All the Dogs...

Do you ever feel like something is missing in your life?  Like a void that needs filling?  I'm not ashamed to admit that I do, and more often than I would like.  After all, I'm only human and I feel all the feels that come with the wonderful things that happen in my life, as well as the feels that come along with the not so wonderful things.

In my twenties my void fillers tended to be spontaneous decisions that I had given zero thought to...Like the one time when I was 21..I had just broken up with my longtime boyfriend and my void filler was a brand new tattoo.  It was not a reminder of anything..other than sometimes I make really stupid decisions...I woke up the next morning like what in the heck did you just do to yourself...and then 10 years later I had it removed.  I don't have anything against tattoos...I actually think on some people they're pretty awesome..they just aren't for me.

Now that 40 is quickly approaching the desires to fill my voids have changed and have also become more expensive.  Like...buying land that now I am scratching my head about because I don't know what I want to do with it and I'm constantly second guessing myself after purchasing it and losing sleep wondering what I have gotten myself into..or the old Jeep that I am on the search for just to have a new toy, but they still don't cut it.  Those are just things.  Temporary things.  Thank goodness growing older for me also means growing wiser, and thinking about my decisions a little bit before I act on them...not to say that prevents me from making bad decisions, but at least there's more of a thought process put into it now that I'm a tad older and a little bit wiser...

One of the joys of growing older is that it teaches you that one of the best ways to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others

Recently, my void filling tool is dogs.  Like I want alll the dogs.  You know, because more responsibility on my already overflowing plate is exactly what I need, right?  Probably not, but dang it..a dog just makes your heart happy.

I already have three and they all compete for my attention,  I don't have enough hands to pet all of them at the same time so I'm usually rubbing on two of them with my hands and then another one with my elbow.  How would I even manage to love on a fourth one?  My other elbow?  My foot?  I mean, I guess it's possible. Winston would probably shun me if I brought another dog home anyway.  He was my only dog-child for a year until I got Brodie, and then my husband snuck a Great Dane into the picture without asking, so Winston basically started giving me the side eye smug look..which he still does from time to time because I ruined his only dog-child life by bringing the other two heathens (his words, not mine) into the house.  

 So, since I am pretending to be a responsible adult (most days), but most importantly a responsible pet owner (all days), I will wait until the right time to bring another one home. Which probably won't be anytime soon.  <insert pouting face here>.

  Meanwhile, I have been volunteering my time at our local animal shelter and loving on all the dogs that don't have homes.  It makes my day, but most importantly it makes theirs and that is the ultimate

void filler.  Our shelter is a kill shelter which breaks my heart, but it is what it is.  I blame irresponsible dog owners for overcrowding at the shelter and would really like to punch them all in the nose.  So going to the shelter and taking the dogs for walks, playing fetch, giving them all the love that I can for that day and getting them used to socializing will increase their chances of finding a new home. 

Although, at the end of my days spent there when I walk to each kennel and give each dog a pat on the head and a treat while telling them what a good boy or girl they are and that I love them...just really makes me want to open the kennel and say come on kids, you're coming home with me...They are so sweet and special and a day spent with them makes my emptiness seem minuscule compared to how they must feel.  

If you really want to receive joy and happiness, then serve others with all your heart.  Lifting their burdens will most definitely lighten yours.

xo

Carrie

Snake in the Coop

Well hey ya'll! It has been so long since I've written a post that I seriously had to click around a little bit on the ol' blogger home page to remind myself how to actually begin a post.  Apparently blogger has been updated in the last year.

I had such a great day today.  At one point during my day I had an lol moment, to myself, (imagine that) and I thought ohhh you should make a blog post tonight.  So, tada!!  My Spring break kicks off tomorrow, so it's the perfect time to unwind and tell a story.

Ahhhh...a break. I so need one.  I came home at the end of the day and just plopped down on the bed for 2.5 seconds before I had to get up again.  

