Chickens here!

It's been two weeks and loads of changes here in Paine Falls, more gardening than pottery the last two weeks.   Apologies to everyone I owe emails, phone calls and visits!!!!! 

 Enjoy the tour!

A flock of white crowned sparrows have shown up in the garden.  Along with gold finches, chipping sparrows, chickadees, rosebreasted grossbeaks.  The pair of baltimore orioles have returned to nest in the locust tree.  Yellow shafted flickers abound and even a few pileated woodpeckers this year.  The bird activity has been fantastic! 

Front beds are pretty showy at the moment.  

Clouds of midges have returned, don't mind too much as they are a sure sign Lake Erie is healthy again.  The night hawks are gorging nightly over head.

Don't mind the litter from the Cascade azalea.

Seems we are all hanging on by a thread these days.

Veggies are up!!  Eating lettuce by Friday I hope! 

Got a bit carried away with cabbage, kohl rabi and brussel sprouts! 

Electric fence is installed, both gardens this year! 

I have been walking around the old swing set for years.  Not wanting it to go the landfill I toyed with idea of a super trellis but then I always wanted chickens.  It took me a week but behold the chicken chalet, complete with ski slope!  I think it was easier to prepare for the birth of my children.  I could have bought the cute little chicken hutch from the Tractor Supply Store for $1100.00.  But no, I had to save a swing set and hey after many many many trips to the Home Depot lumber department and a personal relationship with lumber kid, the chalet only cost $549.00.  That did not include the chickens or their feed or gas or bandaids or time...... so much for my budget.  So much for free eggs.  I spent Mother's Day tightening it up to weather and varmits.  

Abby!  Home for the summer; how do you like your new room? 

The secret door where I will gather eggs.

Abby pointed out most Mom's and Daughters spend Mother's day getting manicures or going to the spa and we were bonding over the chicken coop.  Works for me!  Pretty sure I am banished from ever getting a manicure, in fact I am pretty sure I am on the wall of shame in the Very Fine Nail Salon.

And tomorrow we will be shingling! ( I need to YouTube how to hang shingles) 

 Now there is deep mother daughter bonding! 

High novice carpenter satisfaction here! 

Finishing touches were put together at 7 pm.

Best Mother's Day present ever!!  

The girls arrived at 10:30 pm!   Princess Lay-ah and Stewie.

I intended to get 4 chickens and came home with 10!  

I do not know how this happens but there is plenty of room.  

Standing in the street lights at E72nd in downtown Cleveland surrounded by asphalt, barking dogs, traffic and urban grit I was there to do a deal.  I slid the cash over the hood of my truck and I was given a large box and bag of stuff.  Yup, 10 chickens and a bag of organic feed.  I said; I'll take four.  He said; you're gonna want more, trust me.  I said; Really they're that good?  He said; you can't go wrong with more, you'll never even know you a few more.  I said:  OK, give me 10.  My other voice said;  Are you nuts, did you really just ask for 10?  I muzzled my other voice, hung my head in shame and loaded the box.  I drove away in the darkness, headed back to Paine Falls.  As I merged onto the freeway I looked at Abby and said:  How could you let me get 10?  She said;  I don't know, it happened so fast.  One minute you were sending me to the truck for the box and when I got back you were loading ten chickens.  Chicken madness and I need a program!   It used to be the place to pick up drugs and other illicit activities back in the day, now I was buying chickens, what has the world come too?  

 Blue Pike Farm. http://www.bluepikefarm.com/ 

Two varieties, Cuckoo Marens and Plymouth Rocks.  Cuckoo Marens, how appropriate for this place!  

I let them out this morning and they knew exactly what to do!   The girls will not be laying eggs until August, good because I still have nesting boxes to build.   I haven't put the tools away just yet as they need a run to move around the yard.  I am thinking Hab-i-trail like the hamster used to have, hey I wonder if they make a chicken ball?   The coop is right next to the compost pile, hoping this is a brilliant move but stay tuned to that one.

Headed to the studio this morning as I have a show looming on the horizon (4 weeks!!)  Still planting beans, cukes and squash.  But first I am dragging a chair out to the coop and having coffee with the Peeps........ after all I am the head Chick :) 

OH and did I mention I got into the American Craft Exposition in Chicago?   Happy Dance!!!!