Topiaries

I love English gardens....both the formal & the cottage. I also love Bonsai and sculpted shrubs. I think I want to try some topiaries in my yard. I will probably start with the wire forms....add the moss & soil & then add plants. I have seen some amazing huge ones on the internet but if I get some small ones done then I'll be a happy camper ...er... gardener.

Surprise!!!

Turning off lights & locking up last night, I heard a noise in the dinning room. I realized it was coming from my incubator sitting on the dinning room table. As I peeked in I saw that 3 baby ducks had hatched and by morning I had 5. This afternoon my hubby called and said we have a total of 7 ducks. I had the biggest smile on my face this morning. Funny what makes me so happy. I have visions of me walking across the yard with 7 little ducks in a row following me.

When my grandchildren remember me, I want them to think of me with all my little critters, my bird feeders & bird houses, my flower garden and the books I love to read to them. I'm sure they will also remember all the times I jumped and screamed at spiders, roaches & their rubber snakes. I want them to have a place they can come to that is far removed from this material drug & alcohol saturated world that is too busy, too self-centered and full of stress. My best memories are of my grandparents farm in Mississippi that I loved and miss so much. I wish I had many of the things they had like 80 acres of pasture & woods, the old smoke house, the big old barn with the hay loft I used to lay in and dream, a cold creek to play in and yes, even an outhouse! They had chickens....but, they didn't have ducks!

Eggs

Found out that I cannot sell my eggs using recycled egg cartons....CAN give them away to friends in them but I now need to purchase blank cartons and either stamp my info on them or use peel & stick labels.

I have printed up my flyers to give out with my "free" egg blitz to the neighborhood. I will give them their first dz. eggs free to introduce them to farm eggs. Hopefully I will have enough response to at least pay for my chicken feed. Not really expecting to make much profit off eggs but it will help sustain us in chickens & eggs for future survival if needed. I have about a dozen 2 month old chickens that should begin laying in September and 6 newly hatched biddies that just came out of the incubator. We may start selling chickens too. Since this is an experiment in hobby farming, I have no idea what may happen.

I do enjoy being with my girls (Hens) and watching their silly antics and different personalities which range from none at all to bossy or curious. Picking up a warm just laid egg is such a miracle to me. It just amazes me how they can make an egg with a hard shell every day. And I don't even mind scraping up the chicken poop to add to my garden. Just don't ask me to butcher one because I'm just not there yet. Although my hunter hubby has no problem whatsoever. I have pointed out "certain" chickens that he is never to touch...like Henny Penny who was one of my original chickens from two years ago. She is a Barred Rock who has to stick her curious nose into every thing I do. I now have two of her babies in the two month old group, one is a rooster. My grandkids had a blast playing with them this past weekend. They all gather up around their feet and will let them pick them up.

I guess I'll run up to Tractor Supply and buy some egg cartons after work today....I need to get these eggs distributed because tomorrow I'll have about a dozen again. Yes, my pets do make me breakfast!