We finally found land.  Eeek!!  Accidentally, stumbled upon this little gem.  It is considerably less acreage than what we originally set out to buy.  We looked at a tract on the same road twice in one day, and on the second trip we decided that we didn't like that one..

So after leaving that property I saw a for sale sign on the way out, and made Kyle turn around to go back and check it out.  I looked through my stack of listing print outs in my hand, but it wasn't in my search.  We parked outside the gate and walked up the long, winding driveway.  I stood at the top of the hill..looked around..couldn't believe my eyeballs..opened my mouth and said "this is it".  

I may have said that a few times while standing there.  I was so excited.  I had only said "this is it" one other time.  This spot is less than a mile from my other "this is it" place, so in a way I secretly had my heart set on that general area anyway.

(I got this shiny new gate for Christmas)

Kyle was ready to call our agent right then.  I was like wellll let's wait a minute. Let's look it up in my system at work and make sure it's legit.  So, we did..it was about 2 acres less than our minimum.  We were looking at tracts 5-50 acres..this one turned out to be 3.5.  So, I wanted to sleep on it..or stay up all night thinking about it..however you want to call it.  Think about it was basically all I did.  It was the only thing I could think about. 

I looked into it further, drove out there a few more times...I was so wishy washy because I was afraid I would regret not holding out for more land.  One weekend I printed 57 listings for of all of the areas we love, and decided that after we look at them, we will drive back out to this place and if we love it over all the other places, then we will make an offer.  

We left early in the morning.  Drove around to three different counties and even into another state, but none of them made my little heart skip a beat.  So, we went back out to the last one, one more time....and called the agent before we left.  

The next morning we signed the paperwork to make our offer official.  Eeeeek!!  And then it was rejected.  Three times.  We decided to give up...we had a set limit that we were not willing to go over so that was it. I wasn't going to get my little dream piece of land in the middle of the forest.

  A week or so later it was eating me up inside.  I couldn't stand it.  Having worked in the real estate field for over 20 years I already knew our last offer was more than it should have been..this guy must have thought a lot of his property because he was asking entirely too much for it. 

Somehow I convinced myself.. and then my husband to make one more..just one more offer - and that will really be the last offer.  And if he rejects it again, well then whatever..he's an idiot.  I justified our last offer because all of the utilities were already on site..which is rare for vacant land and it would be money we wouldn't have to worry about spending later on down the road...well, that plus I reallly wanted it.

I'm basically stubborn...if I really want something I don't give up that easily. 

So, another call to our agent.  I wasn't holding my breath.  The next day he called me at work.  Our offer was accepted!!  Yassss!!  My mouth dropped open. I couldn't believe it. Our agent couldn't believe it.  It is prefect you guys..and even though it's less acreage than I intended to buy we still have plenty of room to be able to do all of the things we planned to do with it from the start of our search.  It's wonderful, I love it, and it's mine.

We took our Great Dane out over the weekend and he loved it as much as we do.  

Moving on to my story....  Oh my gosh ya'll...so at the end of Summer last year Trey went to gather eggs...a few minutes later he ran inside and said "snake in the coop"!!  

Snake in the what??!!

This is my snake in the coop, face.  In case you were wondering.

He wasn't kidding.  He went back outside..with my phone and selfie stick (haha) and then came in to show me this.  All this meant for me was 1.  My egg collecting days are over, unless it's Winter. I'm not kidding.  and 2.  I died.  

There was a snake in my coop.  A big snake.  A big, HUGE snake that got in my coop from we still don't know where..or when...or how.  

Current situation is I'm making the same face pictured above, you just can't see me.

Trey is the snake wrangler.  I'm semi-proud/sometimes concerned that he's an adrenaline junky and is not afraid of anything, but do I wish he wouldn't man handle snakes in front of me.  

I basically died again.

  Ya'll..our nesting boxes are so high that little ol' 5'5" me has to stand on the bottom ledge of the fence to even see inside the nesting boxes...so ok..when the snake finally decided to exit the box...his head was already touching the ground and slithering away before his tail was even out of the box.  

