Hello 2017

Ladybugs already!

2017 is here, and it has started off amazingly.

January 1st was an absolutely gorgeous day. The rain that we had the two days before cleared the air and we woke up to beautiful sunshine and a bright blue sky. We sat out on the back porch to drink our coffee and catch the sun. It was wonderful. Then, we got to work!

We are determined to make this year a good one, and we started it out by spending our whole day outside. Ben shoveled and turned the floor of the chicken coop while I raked leaves from our giant cottonwood tree. We added leaves to the dirt to help break up the mud from the rains, and the decaying leaves will help add some heat. Then we took the leftover straw from gardens past that has been sitting in the shed and spread it all over the floor of the coop. It has helped so much to soak up the mud and has eliminated the smell of wet chicken poop. And of course, the girls have loved scratching through it and the newly turned dirt.

We also finally built a little duck house for our ducks. We've had them for a few months now but hadn't gotten around to creating an official home for them. They just wandered around and hunkered down in a corner next to the chicken coop. Well, now they have a house. And this year I'd like to create a better system for their pool that will make it easier to clean out, but I need to do some research first.

Chicken Contractors

Yesterday, we were out again. It was cloudy and colder since we have another storm moving in this week, but we just have to be outside. The spring fever is already here.

The last few years we haven't really gardened at all aside from setting a few plants in the ground. Between work and life and things going on, we just haven't had the drive. But this year we want to jump back in, so we're reworking our yard and putting in quite a few beds. Yesterday we dug out and moved the curbs from the flower beds to place them as the new border for the garden. We'll move the fence out too, and then add raised beds. We trimmed back a lot of the cottonwood tree that casts shadows on that part of the yard so hopefully we'll get more sun too.

Found their way into the shed

They're not amused with my camera antics

This morning Ben began moving the sprinklers that will need to be moved, and it quickly turned into chicken snack time with all the worms he found. I think he likes giving the girls snacks as much as they like eating them.

If we keep this up for the whole year, it's going to be fantastic.

Ben's dad gave him The Compound Effect for Christmas and we started reading a chapter a day on January 1st. It hasn't been the catalyst, but it has helped propel us and kick our butts for the changes that we have wanted to make this year. The last few years have been very dark and painful, but we are consciously and intentionally trying to make this year better. And I think we're off to a good start!