tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56177932012-02-20T20:39:23.577-05:00sharing stories of life with 2 parents, 6 children, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 goats, countless chickens, turkeys, an apple orchard and a market gardenMotherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.comBlogger5111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-8400376648576809942012-02-18T22:00:00.001-05:002012-02-18T22:00:16.118-05:00

Sunset in my winter garden.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-83263765266732349292012-02-17T21:36:00.000-05:002012-02-18T21:52:23.336-05:00

My paleo lunch (kids had it in a tortilla).

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-36398631041369837812012-02-15T23:03:00.000-05:002012-02-16T15:05:57.362-05:00

Damon's basketball tournament.  Horrible lighting=horrible pictures.  I need to learn to compensate.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-55992135858574169992012-02-14T13:50:00.000-05:002012-02-17T11:32:45.124-05:00

We wanna come too.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-54592693574637162462012-02-13T10:54:00.000-05:002012-02-17T10:54:26.842-05:00

Campbell's basketball tournament.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-30641105077206575662012-02-12T14:30:00.000-05:002012-02-17T11:25:53.771-05:00

I went to put another scoop of feed in the chicken's tube feeder.  

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-38130800065203465112012-02-11T23:19:00.000-05:002012-02-17T11:22:06.809-05:00

Happy Hockey Day in Canada 2012!

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-78204666000704961132012-02-10T19:27:00.000-05:002012-02-11T01:28:20.909-05:00

"Sleeping Beauty" doing some winter foraging.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-5135073131154929012012-02-09T13:17:00.000-05:002012-02-11T01:18:17.738-05:00

Can't you just picture the dialogue?  Puck and Lily come to an agreement every morning.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-71630358863320060162012-02-08T17:02:00.000-05:002012-02-11T00:52:09.592-05:00

Puck, awesome weather this week.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-24441821803262549022012-02-08T00:58:00.000-05:002012-02-08T00:58:47.511-05:00

Sampson, returned to us in January, he was a little bit late, I had hoped to have him here in late November or early December.  This is a bit late for breeding, this is last minute. This time he is all grown up and smells disgusting.  In case you didn't know, bucks or unneutered male goats smell like, well they smell like NOTHING else.  BLECH.  GAG.  Anyway, with a scarf pulled up around my

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-65155635157862890202012-02-07T23:53:00.000-05:002012-02-11T00:11:49.384-05:00

Good morning Sampson.  The kids love his new big boy unibrow.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-13860052220324419202012-02-06T22:30:00.000-05:002012-02-08T12:34:46.481-05:00

Moving a whale skull, box contains the lower jaw.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-31377209966078511362012-02-05T23:30:00.000-05:002012-02-08T12:31:13.211-05:00

Rigging at a museum. Guest photographer - Matt

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-56949737569646572452012-02-04T10:59:00.000-05:002012-02-17T11:03:40.618-05:00

Lily, she loves it when I bring the camera into the goat yard.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-64016260158407768862012-02-03T15:51:00.001-05:002012-02-03T15:51:25.577-05:00

My chickens make it so hard to stay humble!

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-68030983650836111622012-02-02T14:36:00.000-05:002012-02-03T15:37:09.734-05:00

Snowhenge.  I wish I had taken a picture of this before the balmy temperatures claimed it.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-23741866267773065802012-02-01T11:30:00.000-05:002012-02-03T15:19:09.179-05:00

Good morning.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-9286923737759315592012-01-31T14:36:00.001-05:002012-01-31T14:36:19.996-05:00

Vulture, a young pullet, hatched last fall, formerly known as Sweet Baby Jesus.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-76123857339984512012012-01-30T14:15:00.000-05:002012-01-31T14:31:07.864-05:00

Buff Chantecler, a Canadian chicken breed.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-77265682945644328302012-01-29T22:57:00.001-05:002012-01-29T22:57:46.675-05:00

Little Orphan Miss T, I'm playing with my zoom lens from my bedroom window.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-78770793588729822702012-01-28T17:52:00.000-05:002012-01-28T17:52:00.899-05:00

Frosty

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-71558262424118618092012-01-27T16:29:00.000-05:002012-01-28T16:42:40.331-05:00

The tall grass by the stream.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-81124024641377631612012-01-26T23:54:00.000-05:002012-01-28T16:56:24.267-05:00

Do you need help with the flashlight?  I'm fixing the dishwasher, but Puck keeps guard waiting for the flashlight to come on.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-72156344602586873312012-01-25T20:58:00.000-05:002012-01-28T17:13:14.697-05:00

Hanna: "Chickens have footprints?"