I'm still making the face and I may have just died again.  I seriously can't even.

There you have it.  I died a thousand deaths..in one day.  And then again just now 3 more times.   I was thinking of this story today and it made me laugh.  1.  Because I'm moving to the woods..where snakes live.  How many times can one person die?  and 2.  Well, isn't number 1 enough? 

A friend at school was telling me that he saw a snake over the weekend, so obviously it's on my mind..

Every time I go in the coop or the run I cringe thinking a snake is watching me and is going to jump out and eat me alive...then I would die..again. But for real this time.

  

I just want my girls to be happy and safe and not have to worry about sharing their space with intruders.  My girls are proud of their eggs...just ask my neighbors..because they announce it to the world every time they lay one..and they definitely don't want to share them with sneaky slitheries.  Is that even a word?

Thanks for stopping by to read my ramblings.  I hope your weekend is as cool as you are!!

xo,

Carrie

Whatever Floats your Goat..

For someone that typically has a whole lot to say I definitely struggle lately with starting a new post.  It turns into a whole lot of staring at a blank page, shutting down the entire computer, then starting it back up ten minutes later because I have finally thought of something clever to write, only to end up staring at a blank page again..  But at least I can talk about my busy minded blank pages and actually use it as a good intro.  See what I did there?  That..is clever. Right?!

Can I just take a minute or two to talk about how adulting can be overrated, and how frustrating it is when you know what you want and you can't have it? Or in my case, can't find it.  I'm talking about my future farm.  About a month or so ago we finally found the one and only place that I have actually fallen in love with throughout the entire journey of our twoish year search.  I think we looked at 12 properties that day, and this was the last one because it was the furthest away.

A lot of properties we look at don't even warrant us getting out of the car.  It's frustrating how deceptive the Real Estate agents are with their photos.

This property was in a different town about an hour away from where we live now.  A rural farming community with a population of a little less than 4,000. As I stood there at the highest point of the property, I felt it.  This was it.  This was the one I've been waiting for.  I could envision exactly where I wanted my little Craftsman Farmhouse to be built.  I imagined my entire family coming over for Sunday dinner and me finally having enough room for all of them in one place. I loved the idea of the kids exploring our new place together. I couldn't wait to find out how magical it would be to watch the sun set for the first time. In my head I was already planning my first camping trip for after the closing just so I could sit in my chair all cozied up by a fire, filled with anticipation to watch the sun set and be awake in time to watch it rise again.  You guys know how much I love my sun rises and sun sets.  <3

As we walked the property nothing could wipe the smile off my face, or the warmth and joy I had in my heart.  On the way home we talked about all the places where we could put the chicken coop, and where to eventually build a barn/shop.  We talked about needing to build a lean-to right away to shelter what little equipment we already have.  I was so excited talking about where my garden and clothesline would go.  Not to mention expand my chicken family..I'm dying for a Lavender Orpington.  I am even open to eventually raising a few meat birds and harvesting them ourselves.  Gulp!  Trey talked about his tree stand, and Kyle couldn't wait to get a new tire for the M and get it out there with a bush hog to start cleaning it up.

Two days later we met with the lender at our bank.  A few more days later we found out that the land had restrictions. I think my mouth dropped to the floor and I had no words.  It was like the light in my heart was knocked out of me in an instant.  Who puts restrictions on a place in the middle of no where?  A place where literally your only neighbors on three sides of you are cows and behind you is a forest?  For the love of Nancy, I want cows for neighbors!!  This little gem, my dream come true..it was perfect, perfect, perfect....except it wasn't perfect for me..it wasn't perfect for the fact that they would not allow poultry, swine, sheep or goats.  Which is a deal breaker, because hellloo?!  We come as a package deal and this meant, no deal.

I cried my eyes out for a few days straight. The ugly cry for at least the first 24 hours.  My 16 year old consoled me while holding back his laughter because I was pretty much being an idiot grown baby adult crying about something I couldn't have.  And I swear if Kyle or Trey asked me one more time why I was crying, their light would have been knocked out too.  Really though, don't you hate it when you cry because you're crying because you knooow you're being an idiot?  Me too.

