They are here!!

Well the last time I was here I told you that chicks were on the way and you saw our progress on our coop and run.  I am very happy to say the build was a success and is now complete.

When I say complete I mean really complete.  Our chicks arrived on the 27th of April and spent 2 weeks in the house in totes in the bathroom and laundry room.  Why inside with such a nice coop you ask?  Well we live in Michigan and Mother Nature has a sense of humor it seems.

We thought that the babies would be able to go immediately to the coop but the day they arrived it was a blustery rainy day and we knew that the best decision would  be to keep them in the warm house.......  for a day or two.  BUT the weather had other plans.  Not only  did it rain but the temps dropped, and we even got a couple days of snow.  So the babies had to stay inside, which was okay for a week.

But 19 chicks is about 10 too many in one tote so we had to separate and divide into 2 totes and then into another room.  This was the 6th day and they grew so fast we knew what we had to do.

So bring on the next tote and lets let them have some room.  The chicks were much happier.  I did have 2 little chicks that had a bad case of pasty butt and one developed a prolapsed vent so I had to be very choosy who I put with who.  So luckily we have chosen 4 very docile breeds and it was not to difficult to choose.  We have Salmon Favorolles, Austrolorpes, Delewares and Speckled Sussex.  All very sweet girls for sure.  

Now the chicks are 3 weeks old and if you are at all familiar with chickens you know what little mess makers they can be.  Needless to say they needed to be moved to that lovely coop ASAP.  We love them but we didn't like the mess, the dust and the poop!  OH so much poop!   I had forgotten how much poop they can produce and with 2 brooders going ...... yeah  they had to go out.  

So when they turned 2 full weeks they made the move to the big girl coop.  We had a few pretty chilly nights but with the help of a little space heater and some dividing of the coop the girls did just fine.  Now they have full run of the coop and they are beginning to truly become chicken girls.  They love life and I love these little egg makers. 

 I can't wait for the day when I can take a little run out to the coop and gather some goods!!!    Some fruits of their labors this time....

But that is a few months off for now.....   If you have never had a fresh from the nest egg before.....  You have no idea what you are missing out on.  They are the best,.  and I know what my chickens ate and how healthy their eggs really are,  

Well until next time everyone, have a blessed day and we will see you soon.  Next time we will show you our garden and how it is progressing.   Be kind to one another and take care.  See you soon.

They are here!

Fuzzy Butt Plans

         One of the best things about coming home again is the joy and anticipation of raising chickens again.  I love chickens....  I love just about everything there is to do with chickens and I even don't mind cleaning up after chickens.  I love all the eggs they bless us with.  I love all the different color eggs these sweet girls give you.    I can't imagine having a small farm without having some fuzzy butt girls to brighten my day.  They are my joy in the early mornings and I love to sit and have little conversations with them each day.  
     So if we want to have chicks, we must build a place to put them.  Some place safe for them and easy for me to clean and gather the goods they leave for me.  Thus the coop and run build has begun.  It won't be a big coop.  Not nearly as big as what I had in South Carolina or Arkansas but definitely just as safe as those.  My husband likes to call them his version  of Fort Knox.  We have a lot of predators here as we did in SC so he is making it as safe and impermeable as he can.  This time will be no different as the last two times.  I will only have a small flock this time but they will be so special to me.  I am finally getting a breed I have longed for so I intend to keep them as safe and healthy as I can.  
     The chicks will be here in just a few days so we must  get this coop ready for the big day.  Here are just a couple pictures of the progress of the run which is almost done and the coop that we began today.  If you have any questions about how we are doing the build you are welcome to ask in the comments or send me an email.  For now I will sign off it has been a busy day and tomorrow promises to be even longer.   See you next time when the fuzzy butts check into town and take up residence in Sunflower Farms .  Until next time...... Take care and be kind to everyone. 

Who says you can't go home again?

 So welcome to my little homestead.  Please come in, kick your shoes off and sit back and enjoy  a cup of tea and some company.  This is the story of my adventures with my family, my chicken girls and my homesteading adventures.

