Two snakes, Six Chicks

We had an unusual day yesterday.  My husband went on my regular morning walk with me and the dogs and as we were walking down a trail, he pushed me out of the way.  Right beside where we were walking was a copperhead snake.  Since it was a poisonous snake, he killed it and we continued our walk.  I was just so happy he had decided to walk with us!

Later on in the day Fred asked me to give him a ride out to where he left his truck in the back of the property and just as we got on the 4-wheeler near the feed shed, he once again pushed me gently but firmly off the 4-wheeler and said there's another snake.  It turned out to be a large king snake.  He was trying to show me the difference between the head of a poisonous snake and a non-poisonous one when the snake got away from him and crawled up under the shed, then inside the 4-wheeler.  He used the hose to try and flush the snake out but the snake was either really really crammed up in there or had gotten out and snuck off because he never did come out.  Fred was not going to kill this one, but just relocate him away from the feed shed. 

Fred went off to do something else and as I was standing on the back porch looking out in the yard, I noticed a hen with something unusual going on.  She was being followed by 8 baby chicks.  This would not be unusual except that the rooster has been gone for a few weeks.  This hen must have been one of the chickens that had disappeared right after he left and chose to lay on her eggs out in the woods and had hatched them out in the last day or two.  They were so cute, 4 yellow ones and 4 black ones.  I was shocked and thrilled.  She brought them into the chicken coop right before dark and they are now safe from predators. 

So we ended up with three surprises today - 2 snakes and a bunch of unexpected baby chicks!

Julie, Julia and Kay!

I saw a movie one day about a girl named Julie, that decided she would go through Julia Childs' Cookbook and make each and every recipe, then blog about it.  It was an interesting idea and since I wanted to add another element to this blog, I decided I would do the same thing.  No, I won't be going through Julia Childs' cookbook, it's way too big and frankly my attention span is not that long anymore, but I have found a cookbook that is perfect for me.

Yes, it's small but like I said my attention span is short.  This cookbook, however, is filled with recipes from restaurants in the Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head areas that look simple and sound yummy.  To be honest with you, I am tired of cooking the same old things and needed to do something different.  I know everybody goes through that, so hopefully you will enjoy making these recipes too.  I am going to be doing one recipe from the book each week and tell you all about it as well as take pictures.  Also since I enjoy baking so much, I picked up this other book entitled Cookies and Treats (at Tractor Supply while I was buying chicken feed, no less) that I thought would be fun to do as well. 

So, here's the plan.  One new recipe for dinner each week and one new dessert.  Could be fun, could be fattening, but it will definitely be interesting.  Let's do it!

I'm in the Chicken Coop

I was filling a pecan order for Boone Hall Farm Store this week and just finished tying the last bow on the last bag this afternoon and was ready to get outside.  I had some plants I started indoors and was anxious to get them in the ground.  I loaded everything up and headed out to the garden.  Since the chickens had been in their chicken coop all day and it looked like we might get rain later, I decided to let them out for a little bit.  As I opened the door, they all ran out and scattered.  I went back into the fenced in garden area and just as I started putting my tiny little plants in the bed, it started to rain.   I gathered up everything that I couldn't leave, and ran to the closest cover which was the chicken coop.  Right behind me came Molly, then Hannah and Diesel.  Now my chicken coop is pretty small so it was a tight squeeze for all of us to be standing in there but at least we were out of the rain.  I was thinking how funny it would be if the chickens came running back to the chicken coop to get out of the rain and we were all packed in there.   I wonder what they would be thinking?!

My Garden Helper

My husband Fred is wonderful.  He helps me with anything I need but when he's out of town, my garden helper is Fred's dog Diesel.  This is a good and bad thing.  Let me explain.

Diesel loves to dig.  He doesn't dig holes randomly all over the yard like some dogs do but he will dig anywhere you point your finger to the ground.  He's pretty amazing and people love to watch him dig, then stick his nose in the hole as far as he get cram it, sniff, then dig again.  He will bite the dirt around the hole to get the roots and everything.  I went out to the garden area yesterday to plant some loofa plants around the fence and gate.  They climb and have beautiful white flowers.  Anyway, as I was trying to dig the hole, Diesel stepped in so I let him dig for me.  The only problem with this team work is that he doesn't know when the stop.  In fact, you have a hard time getting him to stop.  He gets this intense look on his face, like his life depends on the digging.  I told Fred a long time ago he is one of those dogs that needs a job.  He would be great at going to disaster areas and sniffing out people in the rubble.  Yeah, he's that good.

After the holes were done (and I filled some dirt back in), I was able to put the plants in and move on to the next job. 

