A beautiful day

     When I was younger I didn't live so much in the moment - always worrying about choices, relationships - the good ones and the bad ones, finances or lack of them, my young family's safety, health, the list goes on and on. While I'm still and always will be a chronic worrier,  ( Heck, I just stopped having "I didn't do my homework" dreams about five years ago)  I have learned with age to live far more of my life in the moment.  And... I don't give as much of a f*ck about trying to please everyone all the time, or even if someone likes me.  I have finally come to that place where I know in my heart of hearts I am a decent soul and I like me... maybe even love me.  Sounds silly, but that knowledge comes hard to some of us, and maybe you know the woe.  This was a day when I sat completely comfortable with myself and content with my life's direction. 

    Yesterday it seems everyone in New England was out and about, enjoying the beautiful 🌺SPRING🌸  day - temps reached 61 degrees!   On the road, some of my fellow Jeepers had their tops off and down at Stella, island folks were beginning the Spring ritual of opening up and airing out their cottages.  My daughter and I spent some time at the show barn with Leah - and I got to take her for a spin around the block a few times myself. 

  As I watched my daughter go 'round the ring practicing for the first show of the season, the warm sun beaming down on our faces, I was reminded again of all she has overcome, how lucky we are to have these experiences after all.   

    After time well spent at the barn, I headed down to the cottage where the Mr. was working with two of his crew to replace the split railing we initially installed at the waterfront.  When sitting on the blue stone patio, what greeted  seated folks at eye level were  clunky cedar beams.  It was a nice rustic look but took away from the water views.  So we've installed wire which will keep people from falling over but doesn't block the view.  It's almost invisible. as you can see in this photo. 

   We were so pleased with the effect, we decided to take the waterfront railing section  of the deck out and replace it with the same wire.  We have a lot of summer meals up on that little deck and the view now when seated will be a much fuller waterfront scene. That deck comes in handy as a "playpen" for Frasier and Sally as well - they are safe up there with a gate at the stairs, and someday the same will be true when and if we're blessed with grandchildren. 

     We brought some dirt from the farm down to the shore - we'll spread it in the waterfront part of the little yard to fortify the grass and level the footing some.  If you can believe it,  M wants to plant a little vegetable garden down there as well as the one I keep here on the farm.  The bunnies are prolific on the island-really-a-peninsula,  he'll have to put a little fencing up if we are to eat any of that produce. 

   

Frasier, Sally and I took a walk  after inspecting the new fencing... we are on a cove in the Long Island Sound - which you can see in the distance here.  The crocus have arrived!   And they tell me the peepers too, and while I can't hear the actual thing, I hear peepers 24/7 with the tinnitus and hearing loss, go figure - 😂

  I can usually find at least one piece of seaglass on each walk.  This one was a very pale blue, my favorite color.

The water hasn't been turned on yet so the cottage can't be given a thorough Spring cleaning, bed linens aren't re-washed or beds made  until April 15th or so, when the water is turned back on.   We don't spend too much time here until then, no toilets!   The new gas stove does a fantastic job of heating up the space when the nip in the air needs tucking.   Sally approves. 

    When the chill came in off the water with the setting sun I came home to feed the horses and chickens and clean the new chicks water for the tenth time.  Have I mentioned how piggy chicks are?  All doing well, by the way.  The  good weather had us all in high spirits, and it was evident in the people we encountered throughout the day, too.   I always hope that kindred spirit spreads far and wide. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a blanket of good will to cover this entire planet - think of all the problems we could solve, what a wonderful world this could be if only.   It was a restorative kind of day that I sorely needed.   Today I'm wishing the same for  you - 

 Till soon - 

Karen 🌷

Chick Day

  All around this area at this time of year are the ads for feed stores and especially Tractor Supply announcing their Chick Days.  I had written a post a while back describing my plans to build a bigger coop this Spring and I even ordered 16 new chicks of different varieties to raise and increase my current flock of 14 aging chickens.  Well - the boyz got busy doing other things, work related things that actually pay the bills,  and so we decided to hold off a year or two on the new coop. I cancelled my  chick order with Cackle Hatchery, a  little bummed, because I had picked out some beautiful breeds.

    So... I've had to go in to Tractor Supply several times in recent weeks, and each time I stared at the chicks and ducklings and almost grabbed _just a few_, but talked myself out of it because raising chicks is work, and I'd have to create another brooder on the porch, and do I need more chores right now and especially without a bigger coop? The answer is no.. .so.... I was pretty proud of my restraint.

   Yesterday on the way home from checking on our little cottage by the sea,  the husband said "Let's stop in Agway and get some of that dried cow manure fertilizer for the vegetable garden". 

  I'm thinking that's safe, they don't sell chicks there, right?  

Wrong. 

     Frasier's wondering why mama won't let him sample the chicken nuggets out on the porch.

    I even left the store chick-less with the Mr... came home and thought on it for about 30 seconds more.  Then just for the heck of it  I browsed the basement to see if there were any big boxes down there that would suffice as a brooder for the time being.  The Christmas Tree Box was sitting empty, because once you pull a fake tree out of it's box, it isn't ever going back in there the way it came out. So... I took it as a sign.    Of stupidity? Possibly.  But here we are, regardless. 

