Sad Day...

Actually, to be correct, it was a sad night last night.

That would be when my computer acquired a monster virus.  I cannot open a single file or program, so I am typing this from my mom's house.

I will be back as soon as I am able.  Thanks in advance for understanding!

Grace

Almost Halfway! (Freedom Ranger Post #6)

Here are pictures of the Rangers this week at five weeks old, just about halfway to processing.

These pictures give an idea of the color variation within the Ranger family.  As shown on the website for J.M. Hatchery, there are three distinct color families: Yellow, Redbro, and Tricolor.

This next picture shows their favorite activity:  sitting!  They'll get up and chase each other when I bring new food or water, or when I clean the shavings out of the coop.  Other than that, they like to sit.  I predict that will change somewhat when they are moved out to pasture at the end of May.

Cozy, aren't they?

Thanks for visiting!

Grace

It's Strawberry Season!

(Just a few more weeks, and these will be ready to pick.  Hard to believe, with all the cold rain this week!)

Do you eat strawberries?  How about your kids?  Frankly, Jewel can't get enough of them.  She often takes them in her lunch. 

I'd like to direct you over to yesterday's Enviroblog post regarding organophosphates and conventionally grown strawberries.  They have posted the clip from MSNBC discussing the links researchers are finding between organophosphates and increased incidence of ADHD in small children.  The main suggestion for avoiding organophosphates was to buy local.  Toward the end, Meredith Viera brings up the option to buy organic strawberries, which is what we try to do since they are on EWG's Dirty Dozen list.

Enviroblog is maintained by the Environmental Working Group, which I referred to in a previous post:  Buy Organic.  They have put together the 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides, which helps take the guesswork out of which fruits and vegetables contain a higher level of pesticide residue.

Ever on the food journey,
Grace

kinderGardens week #5: Gardening With Children

I won my first giveaway!  (insert Snoopy dance here...)

Seriously, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Gardening With Children from my friend Kim over at The Inadvertent Farmer.  First, because I rarely win a contest of any kind.  Second, because it is such an awesome book!  As an elementary teacher, I'm thrilled with the information that the authors packed in the pages, on a reading level that my early elementary child can mostly read by herself.  In addition, the illustrations range from scientific drawings to whimsical portrayals of children at home in nature.  Beautful!  Thanks again for the giveaway, Kim!

Jewel needed only a few moments of perusal before deciding on a number of additional gardening projects she would like tackle this summer.

Will we create a sunflower/morning glory house?

Or a scarlet runner teepee shelter?

She really liked the illustraton of the water cycle, so...

we will definitely be making a rain gauge.

We don't drink pop, so I'm going to have to go Granddad's and see if he has any old two-liter bottles laying around.  (When my mom and I were both teaching, he dedicated himself to saving all sorts of craft-project-supplies, such as cans, film cannisters, old raquetballs, egg cartons, etc.)

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Update on Project Potato:

Here is the photo from last week.  Note the overall "sunniness" of the photo, the lush growth, etc.

Here is the photo from this week, after the killer sneak frost on Sunday night.  Agghhh!

Nevertheless, I think we'll be okay after a week or two of recuperation.  That is, if the sun ever comes back...  (It's been rather cold and rainy for a week now.)

Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun...please shine down on me!

Thanks for visiting!
Grace

They're Ruling the Roost! (Freedom Ranger Post #5)

What a change in just one week!  The chicks are now three and a half weeks old, and feathers are coming in quickly.

Last week, I shared the craziness of the four lame chicks.  The advice to supplement with vitamins really hit the spot.  All four are up on their feet and running around with the rest of the flock.  Phew!

As bigger chicks, they need much more space.  We opened up the rest of the coop, so they now have three times as much area to run and chase each other. 

The Rangers are consuming more food and making a much bigger mess.  Yesterday, I found myself looking forward a few weeks to the time where they can be tractored outside on fresh grass each day.  For now, it's still a little cool for that.  Our high temperature will be 53 degrees Fahrenheit today, with a low tonight close to freezing.  So over the next few weeks, we'll be lowering the temperature inside the coop, while the temperatures outside continue to mellow out at night and get warmer during the day.

My dad contacted Grimm's Farm, where we take our chickens to be butchered.  We're on their calendar for the week after fourth of July.

Three weeks down, eight to go!

Surprise, Surprise!

Who doesn't love a surprise? 

(Okay, yeah, I know someone like that too.  Too bad for them, I say!)

Chocolate is one of my favorite surprises.  I love flowers, but we are usually too practical to spend money on cut flowers.

But really, who could resist this?

Or this?

Or perhaps this?

Imagine my surprise, when I looked beside my driveway and found a 2' x 3' patch of columbine that I did not plant!  I've always found columbine to have beautiful flowers and interesting foliage.  What a wonderful surprise!

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a good friend regarding a large life decision.  As a joke, I mentioned that I'm ready for a big sign---like a fleece that is wet or dry.  (For those of you who don't know the story, this refers to Gideon in the Bible.  Gideon asks repeatedly for certain signs from God to show that without a doubt, God is in control.  And---always amazing to me---God grants his request.)

And while I don't think that my columbine patch is a "Yes, go ahead" or a "Not yet" for my big decision, I do take it as a "Hey, I know what's best for you, and I love you!" from a Father who loves to surprise His children.

Have you had any surprises lately?

kinderGardens week #4: Project Potato/Our Adopted Garden

Project Potato, week #4:

This week's growth was noticeable.  So much, in fact, that we found we needed to add more leafy mulch around the plants.

The French Fingerling sprouted earlier than the Katahdin and Red Pontiac; however, all three varieties are now growing in leaps and bounds.  Jewel and Tuba Boy did help put a small amount of straw around the growing plants, but they said their favorite part so far was planting the potatoes.  I can understand that.  I'm the same way---I love to start projects!  Maintenance, on the other hand, is not always my strong suit.

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On Monday, my guy and I did many things together.

We had a picnic of sorts.

We jumped off the rocks around the duck pond,

and threw rocks into the duck pond. 

And while we were very busy doing those things, we also managed to tend our adopted garden at Terra Dei.

For those of you unfamiliar with Terra Dei, this is the first straw bale residence in Pennsylvania, built at Camp Lutherlyn. My husband and I were involved with the construction of Terra Dei, and we were blessed to be its first occupants.

Lutherlyn's vision with Terra Dei (which means "God's Earth") is to provide an extension of the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program,  a place where campers and students on field trips come to learn more about what they can do to help take care of God's creation. Part of the homestead includes an organic garden, where many summer campers have the opportunity to come learn the why's and how's of organic gardening and integrated pest management.  It's a fantastic opportunity, particularly for the campers who have no previous experience in a garden.  During the summer, the camp actually hires a gardener/teacher to tend the garden and teach 3-4 cabin groups each day.  (I know what you're thinking; it is a dream job!)

These are the two beds that Tuba Boy and I have been popping in to help with here and there until the summer gardener arrives.

The potatoes that we planted three weeks ago are coming along very nicely.  They are actually tall enough to pull a little soil closer under the leaves.

Today we sowed lettuce and spinach seed.  As on many fun gardening days, the hose got a little out of control and Tuba Boy's leg became wet in the process.

Do you have any fun garden spots that you have adopted?