Monday, April 3, 2017

Hello April 2017

Hello April,
Hello friends!  

So much has been happening around here.
 First I have to give a praise report because the last posts I shared were about our 
son and how he'd been having really scary health issues.  
-- Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him because he is doing
 great!  I thank God with everything in me and give Him all the praise
and glory.  He's getting back to his ole self too.  Just this week I was
headed up on the porch from the garden and heard someone hollar:  "Hey Momma!" 
He was on his lunch hour and had walked down to the pond fishing and 
had caught a big ole bass. Ya know somethin... it wasn't long ago we spent a couple all nighters in the hospital
with him; I can promise you- fishing was on 
none of our minds.  I'm just so grateful he's back 
to himself again.  

Well, remember the storm came and blew a big part of the barn roof off?
Myguy finally decided it was time for her to come down.  
So one weekend we started cleaning it out.   
 What a mess.  
The junk we hang onto?  
Had to take a few pics though because Gladys Kravits our Araucana hen 
was into everything.  See her in this photo?  Everything we turned over she had to inspect. 
When I backed my truck up to load stuff, she even jumped up on  the back of it?  
Snoopy hen!

We worked a good part of the morning.
  Myguy took some of the nice gates he and Tony built down.
Also I wanted the olde door off the feed room and the chicken coop!  
The first thing I went for though was the wooden cross up above.  
It's in a safe place and will sit there til we have a new barn one day.  
Oh looky, there's ole Gladys again.  
Then just around lunch time; 
Tony and Michelle came over to help. 
That's Tony on the backhoe finishing the barn off.  
Someone asked  if I was sad to see it go... but not really.
I have a lot of really good memories in there... but it was just time.  
Michelle, Blakelea and I watched the demolition for awhile from the porch.  
The Little Bloomer loves to be outdoors and it was actually quite a show.  

The hardest thing was the fact that our chicken  coop was part of the barn.  So for a few short days 
we were scrambling moving chickens here and there.  
I can't just turn them loose because almost all of them are bantams and 
the hawks just come and carry them off.  


 Amid trying to pick up a billion nails, and sheet iron and lumber;
we needed a place for our chickens.  So Myguy bought this little coop.  
 It's now attached to our existing outdoor coop and 
we worked til midnight one night setting paver stones and 
mixing concrete to make the whole thing varmit proof.  
 About half our chickens so far are in it.  
About the same time all this was going on; I figured out many in our flock
had gotten leg mites. I guess I'd not noticed because of the feathers covering their legs.  I had to start catching all of them and started smearing vaseline
on all their legs and then bought D earth to sprinkle around.  I'd never even heard of it.
But it all works!  

 Two hens had been setting already awhile so I had to carry their 
nest boxes to a different shed to let them finish their business.
This hen has 13... the other one is still setting.  

 Before I forget... look what I learned  to do!
I have to share this trick with you if you've never seen it or 
have this problem with your Roosters.  My pet Rooster Ole Spur gets
too long of Spurs all the time.  It had gotten to the point that he could barely 
walk or breed.  The last time we basically held him down and cut them about half off with a wire cutter.  This new way was awesome though!  I learned it on youtube! haha 
So what you do is hold your Roo like you love him; nice n close. lol
Then with just a regular pliers grab ahold of the Spur about an inch from his leg,
and while holding his little leg so you don't hurt him just with the pliers squeezed tight-
just wiggle it back n forth.  In just a short moment they just pop right off!  It doesn't hurt them or anything!  Barely bled a drop.  After Spur was ... de-spurred... I set him down and he took
a step and stumbled around because seriously he was having trouble walking before.  Then he started walking and kept bending over looking at his feet like, "where'd they go?"  -yeehawwwww I'm free! 
He's like a new Spring chicken now.   
The guy in the video that I watched sprinkled the wound seal powder on but I didn't.  
Spur was fine.  I did watch him though to make sure no one started pecking at his feet.  They didn't 
bother him.  Maybe  because He's Ole Papa Spur King of the barnyard.   
Okay sorry I know I did get a little long winded there,
Moving along... 
this is where the olde barn used to sit.  
Myguy .... is my hero that's all I can say.  
He is one hard workin man. xoxo 

