Weather Change

3-29-2011

Took the dogs out early this morning and it was drizzling rain....how blessed we are, we really need the moisture. It has been very cool here as well this morning, and the weather report is for 36 -37 degrees tonight...
We have worked most of the day putting tarps up around the baby quail cage to try to keep heat in...and I bought two more heat lamps. I don't want to lose any of them. The man that sold these to us said he lost some due to the weather, they bunched up on him. They look pretty cozy to me at the moment, and I know the cold wind will not be as bad with the tarps around the big cage...

I trimmed pretty drastically on my Wisteria arbor a couple weeks ago. I have had it more than seven years and it has never bloomed...so guess what ?..Yes, it bloomed, and I cut some of the blooms off evidentally, thinking it was just the tree branches coming out...but you can see how pretty the wisteria blossoms are...


A quick trip around the place showed some surprises...the plum tree made the last cold spell...look at the baby plums ! This is such a wonderful tree...


The wild bluebonnets are peeking out of the grass...they are so beautiful...


Jimmy, the donkey, is busy trimming off the plums...Bad..bad...he will have to
be locked out very soon or he will have more than his share. I noticed he had trimmed down my cherry tree as well.


A trip to the greenhouse to check on my new tree...I bought a Lime Tree..can't wait to see the blooms on it...



I also started some mung bean sprouts in my 3 tier sprouter for later this week...



And I have to show off one of my pretty roosters...I have several of these left..they are second generation Silkie/Cochan cross...

My white silkie is kept caged with his two hens..they hate each other..the colored rooster is alway telling him off, but they do not fight through the fence.

Button is growing so fast...look at her ears ! and Dapper is being bad..they love to chew up paper all over the house, think it is such fun...


And I will close with one of my favorite meals this week...the Taiwan Pea Shoots fixed in salad with strawberries, left-over chicken, and drizzled with Poppy Seed Dressing...definitely a winner....

Quail are Growing....

3-25-2011

The baby quail grow so fast. Sadly, Teeny Weeny did not make it past this afternoon. It was the tinest of them all, and did not seem to thrive. I had hopes the little one would make it, but he did not. The other quail are so calm, they just move about inside the big pen, they love to get under the broken flower pots I put in there, I think they feel safe...



I decided on fixing a big Chef Salad for supper tonight, so today, I cut the Taiwan Peas in the greenhouse. I am so happy with them, will order more from Cook's Gardens.



I am amazed at how fast they grew....and now they are ready to be cut.....





I left a leaf on each stem, will see how these regrow since I have cut them...



The Blue Lake Beans are sprouting and coming up.....



I laughed at Cocoa Bunny and the Silkies...they seem to be telling each other secrets......



And Suzi Pig always wants to untie my shoe laces and lick my shoes...she loves to tell me little pig jokes in pig latin, but I don't know when to laugh....



She is so old and wrinkled. At times, she cannot get up, so I just "roll the pig" so to speak until I can get her back up...then she grunts at me and goes about her day. Tonight is calm and peaceful, and I realize just how blessed I am....I love to see all the buds of green appearing on the trees, and the birds are so busy. A beautiful red cardinal was at the feeder today. Yes, He colors my world with His love...all we have to do is be still.....and listen to the quietness.....to feel Him near....

Quail Graduation

Today we decided to take down the rectangular containment around the baby quail. They now have their pin feathers, and they have decided to fly over it anyway, so we have to watch carefully when we open the door. They are just so cute...


And this one is so tiny and fragile...I have been babying her for days...she continues to drink and eat, but is slow to get around like the others. She is Teeny Weeny...LOL


And I am still keeping "bling" (colored marbles and glass globs) in the drinking containers so they won't drown.


And I went around the barnyard again today...love my critters...Bama loves to dig holes and lay in them...

I am going to cut the Taiwan Peas off tomorrow and put in salad..they can also be used in stir-fry ...


Birdhouse for rent in the greenhouse !

And Cookie Face was scratching her head on the saw horse..she is a mess...


There really are minnows in this old satellite dish...I use it to hold water and put fresh in every day...moss is a problem in warm temps...bees love to water on the edges, and one year, we had a visitor...a duck !



Hombre the Longhorn lives about 4 blocks or less from us on four city lots, has his own barn, and is very content....



