http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/lens-giveaway-2/

Something I could really benefit from in my lens arsenal. I love Crave Photography and this is just the cherry on top. Also there is an online mentoring session  for free up for grabs that would be awesome . I have so much to learn and so little time so learning from one of the best would be great!

/http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/lens-giveaway-2/

Cluck Cluck

 Well, sadly the initial 6 chickens I started out with last year have dwindled down to 4. The rooster Ozzy( the limping rooster) is still left; along wtih Condor, Crooked Beak and  Six head .  The first one died from what I am guessing was a heart attack from a big mastiff showing her big face in the coop at dark. Next day she was gone. Boss lady, my big Rhode Island red hen was unfortunately killed by a dog. Not my mastiff Suki, another dog we had at the time; Ellis. He has since found another home because I will not have any of my animals torturing or harming any of the others animals. He went to a farm without Chickens and just horses . I have spoken with his new owners and he is doing great and loving life. He liked  chasing them at first and then killing my chickens, got Boss Lady and tried to get my RIR Rooster Ozzy, but I caught him in the act . Now Ozzy has a limp and some missing tail feathers, but he has his life.

                                                           

 Condor

I planted 2 sets of white onions because I heard they keep better than the red onions. We go through a lot and hopefully I can use at least  half of these before they go bad, the other half will be given away to those  that need it. I also planted some Early Girl tomato plants. I am not too fond of tomatos, but I have always heard that they are better than store bought ( what isn't?). Maybe this will help me get into tomatoes.The lettuce and Zucchini hasn't popped up yet. I am hoping they do because it was quite a bit of work to get the rows grass/ weed free. Even though they still are not completely cleaned up. Most of gardening is weeding your plants anyways. I wouldn't want to break from tradition now would I ?

Suki, the dog that DOESN'T kill chickens. Don't let that face fool you, she is a big sweetheart and everyone that meets her wants to take her home with them. 

 Above is a  Chicken Tractor. I made  this from pallets, found roofing tin, used fence pickets and plywood someone was going to throw away. Something is to be said for hoarding sometimes.  I had to buy the wheels and screws and luckily we have acquired quite a few tools over the years.   I dig this picture because it's very chicken apocalypse.

Fence post for the garden  from my in laws place and free roofing tar

We have the neighbors cows that get out a lot and I am hoping that this will discourage them from kill my garden by trampling and eating it. These are just the post, I have more cedar for the cross sections and of course there are like 40 oak pallets I can use also. Pallets, sweet pallets!

Cleaning up some brush we found a post hole digger. ;)

 Ninjee the mouse/mole slayer

12/14/12

“The shame and the downfall of a modern materialistic society is her inability to treasure, care for, admire, adore, cherish, value, revere, respect, uphold, uplift, protect, shield, defend, safeguard, treasure and love her children. I praise all the cultures of this world that naturally harbor and actively manifest these instincts. If a nation or if a population of people fails to recognize the excellent value and distinction of the lives of her children and is defective enough to have lost the capability of expressing and acting upon these instincts then there is nothing that can save that nation or those people. The prosperity of a people is not measured in banks, financial markets, economy and the death of its humanity is evident not through the loss of life but in the loss of love for its children.” 
― C. JoyBell C.

The Dumpster Christmas Tree

You read that right, I " rescued " this 7.5ft tree from the landfill it was headed for. It's fake and the lights do not work, but there were no funny smells and really that's all you can ask for. A string or 6 of lights and a store bought faux tree stand meant saving me from using our terminally ill tree. The one that everyone has made fun of because it looks like it has mange. I tried making a stand for this tree, but after 4 hours of leaning the tree couldn't take it any longer and it fell over. The young nuggets immediately sensed a danger and went right to the broken shards of Christmas decor, but I got there first.....jokes on you little nugget one and  nugget two. Luckily no one got hurt. 

 Every year our town has a Christmas parade and people can set up stands and sell their stuff. I read somewhere that last year 10,000 people came to the parade. I don't see how, but I won't argue with it.


 We buy honey pretty regularly now  where as before we never ate it. There is a bee farm really close to us that we go and get our honey fix from . "Mrs. Rudy" has always been exceptionally nice and more than helpful and fair with her prices. She had a  table set up with Honey, Creamed Honey, and any kind of  Beeswax product you could ever need. Once you have had honey from a local bee farm, you will never buy store bought again. It's not outrageously priced and worth it because it's good for your health. Rudy's Honey does have a website that you would be able to order from and I would recommend anyone to do so.

Rudy's Honey Beeswax Candles



My computer is not cooperating with me so I will have to finish this later . Peace  Out

Texas Renaissance Festival

This is going to be short because I am extremely tired, but really wanted to show some people a reason to get to this festival. It was my first time going and I couldn't have had a better way to spend my day with my family and friends .

No one wanted to acknowledge the Vader

 I have a conversation going on in my head for these two and it's pretty funny

                          Texas Renaissance Festival was awesome, but I am a nerd .  I don't care, it was still awesome!

Busy Day..a few weeks off my life.

This morning we woke up to heavy machinery  NOISES. We were lucky enough to have the famous Transcanada Pipeline going through our property. There are  so many issues, but really nothing we can do about it, especially at this point. Oh well.  Anyhow,  we had a fun filled morning of sorting out a mess of what was to be done with the timber on our land , hence the "....a few weeks taken off my life". Oh so much fun! I hate to say I would have really liked a drink at about 0900 .

However,  I did  enjoy carving a pumpkin even though after a while I really just wanted it done. I really wish I weren't like that, but I am .  These things are huge too! 

Ozzy the Rooster eating pumpkin guts!

 My husband then installed two duo ceiling combos. They are weird looking, but I like them and they function!

The before fixture and the new fan.

 When the construction guys left for the day we went to take a look at what they had cleared. It made me sad to think about how old some of those trees were and how long it had taken them to get to the size they were. I am a big hippie even though I hate to admit it; I am coming to terms with that.

                                                       

                     Then I saw this plant and said out loud " What the hell is that?". Seriously, what is it?Anyone know..?

 Now off to bed with my heating pad and a stiff drink in my system. I am a big stout girl , but those pumpkins were heavy .  Tomorrow is  melodious sounds of heavy equipment running and cleaning up all the mess they made today. Just grateful to be alive with a wonderful family, roof over my head and no poo storms in sight!