I'm Back!!

After a long hiatus, I have reappeared! So much has happened in the last serveral months, I don't know if I can put it all in one post.

We had our family vacation to Colorado and not too long after we got back, my husband learned that we were to be transferred to Rapid City, South Dakota. Hmmm. I have lived my entire life in Kansas and was nervous at first, and just in shock because we had talked about it, but I never really thought it would happen. Now I'm to the point of excited nervousness. Now we just have to wait until our house sells!

The kids are excited to move, but they are worried about all the animals. It has been decided that the horses, the dogs and a couple of cats are coming with us. The neighbor has graciously accepted the chickens. The only problem is where to house everybody. We have found some wonderful places up there, but we have yet to physically go look. Those trips are in the making.

So here in a few months, I should have pictures of the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore instead of the quiet Kansas prairie.

Oh, the goings on here at the Hacienda!

OK, I know I have not been posting anything as of late. But, I have been pouring through all of yours. We have been quite busy the month of July and I actually can't wait until the lazy days of fall to slow down. Or, at least it seems to me that fall is slower than the other months!

In the beginning of July the family took our yearly outing to Colorado. Oh, it was a WONDERFUL time. The kids had a great time hiking and swimming and climbing rocks. I just enjoyed the weather and the peacefulness of the mountains and the watching the kids love the outside. Here in Kansas, I can only get them to go out for snippets at a time because it's so hot and humid all the time. There, they are up and out the door before anyone else!

We also have had a death in the family. Poor Bug's chicken did not make it. She just never looked as healthy as the other ones and I knew it was going to happen and should have prepared her, but I um, "chickened" out and told her it must have run away. But we have had a rash of deaths here lately and I didn't want to add another, the fish have been keeling over left and right and I don't know why. So, we're actually up on animals for the moment. We replaced the two fish that died and also added two HORSES!!!!

Oh, they are beautiful. When the weather calms down around here, we'll ride them like crazy, but it's been so god awful hot and humid that Nooooobody wants to do anything outside. So I will leave for now and post pics of the horses and my pretty zinnias later.

The Longest Day!

I fully took advantage of yesterday's solstice and worked in the garden until I couldn't see anymore and for fear of the long slithery things that creep in the yard, I skedaddled back to the house.

My garden is one step, OK maybe more like a half a step away from being out of control on me. It's been so freaking hot and humid here the past week, that it's no joy to go out and work in it. And if it's not too hot, it's pouring down rain! I can't win.

The girls and I are enjoying the chickens very much. I didn't think I would say this 2 years ago, but I actually like the little buggers. They follow me around the yard and talk to me. The only problem is when I mow the yard, they won't get out of the way of the mower, so I have to wait on them......... something is wrong there, but I haven't figured it out yet. They must be somewhat happy because we've been getting 5-6 eggs a day. I'm actually giving some away now!!!

I know my post are few and far between, but with the oldest boy gone I don't have any help for the yard and it's all me! Five acres is a lot to contend with alone. I can't wait for our vacation getaway to Colorado. I will relax then and bask in the glory of the mountains!!!

Cleaning day!

Today is the day if we see that the girls are really into their chickens. It's clean the coop day. At

best it should be interesting. We had a chicken fiasco the other day, my sweet old dogs decided

that they would chase the chickens. Needless to say, we haven't had eggs the past two days.

My pumpkinhead, the self proclaimed artist is making some pretty cool designs and logos. If her

goofy mother could figure out how to get them to the computer, we'd be fine. I'll see if I can post

her wares later.

Ms. Peck and the Rest

Well they have arrived and so far so good, they are still alive! We have christened three, but not the others. Not sure why, but pumpkinhead's is Ms. Peck, the Bug's is Charpe from HSM and the Tank's is T-Rex. They are entertaining to watch and sadly even I sat there for about 20 minutes until one laid an egg. I had never seen that before and was amazed. I told my other half about it and he just looked at me and raised his eyebrows. I guess it's to each his own! Now the girls want to move on to turkeys and guineas. I'm holding out to see how these do. They have actually turned out to be more of the pumpkinheads thing. The Bug got distracted by a turtle yesterday during the chores and pumpkinhead finished it by herself.

I can't blame the Bug, the turtle was pretty cool.

A Farm

My other half has officially declared us a farm! We have livestock now ( 6 pretty ugly chickens). The kids are in heaven and I can't wait for the eggs. Getting them was a chore, being that I have never touched a live chicken before. The gal that I got them from just threw me in there to help catch them and we had chickens flying everywhere! We finally caught my number and down the road we went. They seem to like their coop well enough, but we're going to have to make some adjustments as we go.
The girls have named them so they are here to stay. I'll post pictures later of our "lovely" ladies.

My Oh My!

It has been quite awhile since I have posted, sorry about that. We've had an ick that ran the gambit of the family and kept me busy.

Now that the end of school is near, tomorrow!!!!! We have been getting into spring and summer more whole heartily. My garden is coming along fine and the old shed has now been transformed into the chicken coop. Wednesday the chickens will come home to roost! ( I hope). We went to look at them yesterday and I was warned that they weren't pretty, but oh, some of the little ladies are in dire need of a coat. They had molted and been pecked bald! They were truly some sorry chickens, but we will love them anyway. I guess I could use it as a teaching lesson somehow about beauty and eye of the beholder and not on the outside but inside that counts....... I don't know, my girls may not buy it because I don't think I can sell it hard enough. The chickens were pretty pathetic.

Well, it's hot and humid the way a good Kansas spring should be. I was beginning to worry that global warming was hitting us, the way it had been so cold and wet. Bring on the sun. Off to my next project of the day, plumbing.