   Last night two of the chicks looked a little wobbly - they go through a heck of a lot to get to the feedstore at just a day old.. and then to their new home.  I'm happy to report this morning all six look perky.   These are what I brought home.. 

2 Light Brahmas... 

2 easter eggers - which can come in any color at all, so those

will be revealed as they feather out. 

 One Buff Orpington

 And one New Hampshire Red

  Not as exotic or as large an order as my original order from Cackle Hatchery, but still good egg layers, hearty breeds, a nice edition to my flock. 

 Happy Spring! 

   

This and That, because clever post titles are hard to come by

    For those who left comments on the Dear 2020 post, thank you for joining the conversation on a difficult topic. For me it's therapeutic to talk it out amongst like minded people, and even to hear a different view when it's not laced with hate.  I'm not religious, but I'm praying for the mental health and humanity of our society as a whole as history unfolds.     What a world it could be if  not for our own vices, greed and destruction. If only we could just respect each other's differences and work together for the common good of all.  So simple,  so attainable, and yet so far from our reality. 

    Onward!  The frigid conditions here on the farm have lifted - in the  upper 20's as I type, and it feels downright balmy.   I tried something that worked during our deep freeze - If you water critters outside during winter months - keeping that hydrant from freezing is sticky business.  Stuffing a water bucket with hay, and then flipping that over the hydrant when not in use.. works!

    The paddocks where a skating rink after the deep freeze.  Thankful my husband owns a sanding truck (for work purposes) and I was able to let the horses out into the paddocks after they made a sweep through with the sand/salt.    After losing my beloved Opie, I don't need another equine loss due to a broken leg. Speaking of which - the mini's and our boarder's horse, the very old (32 years!) Max are getting along really well - right now I've brought them up to the big barn from their smaller shed.  Their paddock is still a skating rink, so they're sharing Max's for the moment and with Opie's passing we have a vacant stall. They really like the new arrangement -  it's like they've moved up to the big boys dorm.

    In my never ending quest to lose this miserable menopausal weight and make healthier eating choices, I came across this chickpea salad recipe - so easy to throw together, very refreshing, too.   Recipe and this photo credit to the Striped Spatula... link below photo. 

 Recipe HERE

    Along with this dieting gig which I have yet to really really stick with for the long haul, I do keep up with at least a minimal exercise routine.  Daily I tend to the horse and chicken chores, which is usually about an hour of work, but I also get in some aerobic exercise with the dogs - we walk at least four days a week, most often on the farm, where there are fields, hills and woods and long dirt roadways that make it easy, and hard to find excuses since it's right outside the door.  Occasionally I get on the treadmill, but it bores the hell out of me.  Being outside and moving along is more motivation for a person like me, anyway. 

    Bailey, Frasier and Sally love these walks - I leave our cardiac patient, my Dane, Ben - inside on these cold days.   There's another shot of the big window from afar.

     Sometimes we get in the car and visit the cottage  (Stella) - where I walk the island - also a two miler IF I use all the roadways there.  There is also a state park just five minutes from here with a beautiful roadway that circles a pond and stream and even a waterwheel and covered bridge.   It's so beautiful, I scold myself for not using it more often - free if you walk in! 

     I throw light weight training in for good measure,  just three sets of twelve reps, four different muscle groups, doesn't take long but reaps benefits of keeping me feeling strong, even when I hurt.  I'm no expert, but one of my friends who is an expert agrees -   I highly recommend a combo of  simple stretching, walking and light weight training for anyone, and especially  those who are middle to older aged.  You don't need to beat yourself into the ground or use a fancy gym - just a few light handweights you can buy at your local Target or Walmart and a good pair of walking sneakers, etc. will do the trick. Get bored easily like me? Switch it up now and then with   a bike ride or kayak or yoga. 

     Sometimes the very simplest advice turns out to be the best, right?   

                                        Use it or lose it... 

       Arriving home from the woods walk yesterday, I surveyed the current garden plot situation... 

   What a difference six months makes, huh?  Some shots from last summer below...  (My weeding skills could be honed some, tis true.) 

Tonight I'll pull out the seed catalogs and 

place an online order.

I'm not paid to say anything on this blog...
If I endorse it, I've had success with it. 

My favorite seed source is Baker Creek Heirloom seeds..

Link HERE.  

I find their seeds to be healthy, meaning they actually perform

if you follow the directions properly, and the plants hearty.

That gorgeous zinnia row to the left is courtesy dear friend Hilary
of Crazy As a Loom.  She sent seeds from her garden
last year and they flourished.  

     I have placed the reply option with comments again -  last time I did that, many reeaders had trouble leaving a comment at all.  So often I want to thank you or answer questions to comments left,  remaining silent seems rude, but had no option when I removed that feature.  My comments no longer are delivered to my e-mail, where I used to be able to answer.  If you visit frequently, leave a comment to let me know you were able to.  Let's see if I got it right this time.

