LIL' BLUE, BIG TRACTOR

Cora's little bantam babies are all grown up and "Lil' Blue" is her favorite fluffy chick (but not higher on the list than Elsa)

Shortly after her chicken show-and-tell with Grambot, neighbor Jeff showed up with his brother's tractor again to help move some of the giant trunk pieces down to the burn pile (and down into The Kraken). He let Cora "drive" and she was in heaven!

CHICK AND GOOSE

The Beane Farm needed tending this week, and this one little chick and goose were injured and needed more constant care, so they spent a few days in our sunroom. The kids absolutely loved the goose and were great helpers in keeping her fed, watered, and cleaned/medicated (and were also great about petting her and keeping her calm).

BANTAMS AND REDS

REDS AND SILKIES

They're getting bigger! Hitting that awkward teenage stage...

CHICKS OF 2019

We weren't going to get chicks this year, but after losing half our flock to a fox family, we decided to get some babies. Cappy Martin had some Rhode Island Red pullets that had been rescued from Tractor Supply during the aftermath (power outtage) of the tornados and our veterinarian had some silkie bantams that she was looking to home, so we got 3 of each.

I zipped out to grab the chicks as a surprise while the kids were at soccer practice, and they were pretty excited to get home and find babies in the sunroom!

Cora named the lighter black/gray silkie "Little Blue"

James thought it was funny that the reds wanted to climb all over him

A PARTY AND A PLAYDATE

Cora went to her friend Grace's birthday party this morning. It was a drop-off optional party and she told me to hit the road, so I went grocery shopping. When I got back to pick her up, she and Autumn had called it a day with the waterslide and were busy playing with American Girl dolls (Cora had brought Tenney with her because she knew Grace had lots of dolls and accessories). I was quickly begged to let them continue playing with dolls and decided to do our first impromptu playdate, bringing Autumn home with us for a few hours.

There was dress up and a tea party, chicken feeding, and some sort of new game where they turn out exercise mats (which used to be toddler safety mats) into forts.

(A little bit of foraging fun for the ladies)

CHICKEN HELPERS

The kids and I set up the new chicken swing and perch today, and Cora used her new egg collecting apron for the first time. It's always an exciting time down in the coop...

AROUND THE YARD

Cora decided to spend some money... HER money... on a new bird feeder to put outside HER bedroom window and a pink cowgirl hat to wear while she works in the yard.

Chicken hugs and chickens on parade (captured by the safety camera above the carport) 

A gorgeous little canebreak rattlesnake (AKA a timber rattler) that Jay captured and gave a new home with our work friend Mr. George (he keeps snakes and various other animals): 

And the watersnake, still hanging around the pond, despite the presence of the copperhead...

MORE CHICKS IN THE COOP

Sparkles is special... 

...she laid an egg in there! And she likes to pretend she's a tightrope walker:

POISON IVYIED

We moved the rest of the babies out to the coop today...

...which meant that James and Cora spent a lot of time AROUND the coop playing and picking plants to feed to the chickens. Which means they got into poison ivy. Which means Cora escaped (once again) without issue and James is now covered in poison ivy, especially on his face (because he can't ever keep his hands out of his mouth and nose...) Whenever it hits his face, we take him to the doc, just in case it's systemic and/or requires a steroid shot. He was happy to avoid the shot this time, we were not pleased to pay a copay for yet another tube of steroid cream (we have many, since James and Jay are both highly allergic, and both get into it pretty often in the spring and summer...)

Oh well, at least it gave them time to read some new books that I'd picked up for them from the library (I'd been at a conference downtown for a couple days and got off a little earlier than school let out today, so I had some time to spare, but not enough to go back to the office).

GROWING UP AND OUT

It's that time of year... The chicks are getting old/big enough to move outside to the coop! Jay closed off the "old" side of the coop (the original coop, under the swingset) for the littles, leaving the hens in the new side (because they all sleep together in the big nest box he built) and we moved out the Reds and Orpingtons (we're giving the Silkies and Leghorns a couple more weeks to grow):

(I had to turn to the chicken experts on Facebook to find out what type of bantams we had - I didn't realize their lack of flight feathers didn't necessarily mean that they were slow growing - this fluff is all new and what they'll keep forever. They are SO soft and adorable, and they have an extra toe that helped us ID them as Silkies that we find pretty funny (it's short and in the middle of the foot). They're supposedly very friendly, so we can't wait for them to grow up and be allowed outside to forage with the old gals where we can play with them better!)

SPRING BREAK 2018

The kids spent their Spring Break with Gramma again this year and really enjoyed getting a break from the rigors of school and sports and Scouts (yes, they're now old enough that they actually need and look forward to a break in their busy schedules a few times per year).

(OK, not a full break from sports... they went to "Finishing Friday" to work on goal shots)