Red Hen says....

"Do I look pretty with my leg up like this?"

The garden was the main focus this weekend.  I planted some lettuce and beets, some swiss chard seeds, some brussels sprouts, bought a new greenhouse....YES!!!

It's Spring!!

The day Rick proposed to me, he was seated on a garden bench surrounded by yellow buttercups. 

Every time I see the buttercups blossom, I will remember.

Frog Song

All of a sudden, it's spring!  Tonight as I write, the frogs are croaking wildly out in Pig Squeak Creek. They sound much bigger than the little tree frogs I usually hear.  The tree frogs are staying on the other side of the road , and these bigger frogs have taken over FiddleSong Farm territory. These bigger guys are not bull frogs (Shaun would know what they are.) Sudden noises or movements make them quiet, but they seem to love the sound of a Harley.  Go figure :) 
Every morning the birds wake me.  They are getting earlier and more musical every day.  In the evening, the robins sing until dark.  There is no better place to live in the entire world. Will I feed the hummingbird hoard this year?

New kitchen window :)

Shhhh, it didn't snow OR rain today.

On Saturday, Rick and I went down to Jackson to Lowes. It rained. We chose and bought a new kitchen window. Then Rick the Super Handy man installed it.

The hens say it is ALMOST spring at FiddleSong Farm.

....more chicken scratches...

It has been rainy for YEARS.

 Chickens hate mud.  They detest it.  It sticks to their toes and forms little mud toe balls.  If you are a Cochin, it sticks to your leg feathers.  You cannot take a decent dust bath when it is muddy.

Houdini hardly crows on dreary days, and he takes his hens to roost early.

The two Barred Rock sisters are very aggressive "scratchers", and easily adapt to change, and even they grouse and grumble in rainy weather. "What exactly are we supposed to DO in this stuff?"  NOBODY lays an egg.

I am SO READY for spring.

Chicken scratches....

Today was the only sunny day we have had for almost 2 weeks.  So you know what that means?  Time to get hay. So I dashed out of the office at five, and headed to Jackson to my favorite place to shop,

The Feed Barn.

  What a great business these folks do! I spend a LOT on feed there, plus they have a good selection of vet supples. They have a very good selection of all animal feeds. They have fencing and feeding equipment and hardware. They offer a nice line of tack and western wear for all ages.  And in the spring they offer several varieties of chicks for sale.  OMG, I know some of you may understand what a challenge it is to go in and buy hay when you REALLY want a box full of new peeps! What is it about those little fluffs that is so exciting to me?  Anyway, today I just bought hay....

...but I had to stop to admire these three lovely hand crafted chicken coops! I said to myself  "I have to take some pics of these for Rachel to see, she'll go wild!"

This was the largest and is about 4' x 8'....MAN, wouldn't this look cute in my yard?

I mean in RACHEL's yard!???  :)

I am fascinated by the workings of such things, I have to look at all the hardware and open and close all the doors...these all have hinged lids for the nest boxes, the wire work is nicely finished and the craftsmanship is very fine. So this time, I came home with four bales of hay. Next week? Who knows? I'll keep you posted!

All is well at FiddleSong Farm...

...it's Spring?!

"Hey, Rick, this is your neighbor Cecil.  Did you guys know there is a tree across your fence?  Looks like your goats could get out."  The message was left on our voice mail.  Thank heaven for good neighbors :)

We had a surprise snow storm that started Friday and has not let up since. It was a surprise because the weather lady said the snow was going to be "up around the 5000' level."  Uh huh.  (I TOLD you they are just guessing.) We had 6 inches in the first hour ~ just enough to make the roads ugly. Then Saturday it snowed and melted all day, until sundown, then a HOWWWWWLING wind kicked up and lasted until about 4 am Sunday morning  I know, because I was awake listening to it.

I kept thinking, "Boy, it is a good thing I didn't get that greenhouse put up yet...." We rarely get high winds in our area.

The good news is that the tree that took out our fence was from across the road :) The snow had been washed away for the most part by the time I got up.  So then we had squish.  You know mud mixed with slush = squishy, slimy, squelchy slippery. Give me nice firm snow any day.

Pig Squeak Creek (River?)

So Rick and I hauled on our boots and heavy jackets and trekked up the hill to look at THE DAMAGE. Oh good, more fence mending. I found the broken section. As I stood and waited for Rick to return from his inspection of the rest of the property, the snow continued to fall. It is quiet in our woods.  As I rested and waited, the wild birds started to come out of their hiding places and busily began their hunting and exploring.  There was a Towhee, several Juncos and a warbler of some sort. These happy winged people didn't mind that it was snowing and cold.  They busily checked every leaf and twig, their soft chirps and cheerful trills filled up the silence of the snowy forest. Soon, it will be time for nesting and rearing chicks.  Soon, the snow and rain will make way for lush spring growth, green and fragrant. The trees will flower and leaf....soon!

It is snowing again, but Spring is coming, I can't wait!