New Windows

A little while ago, 

the hubby installed 2 windows in the coop.

 We put one in front and one on the side

for good air circulation.

It definitely helped cool down the inside of the coop on those hot days.

And they let in a lot of light.

That's the end of the coop renovations for this year. 

Next year I think we should build a little shed to replace the coop...

Dehydrating

Things have been hopping around here.

Not only has school and Scouts started up,

but I'm also in the last weeks of planning the "BIG HIKE".

That means lots of food prep.

I've had the dehydrator going nonstop the last couple of days.

First it was peas

and last night I went to apples.

I used my Apple Master peeler, slicer, corer for the first time.

LOVED IT.

After I get the blueberries and apples done, 

I'll be moving to corn.

Through all this I've found that I love dehydrating food.

You wash it, maybe cut it up, maybe soak it for a couple minutes to prevent discoloring,

throw it on the tray and leave it until it's done.

Easy peasy.

From the 104th Floor

by Leda Rodis (age 14 in 2001) 

When the plane hit the building
rocked first
to the right
then
to the left,
and outside all the skyscrapers
of New York
seemed to tremble.
The alarms screamed louder
than we did, and I knew
it was time to get away. It’s funny
what you notice:
a pen rolling across the floor
my screen saver flicker and go off
a picture of you
and me
at Coney Island.
So much to leave behind. And yet so little.
Running down the hall I remembered
my mother
taking me to the top
of the Empire
State Building when I was just
a little girl,
telling me that a plane
had crashed there a long
time ago. So I thought that maybe
that’s
what happened. Just
an accident. And accidents
happen everyday.
Under the blown-out exit sign
a crowd
is screaming,
crying,
pounding
on the door.
I know:
There’s
No
Way
Out.
You have to believe that I tried. I’m not the one
to give up.
Back at my desk, I rescue
the rolling pen,
stare
at the blank screen, and
hold
my picture
of you.
I look out
at the blue morning.
I expect
to see God there.
But what I really see is
another plane.
And I know what it means.
But I don’t know why…
I always thought that life was full of choices.
It always has been.
What to wear
Where to eat
Who to love
(and you know who I chose).
Now my choices have been taken away from me.
The men in the planes have narrowed my choices
down
to
two:
Death by fire, or death by fall.
I see the smoke
rising
filling the room
It’s hard to breathe
I look towards the open window.
What
would falling feel like?
I remember the roller coaster at Coney Island.
The wind tugging at my hair
How good it felt to scream.
The feeling in my stomach.
And how all the way down
I was with you.

Another Addition

 Meet "Little Albert"

the new Guinea I picked up at the last Poultry Swap in our area.

I'm hoping he solves my bug problem in the garden.

I'm new to Guineas, 

but I'm loving some of the antics that have been going on.

Like getting my mom to chase him clear across a field 

(those Guineas are FAST)

and hanging out on top of the coop.

Guess that'll teach my family to let me go to a Poultry Swap unsupervised!

Chicken Dip

Camilla takes a dip to cool off in the 90+ degree heat.

When it's hot outside,
don't forget about your feathered friends.
Make sure you offer fresh water,
frozen treats
and if they're showing sizes of being over heated,
dip them in a bucket of cool water.
Most of my girls enjoy the dip!

What's Goin On

We've given up the squash bug fight this year

and just started picking what we had.

Luckily we managed to harvest several small pumpkins

that I hope to cook down and preserve tonight.

I also discovered a cherry tomato volunteer

and possibly a cantaloupe.

A cantaloupe vine would be great

since all of our cantaloupes were over ripe.

While I was extremely disappointed, 

the hens were thrilled at the delicious treat.

Speaking of chickens, we have 3 hens currently laying now.

So they're starting to pay for their keep.

All in all it's been pretty crazy around here and I'm waiting for things to slow down.

Keeping Cool

The temperatures here have been hitting the 90 degree mark for several days now.

Not only is it uncomfortable for me,

but it's also uncomfortable for the chickens.

I came across this idea on Pinterest

(a dangerous place that provides endless projects for my husband me)

The idea is simple and inexpensive.

Take a muffin tin and fill each opening with corn.

Add water then put it in the freezer.

When they're frozen, run some warm water on the back of the tin

and the frozen cornsicles pop right out.

I made a bunch and store them in a freezer bag and grab a couple to toss to the girls.

You can also do something similar with other veggies

or fruit.

And you don't have to just use a muffin tin,

you could choose something much larger

(but I like the ease of storage in the muffin size treats).

The girls love them!