The Weekend

And oh what a weekend it was!  As I sit here on Sunday night I feel like so much was accomplished here on our little farm this weekend.  Notice I use the word "farm," which I have been reluctant to do in the past.  No more, however, because now we have a TRACTOR!  Chickens, a tractor, an orchard, a (soon to be) huge garden, always-pouring-money-in-and-never-profiting... if that doesn't add up to farming I don't know what does!

Big Blue and the bush hog

I should be fair and mention that most of the things accomplished this weekend were almost single handedly accomplished by Wes, the part-time gentleman farmer (he has to work full-time at a real job so we can afford our farming hobby).  Saturday morning we all woke bright and early; Wes headed out first thing to paint our amazing new chicken coop and the chicken tractor.  We then headed to my in-law's to load up our new (to us) tractor, and Wes's dad was kind enough to deliver it along with a bush hog that Wes had found.  

The former home of our flock: the Chicken Tractor.  Now for sale.

Sunday we again woke bright and early, except it wasn't quite as early as we thought thanks to Daylight Savings Time.  I really love getting the extra hour in the evenings, but the first few days of "spring forward" are not so fun - losing the hour in the morning, and evenings taking extra long because the kids aren't tired at bedtime.  Nevertheless, we jumped up and got busy.  We slaughtered two more roosters, this time putting them directly in the freezer for later use.  The flock was at 13 birds with four of them roosters.  The hens were getting attacked frequently, usually by all four at once, and it was not pretty; some roosters had to go for the safety of our layers.  I am happy to report that processing the two birds took about the same amount of time as the one did last time.  I may get good at this yet.  

After Wes had done his part of the rooster job (the killing), he fired up Big Blue and bush hogged several areas that were seriously overgrown.  The kids and I were exhausted, so we went inside for rest time while Farmer Wes moved on to another chore.  I am not sure what because I was inside reading and drinking coffee (that man of mine is a good one!).  After our nice rest we loaded up and went to Tractor Supply Co. and got some 3/4" couplers so the kids and I can make hula hoops!!!  I read this article a few months ago and, knowing that we have several coils of irrigation tubing under the house, I have been itching to make a hoop ever since.  We got a few other things - neem oil for the fruit trees and 2 peach tree saplings (purchased on a whim), but that stuff seems insignificant now that I have mentioned hula hoops.  

The weather could not have been more perfect for us today; all of us were in t-shirts and the kiddos were able to play in the creek.  It was a real reminder that spring is just 10 days away, and that the scales will tip soon and our time will be spent more out than in.  I am so very ready.