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-68874347216505148962012-01-24T14:21:00.000-05:002012-01-26T14:22:03.681-05:00

One of my goals is to take better plane spotting photos of the military planes flying low over my house.  Note to self, do not bother trying when it is snowing out. 

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-47642293285497275982012-01-23T14:21:00.000-05:002012-01-26T14:05:03.544-05:00

The "cool" way to blow out your birthday candle.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-9312712136145844812012-01-22T14:04:00.000-05:002012-01-25T14:17:32.655-05:00

Shoulder to shoulder hit, clearly NOT a penalty shot.  It didn't matter in the end.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-34987132613987312112012-01-21T13:54:00.000-05:002012-01-25T14:03:08.604-05:00

Gollum trying out his new camera.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-81244520742595313612012-01-20T13:49:00.000-05:002012-01-25T13:54:35.033-05:00

The day's take.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-988795419068395792012-01-19T15:05:00.000-05:002012-01-19T15:09:52.251-05:00

Snow starts.  Still playing around with ISO, I discover that I need it at 3200 or 6400.  But why does it say ISO 100 on the photo details?

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-55876875601053903462012-01-18T23:05:00.000-05:002012-01-19T15:07:44.445-05:00

Sleep.  Playing around with ISO.  800 ISO on this one.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-39901495632600418292012-01-17T23:40:00.000-05:002012-01-18T14:42:32.917-05:00

Unnamed 16 year old boy takes the puck off of the other team. Wow, I really need to work on my arena photography!

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-66566488677069883072012-01-16T20:18:00.001-05:002012-01-16T20:18:19.442-05:00

Lily greets the winter sun.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-87297229886936340742012-01-15T23:30:00.000-05:002012-01-16T00:20:45.538-05:00

It was at least -13 celsius out there!

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-90020728273147361082012-01-14T23:16:00.000-05:002012-01-16T00:18:41.660-05:00

Big brother and little brother footsteps in the snow

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-80058791966115269802012-01-14T02:03:00.000-05:002012-01-14T02:05:30.392-05:00

I didn't exactly get Pinterest at first.  But then it grew on me, now I can't get enough of it.  I don't think it is addictive for most people, but I think that it is addictive for people who are visual thinkers.  Especially if we are looking for inspiration. Aside from being a huge time-waster, good things come from Pinterest addictions.  For example, I have become inspired to decorate our

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-28990768198760281112012-01-13T16:55:00.000-05:002012-01-13T16:55:19.966-05:00

Finally some snow for the kids!

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-33984721793511418282012-01-12T09:40:00.001-05:002012-01-12T09:40:29.498-05:00

Icy morning.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-81306794075923538102012-01-11T23:45:00.002-05:002012-01-11T23:45:58.028-05:00

Charlie at almost 20 years old.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-87477059729437163812012-01-10T22:08:00.000-05:002012-01-10T22:08:03.327-05:00

A boy and his dog.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-71977822489773662502012-01-09T22:38:00.001-05:002012-01-09T22:38:38.556-05:00

8 years ago today, Kira Jane came tearing into this world.  Labour was fast and furious and she came out red and screaming!  And in 8 years she's barely stopped screaming enough to catch her breath!  She screams for joy, pain and anything in between.  Kira is an amazing girl, absolutely full of life and opinions.  Exactly what we needed after 3 busy boys!  Here's how she celebrated her special

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-63011387821446128632012-01-09T22:14:00.001-05:002012-01-09T22:14:24.115-05:00

Two brothers and an iPod.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-28372773905979080052012-01-08T21:43:00.000-05:002012-01-08T21:43:27.479-05:00

A sunny day looking the Bay Bridge.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-10214766812560121342012-01-07T20:37:00.000-05:002012-01-07T20:37:09.772-05:00

Years ago, just for fun, my mother-in-law introduced the tradition of the Christmas Pickle.  The first few years we had a pickle that she had fashioned out of floral tape, but then I bought her a proper glass pickle that she could hang on the tree.  (In fact, I bought her and 10 other people Christmas Pickles that year, as they were cheaper by the dozen.)  She continued to hide the pickle and

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-12927672294662523042012-01-07T19:52:00.001-05:002012-01-07T19:56:46.731-05:00

Making a very special birthday card for a very special big sister.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-28637905993488513772012-01-06T15:28:00.001-05:002012-01-06T15:28:13.916-05:00

A quick photo of the tree before it comes down tonight.  Can you see the pickle? 

