Winter Homesteading

Now that temperatures regularly drop below freezing at night . . .

. . . I often find the chickens' water frozen solid when I let them out of their coop each morning.

I've even started setting an alarm to check their water early in the afternoon on cold days

to make sure it hasn't turned to undrinkable ice.

The shorter days also mean that egg production has slowed down.

Some of our friends' chickens have stopped laying altogether,

but we still get about one egg each day.

Even Reesey occasionally lays an egg in her recovery tote!

Since the chicken tractor is parked for the winter and our hens can no longer forage much,

I've decided to experiment with sprouting to vary their diet

and give them something interesting to peck at in their run.

I'm starting off with lentils, since I have them on hand.  We'll see how that goes.

I'm also taking another shot at growing herbs under grow lights.

When I tried it last winter, the only thing that did well . . .

. . . was a thyme plant stretching toward the light from its mason jar.

It seemed pretty happy though, 

so hopefully I can find ways to help other herbs flourish too.

Whether my winter homesteading experiments pan out or not,

it's fun to try new things and I'll have "snow regrets."

Hiking with Sleds

There's still a good amount of snow left from a recent storm . . .

. . . so some of us decided to go sledding near the library today.

Sledding is actually 95 percent hiking . . .

. . . but the thrilling bursts of speed 

are worth the effort it takes to get back to the top . . .

. . . especially when you share the trek with someone you love.

Off to the side of the main sledding run was a huge mound of snow 

the snowplows piled up when they cleared the library parking lot.

Anna thought you'd have to be crazy to sled down that steep slope,

but after Joy did it and survived,

Anna tried it too and discovered it was a fun ride.

We often stop by Gourmet Donuts after sledding,

but we decided to try Donelans today.

Their donuts are good, but we arrived late in the day

so they had a pretty small selection.

Hmm, chocolate with vanilla glaze, or chocolate with chocolate glaze?

Tough choice.

(Unless you're a chocolate junkie. Then it's easy.)

Chicken Field Trip

Anna decided to let the three uninjured chickens . . .

. . . out for a field trip before we get more snow this week.

I wouldn't expect there to be many delicious bugs in our lawn right now,

but somehow the chickens found plenty of things to peck at.

Meanwhile, Reesey's recovery bin is currently parked on a bench in our hallway.

It's kind of cool to come around a corner and see a chicken there,

but whenever she flaps her wings she sends wood shavings flying everywhere.

Reesey, it's been fun having you inside, but I think it's time for you to move back to the screened porch.

Rabbit Nirvana

This morning, Todd, Anna, and I went to a Pat-a-Pet event

hosted by the 4-H rabbit club at a local library.

Todd really hoped someone would bring a velvety Rex rabbit . . .

 . . . and he wasn't disappointed.

By the way, that grey rabbit in the background is a Flemish Giant.

They can weigh up to 20 pounds.

At one point, Anna asked me

if I still think about getting our own rabbits.

I replied, "Every single day."

And they'll probably be Rex rabbits,

because petting a Rex is absolute bliss.

Christmas in January

Anna's choir was scheduled to sing at a rest home last month

but they had to cancel at the last minute . . .

 

. . . so the concert was rescheduled for this afternoon.

After all, Christmas carols are still fun and inspiring in mid-January.

July might have been a stretch though.

The performance was a big hit with the residents,

and the room was so packed that the choir parents had to listen in the hallway.

It would have been nice to have a comfy chair,

but the beautiful music and the fun of watching Anna perform

made up for the suboptimal seating arrangement.

Ironic Donuts

That awkward moment

when you attend a class about healthy lifestyle choices . . .

. . . then arrive home to discover 

that your husband stopped by your family's favorite donut shop this morning,

and bought BOTH of your favorite donuts for you.

Icicles and Splints

Outside . . .

. . . it's a winter wonderland.

Inside, my tropical plants have a great view of the icicles . . .

. . . and Reesey has a great view of a small, befuddled parakeet.

Reesey: You must be a mini bantam.

Tia: You're the biggest parakeet I've ever seen! Are you related to The Hulk?

I noticed that Reesey's ankle was bent and might be fractured,

so our chicken-expert friend came over and helped us put a splint on her leg.

I felt sad for our hurt little chickie . . .

. . . but it was a sweet experience to snuggle her while she was wrapped up for the procedure.

Looks like Anna felt the same way.