    As always - thank you for stopping by. 

Snow Day

   

     Under normal circumstances they don’t like each other- they argue over who's the boss, they don't always perceive the same things as dangerous or even agree on who's a friend and who's a foe. They don't share well with each other, but somehow the storms change things. Butt to Butt- they weather those  storms and find common ground, they find comfort in each other. We could learn a few things from dogs.....

 

     

   Something I took for granted for all these years-  Democracy. I never realized how truly fragile it is, and at any point in history, what we depend on can come crumbling down.  Maybe a dividing, lying, egotistical blowhard like Tr*mp had to happen in order to flush out all the corruption, the hypocricies, the bigotry, racism and  blind allegiances that clearly still course through the veins of our republic.  Maybe all the shortsightedness on both sides of the aisle and the less than stellar motives of some of the extremists, both left and right,  needed to be exposed in order to eventually heal what is clearly very broken. 

   I'm encouraged by the good things that are coming of this collosal mess, people are voting, for one thing.  Women are coming forth and getting elected at record rate - Republicans and Democrats are questioning some of the failings of their own parties and striving for something better.  In many places We the People are being heard.    Amen... and Amen again. 

    

    Last night we had our first real snow fall - 

       This morning it's all pretty wet, with rain in the forecast. 

 The green thing in the upper right hand corner is the umbrella I was using to shield me from the wind and drizzle as I fed horses and chickens. That's the thing about these adorable farm animals.  Doesn't matter the weather, they need their feed.  My morning commute ..... 

   

   Opie, not particularly fond of selfies, waits impatiently for grain. 

     

Fiona says Good Morning!   (actually, she's clucking " It's cold - where's my F-ing oatmeal" . Yep, she swears - I'm a bad influence, I know it. )

   

      I've started the holiday decorating inside - not too christmas-y yet because we're hosting Thanksgiving dinner here.  Nothing says disrespect for the Thankful holiday like Christmas up in your face before you've even carved the bird. 

 Miss Sally's favorite perch ..... 

 Usually I have a coffee cake or brownies or cookies in the glass cake stand on the kitchen island. We're all trying to watch our calorie intake ( we're watching it, alright... as it goes in our mouths....)  and for some reason I believe we'll eat less crap if it comes in small wrapped packages... ha ha ha... ha. 

   

  Anyway... a few chuckles for you on this dreary grey New England day.... 

I hope all is well in your neck o'the woods - 

Till soon.... 

Invasion of the Giant Pink Flamingo

   We've been spending a significant amount of time down at the shore - cottage life has been a welcome reprieve from our hectic work life and farm chores.   Heading down there at the end of the day to cool off in the water or on the deck for a meal with the gathering family, or to hop in the kayaks on a quiet morning... truly feels like we are AWAY from it all, on  a little vacation.  Making the decision to buy a small place not far from our home as opposed to several hours or more "away" turned out to be an excellent decision for our clan.  We're getting far more use out of it so close by than we would have if there were a long drive or flight involved.  And - the bonus is friends and family are nearby and can join us easily as well. 

The dogs are with us more often than not - 

and while Frazier swims and has accompanied me on the kayak...

Sally is still unsure.  However, she now ventures to water's edge -

  Yesterday she stretched her little stubby legs in the surf

(all of two inched deep)  to reach for

a piece of  snow cone my son offered up. 

Progress. 

 The blue steps maybe stand out a bit, but their gritty texture works perfectly

to eliminate slippery stairs. 

*Boat Bottom Paint Plus Sand mixed in* 

And..  I've described this before but it always amazes me - 

most of the pictures in this post are taken at low tide. 

At high tide, just a few hours later, the water is up over the blue steps 

 - a difference of about six feet.

  This  succulent-like type plant grows prolifically on our seawall - anyone know what it is?  It now has white flowers and is just beautiful.

  The boys have been clamming -   A little info - Did you know you should never clam right after a rain storm?  The storm kicks up all the muck and pollution and the clams are busy filtering it out right after the storm.  So they're "full of it"... and you don't want to eat a mucky clam.

   Our new float (bottom right in picture) is holding up well so far, even with a make-shift patch to the hole we put in it trying to heave it over the cedar fence sea wall.

   Do you see that little pink thing off in the distance? 

  It's actually HUGE!  Remember the Stay Puff Marshmallow man in Ghostbusters?

That's what it reminds me of.

Our neighbor a few cottages down the way installed it for his kids. 

  

   Here it is in an ad - to give you an idea of the size.  Apparently they are all the rage this year in lakes, ponds, rivers and coves like ours.  Sams Club, among other places, sells them for around $150.   Probably real fun for a party, but I doubt they last long. I'll let you know how long Pinky lasts in our cove. 

 

 And if a giant flamingo doesn't float your boat, perhaps a rainbow pegasus Unicorn will! 

     

Have a safe and happy fourth of July celebration -  We've got a heat and humidity wave going here in New England -  Perfect time to have a float in the ocean.