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-64723508770448760732012-01-05T22:29:00.000-05:002012-01-05T22:29:11.189-05:00

I was testing settings using the gilded pears and apples on the chandelier.  This is what I ended up with.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-64101792013369771902012-01-04T19:29:00.001-05:002012-01-04T19:29:20.586-05:00

Time to clean the silver

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-35007105905360619882012-01-03T15:57:00.001-05:002012-01-03T15:57:06.562-05:00

Long-dead apple tree overtaken by vines and tall grass.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-24016280981152300762012-01-02T15:31:00.000-05:002012-01-02T15:31:31.760-05:00

"Sandy", 2nd rooster-in-command, Buff Brahma.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-59617893847908375502012-01-01T17:23:00.000-05:002012-01-01T17:23:02.881-05:00

We finally got our new camera.  I need to learn how to use it, so I have decided to do a photo-a-day challenge to chronicle my progress.  Here is my first entry on this rainy and miserable day.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-72521781745541184952011-12-19T14:46:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:49:18.292-05:00

Sadly, we lost 3 members of our flock in recent days.  Among the dead are: Patricia, she was the loveliest of buff-laced polish hens.  Anybody who came to visit us inevitably had a turn holding her.  She was was a lousy layer, but she was sweet, quiet and very patient with children.  She was the only hen who let the children pick her up.  And she was a good flock member too.  When Barncat (

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-46370253165628259612011-12-12T13:55:00.000-05:002011-12-12T15:55:25.289-05:00

On November 9th, our dainty princess celebrated her 5th birthday. She woke up on that wet November morning and chose to wear a long white flower girl dress, ballet tights and slippers and a tiara. She had asked for pierced ears for her birthday. Damon had a hockey game that night, so we left early and stopped at the mall and had her ears done before the game. We met Grandpa there and he took

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-9859547532248569372011-11-30T19:57:00.001-05:002011-11-30T20:23:12.042-05:00

This is my favourite recipe for stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys.  It has never failed to produce moist delicious stuffing as long as I've cooked it in the bird.  I once had a relative who was fussy about where his stuffing was cooked and he always ended up with dried out stuffing.  Perhaps we should have read more into that than we did.  Anyway, here is my recipe: "Moist Bread

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-84652670982406593572011-11-15T13:47:00.002-05:002011-11-15T13:54:45.700-05:00

Since Wicket was killed in August, the rats have moved back into the barn. Boy do I miss that cat. At the end of August, Matt put out poison bait stations which started working last week. I found one dead rat outside the chicken coop on Monday and on Saturday there was another one in the chicken yard. There is one job I don't do. I don't do dead animals, I change poopy diapers, clean up animal

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-68921290115880354932011-10-30T10:00:00.000-04:002011-11-28T18:50:23.855-05:00

(photos by Lucky Mutt Photography) We lost our dear friend Penny. One morning she could not get up. We stood her up and she would just collapse again. She was weak, and finally one morning she could not even lift her head and breathed her last breath. Daisy and Lily cried for a few hours. A photo taken by us on the day Penny arrived here. She was such a shy and gentle goat. And

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-78831778264132137122011-10-21T12:23:00.004-04:002011-10-21T12:32:19.060-04:00

I heard a thud, I ran outside to see if there was a stunned bird lying underneath the big front window. Nothing was there. But when I went back inside, I saw this on the window. Don't look at the trees, look at the white imprint that was left on the window.Upon closer inspection, I can see individual feathers and feet. It is hard to see with this camera, and taking photos of anything on a

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-46792876445080491662011-09-29T08:32:00.000-04:002011-09-29T08:32:00.284-04:00

Maybe I should watch more TV, but I get my kicks watching these things roam around my property! Hilarious.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-68336492434117664892011-09-28T14:53:00.006-04:002011-09-28T15:01:53.015-04:00

