Chick Update (#2)

Here they are! First up, Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Golden Laced Wyandotte

Speckled Sussex, look at that stance! Tell me that isn't a 'roo attitude! (Please, please tell me that isn't a 'roo attitude!)

Traditional Easter chick, Buff Orpingon. They're supposed to be the friendliest, but she's the most shy of the bunch.

And, the Amerucana.

I'm tentatively calling her "Dora". She's the one who walks up my arm, too. =D

Chick Update! (#1)

Babies are starting to get leggy.

Standing up tall most of the time now.g

So curious! They'll eat out of my hand, and a couple will jump up and perch on my hand. Cute now, I hope it's still cute when they're full-grown!

Enough feathers have come in, that I'm now sure who's who. This *is* the Speckled Sussex. I'm a little worried that I may have 'Roos, "she" seems a bit aggressive with the others... Jumping up, and chasing the Silver Wyandotte off of my hand. The Wyandotte may be a 'roo too. =/ Both of them have longer tail feathers than the others, and I've read that it could be an early sign of rooster. Though, in favor of being a girl, her comb isn't there yet, just like the other girls. =)

So, wait... Am I hoping for an aggressive girl?!?

Anyway, I'll go try to take individual pictures, so you can tell them apart too. =D

Strawberries

Found some strawberries on sale so naturally, I had to buy too many and make jam.

Hot jars above, and hot lids and rubbers below.

Strawberries, sugar and pectin boiling.

Then wipe the jars, put on the tops, and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

These are Weck jars that I picked up at a garage sale last fall.

Sad to say, I didn't get enough berries, so I only made a half batch. Wound up with 4 jars, and I box of strawberries leftover...

Can't have leftover berries!

Mixed the leftover strawberries with some leftover blueberries that I had in the fridge... Didn't quite have enough, so I added an apple.

Made 4 more jars of a mixed fruit jam. Yum!

As you can see, they're not quite all the way full, but that's OK, I'll eat that one first.

Chick Days!

They're here!

I still have bees:

 At last look, 4 out of 6 survived. But it's been cold since then, and I believe I've lost at least one more.. =(
 I'll check again, and let you know.

 I still have figs, too:

 Just starting to come back. =) I may have lost my Italian Purple and the Peters' Honey, again, wait and see. (The Peters' Honey has one little branch, from the bottom, that looks like it's still good.)

 Other plants. Pruned the plums:

 I saw a guy on YouTube, who said you could propagate plums by sticking cuttings in dirt. So, I'm trying that.

 Back to the chicks!

 Lookit! They're sleepy.

 Too tired to hold up her tiny little face:

 Here are some awake chicks:

 We got one each of Golden Laced Wyandote, Silver Laced Wyandote, Speckled Sussex, Amerucana, and Buff Orpington.

 The only one that I know for sure, is the Buff Orpington. She's the yellow baby.

Yes, I've been away

 So, I took a new class... It was only three weeks long, but when I finished, I had a new job! I'm working as a CNA now, and I'm working evenings and sleeping days. That's why I haven't been playing on the interwebs lately. Sorry for that.

 But, there is new news, the fun kind. We're planning on getting chickens this year! Erin and I took a chicken class yesterday,

and Agway is having it's "Chick Days" next Saturday. That's where we intend on getting our babies.

 Today, I took a soapmaking class at Red Bee Apiary.

She gave us a recipe, and showed us how to weigh it and mix it.

The mixing took about half an hour...

So, we went out and looked at her chickens,

And bee hives.

When it finally hit trace, it was measured out, and we took it home.

The whole process took about two hours. In a day or two, I can take it out of it's Dixie cup, and after three weeks, it will be ready to use. I think I'm ready to make my own at home.

Here is her front gate. So cool, I had to take a picture. =D

Just go look at this.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/140114-bee-native-macro-photography-insects-science/?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=pom_20140202&utm_campaign=Content#.Uu_LKhBdUxF

More pictures

A Great Goodwill Day!

 I just stopped in because I haven't been in awhile... I actually sat in the parking lot for a minute, thinking that I should just skip it because I have a gift card, but, not having planned on going, I'd left it home.
 Boy, am I glad I went in!

I found this lovely:

 Excalibur 5-tray dehydrator.

 For $85.
 As I said, I hadn't planned on stopping in, so this was waaay more than I thought I'd spend! But, since it's $189.97 on Amazon, I think I got a pretty good buy. And, it was something I've wanted for awhile, but could never justify spending that much on it.  =)
 Yes, you can bet I tested it out right away. Heats, blows, and maintains the temperature range it's set at. Tomorrow, I may even put some food in it!  =D