More on chickens

We moved these guys today. This was taken when they were first born. They are now 1 1/2 weeks old.

So last night Justin went to check on the chickens and found a snake eating one of our Buff Orphingtons (of course cause we paid for them). They are about mid-size, not babies, not full grown. It was quite a shock. He had a hard time with my gun, didn't know it had a safety (it was dark). And had to use a different one that the snake shot wouldn't fit into. He hit it, but it got a way. Hopefully to die.

Something else we did, which I thought was really cool, was take the frame from our trampoline that flew over the chain link fence in AZ, and wrapped chicken wire around it. Justin and I did that one day. Then last Saturday John and I took out the carrier and put a top on. Justin and his friend Hayden helped a little bit before taking off for Vickie's party. Then we stuck the geese and ducks in there with a pool. What a relief to have them out of the hen house - we couldn't keep them supplied in enough water.

Today I went to TSC and bought some wire to make a 3 ft. x 10 ft. enclosed run for the 11 chicks that have been living in Justin's bedroom - boy were they stinky. Justin and I had it put together in 2 hours. And it didn't turn out half bad. These guys are a little smaller and I'm sure a snake can get into the 1x2" wire, but I doubt he could get out stuffed with birds. Hate to use them like bait, but they had to go outside.

FINALLY!

I actually sat down yesterday afternoon to try and post something. Then I got a phone call and one of our cows was in the middle of labor down in the Easter Egg field (thus named for the enormous amount of eggs we hide there every year). So off I went. When we got there my SIL had deduced that she needed help, when I looked I couldn't dispute the fact. So the chase was on. I had no idea how fast a cow could run with a baby hanging out of her privates. AND that she could jump a fence as well. We did this for about a half hour and then let her rest to see if she made any progress on her own. No luck. The teenagers finally devised a plan and we finally got her. Tammy and I pulled with all our might during the contractions while Dad worked on getting the head out. We got him about half way and then decided Steve needed to take over. That was one exhausted calf and cow.

Today they are doing fine except for a slight limp on the babies back leg. He is huge!!! And she was a first time mother.

Anyway, that is how it is around here. Always something going on. Always!!! I like it but you forget how busy you can stay. Since we have been back we have had an Easter Egg hunt, Easter, been boating/water skiing, gotten 20 chickens, 10 turkeys, 4 geese, and 2 ducks. We have lost 1 (lousy) chicken, 5 turkeys (being the most expensive) and a goose. Justin has hatched 11 more chickens. My sister-in-law has had a baby (she is soooo cute), I have helped with her home (this is child #7) and her kids. We had a baby shower. We have gone camping and John was promoted to First Sergeant. John was off for the first 3 weeks of being home and he helped put skirting up, made stairs, put up a shed, planted an enormous about of fruit trees and worked around the farm among other many miscellaneous tasks to numerous to mention. Sam (BIL) killed a coyote in his front yard (next door to us) and has it now on display for all the other coyotes as a warning (I haven't actually seen the display, but he did bring it over to show us : )

Justin turned 16, Jordan (niece) turned 13 and Vickie (niece) turned 20. On our own acre we have killed 2 copperheads and 1 rat snake (actually I think they turned this one loose, but I can't get anybody to actually confess to this or not).

We have only had internet for a week and I've been trying to figure out how to get all of this down. I'm tired just thinking about it. So this will have to do.

Hopefully I will be able to blog more often. At some point I did put pictures in the family file of our boating/water skiing trip. So be sure to check it out.

There is no place like home!

The week has arrived. We are moving back to Texas this next week. We have barely been able to keep Mark and Rebekah off the ceiling since we found out in December, they are so excited. Justin and Alex have had mixed emotions. They love their family and friends in Texas, but they have met some awesome people (girls) here in Arizona. Sometime in mid-February Justin said that he had crossed over to the dark side - meaning he was excited about moving back, but he felt a little guilty.

John is thrilled to be getting out of here - which I have mixed emotions about. Ft. Huachuca has afforded us a lot of time together as a family. Ft. Hood means we may get to see him on the weekends.

As for me, it is a lot of work to move, let alone move twice in less than a year. I am going to miss the double-wide we have been living in. We have tried to sell/give away a lot of stuff just so that we can fit back into our single-wide. BUT our single-wide is paid for so now we can save some money to finally build!!! And I have also met some awesome people here.

I just can't believe it is happening this week : )

Tombstone

My Mom came to see us week before last. Since we live about 20 minutes away from Tombstone it seemed the obvious place to go. We went last Saturday and had a lot of fun even if we didn't see the gunfights. Lots of people dressed in period costumes and plenty to look at, buy and eat. For more pictures, you know the drill : )

PIMA - Presidents Day

After Claim Jumper we went to Pima Air and Space Museum. The picture above was taken in JFK's Air Force One. Quite different I imagine than the AF1 they have now. Everyday the kids do some writing. This is what Rebekah had to say about it . . .

2/21/08 - We went on a trip to a museum on Monday. It was FILLED with airplanes and I mean FILLED!!!!!!!!!!! There were even airplanes outside. Can you believe it?

2/22/08 - We went to a museum on Tuesday. It had American history in it. It was much better than the airplane one. The statues talked. There were Indian stuff. I LOVED that place it was SOOO COOOL!!!!

The museum she is referring to was a museum on Ft. Huachuca. Alex had to visit a museum that had Indian artifacts for his Indian Lore merit badge.

I put more pictures in the more family pictures folder.

Claim Jumper - President's Day

Rednecks visiting the local Claim Jumper!!! We behaved so well inside (well except for all the picture taking). Outside - well how did we really feel . . .



We have more claim jumper pictures in our 'more family pictures' to the right. And yes, John was mortified. In fact when I took the last picture (above) he left for the car. I told him it was just for fun, you know, to brag to Katie : )

Mark's Rabbit

Mark caught his first rabbit today. Actually, he is the only one of the boys who has. Not that the other two have any interest or inclination to catch one. He asked for an air rifle for his birthday (last month) back in July. When John came home tonight, there was a rabbit under the tree in front of the house. I have no idea why it stayed there as long as it did because Mark couldn't find his pellets right away. Rabbits mistake!!! John just informed me it was eating an apple out there. I threw the apple out there this morning!