Wednesday, June 17, 2009

here we go again...

I think it was just about this time last year, when I began to think about moving. In the "whole" 49 years of my life... I had move just three times... from my parent's home to our first apartment, and from the first apartment to our house. Then, of course, last summer, we moved from the house to our camp, in order to be close to the farm while our new house is being built. In the fall, we went from our little camp into the bigger family camp for the winter.... three moves within six weeks... not so bad, as we didn't have much "stuff" with us (the rest having gone to storage.) We have been pretty comfortable in the "big camp" this winter.The past few summers, we have been renting the big camp out.. to help pay for taxes and the like. So, over the winter, I was pretty excited to see that people were still interested in renting the big camp this summer... with the economy and all, I wasn't too sure how the rents would be this year.

Now, as silly as this might sound, as I watched the weeks fill up for the rent.. it never really occurred to me that "renting" meant.... we can no longer live here!!! and with the fourth of July just a few weeks away, I realized that we need to get out here!!!! I need time to get everything in "rent" order (cleaning, finishing up some projects and the like), so the move is on. We tried very hard not to bring too much "stuff" in over the winter, but try or not, there seems to be a fair amount of it anyways!!!! I took three "loads" to the new house yesterday... mostly winter things, like the boxes that have our Christmas ornaments, winter clothing... our snowshoes, movies that we never did watch this winter, and then I sorted out what will be moved (again) next door into the little camp. Everything looks like such a hodge podge... and I "hate" that. Today, I need to go thru the cellar and see what we have down there... at least the "piggies" are moved and all settled in at the barn... Titus on the other hand...well, we are still working on a game plan with him.
I'm still not too sure how "comfortable" the little camp is going to be... (six cockers, three cats, three humans).. but it's what we have, so I guess it will just "have to work"... might make us hussle up a bit more to finish that house!!!!!
Now... what's with this photo. Well, our neighbor and friend Belinda (who attended the driving clinic) heard of the plight of Mr. Guinea. I have had a hard time finding keets (though I do have a couple of leads) and I still don't like him being all alone. Belinda was telling me that she had a black hen who seemed to be picked on by the others in her flock and she was feeling bad for her hen. She asked me if I would like to have her, maybe as a "fowl" friend for Mr. Guinea. I told her why not.... and the next thing I knew Belinda's hubby Drew, arrived with two black hens. He wasn't sure which hen she was talking about, and since there were just the two, he brought them both to us. I'm still not sure what I think about chickens, I like their "sounds" but I really don't like birds IN my barn... (honey where's that coop you keep talking about???)


Belinda said she had no idea if these hens still laid eggs or not. It didn't really matter to me, because once they are used to the place, I will let them free range (and hope Mr. Fox doesn't get them) I am hoping that between them and Mr. Guinea, the ticks will stay at bay. I checked their pen for eggs, just in case... and low and behold... look at this... plus another one today. So, I guess they do lay.. or at least one lays... a bonus to be sure. One or two fresh eggs a day would be kind of fun.


The barn swallows have quite a nice home coming into shape. I have been watching them nest building and it's pretty neat. I think it's funny when the one bird (I assume it's the male) brings some little thing to his mate for the nest, and "she" checks it all over and sometimes keeps it and sometimes she just chucks it out and sends him off for more. There is bits of horse hair, hay, twigs and mud. I love to watch them make the mud balls.. they go into the pasture, looking for a damp area, and then using their little beaks, rolls a mud ball and flies back with it. the way they have this nest tucked into the corner will certainly keep it out of any weather... clever creatures.


I'm not sure how Mr. Guinea feels about his bird friends, once in a while he looks at them in the pen, but mostly he likes to be outside hanging out with his friend Mocha. Maybe he is just holding out for his own kind... "birds of a feather, flock together"...
but since we just got a call from the grain store and our 12 turkey chicks are here..... there will be even more feathers on the farm.....