I'm trying to do barnchores while the kids ride their bikes, but it isn't so easy.Griffin: Me going to climb that tree.Me: Griffin, why don't you ride your bike instead, Mommy can't catch you if you start to fall right now.Griffin: No, me going to climb that tree.(tries to climb tree, but can't reach bottom branch)Griffin: Help me Mommy.Me: Sorry Griffin, if the tree is too tall, then it is

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-13096899651203384102011-09-27T14:19:00.001-04:002011-09-28T14:52:55.674-04:00

I recently watched our hen Ginger act as a surrogate and hatch eggs for our friends. They wanted a few new chickens for their small flock, but didn't have any broody hens, and with fall coming on fast, they wanted to avoid the use of a heat lamp after the chicks hatched. So we lent them Ginger. She did an excellent job, hatching 6 of 8 eggs (she threw one egg out halfway through, and another

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-16508669291524666632011-09-12T10:35:00.012-04:002011-09-12T13:46:34.935-04:00

The chicks are starting to grow in wing and tail feathers already. That's Griffin's "Spiderman" in the stripes. This is Hanna with "Gigi". Kira with her chick lovingly named "Vulture".Campbell's "Moneyman" is huge compared to his "siblings".And "O.J." is still endearing him/herself to everybody.It is so funny the way they all move together as a family unit.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-38247830257917201242011-09-05T18:51:00.005-04:002011-09-05T19:06:53.270-04:00

6 out of 6 eggs hatched! The chicks are beautiful. We were all delighted with the black chick, we've never had a black chick before. The kids fought over naming rights for that one, Damon won. I am guessing that he/she is half barred rock.O.J.GigiSpiderman pecking Mama Jill's beak.Baby JesusI don't know this one's name yet.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-34638897023453471422011-08-29T11:31:00.000-04:002011-09-05T19:08:33.611-04:00

Only 8 days to go! Jill is being a very good broody hen. She gets up off her eggs when I feed the chickens in the morning, she eats, drinks, poops, and then settles back on the nest for another 24 hours.Another hen, Ginger, has been broody for a couple of months. I have had a hard time with my Buff Catalana hens going broody, and in the past when I have tried to take them up on their offer to

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-26889409368421018352011-08-25T08:05:00.000-04:002011-08-29T21:26:56.725-04:00

We still have 11 turkeys. Here they are a week before I left for the cottage, they were quickly getting too big for the small enclosure next to the turkeys, so I moved them to the large turkey coop (aka temporary goat birthing room). It seemed like within days of moving them, they doubled in size. Now they are HUGE, and they make that wonderful gobbling sound (they are ready to speak to Carrie

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-61647456138647812762011-08-23T11:48:00.000-04:002011-08-24T08:02:34.081-04:00

Over a month ago, Wicket was killed on the road in front of our house. It was horrible as he was very important member of our homestead. He was very loved and he knew it. And he was still a very good hunter and we all knew it. It happened when Matt and the 2 oldest boys were away. The 4 youngest kids and I buried him at the back of our property next to a lilac and a young willow. The

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-17851659501387612072011-08-22T11:02:00.004-04:002011-08-22T11:14:40.843-04:00

I have been a negligent blogger lately. I'm going to blame going to the cottage, even though that's not the whole story. I will try to catch up with a few posts this week. When I got home from the cottage, I discovered that my Silkie hen, Jill, had laid eggs. Jill doesn't lay them too often. She is 3 years old and I think in the past 3 years, she had laid up to 20 eggs in total. In the week

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-63957121393529069862011-07-13T03:15:00.009-04:002011-07-16T15:50:11.262-04:00

For those following the apple trees, I should mention that I spent a couple of hours last week thinning the apples. At first it seems counterintuitive, but when you lose a whole limb of a mature apple tree because there were too many apples for the branch to hold, it starts to make sense. Also, thinning helps to improve fruit size and increases the number of blossoms for next year, and to

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-68576562738909539262011-07-06T10:12:00.008-04:002011-07-06T11:55:26.174-04:00

The boys had their cousin sleeping over so they decided to camp out in the boy's club, formerly known as the much underused goat birthing room or the turkey coop.Bella was assigned to be guard dog, but my favourite part of this photo is the disgusted look of the big sister.And to think I said he couldn't act. They didn't forget the essentials though. Fan, ipod dock, laptop with internet access

