You Won't Believe What Dave Said

While I was upstairs folding clothes the other day, I heard Dave call out these words: 

"Hey Son, I found a cool chicken coop on the web!  Come look!"

And they definitely put a smile on my face.

New Neighbors

The last few months have been very busy around The 4902.  Three new homes were constructed and yesterday the first of three new neighbors moved in. 

The U-Haul came and went as did a string of cars; friends and family members eager, I'm sure, to share in their loved one's big step.  

I'm sure we'll meet them soon.  And, although, I'm not sure if the new family has any kids, I was happy to see a Golden Retriever romping up and down the street.  That's always a sign of great people.  

As we sat down to dinner, however, Dave noticed another new addition to our neighborhood.  Calmly sitting atop my fence rail, staring at the swaying suet feeder, sat this fella:

My arch nemesis:
Cooper's Hawk

We have lived at The 4902 for eight years and NEVER have I seen this guy, or any others like him.  Thus, as a proud new owner of three quickly growing chicks, you can imagine my horror.  This was not the kind of neighbor I was hoping for.  So with my mouth agape, I banged on the window and frightened him away.  Hopefully, for good.  But, just in case, maybe I should start working on potty-training the girls.....

First Day of Spring!

To celebrate this first day of Spring, the girls went on a field trip and enjoyed a few minutes of REAL sunshine.....

From Top to Bottom:
Arry,
Lena,
Winnie

.

Emerging Pt. II

Spring

Lilac buds

Blueberry Buds

And, of course, the rhubarb

(All photos taken by Nora Jane Larson)

P.S.  I learned that chickens LOVE blueberries.  So I bought another plant....

Emerging Pt. I

Tail Feathers and Personalities

Chicks + Nora Jane =  Laughter

Lena has proven to be the happy-go-lucky gal.  Content to eat, forage (in the carpet at "recess") or snuggle up in your hands.

Sweet Winnie The Affectionate is, definitely,  The Master of Escape.  Although she is very content to sit in your lap and coo once she is "free."  She especially likes to snuggle with me in the early morning while I drink my coffee and read a few pages from my book.

Queen Arya (Arry) is the ruler of the roost.  Donned in a cloak of black and white she keeps her constituents in line with a wild flutter of wings and loud, demanding peeps.  I mean LOUD DEMANDING peeps.

These four chicks are quite the flock!

I Am SO Going to Read This!

I just heard about this book and immediately put a hold on it at my library.

This author lives in Seattle-SEATTLE people!
You can't get much more urban than that :)

I hope whoever has it now is a quick reader!

Where's That Snooze Button?

Hattie Mae woke me up this morning like she always does: by pawing my hands and licking my face.  It's delightful!  

When I finally pried my eyes open and looked at the clock on Dave's nightstand I saw that it was already 5:53.  "Honey," I cried!  "It's 5:53!  Did your alarm go off?"

"Ya," he replied.  "I'm sleeping in a little.  I hit the snooze button."

"Oh!  Okay."  So then I turned back over to Hattie and asked, "where's your snooze button?"

I got another lick.

Out of the Mouth of Nora Jane

"Mom, when the garden gets going and the chickens start laying their eggs, we won't have to go to the store!  Won't that be cool??"

Reactions

Sheesh!  You get a few chickens and people think you've gone mad!  

The following are just a few of the reactions to my recent decision to add a few chickens to the home front.

From my niece:  "Aunt Sonja's gone weird on us!  I mean who names their chickens," she asked my mother?   Who, in turn, asked me "who names their chickens?"

From my dad: "Nothing like having chicken shit everywhere!"  But once I told him I was only getting three, and that they would have a coop, and one would even be named after his Grandma, well he started whistling a whole new tune.  He even called me to suggest that I get one of those South American Chickens that lays the blue eggs---for Nora, of course.  (Got it covered Dad)

Dave's still not sure about any of this.  Although I'm pretty sure he will never love the girls like Nora Jane and I do, I am confident that he will happily eat their eggs in a few months.  (In exchange for a nice cozy coop to live in)  And just to prove to me that he's supportive of my chicken endeavor, he bought me some wine to celebrate:

LOOK CLOSER!

And it even tasted good!
THANKS DAVE!!!!!!!

I'm sure the aforementioned are not the only people who think I've gone completely bonkers, but I'm okay with that.  For I have three new critters to care for and lots of eggs to look forward to.  Life is good.  

But just in case there's anyone out there who doesn't think I'm completely crazy, have I got a website for you!  It's called http://hencam.com and it's written and maintained by a woman named Terry.  Terry has two flocks of hens, two Nigerian Goats, one bunny named Phoebe, and two lovely dogs.  You can read everything you want to know about chickens and her life in Massachusetts as well as take a peek into her world via her chicken cams.  It's pretty fun.  And if you have little ones, they will love it!

Nesting

Well, hopefully, tomorrow's the day!  The day I truly become a Mother Hen.  And I couldn't be more excited! And more anxious.

To all you farmers out there, I'm sure my nerves must seem wasted and silly.  But that's me.  A worrier.  A planner, a reader, a learner, a worrier.  And it seems the more I learn, the more I read, the more worried I become.  