We are HOME!     
 Its  been a long time since I could say those words.  My journey started quite a few years ago.  My husband and I started our country life adventure 16 years ago.  We moved from our home in Michigan to find a bit more relaxed life than the hurry happenings of a big city.
     Our journey took us from Arkansas to South Carolina to Florida and now back home to Michigan.  Needless to say I am thrilled, my husband not quite so much. We moved to Arkansas to be close to family....  that moved back to Michigan years ago.  We stayed, and watched the  oil fracking companies absolutely ruin our land, home water and peace and quiet.  So we moved to South Carolina, my personal favorite place to be ever.  We had gorgeous land, with a river view and breathtaking mountain views literally minutes from our front door.  The weather was amazing, the countryside breathtaking and I had chickens, lots and lots of chickens.  I loved my home there and would have been very content to live there forever......  but my husband wanted warmer weather.  HOT weather actually.  So we went to Florida. 
     Florida was not what I was wanting or needing.  The weather was HOT all the time except for  2 or 3 months of the year.  It rained almost everyday in the afternoon, the humidity was as miserable as Arkansas.  The snakes and gators and monkeys were not entertaining to me at all.  The land was not good for planting where we landed and I could not have chickens, the beaches were too far away to enjoy and the scenery where we were was nothing  to admire.  Can you tell I was not happy there?  I stayed because my husband liked it there and yet he even admitted the last year was too hot and humid for him soooo......  back to Michigan we went.
     Michigan is where our daughter and kids live on a lovely 3 acre piece of land with a lake view.  Michigan is where we were both born and raised.  Michigan is where my heart was and now we are home where we began the journey.  So we have come full circle.  Who ever said you can not go home again I think may have been wrong,   Just sayin......

      Moving to Michigan has made me very happy, not just because I was born and raised there but also where we live now I can once again have a garden and chickens.  I will be with family and be able to enjoy watching the girls grow into beautiful young women.  I will have a chance to enjoy the good times and the nots so fun times with my kids.  I can have a family once more.  I have found as I go through the seasons of my life that nothing else matters so much to me than to spend time with my God and to be surrounded by those that I love. my family. 
     So until next time......  see you on the homestead.

   

The winter ho- hums!

I know I have  been away for  a while and I am so sorry for that.   Once I returned home from  Michigan and the grands,  I just  seem to not  be  able to get  past the  winter ho hums.    I miss the  grands  terribly, they live so far.   My  son in the  military  is in Oklahoma with his family and that  is pretty far from us.  So  much  has  happened in  2013 and  it  was not  my  best  year, we  suffered  a great tragedy  a little over a month ago.  My oldest  son  Joshua  went  home to be with the lord.    I hope that  2014 will be  much better with much happiness and good memories.  

I have  been working  on getting this new home in Florida  all situated and to our liking and  finally  I think we are there,  I am not the  best fan of  Florida,  but  it is for my husbands health  that  we came  here.  Don't get me wrong ,  the scenery is  beautiful in places,  the  ocean is magnificent!  We are  very close to Daytona Beach and the  home of the Nascar  big  race  which is  coming  very soon I might add.  We  have  made some  wonderful friends here in our  little park .  Our  home  is  small and  cute  and  we have  all we need,   I  am just  not a fan of the  really hot humid weather.  Never have been really  as I suffer from allergies especially from molds,   I  don't  care for the  really "so hot, you sweat the minute  you get  out of  bed " weather ,  but  I  do like the  winters .     I must  admit  that  I truly miss my  South Carolina  home and all the wonderful memories and  friends we left behind there.  That  was the one home that  truly felt like "home " and  where  I thought I would grow very old.  The house was amazing  and  where  we lived  was beautiful!  This may sound crazy but  I even miss of all things  my favorite radio station and  no station  here fills the void.  But  I must  stop all of this  whining and  shame on me  for do so.

