About Me

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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Gardening/Bonnie and Clyde

Everyone has things that they are good at...one thing I did not inherit from my Daddy was gardening. I do good to grow a little patch of tomatoes...and even that is proving challenging as the tomato horn worms are trying their best to discourage that little venture. I have dusted the plants, but we get rain every day, so I have just left the cannister of dust sitting right next to the plants to remind me to dust them every day. I have had to throw away three out of five ripening tomatoes. The chickens don't seem to be complaining as they LOVE tomatoes and go for it like it was the best thing since Japanese Beetles and June Bugs. After all, you don't have to chase a tomato down!

Ian on the other hand, seems to be VERY good at growing a garden. He has picked a large bucketful every day like this picture. Yes, this is just one days worth. I had better learn to use that pressure cooker and get some pickling supplies huh? LOL

 

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It is a shame he slacked off on the other half of the garden that he had tilled. We would be covered up in other vegetables as well. Time does not allow for these luxuries at this time in our lives. He has to work six days a week and it takes just over an hour to get to work, and over an hour back home...that just doesnt leave a lot of time for gardening. Keeping up with the weed picking proves a challange all on its own. I am just glad he has found his niche here on our land. He played soccer since he was eight years old...then found golf when his body wouldnt allow him to beat it to death anymore with playing soccer...but playing golf takes planning...and he would go with his Dad...and his Dad lives about 2 hours away from us now. I think the gardening makes him happy...and it is proving very rewarding as you can see!

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I am going to save this section...and then come back...I am afraid that AOL will cut me off and I would just lose my mind, and we don't want that now...as I dont have a lot to lose anymore...he he..

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Well that is just great...I had the other half of this entry...and got kicked off...don't you just hate that? You pour all your feelings and your thoughts into it, and they POOF...its gone...and even though you do it over, it will not be word for word the same...but I will try again...and save EACH PARAGRAPH as I go...isnt that just pitiful that I have to do that.

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Last Friday Mamas new found brother and his family stopped in on their way home from their vacation trip to Tennessee. They went to the Grand Ole Opry, and I never manage to catch it on TV, but this time I just happened to see the very show they went to. It was the one with Josh Turner and Montgomery Gentry. I would have loved to have been there! Montgomery Gentry was Shelbys first concert ever...it was a blast and we got really close to them on stage.  They also went to Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls. That is where Ian and I went on our honeymoon. Hard to believe it has been eighteen years since we have been there...maybe we should think about taking Shelby...I think she would love it. They also went to the Tennessee Aquarium. That is always something fun to go see. We love it there.

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So Shelby and I went and hung out and visited with Paul and his family for a few hours at Mama and Daddys. Mama made home made chili, cornbread and salad. It was delicious as usual! Paul and Kay have two sons, one is Andrew, I think he is 9? and their older Patrick is 16 I believe, he might be 17 now. Anyway...

I brought Phoenix, Bonnieand Clyde with us! I knew they would love it...Andrew was absolutely enthralled with them. I made a point not to feed any of them that morning so their would be no poop balls...but Phoenix had other plans and made a messy poo...and I always bring paper towels, cleaner and disinfectant to clean up, just in case. So, he had to go back up in his carrier. Can't have that. Even at home, if someone has a bout of messy poo, they arent allowed to wander about the carpet. Its just like people I guess, it happens.

So Andrew was just enfatuated with Bonnie. She is so personable anyway. Over the past month she and Cyde have been something else. I just thought Phoenix was affectionate! Soon as you let those two out Bonnie is out and up on someone wanting to be petted and rubbed under her wings. By the time afternoon rolled around Andrew was asking his parents for a pet chicken...lol. Who could blame him for trying. Course it was a big NO. I think Kay, his mom, may have been a little afraid of them. She avoided them and wouldnt hold Bonnie when Andrew tried to get her to hold her. She cringed up a little. She told him when he was grown he could have whatever he wanted...lol.

It was a good time and a good visit. We enjoyed it very much.

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Just an example of how Bonnie is. They are fearless. Phoenix hates the vacuum. I had it going in the bedroom and had let those two out to stretch their wings a little. They came a wandering in, checking out this and that. I had my back turned and all of the sudden I felt a breeze on my backside and then a little chicken on my shoulder! She had flown up from the floor to my shoulder while I was vacuuming, and just hung out there while I finished. What a hoot. They are a never ending source of entertainment. They have also discovered the evening suppertime. So now I have three beggars in the evening rather than one. Some have a couple of dogs begging at the table, not me, I have three little chickens begging! Now what about that? ;) I wish you could know and see how they are, such big hearts and big personalities. It is something special to be around.

 

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Here is a picture of them settling down next to Ian on the couch while he watches some TV. :)

Getting an email from Paul...I asked permission to add a paragraph from it...a bit of his memories from his childhood that I wanted to share on here...

You're right, living in Columbus I have never been around chickens. One thing from my childhood that I will always remember is going with my adoptive mother over to her mothers farm in Sylacauga Alabama. Her father had died along time ago and her mother had remarried an old farmer named Mr. Riddle. They decided we all would have chicken for supper. I followed Mr. Riddle out into the pen where they had many chickens. I won't say what he did to the bird but he took it in ready to cook in just a few minutes. I was amazed. I always wanted to spend a summer there and help him on the farm and learn about those things. I have many good memories of that farm.
 
 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The vegetables look wonderful and the chickens do too as always. Paula

Anonymous said...

Somebody has green fingers.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard

Anonymous said...

The veggies look great!  It is so cool Bonnie was on your shoulder while you vacuumed!!  I just think it is so neat that those guys can run around your house and the pic of them with Ian is adorable. And you take them places, you are so special with those birds!  You are also a bad influence on me....each time I read more about these guys and see pictures it makes me want chickens like that too!!!!  I tried to pet one of ours the other day and I thought she was going to have a heart attack, she got so upset.
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Hey! Guess who? Being Sunday and tired for what little effort I put in today, I've got the extra time to say hello. Hello!
Your animal tails and vegtable tales as ussual are very entertaining. Keep well and don't let Ian get too green.

Anonymous said...

What a nice entry.  I just love your pet chickens!  Linda

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