The ART Part :)

The Art Part !!

My husband is an artist, his work inspires me to be creative too.  He is the reason I needed to start raising chickens :)

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

This is one of my favorites...makes me think of a summer day :)

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Dandi-

-why would people be so offended these are in their yard--reclassify them as flowers and you are set!!

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

One of the local feed stores :)

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

He certainly has a sense of humor...

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Pipes and drum

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Spring House in the snow

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Tools of the trade

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Hidden picture painting-- called Zombie~Too Much TV

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

This old Truck - prior to matting and framing

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

Quilt on a line

www.facebook.com/pages/Campbell-Art/109396075764779

These are so much better in person--as my photography skills are certainly lacking when it comes to photographing paintings...but it gives you an idea of how great his work is..and makes them not worth taking his images :)

Fly trouble!!

I truly need to find a cure for flies!!! My kids love to be outside, of coarse when that happens they need to run in and out at least a dozen times every couple of minutes...Now our fly issue that is outside, becomes a fly problem inside.  If only the industrial chicken farm a couple of miles away would treat the problem like they are supposed to ... we may not have this problem every year...

March Peeps 2012...

Didn't realize they weren't on here yet... meet the peeps from March... You know the little cute balls of fluff that peep "take me home" at the feed store... yes I am a sucker for them!!!

March little peeps... started with 6, gave 2 away as soon as we got home from the feed store... Jersey Giants :)

playing on some paper to stretch those little legs..was a warm March, but a little to cold for babies.

Then we ended up with 3 Americaunas (Easter Eggers), although 1 is for my niece...again the little peeps got to me, was visiting the feed store near my brother in law.

6 in a row ;)

Warm March, so we got to play outside for a bit

Posing for the camera... loving her brown and grey coloring

my daughter is the warm feeder, and they all love her for it

getting bigger, and I am down to 5... Zippy and Peepers went to  brother-in-laws chicken condo :)

was thinking these 2 Jerseys were boys.... I was right ;)

First night in the coop.. Early April :)

New Perch on the top... they love looking out.

My pretty girls... can't wait to see what color eggs they will have :)

My Giants.. My 2 Roos are getting really pretty ... Blues in the  feathers are starting to show.  Sadly Spazy Hen in the middle was our chicken that was killed last Monday.... We tightened up our addition, and so far have not have any problems...So Sad....

Meet our first ever Peeps from 2011!!

Meet The Peeps!! :) (part one)

Meet the flock.. we will start with our first flock last year, was such an amazing learning experience for the family and I... The waiting for the peeps was our learning time, we read the book

by Jenna Woginrich

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone with children!! (or without) Amazing pictures and so much helpful, useful information, not to mention the step by step journey of Jenna's first flock...and did I mention the pictures! :)

They finally arrive! 

This was our first set up babies last year.5/2011. 8 Barred Rock Babies.  We ordered a straight run and had connections at the feed store, so we ended up with 6 hens and 2 Roos :)

Peeps first time playing in the run

Love this Awkward stage

The Ross are getting so pretty :)

Starting to fill out some

Side view of the coop before the addition needed for this year :), and my yard sale find!!! 

My children love our chickens and they will waddle up for some love!!

Waiting on our first egg was a toned down experience of waiting for your first child...or maybe not quite... but...

Our very first egg didn't really have a shell and was under the roosts, not in the laying boxes...was fun to look at, not to mention we were all so happy to have our first "sort of" egg!!

Our first fully formed official egg!

One of our Rocks has laid a couple of double yolkers now...All I can think of is that really must hurt.

And yes my chickens do swing...do yours ???

This is a picture my daughter took..with some help from us..to enter in our local fair--she won first place!! ;)

We call it Chicken in a Pot or Chicken Pot Pie :)

The chickens really didn't think to much of the snow...and really wouldn't come out of the coop much during the storm...they would hide under the coop if they were hungry or thirsty.

My Rocks laid pretty well for me most of the winter. I did not add artificial light, so there was a short amount of time that we would only get 1-2 eggs a day from our 6 hens...We are up to full production with the big girls and mostly get 6 eggs a day now.

It has to start somewhere :)

Well I am loving the Pinterest thing, inspiring ideas for the homestead that I want to make, do, or enjoy... I keep coming across these amazing blogs along the way... Thought I should try one too... so....Here's to my first blog about my families adventure in becoming more self reliant... It all started with a tiny garden that continues to grow...then some chickens...ducks are on the way....what next??  And because my original coop isn't big enough ... :)  Glad that my hubby is handy!!!  I am thinking some potatoes planted in some free tires for one :)