On to happier  things , after almost 8 long years my son Justin and his family are  just  49 days  away from leaving the  military  behind and moving this way .  I am so  happy that  we will have  family closer to us  that  I can not  wait for the day when I can finally  hug my family again and  have  one of my grands  to play with .  I  truly wish my daughter and her family  lived closer ,  I miss them soo very much  every day and  there is so much I am missing of my  girls growing  up .

Life is  not  so bad here, I could say .  I  have  more time  to do what  ever it is  I care to do every day ,  I have  been doing a lot of work on my  crochet and my knitting  making  sweaters and  hats  and  mittens for  grands and for us.  I  have  learned how to pinch  some  pennies and make  more things  for us such and  air fresheners , furniture polishes , and  soaps . I have  expanded my  baking  skills  to making  more and more yummy  things  and  less  buying  of  things  .  Even if it  does  not save some pennies,  the  enjoyment and  the knowledge that  I can do this  gives a great  satisfaction.  

So  that  is  what has been keeping us  busy  here in Florida.  I promise that now  that  we have settled in I shall return much more often and  share  much more what is going on in our little piece  here in  Sunflower Farms.   I  hope  that  you are all doing well and that  life is  taking care of you all as  best it  can.  My  thoughts  and prayers  go out  for all of you that  are dealing with all this  very cold and  snowy weather this  winter.  I was born and raised in Michigan  and lived there many  many years  .  I must  say  I do not  miss it anymore.  Even  my South Carolina  home is  suffering this winter.  So  I pray for everyone  and that  they will come through this  winter safely.  Until later friends ,  take care , stay warm and  be kind to one another, and tell someone that  you love them today , tomorrow is not  promised !   Hugs !

One more little note  if you like my  little blog and would like to follow me on Bloglovin I would  love that  and thank you so much.   Have  a great  day everyone !  

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On vacation!!

So I bet you think I disappeared  right?  Nope  I am in Michigan for a few  weeks  visiting my  kids.  They  live  so far away  and I have  not  seen them since last  year so  they  graciously sent me a ticket and  here I am .  

I have  had  a lot  of  fun so far and  with two weeks  left I am sure there  will be more memories  made before I leave.   Let's  see .....  we  have  played outside  in the sprinkles 

We  have  gone  shopping  for Halloween costumes  and I am now the  proud Grandma of a pirate  and  Cleopatra  

The  weather  has  been  typical Michigan fall weather.  Crisp and  a  bit  windy  but sunny  most of the  time.  The  fall colors  have  been amazing   .....

Oh course  when it  is fall you have  to go apple  picking  and  then make  apple sauce and  apple butter  so you can remember that  fun day  when it is cold and wintery  here.  

 On one warmer  fall day we  took the  girls to the  pumpkin  farm and let the  play on the hay bales,  play with baby animals and  pick their pumpkins .

So  after  the  pumpkin getting  you must  do this  right ?  I think they did an awesome job  too, I can not  wait to see them lit  tonight !   

So  the only  bad  memories  so far?  A  nasty  cold  that  won't  go  away  but if  that  is the worst,  I will take  it  !!  So much for today ,  more memories to follow  but  before I go a couple more memories  for you  to enjoy.    

 

Amy's Down Home Cooking:

I  love  to  cook  and  bake.  I LOVE  it and  I love finding  blogs  for  recipe ideas .  I have  found MANY blogs with  fabulous recipes and  there are a few of my  faves.   This  lady  and her  blog is  one of my  all time  favorites , she is the top of my list.  I  have  found this  lady on  face book .  I love  her  creativity, her knowledge and  her cheerful  upbeat  attitude and  willingness to always share.  She is a star in my book.   I love  her  blog and I love her group on Facebook.  If you want an idea  for dinner, or  need some help with some ingredients you have  but  not any idea of what to do with them ......  Amy is your  gal.  Thank you so much Amy, for all you do for us that  are recipe  challenged.  Please  take a few minutes and  check out  her  blog and  enjoy the  recipes;    Her  blog  link is below  and  I know you will love it.

 Amy's Down Home Cooking: