Chicken fortress

We have been building a chicken fortress that's the only name for it. As we are go with out electric from time to time electric fencing would be nice but not practical for us sorry to say. And solar wouldn't be the best here either. So it is fortress time. We still have to replace the chicken wire but that will have to wait.  One side is all done and the field fence is rolled out along the other 3 sides waiting to have the barbed wire put above it and then stapled down.

 Everyone and creature is fed this morning and chores done out there for the time being.

We found some giant mushrooms growing by the creek beside the house. These things are huge, big as dinner plates. These are not an edible type.

Goslings

Got a couple of snap shots of the new goslings. Cute little buggers. The bear hasn't come back which is very good but we get up and check on things when one of the dogs starts to bark. Makes for a hard night but better then not knowing whats going on.

I just brought all 4 lines of clothes in it looks like it is going to rain soon. I had left them up over night and had to wait for the heavy dew to dry off of them.

I got one of my books I bought off of Amazon, this one was used; The Art & Craft Of Handmade Paper that i got for .68 cents. It cost more to ship it them buy it. Dave says only my wife would want to know how to make paper lol.  Its for making paper out of all kinds of different plants; which I find very interesting.

I also bought used North Shore Cookery. It is a 1977 republished cook book from 1945/47; from housewives from the shores of Lake Superior. My mom gave me her old 1945 one but it is on rough shape and a few pages are missing. I bought one for her and one for me and I know she will be delighted.

Our lilacs are blooming this week, I guess its our spring now.

BEAR Attack

Okay this evening I am in the kitchen its 5:35 I am home alone and I am doing dishes. Our 2 dogs start to bark but only do so for like 30 seconds and then go off to the left towards the creek across the back yard.
Then I see more brown and black where the dogs just came from and say what the heck is that headed toward the chicken yard.

BEAR BEAR BEAR and I am looking around going GUN GUN GUN.

I go where the rifle usually is, it is not there, Oh that's right DH put it away.

I remember the 22 is in the kitchen by the back door. Find the bullets, have a hand full and run out the back door. Rifle in one hand bullets in the other. Flick open the chamber and start dropping bullets all over while trying to get one in the gun. Single shot rifle you see.

The bear has just gone through the chicken wire and enters the coup. I hear lots of squawking and see feathers flying out the coup door. I get a shot off shooting beside the coup hoping to scare it.

It looks out the door and comes out and I shoot in its direction again and it takes off like a bat out of Hades.

Right through the chicken wire likes it isn't even there. Runs up the hill and Lizzie dog decided its something to bark at again and chase but only like 50 feet, then she gives up.

But wait a minute; here comes the cow and 2 bulls running towards all the noise to see whats going on. The other dog went to lay down at the front of the house, big help. No chickens hurt. But sheesh. Only the chicken wire is messed and a hole in the chicken coup where I missed the bear.

The chickens at night will be closed in there coup, the Cornish x-rocks are in a pen in the chicken yard and so are the turkeys. They are surrounded with field fencing along with the butter chicken wire and wire on top, but a bear can get through if he really wants to. On the other side is the goose pen. We have George and Gracie goose and their 3 new goslings.

Guess we will be sleeping with the kitchen window open and it was 44 degrees this morning.

I don't have any pictures of this adventure lol. It all happened to quick.

1st day of summer?

We got a bit of a break on the weekend from the rain, Saturday it didn't rain until the late afternoon as we were planting more of our garden. The temperature got to the high of 57 first.

Dave got the barn all mucked out, we went to the landfill on a trash run and got a few other things done.It poured all Saturday night.

Rained last night again and was 44 degrees when I went out to do the chores and very windy. I was wearing my winter coat again. And supposed to rain more today.

Its off to the dentist for me today I have a checkup at noon, not my favorite thing to do that's for sure.

George Goose came waddling out this morning from his pen with 3 goslings. I had to go shoo him and pick up the babies and put them back in the pen enclosure for safety while I am gone today.  I don't trust Ginger dog at all. Gracie must still be sitting on some others.

Here is a picture of our Lizzie dog just sitting on the hill side watching things.

36 deg. this morning for crying out loud.

I guess to start DJ our son from 3 hours west of us and grandson Adrian came to visit. They arrived Monday late afternoon at 4:50. His daughter Michaela stayed at her mom's. DJ and Adrian helped with the chores that night.

