New Garden residents & Zentangle treasure

I'm back & finally settled into routine after the moving trip of my little brother & sister in law. Some of my plants were dead but thankfully nothing like it was when I left The Captain in charge of the seedlings a few years ago. The mass of my herbs are dead with a few holding on. Hopefully by planting them yesterday, they will be rejuvenated and thrive. The garden, as I have mentioned before, has been mulched with wood chips. The fight of the weeds is in yet another year of experimentation. I know, your thinking that whole nitrogen robbing thought as many do when I mention the wood chips. Have a look at this site which is my reason to give it a go*.

I left a few spots bare for the purpose of direct seeding, leaving FAR less space which will need my attention. The spot closest to you in the picture, with the 2x4 barrier is the flower space, just in front of the Potter Shed.

Speaking of the Potter Shed, have I mentioned a Robin built her nest in there on the Garden hoe? Oh yes, I believe I had mentioned it just recently. For 2 days after the nest was spotted, we had rain & cold. Surely the Robin would not lay her eggs in that short of a time... But I was wrong. So ALL work on the Potter shed roof and door as well as the painting of the interior has been put on hold long enough for Mother Robin to raise her chicks.

As you can see, she is rather protective and watchful over the Potter shed. There simply is not a solution I can deal with that would prevent me from disrupting her off the nest. I take breaks from the garden every 30 minutes to ensure she can get back in there as well as when I see she comes back with worms hanging from her beak, I leave the area so she can feed the babes. I had hoped she would become accustom to my presence and not be such a nervous Nelly every time I would be working in the garden. Instead she yells at me from every fence corner to the shed rooftop, flitting between the Bentwood arbor and the expanse of the wide open grass just beyond the pickets. Silly Bird. Or is it more like silly human...

Mama Robin is perched on the middle temporary roof beam, above, on the Potter shed I made.

Another new Garden resident is this little songstress who has belted out such charming calls, I can not help but hope he or she stays. I have seen it coming & going from the shabby coffee can house as well as bring what I can only guess is a mate. I'm not too knowledgeable on bird species but from what I was able to find as a possible match, this may be a Winter Wren ,{correct me if I'm wrong. I truly would like to know the variety}. For Winter Wrens, In their life, they have just one mate. The male finds nest locations and the female will choose amongst them her preference. I saw her visiting this nest last Sunday. I'm not sure if she has chosen it or not but this other bird has been bringing little twigs to insert into the hole. At times, it becomes comical watching it try to fit them in through the hole when the only obvious solution is to NOT clench it the beak sideways.

Before I go, I must share a most treasured gift I have received. My Mother in law has been enjoying the hobby of what is called Zentangle. Panda quickly picked up the art herself and both have been enjoying workshops and time together with this new passion. Now, I must explain WHY this gift is even more special. On this very shelf, I desired something of my 3 wee ones to be framed. I thought I might take them out & do a photo session for the perfect shot to be framed & placed in this very spot. Then, to my astonishment, I opened this Mother's Day gift and could not have been happier. It is the PERFECT piece to go in the spot I had long contemplated filling. I will treasure this for a lifetime.

Obviously, It is a tracing of each child's hand and filled with the art of Zentangle. You may wonder, What exactly is Zentangle? This site**link will be far more helpful then I could explain.

Be sure to have a look around the site linked above. Zentangle is such a beautiful form of ink work. I for one, could never sit still long enough to produce such pieces.

As you can also see from the photo, my Rugosa Roses are in bloom. I am not able to identify it's exact variety name but they are a hybrid. A mix of Rugosa with another Rose Variety, the parent for it's multi petal form. Which ever variety it may be, it has a scent I wish I could fill the air with all day long. Thankfully, they are a continuous bloom rose I can enjoy up into the Fall.

There is mention of Rain in the forecast for Wednesday so I have been rushing about to get so much done after being away for so long. Yet I feel I am running out of things I can do by myself. I can only recruit The Captain on the weekends for jobs that need more muscle then I can provide. I do believe I am hitting a lull in my daily amusements. 

I am sure it will not take long for me to find something to get into, being I flit amongst my interests like a field of flowers to a butterfly.. For the time being, I wish you the best of...

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

Spring heat has the Unusual Farmchick at play!

Weekend Tidbits:
Baby chicks could care less for the silkie hen. They care for themselves very well and free range between the chicken pen and our garden. Still small enough to fit through the fence holes. They stay close between the two, but I have to admit I like hearing their little talk of peeps as they scratch for bugs while I am in the garden.

These two almost pullets are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together, drink together.
Now I just need a Delware roo to breed with this gal and bring back my population of Delawares. I am hoping by next year to have around 10 Delaware hens from a pairing. And more chicks to start selling on the local craigslist.

Little man's Teeter totter/see saw is finished with it's second layer of cement. Yes, you are seeing it right. Someone must have played around the tire while still wet and it has cemented crooked- plus the top board will not fit now...Why? Why does this always seem to happen? I knew I should have put that board in place while it was wet...But I was afraid the kids would try it out before fully dry. Double jeopardy gets me every time. I will see what I can do to make it work, if not then it will be back to the beginning...

