Living In The Sticks

Got no check books, got no banks.

Still I'd like to express my thanks -

I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

~ Irving Berlin - from Annie Get Your Gun

I'm thankful for being retired up here in the mountains.

Iphoto is being weird today and hiding the photos I took today in yesterdays group and leaving today's date group blank. By the time I found out what happened I had already loaded some other photos from days gone by. I think the date thing got messed up when I charged the battery. This is another lookout view. I'd like to see some snow on those mountain tops in the distance soon.

I like gate pictures. There is something about gate, path or road photos that capture my imagination and bring back memories. I've made up a few stories about them. Sometimes I think that bloggers are writers at heart and blogging is a way to soothe the need to create.

I took this photo this morning after another light rain. I was trying to capture how the rain had caused the leaves to reflect their true colors instead of the dusty brown I usually see. Lots of pine show up in this photo, but the oaks are there. They are just way taller than the pines. I cut out most of the underbrush and still need to carry away fallen branches. I'll do that when they stop falling out of the trees.

Kristine brought home a big bag of organic chicken feed that will hopefully provide better nutrition for the molting hens and help them grow their feathers back. The organic feed is over twice the cost of the regular lay we usually buy. The feed store must have just started carrying the organic feed because we have asked for it before. Hope the chickens like the new feed. The instructions recommend feeding only the organic feed. So, we'll try that and see how it works.

[4 eggs today]

Their pumpkin is in small pieces.

Smiles

~:>

Loafing

It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly

unless one has plenty of work to do.

~ Jerome K. Jerome

I'm grateful for rest, time-off, relaxing, fun, me-time.

It rained a little bit last night, but not enough to get the deck wet under the trees and it didn't even get the chicken feed damp. It was a cold, damp day and stuff was still falling out of the trees. So, with that as an excuse I took the day off and stayed inside, played on the computer and made stew. And I have to add that knowing I have lots of stuff to do and not doing any of it did add to the loafing experience.

Later in the day I heard a bunch of thud type noises I thought were either more stuff hitting the roof or the stew was doing something strange on the stove. When I went to check, I found a chicken pecking away at bits of carrot ends I had tossed on the porch with the peelings. Noisy little hen. Morgan was interested too. Don't know if she actually ate any carrots. Maybe?

I took my camera with me when I went to unlock the gate for Kristine and was happy to see that some of the trees actually had some color. We haven't had a frost yet so this is a surprise. There is a new layer of leaves covering everything. I don't think even half the leaves have fallen.

Today when I made stew I added lentils to all the regular ingredients. I used one cup and cooked them before I added the lentils along with the water I cooked them in to the stew. Kristine loves lentils and I have to say that they made the stew thicker and I like the lentil flavor. Next time I would like to add the uncooked lentils to the stew and see how that works. I know I will have to check on it more often to make sure the lentils don't soak up all the liquid. Don't want burned stew. More photos of my easy wood stove beef stew.

Kristine brought home two loaves of French bread yesterday, so I didn't make biscuits. A lady Kristine knows was given a lot of loaves and she gave two to Kristine. Good thing I didn't buy bread.

[1 egg today]

Smiles

~:>

Treasure For Some

For a short time we lived quietly.

But this could not last.

White men had found gold in the mountains...

~ Chief Joseph

I am grateful for the mountains.

Took this photo from my favorite lookout spot on the way home from the dentist. The rain seems to be passing us by headed east somewhere. I love these mountains and yes there is gold out there. I often think about the Indian tribes who lived here and who lost their homes. It looks so peaceful now and there was so much sorrow. I don't think people would have bothered the Indians so soon if not for the gold. But they would have come for the timber eventually. Well, then there were new diseases, the bigoted, and the religious who came to save them and ended up wiping them out. The Indians didn't have much of a chance.

