Another Day at the "Farm"

Today was another day at building the Chicken Coop, however we had welcomed guests giving us a hand (or hoof). Jen's best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world and her family came up for a couple of days, to our delight. We've known Lynette for over thirty years and love her as our own daughter. We also are proud as we watch her grow up and become the beautiful young lady she is. She and her husband, Greg, are parents to two adorable children. It was great to see them and we all wish the visit didn't have to end so fast.

The other guests are really not guests at all. Being new members of the VP5 farm they are two baby goats "Cover Girl" and "Joey" and they were quite curious in everything we did in the barn today.

Best Friends in the Whole Wide World and this has been going on since second grade . . . and will most likely go on for life!

Cover Girl on the left and Joey on top of the lumber pile . . .

Ken loved "supervising" in his easy chair . . .

Greg was such a help and always had a smile on his face!

While Ken went to town for hinges, Greg and I made the door for the Hen House . . .

Team work makes things so much easier . . .

Installing hinges on the Hen House door . . .

The goats gave our progress a final inspection . . .

Cover Girl just loved getting in the way . . .

The two of them are just adorable . . .

After we completed our day's work on the Hen House, we sat under the trees and watched the baby goats do what they were brought to the farm to do . . . chow down on the weeds!

Life is Good!

Chicken Coop Progress

We had a couple days of really bad weather . . . cold, windy, rain and hail would 'ya believe! Amazing for this time of year. However, we did make a bit of progress and I just wanted to let you see it for yourself!

One of the more difficult tasks was to stretch the chicken wire taught across the top forming a ceiling. The purpose of this is mainly to keep any four-legged critters out of the hen house should they think they can get in from the top. There will be iron cloth across the floor keeping them from digging their way in. Jen and her dad did the best they could but it was hard to reach and stretch and staple at the same time. However PD saved us with his height (note he doesn't need the ladder, just a chair) and straightened out the first row, and then he and Jen put up the next two rows with ease. Thanks PD!

We had to take out some old wiring and move the electrical outlet and hook up a jbox so that we could install a new GFI outlet along with a light and light switch.

Now, ain't that pretty . . . K did a great job.

Even little Taffy came to check out what we were up to.

Next was to start the walls of the hen house. Here is the first of two walls getting the chicken wire put in place for the hen house.

KL got home from a field trip anxious to give me a hand with stapling the chicken wire.

Jen trimming the final piece of chicken wire before she stapled it in place.

Whew! We did it . . . and does it ever make us feel happy! Stay tuned, more to come . . .

Life is good!

We're gonna build a chicken coop!

There are 24 baby chicks arriving in a couple of weeks and the VP5 Farm needs a place to house them. We are lending a hand in turning the first stall of the barn into the "Hen House" and extending the chicken yard out the front side of the barn. Jen and the kids have been excited about having chickens and fresh eggs as a 4-H project, and she and KL have been helping where they can. The last couple mornings have been spent dismantling an eight-foot long shelving unit that was already in the stall (which used to be a tack room). My job was to remove all the nails so we can salvage the wood.

Today KL was busy sweeping out the stall and hauling the loads of hay to the burn pile. Yesterday Jen bought the truck-load of wood and supplies like iron cloth and chicken wire from the local lumber yard, backed the truck up into the barn and we all helped unload it. Today we got a little bit done today, but now we're churned up and ready to really get serious . . .

But wait! The V-Party-of-Five are leaving for a family reunion in Missouri and won't be back until next Wednesday. K and I are going to house-sit and take care of the animals while they're gone. I guess it's up to us to see how much we can get done while they're gone!

There are lots of things to think about when building a chicken coop, especially when you've moved from the big city to the country and have never lived with—or even near—a chicken coop. . .

And there are lots of things to learn about as far as things like what creature comforts chickens need —such as how big should the nesting boxes be for hens to comfortably lay lots of eggs? . . . or how many nesting boxes are needed for two dozen hens? . . . or how many square feet of living space does a couple dozen laying hens need? Thank goodness Jen has gotten to know a few very knowledgeable folks through the 4-H Poultry Group meetings she and the kids have been attending. And she is anxious to share all the information with her Dad so he can figure out how to convert one stall of their barn into a happy hen house.