Tuesday morning Dave had to work so DJ went to work on the mowing.

Then he decided to start on the tree that fell across 2 of our fences behind the chicken coup.

Dave got home around 1 PM changed and went out to help DJ. They took turns cutting.

Here is what happened to the gate when the tree fell on the fence. Not to mention the post and the corner post of the chicken fence it was tied into.

After this was cut away from the fence they went up on top off our hill and cut down 4 other dead trees.

Adrian helped keep Kaylee busy while Kathy was washing her car.

Then they had to take down the fencing by the back yard. Next in line was the 102 foot dead pine tree in our back yard by the chicken yard. Only like 20% of the tree was still alive and no way I wanted it all the way dead in the middle of winter with the winds we get.

Time to get the fence back up right away as soon as the tree portion is cut out of the way, we don't want the cow and bulls getting out.

It was a very full day.

Wednesday it was 38 degrees to start and rained all day. Dave brought in a load of wood and we had to get a fire going in the wood stove. So not much work got done and DJ left for home around 5 PM.

This morning it was 36 degrees I had to go out and do my chores in my winter coat, hat and gloves. Plus the winds are high here today. Not to mention it is raining.

I decided since I had to get a fire going I might as well cook the bacon on the wood stove this morning. Ahh nice and warm.

Sunny

It hasn't rained for 2 days yeaa. Now I hope that it hasn't stopped for the summer either. But just a month on end was a bit much. It is supposed to get to around 69 today.

Have clothes hanging and about to hang another load; I hated using the dryer so much. I need to get the living room vacuumed today, dining room the kitchen swept, eggs washed and put away for yesterday, clothes washed, some things put up in the loft and my canning stuff taken back to the garage. 


Dining room table also needs straighten out and things put where they belong. We seem to be piler's lol. 

Here is the chili and rhubarb/applesauce I canned the other day, really turned out well.

Well back to work DJ and his 2 children Adrian and Michaela will be here sometime tonight after he gets off work.

Trying to get supper planned also. I took pork chops out of the freezer so that and a couple of rice dishes and some vegetables.

11:50 AM & 45 deg.

Cool rainy day here again and I had to build a fire in the wood stove; had to yesterday also. By Sunday its supposed to be 72 . Next week they say no rain but this sure has kept us out of our dry season. Makes you wonder if its going to start up now. We will see I guess.

Dave's in Eugene OR. at a meeting; he left yesterday and will be back tonight around 1 AM. Hotels and etc are crowded over there some kind of huge track meet going on. He said he would rather go watch that lol.

Looks like we will have to wait a few days to plant some more things, it is just mud out there.

Here is the sunset last Sat. evening.

Lots of rain

This is the rainiest spring we have had up here in the 6 yrs we have been up here. We might get a dry day tomorrow.

Friday we picked up daughter Tanya and grandson Braden up from the airport in Spokane WA.

Saturday we went to daughter in laws graduation from nursing school (it didn't rain on us) was a nice day but 72 degrees and we weren't used to those warm temps. We didn't know the ceremony was going to be outside and Dave and I had Kaylee. I was so glad I had put a hooded cotton shirt on her because of the sun and her very light completion.

We got home and relaxed for a bit and put Kaylee down for a nap. Then Dave decided it was time to tear out the living room carpet and pad. We are down to particle board with a very large rug in front of the sofa and love seat.

Then we went out and planted 3-50 foot rows of potatoes. It has rained every day since.

Today the storms were flicking our electric on and off. Terra and Tanya came out with Braden and he had to see all the farm animals and then Tanya cut my hair. They ended up having to go to the car in a gully washer.

Pens and garden ready

Just click on the pictures to see them bigger, one went behind but you can click on it to see it.

We got the x-rock and separate turkey outside pens all finished today and ready for them. We will put them in their new pens tomorrow Wed. 2ed of June. We put field fencing around the pens and chicken netting and plastic fencing on top t o keep the hawks, eagles and owls away from them.

Now if the bears will stay away we will be just fine.

Dave did the 2ed tilling on the garden this morning and it is all ready for planting. Since I didn't know when we would get to plant, I didn't get the potatoes cut up until today. They will need to dry now for a couple of days and then can be planted yippee.

June 2, We put a tarp over the pen and we were going to bring the x-rocks down but its been just pouring all morning in the 40's and so haven't.