I tried to train a climbing rose to cover the ladder, but I don't think there is enough sun and the rose is barely growing leaves. So, I'm going to cut the rose bush back, clean off the ladder and train the ivy to cover the ladder. At least I know the ivy can grow there under the huge pine tree. I'm glad the ivy is covering the top of the fence. I want a green wall. The oak leaves are finally getting some color.

Chickens in the woods.

Two Light Brahmas, two Australorps, an Orpington

and I think that is a Wyandotte back there

or it could be another Australorp.

PS ~ I have no idea how many people read this bog or if they ever look on the sidebar and check out the blogs I read. But, there is a blogger (Chickens In The Road) who could use some votes to get a job she really wants and needs. Here's why. It would only take a click to help make her dream come true. Click Vote here to go to the page to vote.

[3 eggs today]

Low on chicken feed. No corn.

Smiles

~:>

Mending Fence

I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us as we go.

~ Robert Frost - Mending Wall

I'm grateful for good neighbors.

Kristine let Morgan out this morning before she fed her and Morgan was gone. Kristine called her. I called her. No Morgan. Finally Kristine had to leave for work and I went out walking the fence line calling and looking for Morgan. I thought maybe a tree had fallen and knocked the fence down and Morgan had left for parts unknown. As I was walking and checking the fence I noticed several places where the barbed wire was loose or broken. Eventually, I found Morgan staring up at the tops of some trees. Entranced. Wonder what was up there? She doesn't miss breakfast for squirrels. And she was quiet. Not one bark.

Later I hauled some tools out to the fence to do some repair work and Kristine came by with the chicken killer. Lucky is Tom's dog. After the chicken incident, Lucky spends most of his time inside with Tom. We used to let him run around when the chickens were locked up, but he went over the fence one day and went after my neighbors goats. So that was the end of that. Inside! I would need an eight foot anchor fence to keep that dog on the property. As it says in the poem Mending Wall, "Good fences make good neighbours."

My brother built this fence and had to put extra supports in the area shown in the photo because at that time there were people around here who would drive their cars through peoples fences. The area around here is pretty much fenced now and there are even some paved roads, so there haven't been anymore cars smashing the fence down. Now I just have to worry about the trees falling on the fence. Well, there was the time a bunch of horses got loose in a storm and knocked the back fence down. You never know.

When I was a kid I lived in an area that had stone fences that had been built it was said by the Chinese. I don't know about that, but I loved the stone fences that ran over the rolling hills not following the new barbed wire fence lines. I always wondered about the early farmers and their adventures settling the countryside. Did they hire the Chinese or were the Chinese the settlers? Lots of gold mining in that area too with huge hills of dirt and rock all over the place from hydraulic mining. The poem above is about neighbors mending a stone fence. I always wanted to build a rock wall. Never had any rock. I guess those farmers plowed up lots of rocks. Why not make fences? I've got lots of leaves. I could make wreaths?

I had to take a photo of one of the Light Brahmas new pin feathers growing out on her neck. These Brahmas are hopefully going to have all new feathers in time for winter.

[3 eggs today]

Tom collected the eggs. Yea!

Smiles

~:>

Home Alone

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

William Blake - Auguries of Innocence

I'm grateful for my sight.

I have lost a bit in one eye, but that makes me even more thankful.

Tom has gone down the mountain to provide transportation for his Mom. Kristine got hit in the head with a branch falling from a tree. She forgot to wear the hard hat while walking the dog. She's OK. I had a nice quiet restful day. I listened to the latest chapter of Alexander McCall Smith's book, "The Dog Who Came In From The Cold." I read, did laundry and house stuff. Then I watched Castle, Dancing With The Stars and listened to some astronomy lectures on iTunes. The three Light Brahmas are now all molting. Bad timing.

[1 egg today]

At least the broody Wyandotte got out of the nest box today.

Smiles

~:>

Novel Tax

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

~ Marcel Proust

I'm thankful for friends past, present and future.

Doggies too.

Morgan is such a sweet dog.

