Camping

Keith was on vacation so we decide to go camping. We went to Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama. We got the best site if you ask us. It was right on the water/beach and we had easy access to put the kayaks in. Keith got to do some fishing and I got some reading done.

Daddy's Chickens

My Daddy's got chickens shortly after we purchased our chicks. His are Sebright Bantams in gold and silver. A Bantams is like a mini version of chickens and the Sebright is one of the true bantams. That means there is no standard (large) version of the breed. The breed was developed by Sir John Sebright early in the 1800s and has the distinction of being the only breed of chicken named for an individual.

His chickens are full grown and lay eggs a little smaller than a golf ball.

Getting a Roosting Pole

Chickens love to roost and this is them enjoying the new roosting pole. When they are perched up on the pole it is mainly when they are sleeping. I have a picture of them being put on the pole. It is a picture of 1 and then 2 and then 3 and so on until I think 9 are on the pole. When I took the picture with 10 one jumped off. If I could of got all 10 I was going to make a counting book.

Getting the Garden Ready

This is me preparing for my first ever vegetable garden. The pictures are not in order, sorry about that. I have started cucumber and pumpkins in the house. They grew well and took over the breakfast table and Aubie's window seals.

This is something that yes I have been the one doing ALL the work. Keith has cut the wood to size and screwed it together. I am so glad that this is all coming together. I was looking through articles that I have printed off the internet or cut out of magazine and some are dated 2005. That my friends is how long I have been wanting to do this. I have a very nice gardening journal and keep notes on ever little detail.

It is finally done!!!!

Moving Day

Margaret came and spent the night one weekend so the chickens had to be moved and her bedroom dusted. We put them in the corner of the living room and could not take it. So Saturday Keith put it in 5th gear and got busy on the coop so they could go outside. We did not let them outside because the run was not completed but they were out of the house and in the Chicken Playhouse as my Grandma calls it.

The Special Chicken Coop Door

If you don't know much about chickens. Then read my blog and you will slowly learn about them.

To keep chickens safe they need to be let in and out of there coop at dusk and dawn. If you know my work schedule I leave before dusk and Keith is not always available so we decide we needed a automatic door opener. We took an automatic antenna from a car (we purchased it at Advance Auto Parts) and attached it to a DC/AC converter and then to a timer. The antenna itself is attached to the coop door for the chickens. So that when the antenna it cut on by the timer it shuts the door and when it is cut off it opens the door. Here is what it looks like.

RIP Little Hellen

Little Hellen did not make it. We took her back to the doctor for a second time and was told that the eye was going to dissolve and she would have a tunnel to her brain. Dust and dirt would have very easy access. She was a third of the size of her sisters so we decided that she would not be able to live a happy life and might get picked on or pecked at.

We miss you little Hellen!

Snow Day in Georgia

In March we got snow and at our house it was about 3 inches above our sidewalk. To us that is a nice amount. Everything looked so nice like a blanket or a cloud I didn't even want to make snow angels and mess it up.

This is a building that is a couple miles from our house. It is so cute and has a lot of character so I could not resist.

This is our house from the street.

Nine Ways God Always Speaks

by Mark Herringshaw and Jennifer Schuchmann

Have you ever thought "Ummm, I wonder if that was God trying to tell me something"? I sure have and always thought "Nope, that was my mind just being silly".

If you have ever done that or thought that you knew God was never speaking to you then you need to read "Nine Ways God Always Speaks". This book is great! It describes stories from the bible where people had different ways of hearing God and it also talks about recent events that have happened to people and how different they were from others.

This book is made to let you know that your idea of God speaking to you is not rare and that there are many different ways and signs that God speaks to us in.

If you would like a copy please email me at angelaalford22@yahoo.com and put "Nine Ways God Always Speaks book" in the subject line.

Hellen's Trip to the Vet

Hellen's leg did get better and we were able to put her back in the brooder with the other baby chicks. But I kept noticing that her eye was still not opening. So after a week of dropping water on it hoping that it would open up I decided to take her to the family vet. I didn't know if her eyeball never formed or if her eye lids didn't form correctly and could not open. I was really worried that she would get pecked at or picked on since she was half the size of everyone else. I was not sure what I would put her but decided that a picnic basket would be perfect. Here is the picture of her in the basket Friday on the way to Valley Vet in Pine Mountain. Dr. Rachel said that there was a eyeball that it was grey due to the infection and nasty stuff on it. She gave her some medicated drops and I have to open her eye lid daily and put a few drops on her eye. So far it has not opened but this is only the 3rd day. Keep your fingers crossed that her eye will heal and she will grow some feathers like all the others.