The hen house will be on the other side of this wall of the barn..

And the chicken yard will extend out 12-15 feet from this wall. The VP5 farm, a.k.a. "Simply Country," will have some very happy chickens, that's for sure!

We removed this shelving unit in order to make room for the chickens and selvaged the wood which we'll be able to use.

KL is a good worker and is glad to help any way she can. Soon this barn will house the chickens, a couple baby goats which are coming next Friday, and some day KL hopes to have the horse of her dreams live here too!

Carefully removing what seemed like hundreds of nails we will be able to use the shelving unit wood to make all the nesting boxes.

It was PD's idea to use the stall for the chicken coop. And what a good idea it was! They were able to save a lot of money by not having to build a separate unit outside the barn.

With all the lumber off the truck and in the barn we're ready to start building.

The whirring sound of the saw lets us know that progress is in the works!

K and Jen work well together. Jen is a go-getter nothing-to-it-but-to-do-it kinda gal —just like her mom! She was better at this than I . . . her height worked well with the shorter ladder.

Life is good . . . especially when working together in anticipation of having farm-fresh eggs!

Just another ball game? . . . NOT!

Let me set the scene . . . The ball field was brightly lit, the bleachers were getting hard on our behinds, the mosquitos were coming out. Dodgers (JD's team) vs the Yankees . . . bottom of the last inning, only one out on the score board, and bases are loaded. The numbers on the scoreboard showed the score to be 10 to 10.

Next up is my grandson "JD," who walks slowly toward home plate. The pitcher throws the first ball and the ump calls loudly "Strrrrriiiiiike!" JD steps out of the box and takes a practice swing, steps back into the batter's box, the pitcher winds up and throws the second ball, JD swings with all his might and the ball goes flying out past center field . . . GRAND SLAM!

Of course K and I stood up clapping and yelling along with JD's Mom and Dad and little brother, but I wish you could have heard the roar of the fans screaming and cheering, and I wish you all could have seen the jubilant JD running powerfully around all the bases with his arms up, at times, in excitement at what he had just done, and continued to run to home.

My heart is still skipping a beat, and I can't help be full of pride whenever I close my eyes and see the play. What a blast!

The pictures below are not from this game but from the first game we attended in April. JD is a better ball player having improved so much in the six weeks or so he's been playing.

One Proud Mama!

Life is good . . . especially at an awesome Little League game!

Country Cat Finds New Home

A couple of weeks ago, while entertaining Gary and Cecile, we heard a loud meow coming up to the deck. A sweet kitty came up and was rubbing against our legs wanting lots of "lovin." I was not in a cat mood at all, and I didn't want anything to do with this stray cat. A week later she came up again, when my sisters and brother-in-law were visiting. Well . . . my sisters are both totally into cats and they really loved this cat. Then our daughter, Jen, and our three grandchildren came by to see the aunties and the adored this cat. I was outnumbered. Jen wanted to take it home so they could have a "barn cat" to keep little critters away from the soon-to-be-chicken coop. We had no idea who this cat belonged to. There was no collar on her. It's against the rules here at Park Sierra to even have a cat without it being on a leash. But, after talking with several members here in the park who thought they might know who the cat belonged to, it was determined that it simply is a stray. It's well know that people drop off cats here when they don't want to care for them anymore because they know somebody will feed'em. This one has apparently been living under our shed for several months. We've been watching out for her, leaving out food and water, waiting for a visit so we could scoop her up for Jen. We saw her a week ago with a lizard in her mouth across the road and she wasn't interested in coming to see us at all. I was bummed because I thought we'd found a good home for her.