But seriously. Let's be real.  When you know what you want - you know what you want, and when you think you have finally found what you want, only to find out you really haven't found what you want, it does break your heart for a split second.

So, time marches on and we are back on the search again.  I'm still slightly recovering from my heart break so I haven't been obsessively looking every single day like before, only a few times a week. Although, I did find a fabulous place that was fabulous except for the house was the opposite of what we are looking for, which was pretty much an immediate no. Plus, I really really want to start from scratch and build it ourselves, so I'm easily turned off at finding something that already has a home on it, unless it's a cabin that we could live in while building.  But guys, this little house on the prairie came with a baby goat nursery. A. Baby. Goat. Nursery!  Talk about tugging at my maternal baby animal heartstrings.  Not to mention extremely dangerous for a gal like myself that could easily fall in love with baby goats to fill my baby goat nursery up with.   It also had a solar paneled chicken coop and the cutest little garden shed.  It was almost like it was meant to be mine.  Except it wasn't.  Annnd this is the story of my life lately. Ugh.  Heart. Breaker.  I could write a book, but for now this post will have to do.

Happy weekend, my friends!

xo
Carrie

Bottles of Wine and Barbed Wire...

So, I've been staring at a blank page for like an hour while also staring at Jimmy Kimmel's face on my television.  He is looking good with a beard.  Oh.  Hey...  My ADD is in full effect tonight and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm on my third glass of wine, which for those of you that know me, know that is the equivalent of an entire bottle.  Don't be judgy.  I'm on holiday.  And stuff like this happens on holiday..

I seem to have developed a pattern of only blogging at the beginning or end of a semester.  I have one final next Wednesday, then I'm done until January.  AND I graduate in May.  What the what!?  Sometimes I want to kick myself for not finishing school a long time ago, but the truth is that up until maybe a year ago, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up.  It was like adult purgatory.  Which is an extremely uneasy feeling.  Now that I have chosen my path I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Although I graduate in May, my intentions are to attend another University and after 3 semesters I will do my student teaching and then I'll have my BS in Ag Ed. Then more than likely I will press on and go for my Master's.  Because, why not?  I love what I am doing.  Like, absolutely love! I'm good at it, and it makes me seriously happy to wake up every morning to learn more about, and I absolutely cannot wait to teach it. It's super crazy looking back on all the things you didn't do in your life...the things you are always questioning while looking back on them, or wondering why they didn't happen.  Eventually, everything falls into place right where it is supposed to be, and then looking back it is crystal clear as to why those things are happening now, but didn't then.  Funny how that happens...  Tis a reason for everything..you just have to be patient I guess, and just let things fall into the right place..at the right time..  :-)

Ya'll!  My bestie moved.  What the heck.  It was bad enough that for the last 7-8-9 years she was like 800 miles away, but now she is like 2000+ miles away into a different time zone.  Which seriously sucks.  It does help that I never sleep so we get to chat a lot at night.  Before she moved we would always text first thing in the morning.  Now, I wake up in the morning, and I'm looking at my clock like hmmm..ok, she basically just went to sleep so now I have to wait half the day for her day to even begin.  Knowing for months leading up to the move we rarely talked about it (the move).  They weren't getting stationed where they wanted to be, so it was bad.  Lots of tension there.....It was something that rarely got brought up even though we all knew it was looming in the corners and was coming fast.  Bad.  Sad.  I was worried about them, I was worried that I would feel so far away from them that it was like she was in another country.  But, of course it doesn't.  We picked up right where we left off like we always do, and are excited to plan my trip to visit in the Spring.  It sucks when people you care about move far away.  Like why can't I go too?  If you have to, then so should I.  I can teach Ag anywhere!  On her road trip from Texas to Washington she sent me so many wonderful pictures.  I definitely traveled vicariously through them. Plus, she sent me spoons from just about every stop.  I love spoons!!  You know.  Like a little old lady with a spoon collection hanging on the wall.  Yep, that's me. I'm like a little old lady.  If someone goes on a trip and asks me what I would like...I want a spoon...a Christmas ornament and a bottle of wine. I'm easy to please. Please and thanks.  I can't wait to explore and be all touristy and stuff with one of my favorite people.  <3

