tight as any two sisters could be, in the good way and bad way, LOL, and I like to take pictures to share with the girls every day. So enjoy our happy canoe ride from today, our happy summer moments as I post them and our week old baby chicks, because I sure do, and it helps navigating thru all the other issues.



Kiki, Alley (his dog) and the girls checking out the river.

Dancing and splashing



The mud bar was the absolutely THE BEST!!

Goofing off with Mama


Goofing off with Kiki & Alley


The cutie patooties


AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

The new girls arrived today

Katherine and Gemima the 2 Easter Eggers (Americana), Fiona and Agnes the 2 Jersey Giants, Myrtle the Buff Orpington, and Clara the Barrred Rock

Great way to start the day

getting ready to


go with R, W, R, Z & E to band Osprey.


R would position the ladder in the canoe to check the nest for any activity.

There was none



on three different nest sites that we checked with them. We saw parent birds, but no young





but since this is the way when doing wildlife research, we enjoyed ourselves anyway, by taking pictures of water lilies


the scenery


and our crew (minus me since I was taking the picture). It was Ve's first canoe outing and she did very well. We plan to go again later in the week.

Strawberries, Motorcycles and Horses, Oh My!!

The weekend of the 4th turned into quite a whirl of activity. Initially we had only planned to attend my brother's function at his house to celebrate the 4th, BUT, then...my friend T called on Friday and came up from a town several hours south of my home town. Once she arrived we visited my friend P, who lives on a 6 acre farmette about 20 minutes away. They have several horses, chickens etc., P saddled up Gracie (the horse) I hopped on and gave each of the girls a ride. They both loved it. It was the third time Tuks has been riding a horse, but it was Ve's first. They enjoyed riding with me too. My friend P took pictures, so once she sends them to me I will post the pixs.

We stayed for a yummy supper, so we arrived home extremely late, way past the girls bedtime.

So Saturday, we still got up early, but with two very crabby girls and one crabby Mama. We had a lazy morning, and I put the girls down for a early nap, but about 1 hour into it Kiki came for a surprise visit, the girls came downstairs, and we had a nice Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch with ice cream, Kiki stayed until 4:00pmish, the time we had to take off and pick up Grandma, and go to my brother's house 45 minutes away..

Girls all ready for the 4th celebration

Having fun giggling with Kiki and Hubble


Me and the girls


horse back riding Kiki



times two

practicing their T-ball at my brothers


motorcycling ride with Uncle W. Helmets on, going around the block at only 5mph...


times two----one of the highlights of the day for them

This was another very late night.

Then Sunday morning, we all slept in late...we didn't get up until 9:00am...our usual time is 6:30am. But we managed to pull it together and go strawberry picking with Kiki for several hours. OK....now are you ready for this, I ignorantly picked 48 lbs of strawberries for our house hold. So you can imagine what I have been working on the last two days.

first time picking


filling their buckets, the girls did really well considering their age, attention span., etc.,



My 48 lbs plus Kiki's 13 lbs, equals 61 lbs of strawberries...WOW

Then later, after their naps, and my fixing strawberries we attended a bluegrass band at our local 4th of July celebration.

Girls dancing


eating


and kicking their heels up with Kiki.

A wonderful, wonderful weekend overall spent with family and friends...who could ask for more?!