Just the Daily

   It's been exciting here lately. We've been pretty busy with a couple of furniture orders that Marty needs to get done, trying to finish them up by the end of the month. The wood shop is at Marty's mom's (Willa) house five miles away so we rush over there and work when we can. We were able to get the body frame of this cupboard put together yesterday and are hoping to get the back in it today. Marty has built reproduction Shaker furniture for over 30 years. And he is great at it! (I know I'm biased...but this is true.) He is now almost a full time farmer but still does special pieces in the winter sometimes.
   The other day the chicken catalogue came in the mail from Murray McMurray hatchery in Iowa. They have a wonderful selection of heritage breeds and their service has always been terrific. We haven't gotten chicks in a couple of years due to my not having the time to care for them and not having the extra cash to buy them. But, this year I've been saving up money and time (HA!).
   Will and I sat down and picked out the breeds we like the best. After years of having many different kinds, we've come to recognize the temperament of our chickens depends on the style of body. With that in mind we picked out some larger breeds and some of the "smarter" ones we have had...like Delaware, Araucana (green egg layers), Wyandottes, and Speckled Sussex. Those are the smarter ones we've had. I also picked out some of the banties (little ones) like our Quail Antwerp Belgian named Belgie. She's just too cool! Talk about an attitude. She bosses all the bigger kids around.


Marty holding Belgie...of course she
was giving him hell about it.
Photo (c) Lisa Predko 2008, used with permission.
Great picture...Thanks, Lisa!



   The weather is still pretty cold. Only supposed to be 18 degrees high today. I'm watching some Starlings out the window sitting in the big burr oaks. They are really puffed up trying to keep warm. There is to be some snow tomorrow and warm up a little. I heard the birds really chirping it up today and the deer have been pawing in the yard looking for treats under the inch of snow we have already. Maybe we will get more snow than expected. I'm looking forward to it warming up. This armchair dreaming of chicks, plants, building repairs, tilling fields, is getting to be a bummer.