Memorial Day

What normal people do on Memorial Day weekend- decorate cemeteries, go to the lake, go boating, go camping, perhaps relax a little?

What we do - yard work, pool cleaning/patching, housework, planting stuff, laundry, a little fishing, a couple of cookouts, a quick trip to the farmer’s market, cleaning animal cages, reorganizing critter set ups, ball practice, weeding, a few fires, and I lost track of what else.  It was a productive weekend!   You know that feeling when you have had a really productive weekend?   Me too!  I call it exhaustion!  

The baby chickens are no longer babies!   They got moved into their permanent, bigger, room to explore the outdoor pen.  I don’t know if I’ve done a good job telling about this mess we have.  A few weeks back, I went hunting for some chickens.  I just wanted a few to replace the hens we have, that will likely quit laying this year.  I was striking out - but then one day Jim was at Tractor supply and he brought me home some babies.  At the same time, I had struck a deal with my maintenance man to hatch some eggs for me.  It was great timing.  The bad news was that on the day I was bringing home the hatched chickens, something broke into the cage and ate all of the chickens Jim bought for me.  I’m pretty sure I know what got them- I’m pretty sure it was a raccoon.  Long story short, I had 7 little chickens from the maintenance man and I locked them in a rabbit cage because the raccoons don’t seem to be able to get in there.  A few days after the tragedy, a friend was selling some 3 week old chickens she had hatched and I bought them.  All of them are cross bred, some of the ugliest chickens I’ve ever seen. But all I want is eggs, so I said who cares?  Evelyn and I shoved the dog kennel full of ugly chickens onto the bus, got them set up and Evie asked if she could have one for her very own. I told her sure!  You can pick out whichever one you want!   She ran right to the one chicken with a broken leg.  Not just broken, but deformed- probably from a weird hatch.  She named her chicken “Cupcake broken leg.”   Every time she is here, we have to check in on the chicken.  Since it was a light colored one in a pen full of brown chickens, it was easy to spot.  I cannot believe this crazy chick has survived!   Of course!   Anyway Cupcake Broken Leg is alive, and loves her new digs!  

Several weeks ago, I ordered all the kids (and Jim) new swim suits.  Everyone’s had shown up except for Evelyn’s.  Since she helped me pick them out, it was disturbing her that it wasn’t here yet!   It finally arrived on Saturday, but after she had already left.  She was excited when they came for Sunday dinner that her suit was finally here!   Of course, we also got new goggles.  She had to find an adult to take her out to swim right away!  She may have been the only one who was super thrilled with my choices!   They all have been wearing the new suits, but she’s the only one who jumped up and down and told me it was beautiful!   ;)

Madison and Andrew got new furniture this weekend.  Evie was overwhelmingly excited to sleep on the new sofa!   She told me probably 15 times she was having a couch sleepover with her daddy!   

Mallory enjoys growing flowers.  She planted a cut flower bed.  She brought me a fresh cut bouquet!   It is really pretty!   I enjoy her hobby as well, although I definitely don’t have her green thumb.  Or patience, or desire to learn!  

We spent part of today moving rabbits around in anticipation of them having babies this week.  The broken (black and white spotty) bunny was pulling fur this evening!  I didn’t take any pictures but if they live, I definitely will!   I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this time works better than last time.  

Jim worked his buns off this weekend.  He trimmed, burned, worked on the pond, trimmed some more, mowed, sprayed poison ivy, and did I mention trimmed?   When he asked if he could go fishing with Andrew, there was no way I would have said no!   When they were getting ready to leave, this one decided she must go as well.  Knowing she wouldn’t last as long as they would, Madison and I ran to pick her up.  When we got there she told me “Grammy!  I caught a fish!   AND I need a snack!”   Poor kid - starving half to death like that!   Grammy got her all fixed up!  I’m not sure how many fish Jim or Andrew caught, I gave up waiting up for them and went to bed!   They are the longest fishing people I know.  

I guess this is one of those weekends where you go back to work so you can rest!  It was lovely, but for once, I’m not sad to see it end- I’m pooped!