I had a load of compost in the bucket of the tractor that I needed to shovel into the last two remaining plots of the garden, but as I was shoveling, Diesel decided he needed to inspect the compost and dove in.  I'm not sure what he thought he would find, but he had compost dirt everywhere.  He was sticking his face into the dirt so far, I don't know how he was breathing.  When he would pop back out, he had dirt up his nose, in his mouth and eyes.  Finding no treasures, he wandered over and layed on top of the loofa plants I had just planted. 

Now, the question is - If a woman screams at the top of her lungs in the country and no one is around, does she make a sound?  Yes, yes she does.

I'm Not Saying Buzzards Can Read But . . .

As you know I wrote about our resident buzzard(s) in the creepy house in the back of the property and yesterday as I was on our usual walk, the dogs ran into the creepy house and started barking like crazy.  I was standing in the front yard of the house, checking out the plants I could salvage and replant at my house, when I heard this big SWOOSH.   Just as I looked up, the buzzard came flying out of the front door of the house right at me.  I ducked just in time but I swear, I think I saw him smirking at me as he flew up in a nearby tree.  Have you ever seen a buzzard up close?  It's wing span looks about 20' wide when you're standing in front of a buzzard in flight.

This morning on our walk, Hannah went into the house but Molly and Diesel did not.  Turns out, Hannah is not intimidating enough by herself and she couldn't flush the buzzard out alone.  She tried, really, she did.  I'll bet the buzzard was watching her jump around and bark and was thinking "how adorable." 

Mud Tracks

At the local mud hole on my daily walks, I am constantly noticing different prints in the mud.   Can you guess what it is?

Answers at the bottom of the page.

Happy exploring!

Answers:  Deer, raccoon, turkey, dog - and me!

Squatters

A few years ago we bought a small piece of land beside our property that had two old houses on it.  The houses were not salvageable but we explored the inside to see if we wanted to save the wood and windows.  When Fred entered, he walked through and called me to come look at something.  I was hesitant about going in at all, kind of creepy, but I reluctantly went inside.  There, in the back bedroom, were two buzzards.  Part of the wall and ceiling had caved in, and they were living inside.  I quickly made my exit and refused to go back inside.

A year or so later we had the little guest cottage built and some of the workers went out there and brought back siding and windows to use.  No buzzards were there and we figured they had gone away.

Turns out, they are back.  As we were walking the dogs the other day, the dogs ran ahead and went inside the house and starting barking like crazy.  Fred went in and there they were again! 

Now I know how to evict a person, but frankly I don't have a clue how to evict buzzards.  All I know is, they've got to go!  (and so do the creepy houses)

You didn't really think I'd have a picture of the buzzards, did you?

Make Your Own Chandelier

I helped one of my nieces fix up her room recently and it turned out really cute.  She wanted it kind of "beachy" so we found a headboard, chest of drawers and night stand at the thrift store that didn't really match but once they were all painted white, looked great.  We added a lamp for her nightstand and one for the top of the chest of drawers, a pretty new bedspread and rug and she loves it.  I thought if she wanted one, I would make her a crystal chandelier.  I went to Habitat for Humanity and bought a brown light fixture for $8.00, then bought a couple of cans of creamy white (Ivory)spray paint at Ace Hardware and some crystals on Ebay.

I needed a place to hang it so I could spray paint it and the perfect place was the stand that holds targets for the shooting range.  It has woods on both sides of the range so it blocked the wind too.  I tied it up on the frame and sprayed it.

After the first coat dried, I added another coat. 

After it completely dried, I simply added the bobeches and crystals and it was done.  Very easy project and I think she'll really like it.  My other niece has a black and white room so I could do another one in black for her if she'd like. 

I Get It Now

My mom and dad have had fruit trees in their yard in Florida for years.  Every year they are overloaded with fresh grapefruit, lemons, tangerines and oranges which they share with their friends and family.  I have always enjoyed walking around the yard with my mom or dad looking at their trees as they outdid themselves but I have never had fruit trees myself until now.

Fred and I bought plum, apple, peach, pear and fig trees and I have to tell you, I get it now.  There is nothing like the feeling of joy when you see tiny little peaches or plums on your tree for the first time.  I know it sounds silly but I get so excited to go out there each morning and see what has transpired since the day before. 

I spent an hour or so outside this morning with the hose and Miracle Grow attached fertilizing the trees, the garden and the bushes and flowers around the house.  It is a beautiful day and so nice to be outside. 

The garden is still a work in progress and I'm guessing it will stay a work in progress from now on.  Fred has got the fence almost finished and has built me a big gate which I will take pictures of and share with you soon.  The down side of the garden so far is that the chickens got into it and scratched around looking for earthworms and tore the newspapers in little shreds (along with some of my tiny plants) so now the grass has started peeking out.  I told Fred I may take one plot at a time and redo the newspapers and compost but it's not the end of the world so I'm just enjoying seeing the garden come together.