My worries have been over food, housing, diseases.... pasty butt! The whole gamut.  But, I've decided to let my worries go. To just relax and enjoy this whole crazy adventure.

So, this afternoon, instead of fretting, I nested.  I cleaned up Anna's room and got it all ready to host the girls.  Isn't this what everyone does when their kids go off to college?  Turn their bedroom into a brooder?  Of course, Hattie Mae kept a close eye on the whole process, even falling asleep on the floor very close to the heat lamp.  

So now it's 11:13 and I'm off to bed, for I want to be up bright and early so I can be first in line at the feed store, along with  my little side kick who is skipping school to go chick shopping.  How could I not bring her?  Becoming a nine-year-old urban chicken farmer doesn't just happen every day.  It's a special day.  A day that needs to be savored, remembered, celebrated.  

Just don't tell her school attendance secretary!

Welcome Home

The Girls 

Nora Jane and I welcomed The Girls into our home (literally--they reside in Anna's old room) and our family last Friday.  We rose at the usual 6:00 hour, and then waited, and waited, and waited, until it was time to go to the feed store.  And like the song says, "the waiting IS the hardest part."  So to keep myself busy, I swept, and vacuumed, and even cleaned the bathrooms!  You would have thought royalty was coming for a visit the way I tidied up, rather than a few silly chickens.  When I finished that I watched an episode of 24, my new favorite show.  How did I never watch this in it's heyday??  Nora, meanwhile, played Minecraft for a LONG time.  And then, finally, it was time to go!  

As we drove across the Narrows Bridge we continued to think of names for the girls.  "They have to be just right,"  declared Nora.  

When we entered the store, the peeping of chicks seemed to be everywhere.  Nora's eyes took on the look of Hattie's (when she sees food) and she looked at me for instructions.  I just said, "well, go look!"  And she was off!  

While she perused the choices, I located the "chicken helper," and then, together, we set out with our little brown box to find the perfect chicks.  Well, let me tell you, that is no easy job.  Every bin we encountered contained dozens of happy, peeping, wobbling, eating, beaked bundles of fluff.  

"Which one would you like," asked our chicken helper?  

When I informed her these were our first-EVER chicks, she sighed and settled herself in for the long haul.  Feeling bad for her, although no one else was even looking at any chicks, I continued, "but if you see one that looks really good, we'll just take that one."  

That perked her right up and our little brown box was filled with one Buff Orpington, one Ameraucana, and one Silver-Laced Wyandotte in less than two minutes.  While Nora Jane VERY CAREFULLY carried our box of birds to the counter, I grabbed a bag of chick grit and then we were on our way. 

As we drove home, I asked Nora Jane if she thought we'd ever get chicks and she said she wasn't sure, but she's glad we did.   

Me too, I replied.  And then I asked if her mom was the coolest mom ever.  The very enthusiastic "OH YEAH!" that came from the back seat was all I needed.  

The girls have been with us for three days now and I no longer check on them every five minutes.  Although I do spend a lot of time with them (as does Nora) watching them, talking to them, changing their feeder and waterer, and making sure the temperature in their brooder is okay.  Oh, and cleaning out poop.  My God can these girls poop!  Which my garden and I plan to take full advantage of later this year.  

So while my niece Nanny thinks "I have gone weird," I'm here to report that I have not.  In fact, I am the same old Sonja I was four days ago.  Just a little bit happier.  I still take my kid to school, walk the dog, do housework, work in the garden, and write crazy things on this blog. And while my house doesn't look any different today than it did on Friday, it's about to experience a transition too.  It's about to go from a regular old backyard to a teeny tiny farm with actual livestock.  Livestock which will not ever be eaten.  (I feel I should point that out)  

I mean once ya name them, it's kinda tough to eat 'em.....

So, allow me to introduce The Girls: 

Lena, our Buff Orpington, is named after my Great-Grandma Lena Dahl, who, my dad tells me, was quite the tough, little farmer.  She milked cows, raised meat and egg hens, and she even traveled by ferry from my hometown of Poulsbo all the way to Seattle (way back in the day) to sell her eggs and home-made butter at the Pike Place Market.  I never knew Lena.  I wish I had and I hope to make her proud.  

Nora and Lena

Arya (Arry) is our Silver-Laced Wyandotte.  She should grow up to be not only beautiful, but calm and docile, and a good layer.  Already she seems like the leader of the pack.  

Nora and Arry

Finally, there's Winnifred (Winnie) our Ameraucana. 

Nora and our Easter Egger, Winnie

This little gal will provide us with our very own beautiful blue and green Easter eggs when she gets down to business.  She is the smallest of the bunch but very sweet.  Nora chose her name because it means "prosperous with friends."  

So that's all for now.  Things are going well.  The girls are eating, sleeping, and pooping A LOT.  Their wing feathers are emerging and they are settling in.

As for Hattie.... Well, she's still not sure if she should eat them, lick them, or chase them.  Mostly, she lays under their heat lamp, along with Cooper, and soaks up their warmth.  

Cooper's rough life:
enjoying the glow