Chicks are out and other random bits

The current egg scramble. . .

 . . . feeding my family sweet potatoes, jalapenos, pickled garlic and beet greens for breakfast. 

The chicks are out of the house.  It was high 50's when I introduced them to the outdoors, but heated up to the 60's.  They'll still get a heat lamp for a week or so more, but they are utterly confused, ha ha!  My house will not smell like a chicken coop any longer, whew!

I put them all in together after a visit outside, and there wasn't much activity for the first few minutes.  Shortly after as I watched, a few pecked at the chicks, but nothing bad.  I just hope I didn't end up with 7 roosters.  

I do have a friend who got chicks (pullets) this year too, so if I do, I hope she'll take a few.  I don't want to drive 1 hour to the butcher. Considering my 4 barred rocks hens are 8 years going on 9, I'll be getting pullets next spring.  

It's been so nice to use the clothesline again.  Rain is on the way Sunday again, so it's been busy bee for me.

We have what I call the "big city" both north and south of us.  The one north is undergoing major road construction, not only downtown, but at the highway over pass.  It's a plain mess.  We avoid it at all costs.  With that said, there is only a few places we can take the Harley for a meal out with the kids.    Now they are not only building a round-about at the highway exit (have no idea how that is going to work and why we even needed it), but they are also constructing one at the entrance to Youngest Daughter's career school.  Lovely.  Just lovely.  There is already a round-about just after you enter the school drive.  We are gonna be dizzy going there for events.

We got the Harley out for a ride and met up with one daughter.  Boy it felt great to be out on the bike again.  I'm looking forward to getting my garden beds cleaned up daily, as weather allows, so rides will be happening all summer and fall.

Muck Day ~ Happy Hens

Nothing messes up my morning, like a "driveway creeper" pulling in and parking in the pitch dark of the morning.  Ugh.  Right after I fed Jesse (dog) too.  He needed to go out and I could not until they left - flat tire of all things.    Hubby pulled out to leave for work, checked out the situation, then called me.  It was so dark I could only see car lights and a small light be-bopping around (guy had a headlamp on).   However, this is why I am prepared for uninvited "creepers."  You never know how friendly they are and if they really do have a flat.

It was a beautiful day to be working in the flower beds, but I had another big job.

It's a nasty spring job, but it had to be done.  However, I was bam-booz-eld again. Hubby said he'd help me finish the coop after work.  He did not.  He went to look at another car.  I ended up cleaning the entire coop myself (oh so tired when I was done).

We didn't get a chance to do a real coop cleaning all winter.  Boy was it bad.  I had to take a break after 6 full wheelbarrows of poo and straw was removed.  We had to layer straw most of the winter.

I noticed they broke their heat lamp bulb, which has been off for a long time, but still.  Ugh.  Every year they break it.  I was hoping to use it for the youngin's soon, but I'll need to buy a new bulb.

See that araucana?  She is my last one left and sort of a bossy pants.  Every time I'm in the coop, she is sassing and chasing another hen.  She acts like she's the rooster in the coop, ha ha!

It's getting warmer out, but not warm enough to put the new chicks outside.  I dug out the old dog cage so the rain could wash it off in preparation to give he chicks a day in the sun, and hopefully soon.  They are growing out of their tote they are in.

As for the car Hubby planned on buying?  Well, at the time of paper work, the guy tried to slap on a $300 title service fee.  Hubby stood up, grabbed his check, and said "no thanks,  you are ripping me off" and walked out.  The business where he bought the truck didn't do that, nor where we bought our car, and some smaller privately run places try to slap that extra charge on.  That's okay, it means Hubby will find a better deal somewhere else.