Chickens

Chickens. It was one of our number one priorities when we moved and sure enough only a month after we moved we owned chickens! 

Six total (then)

We never could have know we were heading for something much, much bigger.

As we watched our six laying hens get bigger and lay their first eggs we discovered how interesting and funny chickens are. If you don't own chickens you will never know what this is like, but surprisingly they are so fascinating! We can watch them forever just as they go about their daily lives. And we also learned things about chickens I never would have guessed: 

1. Chickens are cannibalistic by nature
2. The sound you usually link with a chicken ( Bok, bok, bok) is called the egg song and it is sung when chickens are about to lay their eggs or they are practicing for when they lay their first egg
3. chickens get themselves clean by bathing in dust.

A few months after we got our first chickens we had already named them all and dropped their names because there was only one unique one in the batch. We named the one unique Skittles because she was so skittish when we first got her. The name stuck and she became our favorite.

 One day I was sitting on the couch watching TV when I heard a weird noise outside, I got up and looked, I began shouting and screaming, Skittles had gotten into the dogs fenced in yard and Levi (our dog) had a hold of her and was trying to drag her off the deck. I had reason to scream, my dog, though a city pup all his life is the best bird catcher there is! In our small neighborhood yard he brought down countless birds, a bunny, and a few possums. But that’s another story.

What mattered most was I knew Levi could kill her and it wouldn’t be a pleasant death. My mom, brother and I went thundering out and Skittles got away from Levi and got under the deck where he couldn’t get her. Feathers were everywhere, allover the deck and Levi had feathers hanging out of his drooling mouth. In the end Skittles suffered minor injuries and returned to her flock a few days later. 

the chickens

Since the first six chickens came they haven’t seemed to stop! And we now have 41 chickens! Still only six are laying eggs, the rest are to small, and we have many roosters that need to be sold and a few hens that we are getting rid of too. 

When our flocks kept increasing and we kept hatching more we had to come up with names for our groups. So here it goes from largest to smallest all the chickens we have:

The Chickens-

These are our first six and the only ones laying eggs at the moment.

But still most of the time that's one egg from each, every day! 

We have three speckled, two black, and Skittles who is also black but a different kind. 

The Little's-

the Littles and a few Minis

All but one of these almost chickens we ordered and we got them three days after they were hatched! The one we did hatch was in the first batch of eggs my mom ever hatched we got one boy and one girl sadly the girl chick died a few days after it hatched. So the little boy has grown up to be another one of our favorites and we call him Lincoln, he is the same kind of chicken as Skittles and we hope to breed them when Lincoln gets older.

The Minis as babys

The minis- 

Yes the minis, recently set free In to the outdoors after being cooped up(ha ha) in a brooder in the work shop for weeks. These adorable things are now big enough to go out side.

Watching them forage is such a joy and they are so Cute! 

The new ones- 

Yesterday we picked up week old chicks! They are so cute! Sadly though these chicks will grow up to be meat birds. But I know some chicken has to die for me to eat it so I would rather it be the Organic home raised chicken from my backyard than a miserably mistreated chicken from some chicken plant. 

The hatching- 

The New ones

And last but not least my mom is doing a Easter hatch along on the online forum she belongs to, everyone who is participating in the hatch along sets their eggs on the same day and they will all hatch on Easter! Well my moms are going to hatch the day before Easter because we have places to go on Easter and we can’t be at home staring in the incubator! 

So do you think I have enough chickens? So do I! 

But guess what? Were getting more! 

My mom calls it chicken math so here is the equation for my family 

6 chickens + my family + land = 41 chickens

It was almost like we had none and then we had to many! But it’s to late now. 

It seems like a complicated equation but it’s not.
 Here is a hint there's no math involved! Once you get chickens you will know what I mean.

I would love to sit here and tell you all about my cool chickens more but you would never get to the end of this post. =)

So stay tuned for more chicken updates in May. 

Victoria.....sorry about the delay. =(

Buzzy Bees

Yes my family is determined to be as self reliant as possible! 

We have Chickens, a garden in progress, baby fruit trees, and Bees! 

Well...we don’t have them yet. They are due to arrive, all 24,000 of them, on Saturday April 5. Yep this Saturday my home takes one more step to self reliance. 

And amazingly it’s only been 7 1/2 months! 

To tell the truth I’m a little scared of Bees, but I know that if I don’t mess with them they won’t mess with me. 

And with the scary disappearance of most of the honey bees it almost seems like an obligation, if you have the land for it, to help pollinate.

To anyone who is unaware of our daunting lack of honey bees you should watch this movie. 

The Vanishing of the Bees

And even if you DO know about the disappearing of the bees you should still watch this. It bring the seriousness of this situation in to better light.

Sadly since I have no bees yet I can not write about the personal experience of having bees, what it sounds like, what it looks like etc...

But I am looking forward to golden honey right from our own beehives! There’s nothing better than your own honey( if your raising the bees right) 

I know it is going to be weird and different having bees. Listening to their buzz and see them flying all around. I do know that soon we wont have to buy gallons of honey from Costco (my family eats a lot of honey)! 

God made bees for a very important job so let’s thank Him for them!

Victoria 

Apple trees

Apple trees seem to be the main income in the little town of Gore VA. And though I have not personally seen these apple trees in bloom I know they are going to be magnificent. 

