Chickens and Trees June 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Chickens and trees

Well this last weekend was quite busy. We were able to dig up some trees from some forest dwelling friends with some to spare. They are nice trees, bushy and healthy, we hope they live out here. There are 17 all together which puts up to about 45 trees outside of the garden area. We have planted all but 6, only one of those is a mature tree. The newer ones needing water are closer in so I can actually keep up with it. :) We also moved a huge pile of mulch and the front looks tons better now. The hedge row of New Mexican Privits is done and looks nice. Now on to fix up the beds after the winter of damage by rodents and the summer last year of neglect due to adoption! There are weeds glaore and overgrown plants. How does that happen in only one summer? Anyway, fun for me. I did one bed yesterday and today -- on to more. We do have our projects cut out for us. Dave fixed up the veg. garden beds and the girls pulled up all the rhubarb stalks to eat, we have too much and can't find enough people to give it too! If you live near, come get some asap!

Some other friends are moving and we now have their chickens! They are great. Olivia has "befriended" them and they really like her. She can pick up every one of them and they come to her. They are all named "fryer" or "rotisseree" so we can't let her get too attached. They lay about 7 eggs a day between them, some none, some many, they take turns. There are 7 chickens. Five Plymouth Rock Barred Chickens and Two Rhode Island Reds. They make such a nice sound, they are very loud and do not make the sound I thought chickens make. What do I know! They cackle and croon and cluck and whatever else they do...... It is really a nice sound. Dave made the yard for them out of some fencing from my parents and dug in some hardware cloth. The coop came with the chickens. It did not transport too well and a new one is now needed, but they like this one for now. :) We heard the coyotee pack in the Cherry Creek dry bed (headwaters are out our front door, but underground). They did not come close though, phew!

We also celebrated my daddy's birthday. It was a nice time and I am so blessed to have such a terrific dad to celebrate.

Wed. was our 14th wedding anniversary. We figured out we have known eachother 18 years. Nearly two decades. We get to go away this weekend to celebrate. It has been quite the year and we are blessed by the grace and goodness God has shown us in our lives which brings us closer to Him and to eachother. Without his strength this year would have a very different story to tell. Thanks be to God who works all things to his glory and good and blesses those who he loves and who he calls to follow him. I thank God for Dave.

The kids ended school well and we now have a 6th grader! Wowie, I don't think I ever really thought that would happen! And a 4th grader, how could she be so old already! And two preschoolers -one for one more year and the other for two more. When Phoebe goes to Jr. High Keds will go to Kindergarten. Call us crazy! We are happy for summer and time together to relax and play and do some yard work.

I counted this morning and I think we know of about 20 families in the area who have adopted from Ethiopia or are in some level of the process. I think we may have the need for a yearly get together. That is really exciting to us. We only knew of one when we started last year. Several friends out of town are also in the process and that is really fun for us to watch.

The boys have grown so much. They came to us in size 24 month and are now entering size 4! We are hoping to be finished with Giardia and Ring Worm soon. They are buggers to get rid of. The boys are speaking English and can communicate most things. The night before we got the chickens I was explaining to the boys about them. Kedus just did not understand and I got the idea that he had pictures of chicken nuggets with legs in his head. I said, coo-ka-loo's, which is what they called chickens in Ethiopia. The light went on in his eyes and he said, "Oh I like cookaloos!" He still refers to them as such. Chicken is what you eat, cookaloos are animals. Oh if he only knew. They also like eggs so much they ask if they made eggs every single day several times.

It has been raining for a few weeks now. We are about to get a big storm with heavy rainfall and damaging winds and hail. At least that is what is predicted. So, I had better finish this quick and get the computer shut off.