Panda's Peace sign greens are growing great. We are putting a mesculan lettuce seed in the background if I do not find a red lettuce tomorrow to plant in it.

What a mess I left! I have sunburn on my sunburn and just did not have it in me to clean up after planting everything into the garden....

The Garden pond is set up for future inhabitants and the sound is just wonderful to hear while around the Hill top garden. The solar fountain we purchased must be returned. It will work for under 5 seconds before no more water flow. You can hear the engine running, but no water flowing out the top. I brought up the electrical one and have an extension cord lying across the yard, from the house, so0 we have water being pumped. The kids brought back some blue gill babies after fishing with Daddy.

Panda planted her garden full of Heirloom tomatoes. Her sugar pea's have grown to about 3 inches.

The Fairy/toad log is home to a tree frog and a garter snake.
The Yarrow patch is bigger beautiful as the logs front lawn!

The Kits are beginning to grow fur!

So now that it will cool down some, i need to get covers for the plants. Things were getting too leggy under the grow lights and had to be hardened off and planted. They could not wait and I would never of had enough containers for transplanting 6 flats of cell tray seedlings.
I still have Rattlesnake pole beans, sunflowers, bush beans, bush squash, more herbs, and of course the 4 blueberry bushes which should arrive in the next 24 hours.
Think I may be a bit over Zealous in the garden this year? Nah... What excess is planted of veggies and fruits will supply the Produce stand. Money which will buy the new camera or help in cost of a new computer.
Now if I could just get a back hoe to help in the solar pit...
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

Rambling about changes

The Fall of 2003 project

Do not let these sun filled days fool you! Cold weather is here and despite the great urge to play outside, the inside of the house is calling. There are walls to be painted- every wall in the house actually. Floors to be tiled, along with a certain little boys room which needs carpet laid -since in a recent fit I ripped it up after discovering the dogs and said little boy were having- dare i say it- a pissing contest!
So while the homestead on the outside sleeps, the inside must get a reawakening.
I started the walls back in 2003. Yes 4 years ago. The kitchen and dining room have that 80's style wall board with a floral print on it. I filled every single line notch on every wall which took 3 days which then required the sanding that took 2 days to do then a month to clean up from doing it.

I have not accomplished much more then those walls since our purchase of our home. Other then ripping out carpets and painting, I have only messed with the outside and looking back at pictures from that first year, I have to say I like the way it looked before the barnyard on our hill.

Now I bring this all up because this house will go on the market this coming Spring. I have tried to view everything about this place from an outsider view. I have realized, I am a rarity. There really are not alot of people who would want the animals or have used the property as we have that would pay the price we need and am told this place is worth. Changes must be made and spaces opened up once again.
I think the old chicken coop/ goat house/ back to a chicken coop has to go. Along with all my perimeter fencing. I must focus more on the resale of this home no matter what it takes. I will not get rid of my girls but may need to cut down on the hens. All of last years spring chickens except the turkens, must go. I may try to offer them with Mr. Echo in the Spring. I know, I know- what about Clyde?! No way am I getting rid of my Clyde! I will cut back to 2 roosters and 3 hens and then cross my fingers that the "slow" turken hen will go broody for the start up of a turken flock as we had hoped for before all the other chicks were umm played to death with by dear old Jack.... That leaves Captain Feather Sword and Turken for the roos. Then for the hens we will keep our 4 year old hens Fletcher and Dr Seuss plus keep the young turken hen.
All of the animals will be kept in the goat cabin come Spring and share a run. I will put a small covered corner box for the hens to lay in and goats to lay on- preventing the eggs from being smashed plus put an old wood ladder in there for night time roosting. Lots of other changes will be made but despite my downsizing, I will NOT go without my gardens.
That reminds me,I need to build some compost bins for that big mound out there. I am sure it would give a more tidy appearance to any potential buyers. Just the idea of having to appear like we do not live here gets me all hyped up. The Captain and I, 3 kids with only 1 of school age, 2 dogs of 2 extreme difference in size, 2 goats with babies on the way, 5 chickens and a Muscovy drake all live in this house with a first floor being 1,120 square feet with a walkout basement being of the same sq. footage plus the property of 1.18 acres. I need to keep all of this clean and great looking for any potentials who drive by or for that spur of the moment call by the realtor.
Yep. Sounds like a ball of laughs to me.
I seem to have left out a tidbit. The captain is looking to get a promotion which involves a relocation to Hagerstown Maryland. (its on the east coast of the U.S) So I have been trying to look around just over the borders in W.V & Pennsylvania for ideas on where we should look for land and build a home. Haggerstown is within 20 miles of both of those state borders so we could live in which ever we like. But it seems prices there are not any better then here as I had hoped.
Frog has finally nursed herself to sleep so I am off to do my night time cleaning.
Sweet dreams
~Tammie