It's Summer!

The weeds are endless, the sheep are escape artists, a chicken is also an escape artist, the house is dirty, my skin is brown, it's summer time! The garden fence Still isn't done, but that doesn't stop me from being outside! I can't plant Anything because it seems that whatever I plant, in what I think is a "safe" place, ends up getting run over by the backhoe. Sigh. however, I did plant some peas and spinach in the shade, and barricaded it so the sheep and dog can't trample it down. The spinach is up!

cutting steel for my garden fence with our little helpers

 We spent a wknd in Billings a few weeks ago, and stocked up (went broke) at Costco, got some lumber, etc etc. Jed and I put together this little strawberry planter! So far they aren't up. The top tier is full of flowers which need to surface to reassure me that the dirt isn't a flop again.

 We had a wild storm here the other day. Turns out is was a mesocyclone (sp?) which could have potentially ended bad. We were watching the clouds from the window and they were moving soo fast. I manged to snap this shot right before my fil called telling us that it's a tornado cloud (gulp) and to get to the root cellar. I'm so ticked I didn't open the window, but that was not even a safe or doable option! That is Jed's brothers house in the left. The cloud just about ate the house for supper.  Luckily it just rained, winded, and hailed a bit and then disappeared but it was definitely a tornado cloud, or turned into one at one point!

Right before the rain dumped

You can kind of see the bad cloud forming

I convinced Jed to give this old crate a new side so I can plant things!

Picking wildflowers when we should be chasing cows

Testing the nesting box..I hope ha!

It's been fairly warm here (28 or so) and I've already gotten my first burns. I was reminded to not compete with Jed when it comes to tanning. He's got native in him which  makes him go practically black. My darkest is his normal colour! (well, not quite!)
We are HOPING to get this garden fenced asap. It's practically June and nothing is planted. My tomatoes are just about 3ft tall and they need OUT.  With the leftover fencing/panels we took down, we will fence an area for the sheep and chickens. Jed's brother+family are moving here and they have a dog. So 3 dogs and chickens isn't the best idea! Not until the chickens are full sized and can fight them! Also, I discovered I have a rooster. Only took like 4 months to discover that!
Fredina the hen has discovered that she can fly up on the edge of the panel and jump out. But not get back in. Dumb thing. She's going to get caught my bet is!
The sheeps have also discovered how to jump through the panels and be free. Which normally isn't a problem until they get into my mil's gardens and the shop. I was hoping that they would be too fat before they figured out their escape route! Stinkers.
We are heading up to Canada here in a few weeks. We are both quite excited to go to Canada. Jed loves Canada. And obviously I like Canada too! We also will be heading to Moscow for a quick trip to bring back a trailer full of Jake's stuff. We love Moscow!
Now to get my butt out the door and feed some lambs, and catch some chickens!

Bloom Where You're Planted

Somebody had made this comment in mtg a few months ago and it has actually kind of come back to me a few times since.  Such a simple phrase but yet so important.

I think of where I came from and where I moved to. So very different.
Back home there was trees. So many trees. Trees all over. Here there's about 15 trees in the yard and then you can't see any for miles! (Just where we are)
There was long, cold winters, and nice, tolerable summers back home. Here the winters are cold for a week and snowy, and then melted the next week and warm for a month and then cold and snowy and then warm again. Which essentially means 10 springs. Where FSJ has one nasty one. Usually!

The summers. SO HOT. Last summer it was a minimum of 30C every day. I believe the highest I saw was 35C or something ridiculous. And yet I've been told that last summer was a cooler summer. I don't handle heat very well I've learned. When it was 26-28C for a few days I was LOVING it. I could bend over in the garden and not stand up without getting a head rush and all light headed feeling. I much prefer the milder summer weathers as it is too hot to do much of anything! However, the hotter summers mean I can grow corn here!

Back home I can run through the bush, the yard, barefoot and not think a thing about it. Here? There's snakes. I saw 11 (alive ones) last year. Jed saw 2. I have a fear of snakes. Jed doesn't. Something is wrong with those numbers! I came about a foot or so from stepping on one in my garden, in my flip flops. And then saw another one in my garden. And a few right close to my garden. Way too many. I had no clue I even had a fear of snakes and now they surround me. Oh. I also saw one (small) one outside our door and one in the shop. Shudder.  Now I rarely wear flip-flops and instead where running shoes. Which sucks. Because when it's 30C, your feet want fresh air. But your brain tells you to wear snake proof shoes. However: I do hope that having 19 chickens, and 2 sheep in the big fenced in area right beside my garden will keep the snakes far far away!