 This little darlin and her Mommy are always a highlight of my days.  
We even get to have a playday once a week!  
 I can kinda tell the Grandma skills are not as shabby anymore.  
That's a miracle right there.   
One thing I've learned is  snaps in a onsie- well, they're not my friend.*  Thankfully
the kids just know if they send her in snaps..
they might not get her back done up just right.
These little ones are FAST yall.   
  

 Happysigh.
So many blessings.  
The storms have been weekly now.  It's definitely Spring in the south.  
Myguy was out of town this week and always texts
and warns when storms are fixin to hit here.  
He told me he was watching one red hot spot on radar that
was just about to hit here and said he prayed and as 
he kept watching the radar he could see the storm split in two and go around me.  
I was so glad he shared that with me- what a testimony!  
 I'm so thankful the Lord has protected us 
and that I also have a husband who prays for me.  



 Last but not least... it's been time to get the gardens going!
This past weekend I moved dirt  like a prairie dog.  
First the garden here and then the corn patch.
The tomato seeds I started were beginning  to get lanky lookin.
So even though it could still frost, I planted about half.  The other half
are still in the green house in case I jumped the gun.  
I'd taken almost all the old posts out of the garden and fences so had
all that to do again.  Addie and Francie kept me company.  

I try to just use what we have around here as much as possible,
so this little wire fence will be the pea trellis
as well as a few beets went in there too.
 I needed a post in the center and couldn't find anything so,
used this broken rake to hold up the middle.   The handle is busted so it worked okay 
and I can't wait to stand right here in the early mornings and 
eat raw peas for breakfast.  
Aint nothin better!
 This is a new find for me.
French Lavender.  
 My neighbor always gives me 
a pot of lavender every Spring and I've tried and tried
to grow it but #Ikilllavender.   The leaves on this Lavender  looks totally different but
smells divine.  I hope and pray it's not so fussy and I can keep it alive.
 The Azaleas are in bloom so I keep looking for the hummingbirds.
Made a fresh brew of nectar for them and filled a new feeder for 
any early birds.  
 I also spent two whole full days cleaning the greenhouse and potting shed.
It was soooo bad.  Ants were  nesting in junk and ant eggs and mice- not to mention
how it turns into a catch all every winter.  
It feels sooo good to have it clean and tidied up again.  
The twinkle lights had burned out and I found this new style and got them up as 
well as the star light a neighbor gifted for Christmas.  
We're gearing up for Garden season!
 This picture I took inside today on Instagram.

Last but not least...
I share a scripture picture with yall of the first Peony bloom of April.  
I've shared this verse before here and it's still fresh on my mind.
Feel free to share it.  
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy  in the  God of my salvation.

Okay friends,
I've gotta go babyproof the house.
The Little Bloomer learned to crawl this week 
and tomorrow is our playday.  
#sharethelove
LeaonMary

3 comments:

rebecca said...

Not sure how I missed the post about your son's health challenge. So glad to read here that he's doing fine.

Glad I stopped by this morning to catch up with you, Lea. Your guy IS a hard-worker (as are you)! I can tell you're itching to get that garden up and going.

As for the spurs...well, I was pretty grossed out, I've gotta tell you. You can see that I'm not a farm girl. Hahaha.

Anonymous said...

Lots happening at your side of the pond Lea. Praising and thanking God for answered prayers.

The wee one is growing so fast and what a Blessing she is.

Loving your new chicken coop!!

Thank you for sharing the photos and your days.

God Bless

Jeanie x

Pam said...

Oh my goodness! You have been one busy lady!! I enjoyed all the pics and catching up on everything. SO glad your son is doing well. praise God!
Take care and have a lovely Easter! xoxo