Crafty Fun

Today our curriculum instructed Katie to tape some pretty leaves to the page. 

She suggested a scavenger hunt for unique leaves that extended past our property.  I thought that was a great idea and a good excuse to gather materials for the wreath I had been planning to make.  

So we hopped in the car and took a ride down our gravel roads where I remembered seeing bright colored leaves. 

The landscape is beautiful in Texas, any season.  Oh but Fall is so pretty.  The weather is like spring.  Cool nights.  Perfect days.  Beautiful scenery.  

These were her favorite leaves

Here's all the leaves she collected

After finishing the school leaf collecting, we started hunting for wreath branches.  We came upon the most glorious mesquite tree.  It was as if heaven opened it's clouds and directed the sunlight onto this tree!  We trimmed some branches and then wondered if we collected enough.  So we trimmed some more.  and more.  

We got a little carried away. The tree is still standing. barely. :)  


So here is our cast of characters for wreath making.  

First: the meat of the wreath (we also collected some wild flowers to put in a vase) 

Second: a coat hanger

Third: Thread

Fourth: Helper (Katie) and Audience (well, I don't recommend the audience but in this case we had lots of helpers wanting to participate.) 

Katie, Ginger, and Grace.  (We got wire out thinking we could use instead of string.  it was too thick)  

Charlie 

Bend the hanger into a circle. 

Last, arrange the branches on the hanger.  Tie them onto the hanger with thread. Yes, this takes patience.  Do a couple of layers.  And wha-la...you have a wreath.  

Finished product.  Smells goooood!

See how cheap and easy?  





"All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3

Chicken Run

Yesterday, while doing school, we let the chickens free range unsupervised for quite sometime.

Yep, I think you know where this is going.

We went outside to discover our flock had gone onto our neighbors property.  Not too bad.  We have cool neighbors.  So off to their property we went.

Well, lately our method of herding the chickens into the coop has been to lure them with treats.  We say, "Here chicky chicky"  and shake the scratch grain bowl.  Usually, it will grab their attention.  Then you drop a big pile.  They come running. They peck until there's no more. Then you hansel and gretel them with a trail of goodies back to the coop.  We probably spend an average of 30 mins or less on this process daily.

Yesterday.  Well.

"Here chicky chicky"  shaking the bowl said I.

"Chirp chirp" said the crickets while the hens stared at me.

"Here chicky chicky" shaking the bowl harder and harder.

"Chirp chirp" said the crickets and the hens stare became more blank.

They didn't budge.  No they didn't.

I noticed the rooster wasn't with the flock. I scanned the area.

Behind our house is a seasonal creek which is a steep drop off with overgrown brush and downed trees.  It's kinda no mans land.  Okay, let me rephrase...no woman's land.  My husband likes to explore.

Anyhooo, there the rooster was.  In no woman's land.  A 5ft horse fence between us two. I called him, shook the bowl.  He tried several times to walk through the fence.  I knew it would be a long afternoon.

"Okay, let's gather the ladies."  I told Katie.

Chickens will run from you.  So as long as you are "chasing" them (just a slow walk will cause them to run) in the direction you want them to go, you're good.  Occasionally they will drift off in the wrong direction.  Katie and I will grab long sticks and come up alongside their right or left and direct them by blocking the wrong direction.

Well, when the rooster saw us from behind the fence herding the ladies, he cried out to them.  His cry was causing them to become bold and run toward me (and him) into no woman's land.  Realizing we could possibly loose the whole flock, we decided to step up the rescue effort. We blocked them off, cornered them into a fenced area, and tossed them over the fence into our property one by one. We guided the hens back into the coop and focused on the rooster rescue.

And of course, the rooster was no where to be found when we returned!  I would call "Here chicky chicky" and he would "Cock a doodle dooooo" back but was far off into the woods at this point.  We walked the fence tirelessly shaking the treat bowl.

Eventually, we gave it up.  We try to have the motto that "The strong will survive out here" but it's hard to embrace that motto.  So we gave in because we couldn't relax with Mr. Rooster out there somewhere. We got in the car to drive the property lines around the vacant acres and acres of no woman's land. We weren't out too long when we spotted Mr Rooster:

Well, Hello Mr. Rooster.

  No.  We didn't scold the rooster.  That's the old me without Jesus. :) Did I imaging choking him just a little?  Yes.

I said in my sweet voice," Oh, Mr. Rooster, where have you been?  We missed you so much."  (This is where my husband usually says, "Honey, are you talking to the animals?")

Katie ran back to the house to get the treat bowl.  And again we heard crickets.  So guess what?  I went into no woman's land...just a tad.  And we herded up the rooster and attempted to guide him back the loooooong way.  He was not happy to comply.

