Blue Moon

Feeling sleepless and ponderous. I pontificate so many things - maybe it is time I journal again.

The log pile grows

And the wood rush begins

Baby is always happy to help.

Wild Maine Blueberry Jam!

6 big ones for us, and 6 little ones for gifts! Yummo!

Red Raspberry Jam

Made from raspberries from Mount Desert Island!

Saturday Sandwich

And a surprise one at that! I turn 40 on Monday, and SP surprised me this morning with a getaway adventure weekend to Bar Harbor! I awoke to this, my mother arriving to care for the kids, and my truck packed including our bikes and kayaks! I will be kayaking to and island for the night on my birthday! Bring it 40 - I am ready!

One big happy family

El gato Hermano loves the chickens. They all have names now too! The matriarch Boa, the brown Aurucana is Turkey, then there is Willow Returned, and last but not least, the runt, Martha Stewart!
:)

Strawberry Jam

That first pint went awfully fast but at least I have a start on my gift giving!

My Forester

I love him in chaps!

Thank goodness for game cameras

Why yes thats a whole family of raccoons pushing under the chicken wire around our coop. Grr

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

A good start on my summer canning!

Squirrels in the Hen house?

I have a response!

Red Neck Eye Spy

By the way, it's a pellet gun for the squirrels harassing the poultry feed.

Sustainable Wood

They have a great childhood

They have space.

First tomato on the vine

Is an Oregon Spring

New chicken feeder

I like the lines of feed.

Beauty in Ice

Look at the bubbles suspended in this icicle! Beautiful!

Moose Tracks?

Could these be moose?

My leg warmer

I think I might have a future in making hockey socks :D

My First Baby Blanket

Kilroy was here. Can't wait to meet you beautiful Ruby!

Convertible chicken coop

I have been meaning to put these photos up for a while, but sadly I am a negligent blogger. When we moved the chicken coop into the garage for the winter, I begged SP to help make an easier way to clean it out because it was screwed down to a pallet so no critters could get in. SP is a genius. My life is so much easier! And what a great reuse of our old baby gate!

My girl

This is my daughter Pickle, aka Pickle in the middle, after Hockey practice.
Don't you just dig the outfit? lol

Eggs left after New years

Before Christmas arrived, we had a least 3 dozen plus eggs. The we had two large influxes of house guests for the holidaze. :D

We had this many eggs remaining once all our guests left.

Then there were this many

We are so lucky that the two little ladies are still laying! We are getting two a day!

Pulling splinters from my nail

Sang to the tune of the Squeeze song... OUCH!

My first mittens

Happy Birthday little Miss Boots! Loads of love to the new family!

A few of my favorite things

This winter we have a new wood stove in the basement and it is by far one of my favorite additions to the house. It provides radiant heat to the first floor. By adding essential oils to the pot of water on top I also now have a wonderful smelling house too! All those hats and mittens get dry, toasty warm, and smell nice to boot!


SP was also a genius to create a wood cart for the basement out of old apple crates. I love reusing things and making our lives more sustainable! He pulls that puppy up to the inside of the Bilco doors and then dumps two or three wheelbarrows full of wood down the stairs and into the cart. This genius cart makes loading wood into the basement not only easier but a heck of a lot less messy! LOVE! It also just occured to me that this is the last of the wood from the tree girdling project we did a few years ago. Visit those posts here, here, or here! Oh wait here
or here too!

But my favorite part of this? Having Puckstopper old enough, strong enough, and big enough to help out. Thanks Puckstopper! You are a huge help around here! XO

Saturday Sandwich

A run on baby hats

This means there are multiple babies being born. Welcome to the world Jordan! Can't wait to meet you. Now if only Dario and Bambina would make their appearance! Great job Moms!

Squirrel and Chicken Fighting at birdfeeder.

One day we will get video of this entertaining rural adventure.

The squirrel stare down and posturing at the approaching waddlers is quite comical. I need a better camera.