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-13978437668583721902011-07-05T12:55:00.011-04:002011-07-05T17:22:30.423-04:00

The neighbour had told my kids that he was closing his PYO strawberry patch up and they were welcome to pick whatever they wanted before he plows it all in this week. So they waited until their cousins arrived and took them strawberry picking."The biggest strawberry.""See the shiniest strawberry.""Wow your neighbour sure knows how to grow strawberries!""The smallest strawberry."Perfect berries

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-38521930492415503482011-06-29T11:43:00.008-04:002011-06-29T13:35:40.280-04:00

The turkeys are 4 weeks older. A few days after we got them, the runty-looking one died. We knew on day 1 that it was likely and we were surprised that he made it for 4 days more. So at 4 weeks old, we have 11 healthy turkeys left.Here they are a week ago, already filling up their second home.And taking flight!Looks like time to move! So I fixed a hinge and put them in the small temporary pen

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-71850110421580160232011-06-01T16:55:00.004-04:002011-06-01T17:47:12.001-04:00

My turkeys arrived at the feed store today. I ordered 10 but ended up with 12. With our large family attitude, we just shrugged and said, "what's two more?" Notice the little hornlike thing on the end of this one's beak. This is to help him peck his way out of the egg. They shed these in the first day.We put them in a box with the red heat lamp, water, thermometer and a pie plate full of

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-76322519793176493292011-05-30T11:24:00.006-04:002011-05-30T14:05:25.223-04:00

Goats can have false labour just like humans!Yesterday I was supposed to drive Damon and another boy to a hockey game out of town, so I got up to get ready. At about 8:30, I went out to feed the goats, Daisy wasn't coming in for grain. This is a big deal. Daisy is usually jumping up on me trying to get the grain from the scoop. I found her out in the yard alternating between stretching her

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-62126918059979924582011-05-26T11:34:00.003-04:002011-05-26T12:06:52.932-04:00

Our apple trees are mostly pruned now. There are still a few things I need to snip away at. This is our fourth year of pruning, and we are still learning. There are rules to pruning, and I am still learning to properly apply the rules, but I thought that now might be a good time to share what I have learned. My trees are open center, for many years they have been trained to form like a vase,

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-48898238477994679922011-04-10T23:09:00.000-04:002011-04-11T01:18:29.046-04:00

Campbell turned 11 today! What can I say about Campbell? Ambitious, determined, and charming. He eventually succeeds at anything he sets his mind to, not necessarily because it comes easily to him but because he set his mind to it! I know that we are all very proud of him and enjoy watching the young man he is growing up to be.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-50111448235885907102011-04-04T15:49:00.009-04:002011-04-05T10:02:49.425-04:00

Today began badly. Before I even woke up, I could hear the rain pounding on the house last night, the wind blowing around the outdoor furniture we had just cleaned yesterday and placed on the patio.I thought I set my alarm clock for 6:30 this morning, but when I rolled over, peeled one eye open and looked at the clock, it said 7:45. The kids' bus arrives at 7:21, school begins at 8:15, and

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-18315755511346224572011-03-25T10:26:00.009-04:002011-03-25T12:36:59.875-04:00

"Ummmmmm, take a picture of us Mom, we're mendatating."My mother, my sister and a couple of friends were over, but Shrek may have snorted a few too many Guinness that night. The next day Shrek went to the Sportsman show and look at what followed him home...It wasn't actually a spur of the moment decision. He took all of the courses last fall, waited for his license to come, installed a gun safe

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-12295442174640288822011-03-21T13:15:00.007-04:002011-03-21T13:47:18.957-04:00

The snow has been replaced with mud, but I found this photo of Daisy on my camera and thought it was cute. I was dreading giving the goats their Ivomec today. I was planning to do it last week, but thought it would test my patience, during March Break, so I waited until today when the children were at school. I had visions of squirmy goats, maybe a horn or two in my leg, maybe some nipping, I

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-44375855498106828312011-03-10T13:45:00.001-05:002011-03-10T14:32:22.920-05:00

So far so good, this is only my bedroom closet and my desk!The homemade detergent is great! The supplies I bought were less than $15, and I only used 1 cup from a 3 kg box of soda, and 1/2 cup from a 2kg box of borax. I couldn't believe how fast and easy it was to make and the recipe made 10 gallon-sized jugs of detergent. That should last us for more than 2 months and it only took m0e about 1

