Christmas update

Merry Christmas!
Hoping you all are enjoying the celebration of our Saviors birth.  This season has brought many trips to the doctor and vet for us and some of our family members (sick kitties and doggies, injuries and sickness for people).  I’ve been thinking a lot about those experiencing heartbreak this season… whether it be a break in the family, financial stresses, a difficult season in life, or maybe a family division. The magic of the season and everyone saying how wonderful life is can feel like a slap in the face. I encourage you to press on and push through. Someday when you’re past this season of pain, you’re going to be able to encourage and lift up someone experiencing the same thing, and that is a blessing.

Things around here are truckin' along like always. I'm busy enjoying the last few weeks of calm before tax season starts, and making treats for the holidays.  We are moving forward with Whatahusbands shop - something he has been planning and saving up for for YEARS. So cool to see it come together!

The foundation is done, and in the next few months, we (that's right, that was no typo) WE will be putting up the steel frame for the building.  I am actually looking forward to it.  There's something really special about building something with your own two hands.  It probably won't be as fun as I'm thinking it will be, but it will be an experience for sure.

All the critters are doing great!  Norman is happy and adjusting to the new kitties...sort of. Someone, who shall remain nameless, tee tee'd on his bed and he was not happy about it.  You know how much he loves his bed.

Bonnie is as snuggly and sweet as ever. I just can't believe she was a shelter cat.  Whatahusband says she reminds him of his favorite cat growing up.  I, on the other hand, am still getting used to the fact that they all have tails.  We always had manx cats growing up.  She is quickly adjusting to our routine, and I love it. 

Crabman is so wiggly and busy I can't get a good picture of him.  He is rough and tumble all the way. Can't wait to get him outside to start catching critters!

Toonces is loving norman and being outside.  She has been bringing us mice and rats...and has turned into a giant white fluff ball because of all the humidity. :)

This 2nd picture cracks me up. Her face!

The chickens are doing good. Daisy has stopped laying for the winter. But, sister monica joan is still laying - on average - once every two days.  This was pretty unexpected.  Also the fact that she lays a white egg every once in a while was VERY unexpected! but so cool.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas...and a Happy NEW Year!
See ya in 2015 :)

Thanksgiving kitties

At our house, kitties are like potato chips. You can't just have one.

We've been on the lookout for new kitties and right before we left for the holiday, we added two new little additions to the family: Crabman & Bonnie!

This is crabman. He's a playful, sweet, purrin' kitty. He rubs all over you with his motor going.....just like Toonces. We are in need of a new mouser, so cross your fingers, we are hoping he'll turn into one.

This is Bonnie. She was going to be another outside cat, but as you will see, she is an inside cat through and through. She stole our hearts with her easy going ways and laid back nature. She rode in the car on our laps, has taken a nap or 2 with us in our bed, and loves lounging with us at night watching TV.

Toonces is not very happy about these guys, but we all know she's a sassy pants. She'll come around eventually. Norman, thank the Lord for his good nature, is totally ok! The kitties hiss at him, but he doesn't seem to mind. 

Here's hoping by Christmas they'll all be best friends!

My munch

Oh we are so sad to report that my precious precious Munch is gone. We think he met the same fate as sweet Mungo. We have learned cats in this area disappear at night, and even though they were imprinted to the house, our kitties are still just as likely to meet a coyote as any other.

After a few months my heart should be all healed up and we'll likely get more kittens at christmas. Of course we are still hoping he'll come home, and if he does we'll be ready. We're building our cats with an outdoor night time house. 

Found this puppy on craigslist:

So the plan is to trick out the cage with kitty hammocks and ledges, then build some tunnels from the cage to the dog house so the kitties will be well protected in every season. 

So for the time being Toonces is in the house at night. She is a princess. She wants to be in all day - everyday. 

Poor normy, her love is smothering.

I had this crazy thought that if she loves norman so much, maybe she'd love a norman-flavored dog blanket. 

Worked like a charm!

Kitty in the hen house

Both girls have been laying an egg a day!!

But here's the thing - there's only one nest. Sister monica joan made it in the corner of the coop, and I thought daisy would make her own, but she didn't. They lay in the same nest! one right after the other. They only get in the nest to lay, and because its not separated from the rest of the coop in any way, I decided to get them nesting boxes. I thought it would be much easier for them to keep the nest clean if they were physical walls around it. And I got 2 boxes so each girl could lay her own egg in her own nest and not smack dab on top of another ladies egg. I mean, that just seems like it would be terribly nerve wracking.

The verdict? They love it! Moved right in....right into the same nest box.

And then yesterday, daisy didn't lay her egg. It might have been somewhat related to the fact that there was a visitor in her hen house.

Doesn't he know its ladies only?

He really liked peeping out of the door and slinking down the ladder...

Never a dull moment. 

So, today, as I walked out to the coop to collect the eggs, I wasn't sure what I would find. I was half expecting to find munchy asleep in the nest, because that just seems like something that would happen at my house. 

But, look what I found!

Ahhh! Separate nests!! Hip hip hooray! I know they are just chickens, but they ARE girls, and we all know how girls are when it comes to raging hormones and sharing. (Wink!)

Another big day!

TADA!!!!

13 days later, Daisy made her very first egg!!!

 

Lighter in color and smaller than her friends, but just as lovely.

I just LOVE getting eggs! Sister Monica Joan has graciously given us an egg surprise everyday since the 8th. Its christmas every day!!

Here how our girls stack up to the "professionals".

I wish I could really convey their personalities with pictures. They are so funny and make such humorous expressions...

You can see they have grown into their combs (red mohawk-ish hat thingy) and waddles (2 hangy down things under the beak) and are not small.

Daisy is very human friendly and loves the camera...

Sister Monica Joan has what we call a "bitchy resting face". She's not even a little amused. 

Wait a minute....i've seen that grumpy face before... 

Aw, sweet normy has a soul sister :)

So come on over friends! I'll fry you up a plate full of delicious eggs. 

Happy Fall!

Day 2

She's on a roll! 2 eggs in 2 days. What an honor.  :)

It happened

The chicken has laid the egg! 

I repeat! 

The chicken has laid the egg!

This is such an exciting day! We have been waiting and waiting and WAITING for this day to come. My chickens might be older than other chickens, might be a little more sassy, but they are special and the day of the egg is upon us.  

This beauty belongs to Sister Monica Joan.  She has been acting a little funny (insert: bitchy) lately, and I knew something was up when I went to hen house this morning.  Every morning I hear them crying and fussing to open the gate so they can go into the run and cluck around.  This morning, they were no where to be found. I peered into the hen house, and Sister Monica Joan was sitting on her newly fluffed hay nest, with Daisy standing near, looking a bit confused, and well,  bored.  I went about my morning business, came back in an hour, both were still in the hen house, but this time daisy was sitting right next to Sister Monica Joan. I know it sounds crazy, but she was tipping her head, looking in between SMJ's legs like she knew what was about to happen, and she wanted to be close by to support her friend.

On a side note - these sweet funny little chickens reminded me of the verse in Ruth.  "I will go where you go, and your people will be my people." Daisy was right with Sister Monica Joan, right to the end. I hope I am as kind to my friends in need as she was to her friend. 

Anyway, back to the story.  I came back again 30 minutes after that, and there they were, together in the run, strutting around like any other normal day.  I opened up the nest box, and bam! The little brown beauty was there.  My first reaction was to say "Mazel Tov, Sister" and thought BRIEFLY about what a chicken Bat Mitzvah would be like. 

I thought we had a couple of late bloomers, and turns out I was right. Better late than never, eh?