The differences are endless, but I've learned to adjust. I've learned to love and appreciate what we do have here.
I love the openness that there is here. I can walk for miles through the pastures and creek, and not see anything except maybe the odd cow. I can see for miles and miles. I don't have to worry about neighbour dogs attacking me.
I also love that I don't work. Actually.
Some people NEED to work, some people don't. I'm one of those who doesn't.  There was the odd day in the winter where I got a little stir crazy, but then I just found something else to do. IE: Research chickens.
I have been called countless times by my father in law for the most random things. One time a bull was sitting down, and he knew I'd like to see it so he called. Another time a HUGE flock of cranes were flying over head, so he called me. The other morning he showed me a rabbit nest with brand new babies that was right in the middle of the bull hay! I get to get in with the randomest of things. It's great. For the most part.
Now I have my chickens, my two bum lambs, and a garden, and kind of a dog to busy my time. The bum lambs are now getting fed 4x a day so that definitely keeps you busy!
Now that its nice(ish) out, I can do so many more things outside. I white washed the chicken coop yesterday. I just have to fix up a few spots and it'll be nearly done. My garden and tree area should be getting fenced this weekend! That means 19 SUPER happy chickens (so much green grass and new things!). My garden can be planted pretty much right away, just after a good til or two as the weeds in it are out of control. Which is kind of good. That means my garden will do better this year. I hope. My mom said last year "if the weeds won't even grow, that's not good!"
All in all, I've learned to appreciate what it is here. Make the best of it. Even if it isn't all the ideal life, it is what we have now. I would Never have thought I would get chickens (or even lambs for that matter!) but I love them! Both Jed and I have learned and are still learning from our life here, just how we want to settle down. Where, and with what animals! Chickens most definitely. In the country most definitely. Definitely not cows!
Bloom where you're planted!

Weekend

This weekend was a good one. A little extra sleep in time due to blinds finally in our windows, a nice breakfast, and the day spent outside!

It seems as though on lots of Saturdays, something involving cows always interrupts the day. Thankfully, that wasn't (directly) the case this Saturday! 

I've never had a bad Costco grapefruit!

Dug up a ton of roses 

just passed out

I'm getting quite good at catching chickens. 

 It was a gorgeous day, as usual! I"m loving the warm springs here. I spent all of yesterday outside, got my first burn, and plan on being outside for the rest of today! 

West Side of the coop

North side

We finished the exterior of the chicken coop! Finished the siding, and something else we put up but I don't remember what it's called. The stuff on the corners. Maybe it's just called corner metal? 

East side

South and west side

We had hoped to start on the roosts, but a little fire started and we had to go deal with that for a while. The chicks are fighting crazy over the top roost! Kind of funny to watch actually. They can somehow squish 8 of them on the higher roosts. Apparently, the top roost usually is for those of the top of the pecking order. My smallest chick is always always on the top! Sucks to be the ones below because they likely get pooped on all night long.  They can easily fit on the roosts, if they learned to use the bottom ones! Hopefully this weekend, or next, we can make their permanent roost! 

These pepper plants want out

Mornings aren't his favourite

Force Growing Bulbs

The other day I was talking to my mom who was planting some hyacinth bulbs. But force growing them. I had never actually heard of that before so I was asking her all about it, hoping to do it! I also didn't know what hyacinths were so I had searched some, and Loved them! I told my mom I was going to pick some up the next time i'm at a bulb selling place. 
Fast forward a few weeks, and we stop at a Menards and I bought a little package of bulbs. We come home (we were out of town for a few days) and there is a whole package of hyacinth bulbs awaiting me!!
Turns out my mom told my sister or something was conversed between the two of them, and she ordered me some bulbs because she knows I LOVE mail day!! She currently holds the "favourite sister" status! 

Now I had two sets of bulbs to force grow...I could plant them in my garden but it's getting fenced (fingers crossed) soon, and I won't know exactly where it'll be fenced or not! Plus, who doesn't love indoor flowers, especially during the winter? :)
It's fairly easy to force grow bulbs as I just learned. Depending on how well these turn out, I think I may be doing it every fall so I can have flowers during the winter!

Force Growing Bulbs: 

The bulbs which were waiting for me at my doorstep!

Find some containers that are the right size for the bulb. I'm growing hyacinths and they get tall, so I wanted a deeper pot. Let's hope this work. I had to find some containers which were deep enough as hyacinths get kind of tall and would be top heavy.  I'm not sure some of them are big enough, but I guess we will find out! 

I filled my containers about 3/4 full of soil, maybe a little more, and than put the bulbs in with the roots down, and just Barely touching each other.
Tip: always plant bulbs/flowers etc in odd numbers. An even number of bulbs is just Too perfect! 

I planted two blue hyacinths and 1 Tequila Sunrise (or vice versa)

And then I covered with dirt and didn't take a pic of that

 You can plant the bulbs so that the tops are even with the soil. I never did this because I figured that when I watered them, that the water would move around the dirt anyways. Maybe next time?!

I watered them and once they are not as wet, i'll move them to the fridge. That dog LOVES water. She is sitting beside the water in hopes I will turn it on again for her to "eat" 

After you have planted the bulbs, store in a cool, dark place for about 10-12 weeks. It should be between 34-45F.  Keep the bulbs moist, but not wet for the entire time. Once they are done being in the "cool" place, they should take another 3-4 weeks to bloom!