All of my girls are laying now.
I think a day or two after my last blog Cora started laying her beautiful blue eggs.

and big shocker...she's still my favorite!  She is just so pretty and she absolutely adores me!  She constantly want so know where I am and what I'm doing.  I used this picture in a presentation I had to do in Animal Science where I had to discuss Poultry.  So basically...she's famous now.

Agnes got all hormonal and went broody on me a month or so back. I so wish I could have gotten my hands on some fertile eggs for her to hatch, but I don't need any more chickens than I have at the moment.  A lot of chicken keepers try to stop their girls from going broody because they stop laying during this time, or because they don't eat and drink like they should because their instincts are to protect their nest.  I read many articles on how to "break the broody" and then I decided, you know what..if this is what her body wants to do, then we are just going to roll with it.  We got her out of the box often just so she would move around and free range a bit, but we never prevented her from laying on her nest.  She would let us take her out of the box without a fight, but it wasn't too long before she disappeared and was right back on her nest.  We figured it would be about 21 days of broodiness and that was spot on.  Poor girl,  She wanted to be a Mama so bad.  So instead, I just let her be Winston's other Mama.  He doesn't seem to mind.  She can herd him in like cattle.  Those two are something else!

If I go inside they'll follow me to the back door and just wait for me.  I always hear something tapping, and when I go to look out this is what I see.  Hazel likes to knock (peck) on the back door and then pretend she didn't.  She's got jokes.

Wreath week has begun.  Actually it began last week, but I took a break for a few days because of my classes.  I'm basically already over it.  It's so exhausting and I just want a nap.  Plus I'm itchy.  I think I'm allergic.

Since I have to cut so much greenery for the wreaths (a pickup truck load makes maybe four) I tend to have to go to some random places.  One of the best places is along I-24, and just so I don't get spotted by a kidnapper I like to go in the back way..Which consists of climbing over old rusty barbed wire fences....  Wellll, last year I hit the same spot several times and one of those times on my way down the other side of the fence... I snagged my britches.  I remember thinking owww and reaching back to feel for a tear in my pants, but I couldn't tell because I had gloves on. I asked my friend if I had a hole in my pants?  She busted up laughing and couldn't even say anything.  She would stop laughing, try to speak, look at my rear again, and bust out laughing with tears.  I was laughing because she was laughing, and I didn't yet know why she was laughing.  Then I finally felt why she was laughing.  The barbed wire split the rear end of my pants from the very top.  To the very bottom. My entire right cheek was out there for all the kidnappers to see...We were laughing.  Crying.  Hunched over belly laughs...I was trying to cover my rear.  It was freezing cold and I was exposed...So, now..I take a ladder to put over the fence so that I don't get a scar to match the barb scar I currently have on my hiney.  Climbing barbed wire is clearly not my thing..

I'm a little more than half way done..I believe I have 9 left... but I need to hurry up because I'm sure people want their wreaths before Easter.  And I need to shop for Christmas presents.  I can't even tell you the last time I was in a store to buy something other than as needed every day essentials...I'm sure my family would appreciate it if I went to the grocery store.

Thank goodness for the internet...If I was a Transformer my name would definitely be Amazon Prime... That two day shipping will be convenient when I have to buy last minute Christmas gifts.

I love seeing my wreaths on my way in and out of my neighborhood.  They especially look beautiful at night with the spotlight on them.  During the day I have almost ended up in the ditch a few times when I'm leaving the neighborhood.  I can't help but stare..they really are pretty!

