a frosty morning

Time was spent outside early this morning. Chores were finished, chickens and rabbits fed, sidewalk and porches shoveled. Fresh, crisp, cool air inhaled. It was a nice way to start our day.

Out of our six eggs that we hatched back in October of 2012, we have a 50/50 mix. I'm happy with that. Happy that we now have three more hens. Thankful that we will have a rooster to help protect the flock from the red hawks that circle the sky. The other two roosters will find their homes elsewhere. We've already found a home for one and are looking for a home for the third {so if you're local and in need/want of a rooster, email me.}

Snickers (see pic above) is our rooster. It worked out quite well. The two chicks that Ian and Lily favored when they were just wee downy-chicks turned out to be a hen and a rooster. Ian had named one of them Snickers, which has turned out to be our very dominant rooster. And Lily had named her favorite chick Vanilla, which has turned out to be a very beautiful hen. I'm thankful that it happened that way, rather than both of them turning out to be roosters and having to depart with one of them. 

These chickens are beautiful. They come from the Ameraucana breed. Their plumage seems to be a mix of red, orange, blue, gray, and black. Quite gorgeous. And they will lay "Easter egg" eggs, so we soon will be collecting blue, green, and yellow eggs along with the white and brown eggs.

Our garden beds are in deep hibernation right now, piled high with snow and ice. But already I'm starting to dream of what seeds I'm going to plant in those beds! Trips to the mailbox have already produced multiple seed catalogs. It's been nice to thumb through these catalogs, dreaming about how I'm going to organize the plantings in my garden beds.

Today will be a day of school lessons, some cleaning, some sewing, some crafting, some reading. Pray that you have a blessed day!