Chicken Run is Done! Random Tidbits

If you are wondering how the garden is going, I do have to replant a few seeds.  I have already replanted some cucumber seeds.  I only had one pie pumpkin seed come up, so I'll be buying different seeds next season (and if they do well, will save those seeds).  Gardening comes with mishaps, guess work and many prayers.

I made a batch of homemade cream cheese, but forgot to photograph it for you.  I think you've all seen it made anyway.  It's the best cream cheese I ever tasted.  The kids devoured it.

Hubby repaired the north doors on the animal barn, and recycled what wood he could, from the big barn. These lead out into the chicken run, and allows us to mow in there (if necessary).

The chicken run is done!  However, the chickens are stuck in their old ways, and don't know how to use it.  We had to start tossing them up the indoor ramp and they finally went out.  At night, however, we could not get them back up the ramp.  After a while, they should figure it out.  We may make their ramps wider, but they jump from the top anyway.

For years I simply let them out, shut the doors, and they had free range of the property.  They had dirt to take dirt baths, their favorite trees and so forth.  But, in summer they can tear apart all of my garden(s) and eat all my strawberries.  This year, I won't have to have someone "babysit" them all hours and make sure they stay out of trouble - one HUGE relief for me this year.

One daughter and I had fun ripping the wood off the old barn too.  But we'll leave the big parts to the big guys.

I am using a homemade facial toner (new recipe I found online), and so far really like it.  It's made with water, dried red clovers, organic apple cider vinegar and organic lavender essential oil.  The original recipe requires a special salt, but I did not have it.

Big news today!  I finished this book yesterday!  The kids were all congregating on the porch, and I showed them I had read until the last 30-some pages.  I closed it and put it down to listen to them (last day of school), and my older daughter said, "you're going to finish that right?"  And so I did.  It took forever, but I got it done.  What a sad ending for the book.

This one is next.  It, along with knitting a dishcloth, will be part of my free time. That is, until I can visit the store for more white yarn (another project).