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-34904725823129922952011-03-09T09:58:00.006-05:002011-03-10T14:34:04.209-05:00

I came across a brilliant idea through my online friend Melanie. She shared a link to a post at Clover Lane Blog. The idea is that for the 40 days of Lent (not counting Sundays) we declutter one bag every day. Then when Easter comes, we can celebrate it with lighter hearts, clearer minds and cleaner houses. On another note, with a bit of trepidation, I am making my own laundry detergent for

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-65827291525323217822011-03-01T14:44:00.003-05:002011-03-01T14:52:24.793-05:00

I was going to blog about some signs of spring that I noticed today, but then I came inside and the TV was saying that Environment Canada forecasts colder than normal spring. BLAH.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-12839914750454312712011-02-25T17:57:00.008-05:002011-02-26T13:23:05.818-05:00

It has been about 2 1/2 years since I found the first egg from one of our hens. I was giddy. I still smile when I look into a nest box and see the multi-coloured eggs lying in the straw. Yesterday when I fed the chickens, I collected 17 eggs, today there were 19. A sign that the days are getting longer. I rinse the eggs in tepid water, then I let them dry before I put them into their cartons.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-32128757191695994432011-01-31T10:29:00.002-05:002011-01-31T10:47:17.153-05:00

This morning I made a sad, but not shocking discovery. Combs, my Buff Catalana rooster, had passed away in the night. He had suffered from frostbitten comb and wattles from a couple of weeks ago when the overnight temperatures here broke records at -30 celsius without any windchill. Normally he would have been warm enough in the coop, if he slept up on the roosts as usual with the others.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-72486003371173922112011-01-29T11:57:00.003-05:002011-01-29T12:26:14.933-05:00

Here are Penny, Lily and Daisy with their visiting buck, Sampson (he's third from the left). He will stay with them for about another month and hopefully in June we will have kids. The girls have gotten to be quite big, Lily is even larger than Penny now, but rounder and fatter.Puck, true to his breed, sniffing out something.Most of the flock. These days, they usually only venture out when I

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-31492844779721716542011-01-25T22:17:00.004-05:002011-01-25T22:30:06.012-05:00

We blink and it's time for another birthday. Griffin turned 2 today! Griffin is an awesome boy. Very entertaining, sweet and clever, he is so much fun to be with.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-79803863849682612512011-01-23T21:49:00.001-05:002011-01-23T21:50:44.152-05:00

Today we have another teenager in the house! Damon you are growing into an amazing and wonderful man and we are all very proud of you.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-10806928321267999392011-01-12T22:19:00.003-05:002011-01-12T23:35:22.357-05:00

For Christmas, a dear friend bought a "feather" for each of us. It is part of a fundraising campaign to replace the large goose that overlooks the TransCanada Highway. The idea is you put your name on the feathers as John Doe did and they will put them on a goose to display in the Visitor's Centre. Our friend, knowing us, suggested that we didn't need to feel restricted. I brought out my acrylic

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-7405074994844373972011-01-09T22:00:00.001-05:002011-01-11T01:39:12.219-05:00

I can't believe that it has already been 7 years since our daughter Kira came roaring into the world! Kira is a beautiful, intelligent and strong girl and we are all very proud of her. For her birthday she chose for us to do "make your own" pizza night. The kids had a great time and the pizza was very good too.See the face? With spinach hair and a bacon necklace?

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-44093362222678954522011-01-07T17:28:00.002-05:002011-01-08T15:26:16.366-05:00

I realize that I was a very bad blogger this Christmas season. I hope to get back on track now that life is slowly returning to the normal chaotic pace. I usually make it a ritual to get all of the Christmas decor down by the time I go to bed on January 6th. When I reminded the kids that we "undecorate" the Christmas tree, Hanna was in tears. Kira asked me "Please please, can't we keep it up

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-88298601586014272392010-12-14T11:56:00.004-05:002010-12-14T12:11:14.847-05:00

Hanna: Did Baby Jesus die?Me: Well, he did, but not when he was a baby, when he was a grown up man.Hanna: No, Baby Jesus died.Me: No, he was an adult, and then he rose to heaven.Hanna: Is Baby Jesus in his condo right now?Me: Condo? No, he's not in a condo.Hanna: Didn't you know that heaven has condos?