Old Cocoa Bunny continues to slowly get around...walks on her knees, bless her heart. I am asked why I don't put her down...the reason is that she loves life, she is so old, but gave us so much wonderful milk and beautiful babies during her years..she loves to lay in the sunshine, chews her cud, watches the birds, and just gives love. She eats well, does not seem to be in any discomfort, and just enjoys every day of her life....

And to end the day, these are the puppies that belong to Run-Around-Sue...OUR SPAYED DOG THAT JUST HAD PUPPIES ... we have had her over seven years...this blows my mind...I know the Good Lord enjoys the surprises that show on my face...He sends me many of them....I just walk by faith.....put all my eggs in one basket, and let Him do the hatching....

And their eyes are now open...look how fat they are !


Another day of blessings at Itsy Bitsy Farm.........

Barnyard Check

3-21-2011

I love to walk about the barnyard and see what everything is doing...There are always wild birds around the area, singing in the trees, building nests, and I love the mockingbird that drives my neighbor crazy. He cusses that poor bird out, and I just laugh and love the sounds he makes. He has mimicked the baby quail this week. He is so convincing, I even double checked to make sure none of them were out.



Old Jimbo was out and about the barnyard. He makes little oinky sounds. He scares some with those tusks, but he will let you scratch all round his nose while he makes his piggy sounds. He loves to have the water hosed on him during the hot summer months.


The Silkies were pecking about...there are about a dozen eggs in the nest box, I am hoping they will go broody very soon. I only have one Silkie/Cochan mix left, the little grey hen.

The Doves have nests all over....they love the old flower baskets the best, but one has two new babies in one of the nest boxes.

A feathered out baby...

Newly hatched out babies...

Cookie Face loves to lay on the old steps of my trailer house where I have my stained glass shop...I love to see the wind blow her long chin hairs...she reminds me of an oreo cookie...

Bama is enjoying the fresh green grass that has come up in the barnyard. He is such a magnificent animal. He is loved here. He is still stand-offish, will not come to me. He will follow me all over the barnyard.




Boogie Bear and Buddy love to see me...they jump up so high, I have to laugh at them. They know they are safe here. They are my protectors.


The last I checked out in the barnyard, Suzi and Jimbo were fast asleep, they are both so old, we have had them for years.....


And so my tour of early morning is over. I would rather stay out here than anywhere. I have to laugh when I think of the sights I have seen...who else has been in the middle of a whirlwind of chicken feathers, or had the leaves fall quickly down on them from the trees, the secret birdnest in the Mimosa Tree, the minnows in the antenna dish, so many secrets. The bees that come for water every day at the antenna
dish waterer, we have a pact. I will give you a drink, but you better not sting me. In summer, the dragonflies flit about with such beauty. Life is peaceful in my barnyard.

Spring Means Growing Time...

3-21-2011

I love to go to the greenhouse every morning. I can't wait to see what seeds have popped up, how tall the Taiwan Peas are, what salad mix is thriving? Come with me and check it out this morning....
The Lettuce was the first to come up....I will need to replant it into bigger pots.


The Taiwan Peas are a new one for me...they have really grown at a fast pace. They can be clipped at two inches in height and used in salads...or pita pockets...or for us, put in with meat and veggie tortillas.

The Basil is just coming up. I love fresh basil with egg noodles and butter. Also, I love to dehydrate it and sprinkle it over tomatoes...even dehydrate tomatoes with a mixture of Kosher salt, Coarse black pepper, and Basil.


The Salad Mix is popping up...will be so good to eat...


I also keep several water containers in the greenhouse for the tiny wrens that sometimes pop in to visit me. They are so beautiful. I delight in their songs. I also have a couple birdhouses in there if they want to use them. They usually prefer an old pot high on a shelf, but they know they are welcome to visit me.


The Spinach has come up in the okra. I love spinach salad with sliced fresh strawberries, toasted pecans, and drizzled with Poppyseed Dressing.


The Black-Eyed Peas are now at two leaves. There is also lettuce planted in the container, but it has not come up yet. I like to vary the growth on some plants.

The Arugula is up....growing and green...

Another Bird Spa for the Wrens....and my favorite little Gnome watches over them...



I love Spring.....