Standing on top of a hill near here you look down and see miles of apple trees, unique houses dotting the land. Even now when the trees are bare and they are just the frames that will one day produce beauty and  fruit, they look magnificent marching in their neat rows over hilltop after hill top. I’ve seen them in their summer green, their fall harvest, and winter skeleton. 

I am waiting for their spring bloom! I’m really hoping they bloom soon. If they do I’ll post pictures.

Apple Tree Market

When I moved here I knew I would encounter little hole in the wall grocery stores and convenience stores and have to get used to the rough edges of the country. But, there is a place less than 20 miles from my house that is one of the coolest, well kept, wonderful little store/ common market type place I’ve been. City or country! 

This local family run business is one of the best out there. 

They have fresh local produce, freshly baked pies and breads, trickling springs ice cream, meat, eggs, milk, honey, locally made art and decor, and a whole lot more!

 The little store had a big impact on this city girl. I loved it right from the start and was always trying to make excuses to go there and get something yummy. And after the seemingly long off season for the store they are open again! 

If you live anywhere near Gore Va or are going to be passing by on a trip you NEED to stop here! I highly recommend them. It is great place that will impress you! 

So click this link to see their Facebook page =)

https://www.facebook.com/appletreefarmmarket 

It takes faith

God blows change and trails at everyone at some point in their life. 

Just because I was comfortable where I was didn’t mean things wouldn’t change.

As hard as I tried I couln’t get rid of the feeling that my whole life was about to change. 

I didn’t want it to. I wasn’t even willing to accept the idea that I might have to leave everything  I knew and start over. Why should I have to? 

I wasn't ready to move. But God was ready to move me.

The answer to my question "why?" never came fully clear until a few months ago. This is where God wants me to be, it’s as simple as that.

And yet the mixed dislike and love that I feel for my new life kept me questioning Him.

"How are you using me!"

I didn’t, and still kind of don't understand why God would bring me here. But after seven long months I have fallen in love with my new home and  still didn’t see what the purpose of this was. And some days the only things that keeps me going is the thought that God has put me here for a reason. Not knowing what that is has driven 

me mad some days, but God will show me in due time I know.

And I do love my new home. The landscape is breath talking, the space seems to never end, and the peace goes on forever! And there are days when life just feels great! 

And other days I’m left guessing why I still don’t have local friends. Is God trying to tell me something? Give me time to fully focus on him? I never feel like I can hear God talking to me. Or am I just not listening? 

The questions seem to never end. And I may not get any answers until I see Jesus in heaven. 

Faith is what It takes. Unfaltering faith In God, Love, friends, and family....

So thanks to my mom, dad, brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents, Ellie, Ryan, Abby and all of my friends for helping me through tough times, showing me the blessings I missed and being there for me. You mean the world to me! Love!

So come and join me while I talk about the ups, downs, joys, pains, fun, work, beauty, and wonders of my new home and my new life, April 1-30!

Victoria.... 

Magic of Music

Like books, music is a way to get lost, a way to sink in to the world you're hearing, the thoughts of the person singing becomes yours. 

Fast and cool music picks you up off the ground. =)

Slow and or sad music gets you feeling sad. =( 

The best music connects and changes how you feel when you're listening, even awhile after you’ve taken the headphone out. Music can connect with you in more ways than one, lift you out of your world and drop you in another. 

And if you listen carefully music is a story, a statement, a voice for the silent, and a lot of the time way more. 

These days music can be so amazing! 

Music can change you're thinking, make you want to jump, shout, or collapse and cry. Now that is talent!

God has blessed many people with the voice to make music. And God has blessed other people with the music made. Some people use their voice to make music, others, music is their voice. 

And the Christian Gospel music is exploding with great songs for all ages, that praise our God the Lord Jesus Christ! It makes me feel happy that cool music is there for me when I want it, need it, or want to get lost in it. 

Toby Mac, Karrie Roberts, Newsboys, tenth avenue north, Jamie Grace, Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Amy Grant, etc...

These are like some of the top Christian singers who, (in my opinion) have some of the most moving music ever! 

All my life I’ve listened to almost all Christian music, and you know what? I’m okay with that. There are times when I wish I could listen to other kinds of music, but I know the music I want to listen to just will fill my mind with things I don’t need to think about. Not saying that non Christian music is brain poison, not saying that at all! I just know hard it is for me to NOT to fallow the crowd, do what other kids do.

Taylor Swift is an example, I think she is really talented and I like a lot of her songs. But I don’t listen to them because there all about love, and relationships, why listen to music about that? There is nothing I can do with relationships at this point in my life.
 And like I said before, music can be very inspiring and get you to feel the way the artist feels. That could be good, or it could be bad if they have values different from yours. Music, movies, and books can put ideas in your head that contradict God or your parents. 

That is why I am REALLY careful with what I listen to, watch, and read.(it helps that I have really great parents)

You might be asking: why be so careful? Why don’t you live it up? You only live once.

Simple answer, I believe in God, which means this life is just the beginning. I’m living my life for God(as best as I can). 

 For me, I’m not just going to live once. I'm not special I just believe in the Special One.  

             Victoria 

9 days. . .

Deciding my new life gives me plenty to think about, I am sure I will have a lot to talk about.


So here is my A-Z April blog challenge theme...

God's New Life For Me.

Some topics include:

Chickens, Friends and family, Garden, New things.

So yeah. Please visit me during the A-Z blog challenge!

11 days. . . .

Stay tuned!!! 

A-Z April blog challenge is coming soon! Are you ready?