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-11184573312249644862010-12-11T17:34:00.004-05:002010-12-11T18:01:54.833-05:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately, a recent wave of blog comment spam has been irritating me. That and sick kids. Kira was off school for more than a week with croup. Griffin started acting sick on Tuesday, his eyes were producing more snot than his nose! By Friday, the 2 girls and I took him into town to see the doctor, who pronounced that he had an ear infection, a sinus infection

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-62339856923959724192010-11-26T17:16:00.005-05:002010-11-26T17:21:33.074-05:00

Hanna: Mommy, I really want you to get a race car. Daddy can get one too. Me: What would we do with race cars?Hanna: You could race. When you are driving on the road, you could go faster than the other cars. You know, like Grandpa does.

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-86477238902971001322010-11-17T14:24:00.003-05:002010-11-26T17:22:21.159-05:00

Wow, that was quick. My firstborn turns 15 today. Sniff. Patrick is such an easy going guy, he's always been such a good kid. As he gets older, he makes us proud every day. He is smart and extremely compassionate. Sometimes I feel like he is my own Jiminy Cricket. And he's developed a great sense of wit.His birthday began with a lot of pain (much the way my day began 15 years ago). He had

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-13004941258652970272010-11-13T22:15:00.010-05:002010-11-26T17:23:27.179-05:00

Dear old Penny, such a sweet quiet goat, so easy to take care of. See how fat and round her daughter have gotten. Thanks to Bernie's generous offerings of Swiss Chard and brussel sprouts, she has gained some weight too, but she is so saggy that the fat never covers her bones, and she just collects her fat around her belly and around her ribs. Gravity is not kind to goats either.Of course what

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-42072768569122997952010-11-11T08:02:00.004-05:002010-11-11T08:45:24.202-05:00

This is a photo that I am guessing my great-grandfather sent to his future wife at home. On the reverse of this photo, it says,"Heavy Marching Order. We have to carry this outfit on Route Marches. It only weighs 65 pounds. Nothing when you get used to it. Taken after 20 mile route march."The kids' school is doing a slideshow today, we had to submit photos of family who had served. Because

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-33155713148414197252010-11-09T14:16:00.005-05:002010-11-10T02:14:58.080-05:00

My sweet baby girl turned 4 today.Hanna is growing up much too fast. For such a long time she seemed like the baby. Even after Griffin was born, she just seemed much more needy than him. I even worried that she might not be ready for school this past September. Even though she could write her own name, she wasn't toilet trained and couldn't put on her own shoes. That seemed to change

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-14888104981079284962010-11-01T18:04:00.007-04:002010-11-02T13:36:13.516-04:00

Most of us expect dogs to be protectors of homes and families, and playmates to our children, now Puck goes over and above. He's taken on the role of mouser. Cold weather is creeping in, and a mouse must have come into our house yesterday for warmth and our elderly cat Charlie is no longer up to the task. Puck stalked it for hours. He was sniffing under the fridge and then he would go stand

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-32947716081739960442010-11-01T15:44:00.003-04:002010-11-01T16:04:05.341-04:00

That was the request from Kira's teacher for their Halloween Party the next day. I wanted to come up with something both adorable and creepy, both delicious and nutritious, but my creativity was all used up trying to take care of 6 kids and our homestead while Matt has been working out of town. I briefly thought of making a fruit tray. I needed a comfort food with a reference to pumpkins and

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-63538712158686613352010-10-18T13:57:00.004-04:002010-10-18T19:27:50.941-04:00

We have been goat owners for about 14 months now. We have learned a lot, but we thought all of the stories we had heard about goats being trouble were just "romanticized" versions of life on a farm. Penny would just stand there watching us, and the girls were just playful little balls of fur, no trouble. For the past couple of months, certain young hens have been flying the coop and invading

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617793.post-67733019896295716502010-10-14T13:19:00.004-04:002010-10-14T13:36:29.307-04:00

I just had to toot my own horn and mention that the turkey was AWESOME! It cooked faster than we had planned so I was worried that it was dried out, but it was still moist enough and probably the best tasting turkey I've had. He weighed about 25 lbs. Here's what we did with him.Sunday - Roasted Turkey dinner with Moist Bread Stuffing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Baby Carrots, Roasted

Motherhenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15261286804877515345noreply@blogger.com0