Meet SPANKY, our new rooster! Though we didn't raise him, he is sixteen weeks old, about a week younger than many of our hens. He has 21 female companions now and already, here is very protective. We just love him already! :)
We got him from a nice couple in Olalla, Washington. We are very grateful. :)
Bill Cosby's horrible crimes aside, he was a very funny and entertaining comedian back in the day. My favorite routine of his was always "The Chicken Heart that Ate New York."
Every time I walk out to my Crop Circle garden now, I think of that when I see this monstrous fennel. This picture doesn't do justice to the real scale of this thing. So now, I have my Fennel Plant that's Eating My Garden!
I can't help but take a pinch off of it every time I pass by. Keeps it in check. ;)
Here in the Pacific Northwest, cherry trees are everywhere... And this time of year, there are thousands and thousands of cherries on each tree. I went out today to pick some cherries and got this large bucket full of just off of a couple of branches. Usually the birds and raccoons will have gotten them all, but this tree is such a prolific producer... There is always plenty left over!
As anyone who raises chickens will tell you, no watched pot takes longer to boil than one watched while waiting for young pullets to lay their first egg! Generally, chickens come into lay at about 20 weeks.
Our 'Tweens' started laying today, at 18 and a half weeks. These are ISA Brown pullets that we got last February. We all them 'Tweens' because we have chickens that are much older and another batch of pullets that are five weeks younger.
Here is a current view of our back yard Paradise! The deer, rabbits and squirrels love it, as do we and our occasional visitors. :)
Found these hiking boots at a thrift store, finally decided to put them to good use!
These are my favorite of all bushes in our gardens .... the Snowflake Viburnums. They seem to love our Pacific Northwest climate, growing fast and thick to a height of about eight feet. Perfect for privacy in Spring and Summer, they also enhance our compost bin each fall when the leaves drop. These offer protection for nesting birds and are a back yard delight.
Introducing the second graduating class of 2018! This is our second run of chicks this season. Here, they are pretty chicks all in a row ... Having finally learned how to fly up onto the roost!!