She hasn't been around for about a week . . . until about 11 o'clock this morning. K was out on the deck and heard a "meow" and looked over and there she was—coming out from under our shed. K led her into our rig where I called a friend to see if she recognized the cat. Then I called another member who has a multicolored cat and it didn't belong to him, either. I told him about wanting to adopt her and give her a good home and he said "Take it, it's most likely a stray!" We called Jen to see if she still wanted it and she said "Yes!" . . . I'm in Costco and I'll get some food and everything I need "Hold her there until I get home, which won't be until 6:30 tonight!" The day has gone by very slowly but we've enjoyed this little cat, which the kids have already named "Peanut Butter" (but I think they should call it "Taffy"). She's quite a talker but has calmed down a lot compared to the noise she produced this morning. She's quite content with a loud purr. I think she'll love her new home. Actually she'll be their first animal to move in since their move from Southern California in December. Then come the two baby goats, and then the 24 baby chicks!

Isn't she a cutie?

She's quite content on the couch, and loves to sit on our laps . . . even on top of the laptop computer is nice as far as she's concerned!

Life is good . . . especially sharing it with animals!

City Girl to Country Girl in Four Months

When Jen and family moved close to us in December (just fifteen minutes from our home-base at Park Sierra) she was totally excited about living in the country and growing a garden, smelling the clean air, enjoying the change of seasons, raising her family and having her kids involved in 4-H and other wholesome activities, plus having a bunch of animals running around the back yard.

Currently there are two dozen day-old baby chicks on order and will be arriving on the ninth of June. However, that's not all. At the boys school they were celebrating Heritage Days and there happen to be a woman from Coarsegold at the event who brought four of her goats to demonstrate how to care for and milk goats. She encouraged the "kids" to raise goats of their own as a 4-H project. And JD let her know that his Mom wanted a goat to milk so she could make goat cheese. She not only wants to make goat cheese, but also goat-milk ice cream, soap, yogurt, and drink the milk itself.

We found out the goats love to eat poison oak, which grows well here. Then the goats system builds up antibodies to the poison oak which is also released in the milk. When a person drinks the milk they themselves drink in those antibodies and the poison oak doesn't affect them! Now, how cool is that!

To make a long story short . . . we went to the goat farm to put a deposit on a pair of goats which will make their home in Jen's back yard come June 1, after they have been weaned. They will be three months old, having been born on March 1. Check out these cute pictures.

This farm started with a pair of baby goats . . . now there are seventeen with triplets to be born next weekend!

Jen holding "Elvis" . . . a real sweet-tempered boy-goat who will be living in her backyard come June.

Elvis is a real snuggle bug.

This one will soon be part of the family. Her name is "Cover Girl" and she is as beautiful as her name implies. Here she is trying to give JD a kiss.

Of course KL is a natural with any animal.

CD loved picking any grass growing around and using it to feed the goats.

CD found a real friend in the goat-family's cat.

And this is how Cover Girl will look after her first show at a county fair. I'm not sure which of the kids will do the "showing" but I have a feeling it will be KL.

This seventeen-year-old is the one who cares for all the goats. She is the 4-H state-champion at showing her goats.

If Elvis looks a bit uncomfortable, he probably is. I have to practice at how to hold a baby goat. I cropped out of the picture his dangling two legs . . . I'm not as graceful as KL is at holding him.

Life is good . . . with all creatures great and small!

Sunday Evening at the Farm

We had a fabulous time with "The Aunties," an endearing term given my two visiting sisters by daughter Jen. PD was tending the barbecue while Jen made some dynamite Cosmos, and we had a wonderful time enjoying each other's company. After a long day in Fresno visiting Mom, it was relaxing enjoying their back yard, telling great and often quite funny stories . . . and then a delicious Sunday Supper. Life is good!

Those dynamite Cosmos . . . nothing better!

KL enjoyed having the "Aunties" up for a visit.

Patty loves being with family, especially the kids. All the kids love Auntie Patty, too! When she went to give JD a kiss goodbye he said "When will I see you next?" . . . something like that from a kid surely tugs at your heart!

Baby sister looks alot like our Dad!

It's a rare treat for Farmer Rick to have a chance to get away from his vineyards!

Pure quality family time . . . with the three generations, lots of smiles, and barbecue aromas filling the air.

Dinner is served . . . half an hour later we were quite satisfied from a scrumptious meal, and ready to play a round of "Mexican Train" . . . enjoy dessert . . . and head for home.

Life is good . . . especially with family!