Today and most of last night I spent reading the new Dan Brown book, Lost Symbol. Once I got started I couldn't put it down. Well, I finally did to get a little sleep and then started up reading again this morning and missed breakfast and lunch. This is a photo from yesterday's search for November photos. I like the play of light and shadows in the picture. Reading can be taxing!

[no eggs]

Smiles

~:>

My Treasures

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~ Thornton Wilder

This month I'm going to think of things I am grateful for and list one on the blog everyday.

Living in the forest is a treasure.

Today I walked around trying to find some November photos, but things haven't changed very much from October. More leaves have fallen and we got some rain, but things look much the same. I love the crisp cool air. I really enjoy Autumn.

This photo is for my brother and Sandy to show them how much the ivy has grown and covered the fence here in the front and pretty much all the way around the side. You planted a great ivy!

This is the broody Wyandotte. Sheesh! I wish she would give up her efforts to hatch eggs. Today when I checked under her I found two wooden eggs. I moved one over to the right for the photo where it belongs. She had moved it. Poor hen. No chicks.

This is the smaller planter box.

I took the day off and didn't work in the garden.

The bigger planter box.

I checked online for information about putting chicken wire down to keep out the gophers before I put in the dirt. That seems to be a good idea. While I was searching around I found a lot of information about squirrels tearing up planter boxes, either burying nuts and/or eating the vegetables. Some blame the squirrels interest on the type of soil put in the box because it is easy to dig holes in so the squirrels attack. I may have to build some kind of chicken wire cage if the squirrels become a problem. Kristine says not to worry. Let's just see what happens. Sounds good to me. But, I think I will line the bottom with small chicken wire.

Talked to Kathleen today! She said this is going to be a weekly call. How great is that!

And she said she is going to send me some photos

of Tristan, Rhiannon and Jaidan

in their Halloween costumes!

So I can post them.

[2 eggs today]

Now two Light Brahmas are molting!

Smiles

~:>

Happy Halloween!

Some of the chickens came up on the porch in hopes

of getting some of the pumpkin brains and to watch Kristine.

But then just as I was going to take a lot of photos Morgan showed up.

And she shooed the chickens away. Morgan wants her dinner not pumpkin.

Cute!

This year Kristine made a smiley face pumpkin.

One year she made a dragon that went all around the pumpkin.

But we couldn't find a camera and there are no photos.

TaDa! And here they are in all their splintery wonder. My planter boxes are actually together. Well, to be truthful each board has only one nail on each end. Tomorrow I need to drill some more holes and use the power screw driver and put in a bunch of screws to hold the boxes together securely. Also, since there is still a lot of wood laying around I think I will look around and see if I can't build something else in the garden. Then I won't have to haul it away.

Kristine brought home pizza for dinner. Yea!

[3 eggs today]

Boo!

Smiles

~:>

Kristine will carve the pumpkin when she gets home and I'll post a photo of it and a photo of how far I have gotten building planter boxes. The other night she carved the apple with her teeth. Pretty cute! An apple pumpkin. Well, the battery for the drill finally charged and I have no more excuses. Back to work.

Help! I'm Surrounded By Lumber!

Looking at all this lumber I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Yikes! What have I got myself into. Maybe I should have started making a small planter box instead of this big thing. Well, one step at a time will hopefully get me there. That's what I tell myself anyway. First I measured and cut the corner posts. Then I measured and cut the rest of the wood.

Big box cut and ready to assemble.

All cut except for the corner posts for the small box.

Then I took a break and went to see where the chickens were and found them digging holes looking for good things to eat. When I started to take this photo the Wyandotte was scratching around in the hole to the left, but when she saw the Orpington eating something she scurried over to share in the goodness. Opportunist!

I did try to finish the box before I ran out of daylight, but I finally had to call it quits. Just two more boards on this side and then I can start putting the other box together. I should know and plan for everything taking longer than I think it will. I think I will cut some wood to cover the corner posts and I need to remember to find the level. I wonder if I should level the box or leave it on the slope. I'll have to measure and see what the difference looks like.