Speaking of my neighborhood...It only took ten years but they finally voted us yard of the month!!!  What!!!!!  I about flipped out when I came home Wednesday and the sign was in our yard.  Actually, I jumped out of the car to call Kyle and forgot I left my car running.  I did that once when I was a caller on GMA radio..I think this was before I met Robin Roberts in person, but I had just pulled into my office parking lot and was so excited that I was actually speaking to Robin that I jumped out of my car and forgot that it wasn't in park. Umm, so the first few seconds of our conversation was me freaking out because I was jumping back into my car to stop it and put in park.  Never a dull moment, folks.  We got yard of the month for having the best Fall decor in November.  Those Fall window boxes I did definitely paid off!

Well shoot, I know if Nicole texts me to tell me goodnight that it is way past bedtime, plus the wine is all gone... so I guess that means I should wrap this puppy up..

I hope your Friday is just as amazing as you are!! 

xo

Carrie

Who Needs a Tan Anyway..

Hey ya'll!!  It's been a while.  

I didn't realize since end of April, while, but you know...here I am now to pick up where I left off.  It's hard to believe that summer is almost over.

Blah blah.

I've been cranky the last few days, and I'd like to say it's because school is almost back in session, but in reality I'm seriously annoyed that I don't get to be a stay at home dog Mom forever.  Like for the rest of my life forever.

It's sad, right?!

Recently, I had some surgery and was out of commission for a few weeks.  Prior to surgery, in between freaking out because I was going to be put to sleep, which is odd considering sleeping is one of my favorite things to do..Never mind that I had a giant tumor, and would wake up minus an organ and who knows what else, but instead I was terrified about being put into a deep sleep with a tube down my throat.  Anyway, I was like woohoo I get an entire week off!!  A whole week off of cooking, cleaning, working, everaaything..I wouldn't have to lift a finger unless I wanted to...I'll get to organize my financial statements, pack a few boxes to declutter before we list the house, do a few blogs!  Yassss!!

Ummm. No.

I could barely keep my eyes open for the first week thanks to heavy narcotics that I was taking every four hours on the dot.  Then I tried to go back to work early the next Monday because I felt like they needed me there, and was quickly sent home and told not to return until the next Monday..Don't have to tell me twice.  It's all fun and games until someone loses an organ.  So, now that I am about 90% back to myself I am severely spoiled, and seriously depressed that my stay at home dog Mom days are over. Why?!  Why does it have to end!!  I have tears people, real tears!!  Even Brodie wants to know why!

I keep throwing out random suggestions to my Husband of fabulous ideas that he could be doing to supplement my income so I can stay home.  I can tell some of my genius ideas make his wheels spin, and then poof...it's gone in a flash.  A girl can dream..


The sisters have started laying eggs just in the last few weeks.  We have gathered well over two dozen by now.  It's like Christmas morning every time someone finds an egg.

Hazel is the smallest hen and lays the biggest eggs. She will run with her sisters, but she likes to explore on her own..I guess she is like her mama and marches to the beat of her own drum.  Nothing wrong with that, or talking to trees.  I don't think she gets that from me though..  ;-)  She likes to eat the bugs climbing the trees.

Stella is the only other sister that is laying at the moment.  Her eggs are small right now, but she is proud of them and so are we.  We think they're wonderful! Stella loves to sing the egg song and announce to the whole world and even into outer space that she just layed an egg.  Lord have mercy.  That girl has a set of lungs!!  

My favorite girl, Cora, hasn't started laying yet.  From what I've read, her breed is sometimes a few weeks behind other breeds, so we are just waiting to see what her eggs will look like.  It shouldn't be too much longer now.  Meanwhile, she steals all my kisses!!

We can't leave out Agnes.  She would probably get her feelings hurt if we didn't mention her.

Especially since she likes to be all up in everyone's business.  If something is going on somewhere you better believe she will be right in the middle of it, and if she's not yet, watch out because she will knock you out of the way to put herself right in the middle..usually by charging her way through head first.  She's a hot mess, and the comedian of the bunch.  She gets all of our laughs!