He was so mad at the hens when he got back in!  He grunted and flapped at them...They all cleared away.  We gave him some grains.  The ladies didn't dare touch them!  This might be the day he moves into chicken manhood.  Any other day, the ladies pick on him.  (Honey, you can be so proud now.  The dog finally lifts his leg to pee and the rooster is crowing and bossing the ladies around.  You've done a fine job.)

Back in the coop

That was so fun, can't wait to do it all over again. 

The Chicken Whisperers Lacey and Katie

"The chicken was running so fast that we couldn't find where it was.  And then we found him a little far from our property.  I shook the bowl, he didn't like to come back. So we pretty much ended up LOL trying to chase him all over and then he began to go toward the road. We had to capture him and then we led him back all the way to his nice home. Though he didn't like it.  The end." ~Katie (7 years old)


  

The Prodigal Kitty

 



When talk of buying a house with land began, we all discussed some goals and ideas of what we wanted in a property. Katie didn't care too much about square footage or land size...it was mostly, "Can we have a kitty?"  Well, if any of you have a little girl, that subject really never dies! 

 

We agreed to a kitty.

 

Our farmer offered to give us some spare kitties running around her farm, but as timing was a concern, they grew older and became too wild to catch.  So one day, my husband called us and told me to load up and come over to his work.  He surprised us with a batch of baby kitties being raised by the guys in the body shop at work.  As we beheld the sweet kitties, my husband said " They haven't seen the mom in about 3 days. The guys have been feeding them. Ya'll pick one."  Of course, I picked up the black little runt.  Just a tiny little thing!  Katie found a sweet little fluffy grey one!  We snuggled the kitties and looked over at Jeramey and he said, "Ok, Ok, you girls can get both!" 

 

 

Ginger (grey) and Grace (runt-black) The day we brought them home. 

 

We took the kitties straight to the vet who said they looked to be about 4-5 weeks and in good health.  So we kept them inside until they were old enough to protect themselves.  We tortured them with sweet hugs, dress ups, and pretend grocery store runs. :)

 

Grace (left) has never really been into snuggling.  Ginger (right) is a snuggle queen.  :)

 

The black kitty (runt) we named Grace and the grey kitty we named Ginger. Wherever Ginger goes, Grace is sure to follow!  If Ginger gets far from Grace, Grace will cry and whine until Ginger hears her and comes back. It's really odd that Grace has such a need for Ginger because she really isn't the cuddling type.  She's pretty busy!  

 

The first night we sent them to live outside, they spent the majority of the time with their tails all fluffed up...sensing danger all around.  But as time passed, they began to feel at home on the porch.  Our sweet dog Charlie is a blue heeler, so he is continually herding them up! Grace has no fear of him, barely even acknowledges his existence...and oddly enough, Charlie leaves her alone.

 

One morning, Charlie was out of his pen.  Grace was outside whining and crying.  There was no sign of Ginger.  This was not normal at all.  If she hears the door open, she runs to us! So we went searching high and low all afternoon into the night.  We walked the property looking and calling "Ginger" with Grace tagging along kitty calling Ginger too! We checked everywhere. She wasn't hiding in shed, under house, or in the vehicles...We checked nearby properties, had the neighbors check in their garage and pool.  Still nothing.  

 

My husband asked me to bring Grace in when we went to bed to make sure she didn't go off to look for Ginger.  So we did.  She howled and moaned and cried in the house for Ginger.  Around midnight, I went outside because I thought of one place that I didn't check.  So I checked with no success. I did one last call for Ginger. And here she came....running up to me!  I woke Katie up and we rejoiced.  Katie cried while she held her.  She said a prayer, "God, I prayed for you to find Ginger like more than 10 times.  Thank you for bringing her home."

 



 

 

 

 

Here they are the next morning. Grace is not letting Ginger out of her sight!

 

"Ginger had been lost for a long time.  Mommy woke me up and I found her.  And I hugged her tight into my arms...smiling so happy. Especially she is a sweet cat. Ginger is my best and favorite kitty...but also Grace too.  As you can see, she's not letting her go away. Good news is, we found her!" ~Katie



"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."  Proverbs 12:10

Egg-citing News!



We got our very first egg!  I would have never egg-spected to feel so excited-like a little kid!

Yes, Katie enjoyed it too :)

 

The neatest part about all this is watching the chickens and learning their behavior. These chickens are not domestic...at all.  The only chicken that will let us touch her voluntarily is a young pullet (pullet=female-not laying).  So whenever we enter the coop, they run and hide under the nesting boxes.  From what we could tell, none of the hens or pullets had touched the nesting boxes .  The day before we got our first egg, we noticed one of the older pullets resting in the nest.  I touched her and she didn't budge.  I nudged her a little and she stood for me...but no egg!  After I walked off, she cackled loudly and passionately...as to get the point across!  I expected to see our first egg by morning.  And there it was!   

Here she is!

 
 "For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" Psalms 128:2