Kristine came home and told me to quit. Of course I did what she said. She even made dinner. When I came in, she had hot dogs and the fixings all ready. How 'bout that! Such a deal! She's a treasure! Called my brother and Sandy and wished them a Happy Birthday! Then I tried to talk them into making a blog. I'm so bad. They could make some awesome posts about life in the desert with some terrific photos. And Sandy could make wonderful posts about her stained glass work and her great recipes. She is a great cook!

[3 eggs today]

One in the morning for breakfast.

The other two were in time for dinner.

Smiles

~:>

Tricky Chickens

Spent most of the day looking for and carrying wood. The wood I moved the other day and stacked under the tree turned out to be mostly too short. I finally found enough pieces to put together some boxes. By the time I got all the lumber assembled I decided to wait until tomorrow to do the measuring and cutting. I'll look around some more tomorrow and see if I can find anymore long boards. I'd like the sides to be higher. And I'll need the miter saw. I don't know how long my saber saw will hold out cutting this thick wood.

Ah ha! Those chickens were being sneaky and eating out the pumpkin from the back side. Every time I came to check I only saw the front and the little holes I made. This is a funny face. A one eyed smiley pumpkin. Silly chickens. They tricked me!

[3 eggs today]

Smiles

~:>

Brick Puzzle

Setting the bricks is like putting together a big puzzle. To lay bricks correctly you are supposed to use builder sand and compact and level the surface, etc. I'm not going for perfect. This is an old place and I'm going for an old weathered uneven look. After the bricks are down, I shoveled some dirt on top and worked it into the spaces between the bricks by hand and with the broom. I would use sand if I had any. I found a break in the chicken wire in the corner and fixed it so the critter that ate my rose bushes can't get in that way again.

All done. I will need to repeat this dirt step several times after it rains until the cracks fill up. I moved that white brick around to mark where the sunshine stops. The sun is higher in the summer so I think the sun will shine on all the area in the box. The sun has to make its way through and past a lot of trees. Some of this area gets morning sun when the sun gets high enough to shine over the roof. The rest of the time it is shining through trees.

One planter box seems like a good idea, so why not two?

I dug up the green stuff and moved it to places that were bare. Tomorrow I can start the fun part and get out my power tools and start cutting wood. I enjoyed moving the bricks around.

[1 egg today]

The chickens haven't eaten hardly any of the pumpkin.

Kristine and I are going to get our hair cut tomorrow.

Smiles

~:>

Wind and Water Advisory

Plans changed overnight because of a Wind Advisory (winds over 40 miles an hour) and that oak tree in the middle of the photo. We also got an Advisory that our water was going to be shut off for maintenance.

Yesterday I hauled and stacked scrap wood under that tall scraggly old oak. The problem is that the tree has lots of dead limbs that fall and I don't want to be in harms way, so I didn't build planter boxes today. I wish the wind would knock all the dead stuff down. I don't hear or pay much attention to the branches hitting the house in the daytime, but Kristine says the noise the stuff makes has been making it hard for her to sleep.

Instead I worked in the green garden and pulled up bricks that I had laid a few years ago and made a place to build a planter box. Morgan came by every now and then to eat grass, for ear rubs and to check on me. She would stay for a while and then she would be off to check on the chickens and squirrels and other doggie stuff.

When we moved here my brother had grass on either side of a path of bricks. I didn't want to care for the grass and bricked most of it over. I also built the little deck area out of scrap wood. It's not pretty, but it works as an entrance to a storage building we call the spa house. My brother built it to house a hot tub so the family could use it in the winter. We use the building to hold stuff. Stuff that needs to be sorted through and got rid of. That's another project.

I got this far and quit to make dinner. Morgan is curious about what I'm doing and sniffs around when I pull up the bricks. I think she thinks I'm looking for something. I'm going to lay the bricks in the area behind where they are stacked. I'll do that before I start on the planters. The windy conditions are supposed to ease up for sure by Thursday. I lost most of the day to a migraine. All my fault because I ate a steak covered in all kinds of spices. Bad me.