Kyle finished the coop.  All in all we figured it cost us around $500 to build the coop.  We used a lot of recycled materials which made a huge difference in our pockets.  It turned out better than either of us ever imagined, and without having an actual plan or blueprint he really did an outstanding job.

You couldn't buy anything better than this for under $1,500.  Trust me, we looked!  Now that I know what he is capable of I have a list of future projects.  Mostly for our new house.

We have always talked about eventually buying a farm.  Just in the last 6-8 months we have been serious in our search for our future forever farm.   We started out with the intent to buy the farm Kyle grew up on.  The house there was built in the 70's and is just beautiful.  It would only need minimal work to make it last another 30 something years.  While that would be the perfect place, right now we are in a situation where it's out of our hands while his family makes decisions and plans...since they are currently living there.  So. we continue to explore all of our options.  We have looked at so many houses and vacant land near our house and in surrounding counties.  We just haven't found the one.  If we found one that could be "the one" it was either pending or there was something about it that we couldn't overlook.  Like last week I absolutely fell in love with a house and some acreage.  It was everything we wanted on paper.  It was a newer home that was built with old charm, which is exactly what I like..it had just enough acreage and even barns and outbuildings...We went to look at it and the neighbors house was just a short walk across the lawn...way too close and totally disappointing..Not to mention the neighbor didn't look like they enjoyed cutting their grass...So, no biggie...Next!!  We are going to look at one this evening if the rain holds off.  Trey and I are really excited about this one.  We have both had warm fuzzies about it since we stumbled across it two days ago, so I hope it's not too good to be true, because it usually is.

Either way I have faith that we will find exactly what we are looking for one of these days..it's just not something we are willing to rush, or settle on. Even though I really would move tomorrow!!

I seriously can't wait to live in the middle of no where.  It is so exciting to think about and plan for!!

So, that's pretty much my exciting summer in a nut shell. I didn't do very much, and I don't have the tan to prove it.  :-)

xo

Carrie

Chickens and Selfies

Somehow we got into the habit of calling the girls "sister(s)"..It's pretty cute, especially when we start talking about the sisters in our chicken/dog voices, the dogs light up and practically wag their cute little tails off! They absolutely love their sisters..I cracked up the other day when just Winston and I were hanging out inside and I saw him catch a glimpse of himself in my floor length mirror, so I started pointing to the mirror like a lunatic saying "who's that baby, where's the baby!? Then I was like what the what when he was practically spinning in circles looking all over my room..I soon realized that I was talking in my sister/dog Mom voice and he must have thought one of the sisters was in my room.  It was hilarious!

The sisters are officially teenagers now - actually as of a few weeks ago.  Much easier to handle than the human teenagers.  Like, really!!  I am beginning to believe that I was destined to be a Mom to dog and chicken teenagers, rather than the human kind.

Agnes has the most beautiful green eyes.  When I'm holding her I always tell her how beautiful they are...hopefully she will continue to allow me to admire her beauty and she won't peck my face..because that hurts..like for real.  My girls have not pecked me yet, but I was talking a selfie with a chicken once (who takes selfies with chickens? < quietly raises hand in the back of the room > ) and it pecked my nose.  It hurt like a mother!  So, anytime I have my girls within pecking range of my face I instantly flash back to that mean chicken.  I can't make this stuff up.  This is really my life. 

  

  

The girls each have their own little personalities, which is pretty darn adorable.  Agnes and her sad face make me giggle to myself...she is actually my most photogenic sister, and bless her heart,she has the saddest little face.  Rest assured she is a very happy hen who thinks she is the boss!!

Quite often I would, one at a time, let the dogs sisters sniff out the sisters, and touch beaks while they were still little infant sisters in the brooder.  The day I finally decided to let them free range with the chickens was a big day.  

Scuba was the only one I was worried about because he would lick his chops like he couldn't wait to get his jaws clenched on some fresh, juicy chicken..To my surprise he loves his sisters!!  He is very protective of them and just likes to hang out near them.  The boys swear that he is afraid of them, but if some little beak came chasing after me to peck my paws, I would probably run too.  

