Homesteading

I put away the four loads of laundry I washed and hung on the line yesterday,

Cut swiss chard and the the bolted spinach from our garden, laying the seeded sections of the spinach back on the ground to start a new cycle of spinach

Made a mental note to weed the carrot bed, grass is trying to take over

Fed  the chicks, rabbit, and guinea pigs some of the swiss chard and the spinach.

Took out the recycling and compost

Started working on sewing diaper covers, bibs, and a blanket for our coming baby

Our house is cozy and small, but plenty big enough for us to live comfortably.

We don't have a dishwasher, toaster, microwave oven, or television (we watch movies on the computer).  I thought we were pretty high tech with a coffee maker.

and this morning it hit me. I am homesteading.

According to author John Seymour, "urban homesteading" incorporates small-scale, sustainable agriculture and homemaking. I have always adored the idea of homesteading, and being self sufficient, and always thought it would be hard and complicated and a lot of work. But step by step we are getting more and more self sufficient. We have a huge garden which we often eat from, several fruit trees, blue berry bushes, I planted a butterfly garden as a natural barrier between our yard and the neighbors. We compost, just got chicks which will soon be giving us eggs.  A bunny that is mature enough to start producing babies for my husband to eat... she just needs a boyfriend. There is still a lot we want to do, and get planted but it all takes time and work. Small step by step we are homesteading. Very exciting realization!

New babies

Since work has slowed down for me, I thought it would be a good time to focus on something else.   So after talking about it since the winter, and meaning to get some all spring, Sunday we got finally got 4 adorable baby chicks.

Their names are (Left to Right) Groovy, Chicky-chick ( a temporary name until Ocean can come up with a one she really likes) Daisy and Penguin. They are about 2 1/2 Weeks old, sturdy but still fluffy and very cute :)

They are so so fascinating to watch, intrigued by every little thing.

Day 1   Sunday

We picked out four chicks from Eagledove Greenhouse and Nursery. (two Ameraucanas, lay blue eggs and two Black Australorps, power layers that lay brown eggs) We gave them lettuce from the garden to try and at first they were all extremely afraid of it, until one brave chick was too curious and pecked at it, finding out it was actually tasty. Soon they were all pecking at it, fighting for a good pecking spot. So funny.

The kids loved holding them. I was not sure how much they should be handled on their first day, but they seemed fine and settled right down and fell right to sleep snuggling their respective child while they watched a movie. Completely adorable.

Day 2 Monday

 Today's experimental toy and food is a corn cob. They have loved  it, walking in circles to take turns pecking and stepping on it.

The book recommends checking on them at least 5 times a day. I have checked on them at least 20 times just this morning!  Every time I hear them I want to know what they are doing.

I had intended to keep them in the living room, but don't want the daycare kids terrorizing them so I put them in Raine's room, which is just adjacent to the play room with a window that gets a lot of light to keep the room warm.  As they get a little bit older I look forward to taking them on excursions outside.

They have already seriously bonded with each other. I took one out to sit with it and it started peeping loudly, so I got him out a friend. Then the two left in the brooder started peeping and peeping. So I got them out as well but 4 fidgety chicks was too many to hold with out help so they all went back.