The water is going to be turned off tomorrow so they can work on the lines. I filled two containers with water and put them in the refrigerator. I filled a pot with water for the chicken's waterer. I filled the tea kettle. And then I filled the bathtub with water to use to fill the toilet tank, so we can flush the toilet.

Happiness is being able to flush the toilet! I remember when we were building a house and finally got the water hooked up to the toilet. Wow! I could flush the toilet. Before, I would have to run up and down the stairs to turn the hose on and off to fill the tank. I remember flushing the toilet a bunch of times just for fun. Simple things. Such a joy!

[4 eggs today]

The chickens ate a little bit on the pumpkin.

Smiles

~:>

New Project

Morgan is waiting by the door to the little abandoned garden because I shut some chickens in there so they could churn up the leaves and find good things to eat. She will wait there for a while and then she will circle the area. She doesn't like having her chickens out of reach. The chickens haven't been in that area for years. Neither have I. One of my projects for this winter is to make some planter box areas and get this ready for spring planting. Also I need to clean out the greenhouse and fix it up.

Today I went searching around on the property for scrap wood and found enough to make some planter boxes. I even found some 4x4's for the corners. Tomorrow I will look over the different size widths and lengths of the boards and try and figure out what I can make. Hauling all the wood to one location was enough for me today. The wood is laid out at the top middle of the photo.

I have some herbs growing in the small fenced area. Herbs seem to be the only thing that will grow in the crummy soil. If I have enough wood I will cut some planter boxes and move the cut wood inside the fenced area and assemble them there. I tried to grow some vegetables here once, but the soil was too poor and they didn't grow.

I was surprised the chickens didn't break into the pumpkin. There wasn't a mark on it, so I got the garden scissors and poked a lot of holes. Maybe the chickens are tired of pumpkin? Kristine brought home a big pumpkin that she will carve. Tom went down the mountain to town for dog food and to get groceries. Kristine survived her midterm exam. I made her a steak to celebrate.

[4 eggs today]

I counted tonight, there are still 18 hens.

Smiles

~:>

Checking On Stuff

Tom emptied out the wood shed so he could fill it completely with the wood he is stacking. Seeing the bale of straw sitting outside along with other boxes, bags of kindling and stuff. I thought I would top off the chicken's nest boxes with a fresh layer of straw. The broody Wyandotte seems to like the new cushy place she has made. Morgan just wonders what I'm up to and if perhaps there might be anything to eat. Treats are always welcome. I tied up the leftover straw and put it on the barrel where it will be handy when needed. I've given up putting the chicken feed in the barrel at night. I didn't notice any difference in the feed level.

I went through my photo library looking for a picture of the big tree that went down a few years ago, but no luck. This tree went down before we moved here and is so big it is still here next to the hole it left when it fell. It was fortunate that this tree fell in the opposite direction from the house. Today when I was walking around I took photos of some of the tree stumps on the property. I like the looks of stumps, especially the ones that have weathered and have taken on interesting shapes. One of them even has a little tree growing out of it. That's another post.

Tom got the chickens a new pumpkin! I set it down next to the dregs of their old pumpkin in hopes that they would get the idea and work at opening this pumpkin on their own. We don't let Morgan out early because she will bark at squirrels or something she thinks needs barking at and we don't want to bother any neighbors who want or need to sleep. Morgan and the chickens don't get outside until ten or later. So, I like to have something that will interest the chickens and keep them busy. Hopefully, the pumpkin will be a puzzle they will crack.

Kristine has been studying for a test tomorrow, Tom watched football and stacked wood, and I didn't get any painting done. I think I will build a planter box tomorrow. I've got lots of projects that are waiting, kitchen projects, quilting, etc. I'll save the quilting for cold winter days.

[5 eggs today]

I put twelve wooden eggs in the nests.

Smiles

~:>