Flowers To Plant, Changes To Make, School

Shelby and I had a great first day of the 8th grade yesterday. The first day is always the toughest for kids, even in homeschool. Getting back into a schedule is not always easy after a carefree summer. I do understand that, as I had a carefree fun summer myself. Now it is time to get down to it and do the work though. I am really pleased with all the materials I have for this school year. Quite a complete curriculum if I do say so myself. Here is a run down just to give an idea of what we did and will do. All of the workbooks are geared specifically for the 8th grade of course.

Vocabulary Workbook (Wordly Wise)

Grammar Workbook

Spectrum Math Workbook

Spectrum Science Workbook

other materials include National Geographics Map Essentials, Elements of Literature (her first story right off the bat, a favorite of mine, Rikki tikki tavi)There are questions and work to do at the end of each story. We are also using those Handy Answer Books I bought off Amazon. We started in the History and Science one yesterday. Every six weeks we will alternate the Science, Biology, and Physics books. These should last maybe the rest of her school years. We will also have sewing, crafts, cooking, home ec type things. Things everyone should know how to do. I still have the biggest book of every animal species known to man I think, that we will continue to use throughout school years. So many children know so little about nature and its surroundings anymore. I want Shelby to be very knowledgeable about animals and their habitats. We both enjoy this book a lot.

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I do some of my best thinking when out on the mower riding around, looking off into the distance and smelling my fresh cut grass.

I have been trying to think of a way to make myself and my animals happier. Mostly we are talking of the pigs and the goats. Mostly the pigs. You see, pigs are very strong. They are also always on a constant quest for an easy meal if let loose into the yard. This inevitably ends badly. Pig noses are VERY strong. The can smell that chicken feed inside the pens...and they can bust open a pen like they were made of matchsticks. Pushing on the chicken wire til the wood breaks of the staples and wire can't take it anymore. This of course makes me very angry and scares the chickens in that particular pen pretty badly. There is just no need for this. I feed them well, too well. So you may ask why I think they arent as happy as they could be.

When we got these pot belly pigs I had to make a quick set up for them. They had plenty of room for their size at the time. Now, they really need to roam, to be put on pasture. For many reasons. One, they need the exercise badly. Two, being put on pasture would really cut down on the feed bill. Three, I think they would be happier. So how to do this, mowing, thinking, mowing thinking.

The obvious answer is to fence off the chicken pens. You have to remember the determination and hard-headedness of a pig is a force to be reckoned with. I could give them the back three acres to roam, but put a fence up to keep them out of a small forbidden zone, and they will try to go there everytime.

Yesterday we went to Lowes and got a 330 foot roll of hog wire. It is the same kind of wire that was used to back the wooden fencing put up around our back half of the property. It is very strong. The problem is, pigs get their nose under things and pull up. So you better have some good posts in the ground, and have that fencing tied down good to the posts. I am really hoping they will just go on out back and eat grass...but you know what they say, wish in one hand and !!!! in the other, and see which one fills up the quickest. We will see. I intend on giving them a run for their money.

Ultimately what I am looking to have happen is to have the two goats, the three emus, the horse, and the two pigs on pasture next Spring, which will really cut down on the feed bill. You see, when I feed the chickens, everyone wants to eat their food. I guess it is really tasty stuff. Its always a battle to get in the gate and set the food down in the chicken pen without being run over and trodden upon with those extra mouths trying to get some of the good stuff. To solve this dilemma, I told Ian its going to be all layer pellets, all the time, for everyone. Less waste with pellets too.

The ultimate goal here is to cut down on the feed bill. The back half used to be leased to a local farmer that grew bermuda hay, so that is what grows back there. Perfect for everyone to be eating.

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I have a very silly chicken. Her name is Belle. She is from the chickens a friend of mines sister gave me that she could no longer keep. She has never conformed to living with the flock. Even when I had them all locked up together for two months, this did not sway her. She has gone back to being a front yard chicken. Her and Bubba are a solid pair and hang out alone, together all day, with the occasional visit from Gabby, who never really fit in to the flock herself. She is different, and has a lot of personality. Belle hides her eggs from me. I have found them under the front porch in some ivy before. I am sure there are places I have not found as of yet. This time, she has decided to deposit her eggs on the cement floor of the garage...next to the paint cans. Now why she decided this, I couldnt tell you. But here she is, and here is where she has put her eggs.

 

 

 

 

I was going to post a few pictures of some plants I need to get into the ground, mums and lantana, but photobucket is just really fighting me today, so I will try again later.

I have so many projects swirling around in my head right now I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I need to get out there and DO something instead of thinking of so much to do at one time!

Have a good Tuesday...I will try and do the same. :)

George and Cool Old Stuff

George, what can I say. George is quite a character. He will stay home only if his owners are home, and even then...if there is a thunderstorm coming, I will know it about half an hour or so before it even gets here. Sun could be shining, but if George shows up, you can bet your boots its going to rain.

He is a good dog. He never chases or scares any of my animals. I think some of them actually scare him more. He is the friendliest dog you could meet, and you wouldnt know it, but that little sausagy looking dog can RUN like the wind! That is why, when I am transferring him from the house to the pen, or the other way around he walks on a leash I bring with me. He usually comes back, but he can take off like a shot just full of that doggy spirit.

His owners seem to go out of town a lot. I say a lot, but it is probably more common than I realize for a family these days to go out of town every couple of months or maybe sometimes even once a month. I don't mind keeping George for them though, he is really no trouble at all.

Here is George, meeting me at the door, ready to go out yesterday morning.

 

This dog has a bladder the size of Texas. He WILL NOT go in the house, no matter what. Now this means when he comes out after a 12 hour wait, I myself have to do some waiting as he relieves himself as he releases a river. ;)

 

Ahhhh NOW I am feeling MUCH better!

 

Okay...lets get moving on down to the pen so I can have my breakfast...

 

Here is George...in his pen...you can see it in his face...he is resigned to his fate for the day. No running about today...sorry George. I will be back this evening to get you and we will walk around a bit then its in for the night with a handful of dog cookies.

 

Then there are the two invisible cats to feed and water. I was told their dishes were on the front porch, but couldnt find them at first. I had never been around the side of their wrap around porch. They have some really neat stuff sitting out. The cats dishes were sitting on this old wicker bakers rack...so I filled them up with food and water.

 

Sitting across from this was the neatest old rocker and table, with mud shoes no less. Most people would probably try to refinish this type of thing, but it had quite the charm just the way it was...and really a nice look on the old large porch, sitting there looking old and pretty.

 

I love this old barn type shed they have just up from Georges pen. Oh yes, I could make a really cool chicken coop house of this...

 

Okay, time to quit foolin' around and get back home...can you see my house from their driveway?

 

I still have to mow the rest of our land today...and I got to work up the school planner for this coming week for Shelby. We intended on starting the day after Labor Day, but she was sick all week with stomach bug of some sort. She is feeling better this weekend, so we will start fresh on Monday morning. I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday. Ian is off tomorrow and we will be very busy doing school so I don't imagine I will get to the computer tomorrow. Probably see everyone on Tuesday. I got my alerts down from over 400 to 160, so if I havent visited you yet, I am getting there, and will see you by the end of this coming week.

A Few More...

More Parrot Pictures

As far as I can tell, Debbie does most of the work taking care of these birds. I know that Tex picks up the food and pays for it. I know he put up that steel building, with her help I believe. These birds are for breeding and selling the offspring. It is supposed to eventually turn a profit. So far, it has not. That is the impression I got from Debbie. Even though these birds are very expensive to buy, you have to get them to actually breed and lay and hatch to make any money. She has a very expensive incubator, but something was wrong with it and it ruined all the eggs she had in there. I don't remember the particulars, but she does know what she is doing and it was the incubator that failed.

She is growing very frustrated and says she is about ready to move on to something else. She says this is just not making her any money and she gets very frustrated. The birds waste expensive feed. A fifty pound bag of bird seed for these birds runs about 35 dollars, and she says one bag on a good week will last four or five days. She says the maccaws especially pick through and throw out seeds looking for peanuts. You would say, oh well, why not just give them peanuts? Because too many peanuts is bad for the birds heart. Variety is better for them. She has plastic down on the concrete floor to try and minimize the mess. She joked saying no one ever comes to see the birds when she has just swept. I told her not to worry, I have the same problem at times. Someone may unexpectedly stop by and thats when I havent gotten out there that day to clean the waterers yet. I dont know what it is about birds, but birds LOVE to poop in their water. Parrot, chicken or whatever, they poop in their water. The one cockateil we have, she poops in her water, every day!

Here are some more pictures of their birds. They are very beautiful, but you better bring your ear plugs if you have sensitive ears! ;)

 

Good Saturday Morning

Before I get carried away in my Saturday babble, I just want to thank everyone for coming to visit my little ole journal about my animals. I don't say it enough, but it does bring joy to my heart to be able to share them all with everyone through talk and pictures. I want to welcome quite a few newcomers to my little spot on the internet. I hope you enjoy it here. Everyone is always welcome to come get you a cup of sweet tea or lemonade, coffee, whatever your drink and set down over there in that white rocker on my front porch and talk with me a while. I love the company. :)

Now I promised some pictures of those keets. They are really growing so fast! Yesterday evening when I was out front mowing the parents and the babies were all scouring the other half of the front yard that I had mowed earlier. It was kind of pretty to see them all scurrying about like that in the evening sunlight. Well I did actually manage to get the pictures. It was almost dark, as you can see the sky in the background of these pictures and I had to use the flash to get good pictures..but here they all are. :)

 

Aren't they something else? They are just the cutest little things! We still have sixteen babies. No one else has died or disappeared for a while now. I am glad.

I know I promised some more pictures of Tex and Debbies birds today and I will deliver, but it will be this afternoon. I am taking care of the neighbors dog again for a few days and I need to go let him out and feed their invisible cats...that is, I put out food, but have yet to actually see the two of them. ;) I need to get to mowing the rest of the yard and everyone is going to need their waterers scrubbed and filled today and their feeders filled. That takes a couple of hours of my time just doing that. So, I better get off my rear and go see about George and the kitties. I will be back during my break with some bird pics. Hope everyone is having a nice Saturday morning. :)

Exotic Birds, Elvis Jr.

It's Friday! The weekend is here folks. It looks like Hanna is going to spare the Georgia folks from a drenching. That is fine with me, I got mowing to catch up on this afternoon and tomorrow.

After we picked up those peachicks on Monday we stopped in on Tex (that is his REAL name too!) and Debbie. Ian and Tex work together. They are always so welcoming and friendly. They were cooking out and offered for us to stay and hapve a burger but we had plenty of leftovers from the cookout we had Sunday. I got a lot of pictures of their birds. They have a whole steel building they put up just to house the birds, and they have more in a smaller housing too. These are just some of the pictures I took. Some of the birds you think you are seeing twice, there are actually many of that particular kind. Especially the blue and gold maccaws and the yellow headed green parrots. Here are a few today...I will add more over the weekend.

 

This is a male greenwing and a blue and gold female maccaw. They have been trying to breed this pair for a long time to get a very rare combination of the two. I can't seem to bring the name of it to the front of my mind right now, so I will have to add that when my mind remembers, if it does that is.

The male hates Tex...lol. He will mock Tex's laugh, and tell him COME 'ERE. When Tex gets close enough he will whang his beak on the cage bars at him. I know he would take a bite out of Tex if he could. Tex never did a thing to him, but that bird hates him all the same.

 

AH ha...my mind just remembered, I think its called a harlequin.

 

I dont know what a lot of these breeds of birds are. I know chickens, I don't know exotics too well.  She told me what this one above was, but I can't remember.

Below is another breed I don't know either.

 

I havent gotten a chance to get a picture of the guineas lined up on the fence, but maybe since I will be out there mowing I will get it today.

The peachicks are doing well. I have them in their new pen and will take pictures of that as soon as I can.

Now the bad news. I am not naming any of my silver laced polish offspring Elvis, or Elvis Jr. anymore. It seems to be bad luck for them. Elvis Jr. was feeling poorly for a few days. I gave him the vitamins and electrolytes in the water and a high protein chick starter for feed. It was just too late for him. He was too weak and didnt make it.

I have decided to go all out and hatch like a madwoman with this breed. Coco is laying an egg a day consistantly. I am going to put them in ten eggs at a time into the incubator so I will have groups and no one will hatch alone.

I WILL HAVE MY SHOW BIRDS! They won't be ready for this February, but they will be ready for not this Fall, but next Fall and the next February.

This is a very high quality show line I am trying to establish. So the silver laced will be my winter hatch.

Before I forget! Dianne and Marlene, I have sent off your packages today. :) Let me know when it gets there!

Now I have stalled long enough, its almost 5 now and it should be cooling off enough to mow the front this evening. I am off to ride my mower and ponder and daydream while I ride along. Everyone have a great weekend. I will be back with more pictures of their birds tomorrow morning.

XOXOXOXOXO

Backing Up

I was so excited about the peachicks I made that entry first. Now I will back up some to things that went on around here before.

Sunday Ians dad and his wife Christi came for a visit. For those that don't know, Ians mom passed away over six years ago and we will always miss her, she was the sweetest loving person you could ever know. It took a long time, but Ians dad found a wonderful lady that loves him and he loves her. Ians dad is happy again and we are so glad. Christi is into Irish Wolfhounds. She shows her dogs regularly. Many months ago one of her dogs had pups but all died except one. They named him Darby. He has a little trouble with his front feet dragging, but he is Johns baby dog and they are just glad he survived. Darby came for a visit with John and Christi and below are some pictures of him. You may remember back around last Christmas I had posted a picture of him with Mama. He has GROWN since then!

I was very excited to have them over. Ian and I went to the store and bought baby back ribs and chicken breasts to go on the grill. I fixed potato salad and wrapped corn on the cob in tin foil with seasoning and butter inside to roast. I even got Key Lime pie and Turtle pie for desert.

We sat out on the screen porch for a long time talking and catching up. Christi loved the emus. I had bought extra bread from the clearance bread rack at Walmart so she could hand feed them. Everyone that meets them just instantly falls in love with them. The chickens were asking for some of that bread too and got their share. She loved the giant cochins especially. I am always so happy to show my animals to family and friends, I am proud of all my babies. :)

We had such a nice visit. The day couldn't have been more perfect.

Here are some of the pictures...Darby is begging his daddy for some pie, and he got some of course. ;)

 

Ian will be off work tomorrow so I won't be on again until Friday. I have more to show and tell about our trip out on Monday, but it can wait until then. We stopped by and saw a friend of Ians from work that lives out the way we went. Passed right by their road so we had to stop in and say hi. Last time I didnt bring my camera, THIS time I did. He and his wife are the ones that are into breeding exotic birds. I got a lot of pictures. Like I said though, I will save that for Friday and over the weekend.

Yesterday I had to kill a wasp nest in Derbys barn before I could put the peachicks set up in there. I got chased by a few and so I decided to just wait til today to finish setting them up. That is what I need to go do now, so I am going to sign off for today.

XOXOXOXOXOX