Brodie is the same, he mingles well with the sisters and as long as we throw his ball he honestly pays them no attention.  I have noticed if we don't throw his ball for a while he will start playing with the sisters to get them riled up, which makes me totally nervous, so I panic until I can find his ball to toss it.  Well played, Brodie..well played.  ;-)  

Wintson, on the other hand...Oh Winston..what am I going to do with my almighty barker!  He still has to be on a leash when they are free ranging.  I don't yet trust him with them one bit.  He is the only one that doesn't listen to commands (from anyone) and will full force senior citizen dog run after them.  He makes me so nervous, so for now he is a work in progress.  As long as he is leashed he doesn't even try to go near them, but he won't take his eyes off them either..

  

My sweet Cora is probably my favorite.  She is the only one that will sit as quiet as a little house hen while I pet her.  She'll coo and cluck a little, but won't move a muscle. 

I think she likes me the best too.  And I swear she knows her name.  Ok, well I haven't decided yet if she really knows her name, but if she hears her name, or my voice she comes to me, or turns her head towards me.  Perhaps it's my fabulous sister/dog Mom voice!?   Either way, I just love that girl!!

It's certainly never a dull moment around this little homestead, and with these little sisters around things are especially bright and shiny!!

Thanks for reading!

xo

Carrie   

E.I.E.I.O

Between this semester at school, work and just life in general.. I have purposely neglected my blog. In my spare time I usually have my face stuffed into a pile of flash cards and books.  I absolutely love being in school again and don't mind one bit that it takes up the majority of my time.  I think I could be a professional student at this point in my life. I love learning, especially about something I'm so passionate about.  

Besides all that..I have some exciting news that I want to share with you guys..

Last month we added four more pets to the bunch..This makes 8 total...Three dogs, one nameless fish...and four of the most precious baby chicks that you ever did see.  

Yep, zookeeper here.

I'm finally a chicken mama and so over the moon in love with them!! 

I picked up my girls at the end of February..We all go crazy over them...even the dogs.  I try to engage them with the dogs regularly...Hopefully they will love their sisters and not want to eat them for chicken snacks.  I can certainly say that now that I'm a chicken mama...chicken absolutely does not taste the same as it did pre-chicken mama..Obviously, we only got them to use as laying hens and will never harvest them for meat.  

They have the cutest little personalities, and I've made sure that they know I'm the mama..Although, I'm pretty sure they love Trey the most.  He's pretty easy to love the most, so I don't hold it against them...But I have thought about holding it against him when it comes to the morning shift once they move into their new house coop.

Kyle made them a roost and they love it!! It's super cute when all four of them are on it at the same time.  Which, of course, they promptly hop off of as soon as I try to snap a picture of them roosting.

I think they must agree with me that they're the prettiest little chicky babes ever since they wait in line to sit and stare at themselves in the mirror..

This is Cora...

She is an Ameracauna and will lay the most beautiful blue/green eggs.

Stella is a Silver-Laced Wyandotte and will lay beautiful brown eggs.

Agnes, my smallest girl, is a White Rock.  She knows her name and will follow us around wherever we go.  Agnes has the cutest personality and loves to have her chest rubbed.  She'll lay brown eggs.

Hazel is a Golden-Sex Link.  She doesn't really seem to like anything, or care a whole lot for anybody.  She falls all over herself to get to the nearest corner of their brooder just so no one will pick her up.  I give her extra lovin' just because I'm the mama, and that's what mamas do.  Hazel will also lay brown eggs.

Now that you've met the newest loves of my life I hope you stop back in to read about my new adventures as a chicken mama..These girls grow super fast!!  You wouldn't believe how much they change every day!

Agnes wanted to thank you for stopping by to read all about her and her little chicky chicky boo boo sisters...

Oh, and by the way.. this is her happy face... :-)

I've come to the conclusion that life is just too short not to have chickens!!

xo

Carrie