This Month....

has played hell on me.

Budget all out of whack, body all out of whack, brain all out of whack.

The budget was an easy fix...stop fixing things until the 'Stead is in our name.  The rent on this place is nearly twice what our mortgage payment is going to be (go figure).

Body, not such an easy fix...some kind of bug has taken up residence and is refusing to budge.  No, not been to the doc because right now the insurance has my PCP as some doctor that's 3+ hours away...um, no.  So just battling on as I can, missing work off and on...good thing it's just a temp job right now and my sales numbers are good or they'd boot me.

Brain...well, that goes along with the body.  Just tired.  And when it's time for bed, wired.  I really need an off switch installed up there.

In other news, the garden is coming along nicely...I sold a bunch of chicks and adults....hatched out more...got more heirloom seeds in today...strawberries are in the ground (mostly)...orchard is popping right along.

I leave you with last week's pic of a row of peas....straight lines are overrated.

Broodies and Garden Beds...

The 'Stead is full of both.

Spring has sprung in Ozark country...still some nippiness to the wind and I'm sure there will still be cold nights (as Ma Nature is a bit bipolar) but as it stands everything is popping out.

Fruit trees are budding beautifully, garden beds are filled with dirt and awaiting seeds/plants.  A few things have found their way into the beds already...not so much that a hard frost would wipe us out and cause a restart but enough to offer a view of the future.  And I love it!

I've settled in fairly well to my temp job at Lowe's...I really enjoy it there.  I'm up in the air about trying to get on permanent though...I like the idea of seasonal work.  It gives a bit of extra cash but doesn't tie me into a year round thing that digs at my desire to be able to up and go when I chose.

Life on the 'Stead goes on...the new additions to the chicken flock mean that in a few months some of the older gals (and probably a couple of young roos) will be facing the butcher block.  I'm still hatching out babies, but only the Easter Eggers as they will sale better at swaps than my hardy Barnyard Mutts...there's no accounting for peoples' tastes.  My mutts outlay the purebreds consistently but can't fetch a fair price for their extreme abilities.  As it is, I'm selling all the extra eggs we have (and we have a lot) to neighbors.  Even bothered to set up a mini-web page and a Facebook page for the 'Stead.

If the coop ever gets moved, I won't be so up in arms over the number of birds (it's a REALLY big shed) because they'll have all the back acreage to range in.  Right now they're right up on the house and 40+ birds wandering the front yard gets a bit tiring.

I'll leave you tonight with two pics...one of my EE roo, Pretty Boy, taken in January...the other of his boy, Attack Chicken (aka A.C.), taken last week.

Getting There....

Today was a day for outside work.

Separated out the new fruit trees for the soon-to-be orchard.  Started my herbs and cold crops in the greenhouse.  Hatched more fuzzy butts (current count as of this very second...26).  Found a clutch of eggs hiding in a brush pile (left them...who knows which gal laid them and how long she's had that particular hiding spot).

Tomorrow is a run to Lowe's and the local hardware store, a run to the Fort and a run to my now ex-job (will be turning in uniforms tomorrow)...gas jumped nearly 50 cents in two weeks here, completely negating my working so far from home.

I'm still going to do the job hunt thing...just hunting closer to home is all.  In the meantime, I'll be getting crafty...I suppose...and probably throwing some stuff up on Etsy...maybe.

Some Fuzzy Butts...(Image Heavy)

sometimes patience does pay off...6 so far:

New Toys...

got some in the mail today and they are simply superb.  They're preps that I've wanted for a good long time.  I've never, ever in my life held something quite so lovingly made and perfectly balanced as this:

Honey Gatherer (for me)

and this:

Blood Kukri (for Tanker)

Ernie (his blog, Bunker Index, is over there in the blog link section btw) has a gift.  Words simply cannot describe it, so I won't try.  Let me just say that if you ever find yourself wanting a piece of useful art...hit up Ernie.  It is worth every single penny.

Now, onto other stuff....I have dancing eggs.  Yep, a smattering of dancing eggs in the incubator right now.  They're set to hatch on my birthday or as everyone else knows it, Thursday.  So hoping for a decent hatch, but understand that this being my first time incubating casualties are to be expected.

If all goes well...peep pictures will be coming soon.

A Little Political...A Little of Life...

still don't think the .gov is rolling over anyone and anything in its path?

Tell that to Morningland Dairy (local).

Sad and wasteful...our US Government...aren't we proud.  Amerika.

Now on to life on the 'Stead...

I came home with another dozen and a half hatching eggs (already 2 dozen in one incubator) and 10 new chicks (to add to the 4 I had here already), the original plan was to just get rid of some extra roos.  Plan fail.

Don't make fun of the Turken...Killer was free (before the new ten and before the loss of the puny one up front there):

And when I got to the coop, I found these...my poor girls hadn't gotten down out of the rafters for days because of the obscene amount of roos we had around here....problem no more!!

With the extra roos gone, the girls are happily out in the yard pecking around...without fear of having 6 guys jump them at once.  Here's to hoping that production picks up (which it should since tomorrow I'm adding 4 or 5 more hens...hehe).

That's my prepping for the week!  Now, off to fix some chicken noodle soup for dinner...youngest screamer requested it.