And yes...more chicks

On 5/22 we had 6 as of this A.M. we have 11! You would not believe the difference in size between a one day and a one week old chick.

So far as the Salute and Send off - the reservations have been made and babysitter for the chicks scheduled. Cliff won't be going so he will take care of the dogs.

I found a blog from a guy in PA that is going to be going over with Jess. He is also from PA but he is infantry. By reading his blog I will have an idea of what is going on and he has alot of photo's.

Knitting- started scarf from SpinOff got about 30-40 rows done and dropped a stitch and got ticked and ripped it all out.

Gardening - disgusted! Groundhog ate all the broccoli plants. ALL! Weather sucks for planting. Have no time to seperate the tomatoes because I am running around trying to end all that end of the year stuff from GS, BS, 4H, school, soccer. I can not wait for school to end. So I can sit at home and veg. with the kids.

Can't remember if we did spinning last year during the summer. We may have to forgo the summer ones as I will have the kids and they will not sit for two hours and read. Tori maybe, JT never.

Well I should go get the beans in so they can grow and feed the groundhog or deer or rabbit.

And more chicks

Friday night we found one more chick. Then Saturday afternoon there was one and then this morning there was one. We are now up to six chicks. We figured it might work like this (the one chick per day) as the mother stops laying when she goes broody but the other hens would get into the nesting box with her and lay one and she would sit on it. So far they are all doing great, took to eating and drinking as soon as I showed them.

And I have 31 baby chicks coming the week of June 13. So I am either going to be having alot of chicken dinners this winter or alot of eggs for breakfast depending on the sex of all of them.

Saw the fox yesterday and got a shot off. Curt thought he hit him but we couldn't find him when we walked up that way so I still won't let the chickens and ducks free range and they hate that. But the fox is usually around the barn about 2 o'clock so we are going to sit and wait today and hopefully we will get him. I feel bad because I would like to let him live but he has eaten 7 chickens and 2 ducks already. Don't mind sharing the land as long as he (the fox) isn't taking all of the harvest!

We have chicks!!

Last month the duck stared sitting and we let her. Then one of the Buff Orps started sitting and we let her. And then one of the Brown Leghorns started sitting and we let her. Well last night when Curt went to shut them in he heard peeps and sure enough the Buff had hatched some chicks. We left them in there last night but took them and brought them inside this morning. Mom is still sitting on a bunch of eggs and we didn't want the chicks falling from the nesting box.
Last night we thought there were only two but when we went to get them this A.M there was three. We may have more tonight. I don't think the ducks are going to hatch but I will give her a couple of more days. The Brown Leghorn use to be such a frazzle brain - running around like Henny Penny if you even looked at her but now is sooo calm she lets you walk right up to the nesting box and pet her! The kids are estatic of course and can't wait for more baby chicks. I on the other hand miss all the fresh eggs. With the fox getting them and then two sitting I am down to only five hens that are laying.
On the garden front- blah. We had frost Wednesday morning. We did get 5 rows of potatoes in and the leek. Garlic is looking awesome. I need to get the broccoli in. I need to mow the grass. I need to pour cement in pig pen (we ordered 4) and I need to finish barb wire for Houdini's field. I need another me and another Curt is what I really need!

Maryland Sheep & Wool

Sooo I went to the MD Sheep & Wool. I hate MD for personal reasons...only two good things came out of MD - Jess and Cliff and Jess was actually born in VA. But I put the personal feelings aside and took the trip. Stayed with Amie (best niece in the whole world). Got there Friday night just in time to watch the last inning of Becca's softball game (they won 6-2). Amie only lives about 1/2 hour away so we were there right when it opened (actually a little before). When I walked in there were the cutest little sheep. Kenny called the cell while I was admiring them and told me to just take the backseat out of the car and tie it to the trunk and throw the sheep in. It is so nice to have a brother that would love to go back to farming to come up with ways to support my fiber needs. I didn't do it though, I was good and maintained.
I had a list of kinds of fiber I wanted to try and was going to stick to it. I did fairly well....
8 oz of bluefaced leicester combed top from Misty Mountain Farm
(on the list)
4 oz of icelandic roving from HeartsEase Farm (on the list)
1 oz of cashmere and tussah silk roving (not on list but had to try this)
4 oz of cormo roving from Foxhill Farm (on the list)
2 lb of border leicester fleece (not on list but had some before and love the luster of this wool
2.5 lb of leicester longwool (not on list but may as well do all the leicesters)
and I got a canvas bag from Swayze Inn Farm (because Curt forgot the tote). While driving home and reading all the pamphlets I picked up I found out that Swayze Inn Farm has Jacob and CVM sheep. The CVM was on my list of fleece/roving to get and I didn't, but now I know were I can get it.
I also learned my Babe spinning wheel fits between the dash and me and I can spin while Curt drives...Cormo spins like a dream! I also learned that Maryland has trees with leaves on already, the lilacs have already bloomed and the azaleas are now blooming and driving home the leaves got smaller and smaller until finally arriving home we had bare trees with just a hint of green -that was depressing but gives me just a little more time to spin up some of what I bought before heavy planting season comes. So I am off to do laundry and spin!
Oh I would have pics of Becca and my purchases but left camera in MD!