CHICKENS!!

Hello Blogland Friends!  It's been such a long time since we've visited.  I'm sure your life has been busy, as has ours... which is why I haven't posted a single thing in such a long time!!!  My year has been full of animals, children (sometimes I think they are one and the same!!), my job, hubby's job, vacations, sports, family, and pretty much the busy business that makes up family life.  Wouldn't have it any other way!

With all the busy activities, I've found a new hobby that brings calm to my life:  Backyard Chickens!!! 

Here's a photo of one of the girls.  She's pretty spunky and has lots of personality.  Kind of bossy too.  Reminds me of... ME!!

I love my chickens, and I owe my newfound joy to my friend Laura.  On a Saturday early in June, Laura showed up at my house with a pen full of five hens.  I was so excited, as I have ALWAYS wanted chickens. 

Growing up in the city, I would never have considered having a clucking chicken in my citified backyard.  After marrying my farm-raised husband, chickens were first on my list of country acquisitions.  Hubby, who as I just said had grown up in a farming family and always had backyard birds, wanted NOTHING to do with any type of poultry, unless it was fried and on his plate!  Since I needed his help, and he wasn't offering any in the chicken department, I put my backyard bird plans on the back burner.

Fast forward through 24 years of marriage, and hubby finally found it in his heart to build me a chicken coop!  I absolutely love my little chicken castle, which is a remodel of my children's playscape.  Hubby built that for them when they were 3 years old, and since they've become teenagers, it has sat lonely and forgotten in our backyard.  He removed the slide and swings, covered the place in chicken wire and fencing, surrounded it with a bit of electric fencing (dogs think chicken tasted good!!), built the birds a perch, and put nesting boxes inside.  I quickly added a little herb garden and decorations to the front.

Having backyard chickens is strangley relaxing and entertaining.  Have you ever watched a bunch of hens chasing a grasshopper or getting all clucky and excited about a handful of weeds?  Talk about funny!!!  It's like watching me in the store when there's a sale on shoes. Crazy!!!  

Waiting 25 years for a few chickens has made me appreciate the girls.  Now my mornings are filled with happy clucks and chicken scratch!  I'm learning all I can about the little egg makers, and I'm anxiously waiting for those first little eggs.  Can't wait!!!