March 7, 2013--This week on the farm

Wow, it's been a week since I posted. It has flown by.

My chicks hatched last week, but unfortunately out of the 42 eggs I incubated, I only wound up with 6 chicks. So I began a new batch. Either my roosters are lazy or the hens made themselves scarce. :)

Richard and Caleb returned home from their ski trip in Utah, tired, but in one piece. They said it snowed almost every day they were there. I don't want to go skiing, but I could enjoy this view out my window everyday. :)

Caleb turned 16 last week. He should be getting his license next week. It would have been this week, but he had all four of his wisdom teeth removed on Monday and we weren't sure how that would affect him. He is doing fine.

I started week 3 of my diet yesterday. As of this morning I've lost 6 pounds. Yippee!! I thought it would be hard, but it really isn't. I'm eating frequently. My schedule goes something like this:

• 7:00 - breakfast
• 8:30 - snack 
• 10:00 - meal 2
• 11:30 - snack 2
• 2:00 - meal 3
• 5:30 - meal 4
• 7:00 pm - snack 3

This week is comprised of mostly protein drinks or smoothies with a few additions of fruits and vegetables. The snacks are usually in the 100 calorie range. I'm still not all that hungry. :)

We will be cleaning the tack room this weekend. It's also where we store our chicken and horse feed. The mice found it this winter and made a mess. Richard will be going next week to replenish our supplies, so we have to make room for the new feed.

Richard also planted tomato and pepper seeds inside. We won't transplant them until May, so they should be healthy by then.

The weather here has been wetter than normal for winter, but it's not like the west or northeast, thankfully. We've had snow flurries, but no accumulation.

What the weather like where you live? What are you doing to prepare for spring?

Blessings,

Another random Saturday...

Yep. All the way random.

Stayed up late last night--12:30 a.m.  I know, not late for some of you, however I am usually putting my head on the pillow by 10:30 p.m. I was reading Prophetess, sequel to Winter, by Keven Newsome. I'll be posting my review soon, so look for it. ;)

I learned how to operate WordPress this morning, as I will be co-blogging with some fellow writers at Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas...Oh My! starting in March. My posts will appear on the second Tuesday of every month. Come check it out.

I also prepared my garage to receive my new chicks, due this week. (Yes, this is the bottom half of a doghouse.) I start the babies in the garage and when they get too big for that enclosure, but are still too small to move to the big chicken coop, I put them in a stall in the barn. It had to be repaired slightly since one of our dogs decided it was a good place to dig. In the big coop, I have a hen brooding. I set aside a little space that I hope she'll use if and when any of her eggs hatch. I am not counting on any of her chicks surviving. It will be an added bonus if they do.

What's going on at your house this weekend?

Blessings,
Ginger

Happenings on the Farm

I have this intense desire to write a blog, but as I sit here to write nothing amazing, or incredible occurs to me.

Instead I'll write about things happening here at the farm.

*It's clean-up time. This past weekend, my husband trimmed the grape vines and sprayed our fruit trees. I transplanted a few rogue crepe myrtle saplings, trimmed the crepe myrtle mom (tree from which the saplings came from), transplanted a trumpetvine (I hope), trimmed a butterfly bush, and pruned a lilac bush--with the help of my children.

*My husband has started his seedlings of broccoli, and probably some other stuff that I don't know about.

*I've started incubating chicken eggs (from our hens) for a new batch of chicks. One of my hens has decided to make her own batch. Usually I steal her eggs, but I've decided that I'll just leave her this year and see if she can successfully raise a brood of babies. They're so cute when they're brand new. The cute goes away real quick though.

*Nearly got kicked in the head by one of my mares today. When it finally dries up I've got some work to do to remind them who's the boss.

*My husband and son will be taking a trip soon for my third son's 16th birthday. He's decided to go skiing--glad I don't have to take him. The last son who took a trip came home with a broken arm. Pray with me that they'll both come home without significant injury. :)

*Two and a half weeks ago I sent my completed manuscript (an inspirational Scottish Historical Romance) to an editor and an agent. It has been the longest few weeks of my LIFE, I think. Well, maybe not--those last few weeks before my due dates were pretty slow. LOL

*Next week--after my birthday, of course--I will be starting the Shred diet by Dr. Ian Smith. I plan to follow the guidelines closely and hope to lose a lot of weight.

Okay, so what has your February been like? What do the next few weeks look like for you? Are you as ready for Spring weather as I am?

Blessings,
Ginger

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!