Projects, projects, projects!

 

Do you know what I love about blogging the most?

It's not the photo editing or the endless backspacing as I constantly rethink what I want to say.

 

It's the looking back over previous posts and seeing all the fun things we have done. 

Without this blog, I know I would forget half of it (at least!) and the other half I wouldn't remember with nearly as much detail.

 

Here's to blogging!

 

So this last week we scored some free railroad ties that we plan on using in the pig pen, around the chicken coop, in the pasture and a dozen other places. For those of you who have never moved railroad ties (I was one of you just last week!) please know this - THEY ARE HEAVY!

 

My body has been telling me that it was not built for this kind of lifestyle. This building fences, lifting heavy things lifestyle. 

 

 It was built for sitting on the beach, reading a book and drinking something cold with an umbrella in it. I've tried telling my husband that and he just tells me to keep dreaming and start lifting.

 

 

We had a bazillion trees delivered to our place and Mark decided that wasn't enough so he went and dug up some more at an old nursery in Umatilla. We were included in a grant that gave us free trees to plant along the creek bank. They range in size from skinny medium to teeny, tiny watch-where-you-step size...

 

See how all these trees are mostly pointing upwards and outwards?

Now think back to those horrifically windy days this last weekend and picture all of those trees pointed straight at the ground with their bottoms out of the water.

 

Rude, I know.

 

After braving the wind gusts 109 times to try and put their bottoms back into the water, I ended up just pulling the plug on the trough (literally!) emptying all the water, removing all the trees, moving the trough under Caleb's window, moving all the trees into the trough again and then refilling said trough with water again.

 

Wish I had thought of that plan on one of the 108 trips I had made earlier.

 

Caleb is happy because he now has a "forest"  outside his window.

 

We (the marital "we" - technically I was at work) started planting them at the eastern most edge of our property along the creek and will continue to work our way west as we go. We are planting the bigger trees first in two rows offsetting each other in each row.

(and yes, because it is my husband, tape measure have been brought out just to make sure things are lined up and symmetrical).

 

Notice all the rocks? It is NOT fun to dig right beside the creek!

Mark's friend Paul came by again to help us and visit. (He remembered the new plan - work and visit!) Thank goodness! Tractors make life much easier at times! Thank you Paul!(and please note that I only included nice pictures of you this time. I am saving the bad ones for a later time just to make sure you are still reading my blog!)

 



 

The boys came outside to see what was going on and then asked how they could help. Owen took over my job of raking.

 

 My barely healed blister thanked him.

 

And Caleb grabbed his shovel so he could help fill in holes and then dig new ones. 

 

Last week we (again, marital we being used here. I only loaded up and scored us the free pallets) also begun to create the pig shelter for the pigs that will be ours in a couple of weeks. It still needs floor boards, a roof and some front siding but it's coming along nicely. I am so proud of us and all "our" hard work!

 

This weekend the boys and I went and picked up the newest members of our family. We packed the car up with two large dog crates and headed to Milton-Freewater. Upon arriving, we found out that getting chickens for free also meant we had to catch those chickens first.

 

Now, for those of you who know me, you should know that I have never held a chicken in my life. A baby chick, yes. But a big chicken that could peck your eyes out or scratch your arm off? No way, Jose!

 

I am now an official chicken wrangler. After running around a very large chicken coop for an hour and unsuccessfully trying to throw my coat over the chickens to catch them, I decided enough was enough. I put on my black, fuzzy gloves that were located in my coat pocket and proceeded to catch me some chickens. Once I set my mind to it, those chickens were no match for me. They tried to flap their wings at me and once I worried for Caleb as a couple of them landed on his head but overall I was only pecked once (luckily my black, fuzzy gloves saved me!)

 

 

Those chickens had their revenge though - let me tell you. Remember I said that I brought two large dog crates. Well, on the drive home we didn't hear a peep from them but it turns out they were plotting the whole time. When I unloaded the crates back at the house, I noticed a whole bunch of black poo. I opened up the crate door and tried to coerce them into going into their new accommodations. They wouldn't listen to me at all.

So out came the black, fuzzy gloves again and I got on my hands and knees and wrestled each and every chicken out of the dog crates.

 

However, some signal must have passed between them because each and every bird proceeded to flap and flutter and spray me with black chicken poo. Before too long I was covered head to toe and when some friends stopped by to see how I was doing, I must have looked pretty bad because they flinched when they got close to me and even took a step back. I clipped each bird's wing and then let it on it's merry way in the coop.

 

 Say "Hello" to the girls!

 

 

Mercy sure wants to!

(Her wireless collar prevents her from getting any closer but I'm sure if she didn't have it on she would be up in these chicken's business in no time!

 

 

The boys have individual names for all of them but I haven't learned any of them besides one Americana they have named Jalapeno.

 

Since Mark was at work, the boys and I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to add some more members to our family once the chickens were calmed down (and I was relatively cleaned up). 

Our friends The Summerfields gave us their hutch to use for a while and also their rabbits. They are focusing on raising fryer chickens right now and are super busy. Aren't they the best friends ever!

 

Meet Mama. She is pregnant and ready to have her babies sometime this coming week.

I'm soooooo excited to have baby bunnies bouncing about!

 



 

This is Baxter. He is a buck from one of Mama's earlier litters. I hate to say it, but I think he has stolen some one's heart.

 

 I'll give you 3 guesses who and the first two don't count!

 

 

We have a third bunny but I haven't allowed myself to take him out yet to play with. At some point, I am wanting to sell these bunnies as pets or for their meat and I just don't think I can do that if I start to play with them and love on them.

 

For now this guy is Nameless and we are looking for a home for him. Whether that be a new cage to live in or a soup pot, at this time I am impartial.

 

 

Just in case you were thinking we didn't have enough to do,

it is time to get our pasture sprinkler system up and going.

 

Here is the ditch for us to start laying some pipe. Just follow all those little white flags. Keep going.

Keep going.

That one way down there...

there are actually 3 more after it.

 

I need another spring break please.

Pronto.

 

In lighter news our orchard is in bloom.

Or I should say, in A bloom.

 

This year we knew there would be no time (nor money!) to put in our garden fencing so we are planting in the orchard area. Believe it or not, but there are onions in this picture.

 

Lots of weeds as well but right now I'm scared to hoe anything until some of the weeds either become more weedlike or the onions become more onionlike.

I have no idea what I am killing otherwise!

 

 

Side note: When I told the boys that I was going to go hoe in the orchard, Caleb told me that his friend at school had said that was a bad word. I said his friend was silly and what could possibly be bad about a hoe?

 

(Mark better get home soon! I can't handle tough topics of conversation with the boys at all! I need my marital "we"!)