Chicken Tractor - Part 2

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I told you yesterday there was a problem with the chickens and the chicken tractor.

Mainly . . . they were afraid to go into it.

So Bob (Brother-in-law) built a little open air extension.  We put that up to their run door and it wasn't long they all went in there to scratch and peck on different ground.

Looks like a little Chicken TRAIN!

Pretty soon they were all in there.

This isn't predator proof so I only put them in it when I'm around.

It's pretty small.  Not meant to be their main coop. 

They even tried out the nesting boxes up top.  No eggs but I could tell they snuggled down in the shavings and gave it a try!

My back yard is starting to look like a little barnyard!  Oh well the front it nice.

Shirley

So Behind, . . . sorry! Chicken Tractor Part 1

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I can't believe it's been 15 days since I've written on my blog!!!!!!!!!!

I hope I haven't lost all my followers!

I have many excuses.

Excuse #1

My dog is very sick which makes me all depressed.

(But more about that another time)

Excuse #2

My brother-in-law was here for almost a week and helped me get A LOT accomplished.

Pictures to follow.

Excuse #4

I had a UTI and didn't feel good.

(I know, that's too much information!)

Excuse #5

Our barn is having a huge open house and I have to get my horses all spiffied up.

(Oh, I haven't done that yet . . . they're getting baths tomorrow.)

A couple other things I've run into in these past 15 days.

My new air conditioner blew the outlet and I had to have the electrician here to put it on it's own dedicated circuit.

and

The toilet plugged up really bad and had to have the plumber here to fix that.

$$

OK, enough with all that.

Let's see my new chicken tractor that my brother-in-law, Bob made me.

 OK, he didn't build it, but we put it together!
I had gotten this from TSC and had it in the carton ready for when he came to help!
It's so cute!  Small but cute.

But, he had to put wheels and handles on it.

He worked long into the evening the first day.

Then it was ready to try!
We wheeled it up to the one end of the extended run .

And opened both doors

They looked . . .

(Ah, Pepsi, you cannot sneak in there!) 

and looked . . .

And looked some more!

Finally!  Martha was the bravest chicken.  (Of course!)

Then 2 others joined her.  BUT, only for about 10 seconds.  Then they all tried to get back through the door at one time like the 3 stooges!!

Clearly we needed a Plan B!

Tune in tomorrow.

Shirley
(I'm back)

Ready to Garden

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Kerry, my handyman, was here all day and one of the things he did was put my new Mantis (which was still in the box) together for me and got the gas and oil mix into the little thing and got it started.  We played with it a little and it is quite easy for me to handle.  So I'm ready to garden!!!  I can think of lots of places to dig up around here!

I had a big list of things for Kerry to do around here.  (My summer list)  He got a lot of things done that he could do now.  Some things have to wait till it's drier and later in the summer.
Bob, my brother-in-law is coming up this next weekend to put together my chicken tractor coop.  I'm going to see if we can go get some lumber so he maybe can build me a couple nice raised garden beds too.

Monk got groomed today and is all fluffy and smelling really nice for a few days any way.
Tomorrow I'm going to spend at the barn.

Good night all.

Shirley

Mish-Mash

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Happy Sunday Everyone

I stayed home and got some mundane things done around the house.  (Like wash, changing beds, and vacuuming!)  You know, exciting things like that.

I did get my hummingbird feeders out, made nectar, filled them and hung them outside.  The male hummers should be looking around for a good place.  The male comes up from the south first and establishes a territory.  They most often return to the same place if there's food.
(At least that's what I've read.)

I repotted my seedlings that I had started.  They have been hardening off outside this past week.

 

Tonight I had a mystery meal.  I had gotten two containers out of the freezer, one marked and one unmarked.

The unmarked one turned out to be good baked potato soup.
I hate when I forget to mark things.  I always think I'll remember but I never do.


My dear Rocky has been feeling good the past couple weeks and is eating good and hardly limping so I am so thankful for that.

Bye for now.

Shirley

Vaulting on a Lunge Line Clinic

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We had the best, most educational and fun clinic at the barn today.

It was called "Demystifying the Lunge Line and Vaulting Lesson"

Here's Stephanie on Echo demonstrating.  Then lots of people got to try walking and trotting.

Echo was such a good boy.  As you can see, he's found his niche in life!
             

Here's a new young rider.  (9 years old)

An adult rider who's lost her confidence.

An accomplished (brave) rider!!

Vaulting on a lunge line (with a good instructor) will benefit anyone, no matter what age or riding ability.

Wow, maybe I should try standing!!

Aw . . .No!

Shirley

Finally . . . . Spring!

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Yes, just within the last week or so, things are sprouting up like crazy.  We had one 80 degree day (a fluke) and I think that did it! 

The grass grew 4 inches in 2 days!  Bruce, my lawn mower guy, mowed my yard for the first time yesterday!  I told him I was so glad to see him with his mower instead of his plow!!

I started some seeds indoors a few weeks ago and they're now outside in the sun and today some rain.

Here's some more spring things around my house.

I got new cushions for my chairs on the deck.  They're reversible.

The barn cats follow me when I'm outside.

This is Pepsi

This is Angel, the mother cat.

I'm really looking forward to gardening season this year.

Shirley

2 Weeks With My Sister Sue

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Well, first of all, it went too fast.

Of course we didn't get done everything on our list to do but we did a big chunk of it.

We'll get to it next visit.

She comes to visit me because it's too hard for me to go there.  The reason being is the number of animals I have.  (dogs, cats, chickens and horses)  Michele can't come here and stay because of her pets and her photography business.

  Sooooo, it would cost me at least $45/day for a pet sitter.

That's OK for a day or two but not for a couple weeks!

We went out to eat more than half of the time she was here.  I don't do that by myself and they don't go out to eat all that much when she's home so it's a treat.

We had lunch and tea at Miss Molly's Tea Room which is so nice but some how I failed to take any photos!!  I don't know how that happened!

But here we are at the Cheesecake Factory.

Those are take home bags as the portions are huge.  Plus we each ordered a piece of cheesecake to take home too.  (Of course, you can't go there without getting cheesecake!!!!)

We were in Crocker Park to go to the Apple Store so I could buy my iPad!!

I love it.

I need a new desktop iMac too which I'm going to get in a few weeks.

The wonderful thing is that you take your old Mac in and leave it a couple days and they transfer everything over for you and will wipe the old one clean so I can give it to my son.

That alone is a HUGE reason to get your Macs right from the Apple Store.

It doesn't cost anymore to buy them there and you have the wonderful customer service and the instruction and classes any time!

Besides going out to eat a lot, of course we went shopping  : ))

Mostly Target, Walmart, Thrift shops and antique shops.

We went to the barn to visit the horses and take my lessons a couple times.  Sue doesn't ride.  She never got that "horse gene" thing.  However I passed it on big time to my daughter Michele  : ))

We visited my son and his wife and my grandchildren one day and also went to Michele's house to help her with her studio.  She has redone a lot of things in there and it really looks great now.

So, Sunday I drove Sue halfway home and Bob, her husband, met us at the Waffle House for breakfast and we "make the exchange"!

She'll be back to visit in the summer.

Sue has a little Pekinese that misses her a lot when she leaves her.  I keep telling her to bring her along but I think she thinks my dogs will eat her!  (which they wouldn't of course) but her dog would bark a lot and would have to be in a crate whenever we went anywhere.

Here's Annie

Shirley