Daisy's in the dog house

It has been raining here. And raining, and raining, and raining. It's raining so much they have closed every road except one that leads to our Ranch...because the water is flowing up over the road! Thank the Lord there is no drought, but for petes sake, a little sunshine would be nice.

Lately, the chickies are free ranging. They peck around the yard and dig in the ground. Its so cute.

The other day I was going to collect the eggs in the hen house, and there was a slinky little visitor draped across the hen house floor...

Yuck. Whatahusband "took care of him" if you know what I mean, and saved the girls. But, Daisy was completely traumatized. I had to scoop her up in a towel because she was shaking like a leaf. She not only didn't return to the hen house to lay her egg, she simply found a new place to lay that is snake-free.

The dog house. She built herself a nest and made herself at home.

She's a pretty cool chicky. Just push on past that plastic door sit in peace. It's been almost a week and she only goes into the hen house at night to sleep. 

Crabman keeps trying to join her in there and she just runs him out.

God bless Norman if he tries to go in there. :)

We've added another critter to the crew! This frizzle chicken was sitting up at our local feed store after being nearly killed by an angry chicken in a lady's flock. She needed a home and we wanted to see if she'd like it here. How could I say no to her fluffy curly preciousness! She came already named...flower!

I've read it's difficult to integrate a new chicken to an existing flock, but we wanted to give it a try. Hopefully she'll be feeling at home soon! And Sister Monica Joan better be nice. She can be a bit of a b...stick in the mud.

Pray for Sun!!

May Day phone dump

I disappeared for the last few months into my deep dark cave of tax preparation - but I've emerged and I'm back!

Here's a peek into the last few months:

These 2 kitties, always up in yo' bizness. 

Normy is a huge fan of st. Pats ;)

The shop!

Had some amazing visitors...

Aw, royalty, thy name is redneck. 

My two oldest and dearest friends visited at the end of tax season. What a delight! 

And we're back to kitties...

And, last but certainly not least, is our sweet Toonces. She's gone. She was only with us for 2 years, but those years were filled with happiness and lots of purring. We miss you and will never forget you toonce!!

New Year

Its 2015....can you believe it??!!

I'm not sure about you, but I thought 2014 went by in a flash. So many things happened this year - too many to write here - but as I think back on the year, I am so thankful to God for the sweet times (and people, and pets!) He has given me and the ways He's changed my heart. 

One of my new favorite ways to connect with the Lord that I learned this year was committing time to pray. I find myself praying when I need stuff. 

Help my friend. Bless my husband. Help me find my kitty. Help me put down this package of oreos. Help me shut my mouth.   

But Prayer is not just about asking for God's help or blessings – though we are welcome to do so – but it is about communication with God. Without communication, relationships fall apart. So, too, our relationship with God suffers when we do not communicate with Him. 

I am encouraged and strengthened by prayer. So, I'm going to commit the month of January to pray for the year. 

JOIN ME!

Not going to lie - committing to an entire month of something is just not something we modern humans do very well. So be proactive and get a plan. Some ideas to stay on track:

- Print out a blank calendar (or use that new one you got for christmas) and make a mark on each day you pray. 

- Set an alarm on your phone.

- Select a place where you go everyday (pet food containers, laundry room, bathroom) and post a PRAY! sign as a reminder. 

Some ideas for content:

- Search "month of prayers" on the internet for an easy start. (I love this method. I am using the 31 days of prayer from the blog www.faithalongtheway.com)

- Dedicate the entire month to one topic, and pray for different aspects of that topic daily.

- Pick a person each day to pray for.

You can do it! If you miss a day, don't sweat it. Keep at it! You might be surprised what Big things God can do in 2015  ;)

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!)