As I was out watering and fertilizing this morning, I was thinking how happy I am that our trees will be producing fruit for someone else someday after I'm gone.   Just like the pecan trees on our property that someone a long time ago planted with love, we now enjoy the fruits of their labor and some day someone else will enjoy the fruits of our labor!

I encourage you to go dig in the dirt somewhere today and enjoy!

Crew La La

My daughter has her own business and I wanted to show you some of the cute things she makes for dogs.  She makes bow tie collars for boy dogs and flower collars for girl dogs as well as matching collars and leashes.  She had a big order this past week and I went over to help.  I probably wasn't really much of a help, I made some mistakes, but was definitely there to give her  moral support.  I am very proud of her.  She sells her products online at Etsy and also at Alpha Dog Omega Cat in downtown Charleston.  She called me yesterday and said the store put them in the front window! 

The Dollar Store

We have two dollar stores in Holly Hill and I buy quite a few things there, like laundry detergent, soap, dog food and cleaning supplies.   A little while back I was in the Dollar Store and picked myself up a new 2 cup measuring cup.  When I got home, I put it in the cabinet and forgot about it.  I took it out the other day to measure out some milk and realized that maybe some things should NOT be bought at the Dollar Store.

The measurement on the side was so crooked, I couldn't figure out how to measure with my new measuring cup!  My fault for not really looking at it before putting it in my buggie.  It will make a really great scoop for the cat food. 

Another lesson learned . . .

I've Put It Off Long Enough

Today is chilly and drizzly and I need to get my tax stuff together to take to the accountants.  I dread it and procrastinate as much as I can.

I took the dogs for a long walk in the woods this morning, came back and fed the horses, donkeys and chickens, filled the water trough up, and guess I don't have any other excuses.  It's waiting for me and won't go away so I'm going to make myself sit down and do this.  Luckily, I have the essentials for my tax day -

I know exactly what you're thinking and you're right - I need more chocolate.  That little candy bar is not going to do the trick.  Where are my keys?  I need to go to the store.

Bees

My father had beehives in Alabama so we thought it would be good to have some here.  We thought it would give him something to do when he visited us here and he could teach us all about them.  He started having health problems so we ended up on our own.  We got the Beekeeping for Dummies book, suits for both of us and all the tools we needed.  We had bought our bees and had the hives so we were ready.  We drove our truck out to the beehives and Fred got out, got his suit on and the fogger and headed over to the hives.  I sat in the truck, with the window cracked, reading the directions to him, actually shouting them from the cracked window.    We were laughing at how silly we looked.  I then got my suit on and got up close and person with them.  It's really amazing to see them working together and how they interact.  We have not harvested any of the honey, but will be doing more with the bees this year. 

I like the idea that they play an important role in pollinating the flowers and crops around our area. 

Farm Tip of the Day No. 2

Never put bug spray on yourself while standing in your garden.  I did this last year and never realized that the spray went on the collards.  When I went out the next day, they were all burned from the spray.  We were not able to eat them.  I didn't realize that would happen. 

Now I know to step away from any plants or trees I want to keep before spraying myself.

Here's another tip -

Never ride a 4-wheeler through the woods with your mouth open, even a little.  You never know when there will be a spider web hanging from the trees right at face level.  Ew.

Spring Has Sprung In Holly Hill

There is nothing like spring in South Carolina.  I love seeing the azaleas, dogwoods and wisteria everywhere.  It's funny, though.  I had planned on taking pictures of all the beautiful azaleas and dogwoods in bloom but by the time I got out today to take the pictures, they were not in bloom anymore.  They sure didn't last long. 

Where did spring go?  It was here a minute ago! 

Tutu DIY - No, Not for Me!

I wanted to make a gift for a baby shower and my daughter forwarded me the directions for a tutu off of Pinterest.  It was really easy and fun to make and was a big hit at the shower.  Check this out -

All it takes is elastic and two or three different shades of tulle and a piece of ribbon.  You simply cut an elastic strip about 14" to 16" long for the waist band, sew the ends together, and then I put it around my leg (like a garter).   You cut strips of tulle 16" long in all three colors, then take two colors, white and pink, for example, together in your hand and simply tie them on to the elastic strip.  You keep going around the elastic strip so it's as full as you can get it.  I alternated light pink/white, then dark pink/white around the whole thing.  Once you get the tying all done, you go around it and separate the pieces away from each other to create the "fluff".  The ribbon can be tied on and make a bow, or as the instructions that I followed said, use a hair clip, and tuck the ends of the clip underneath the tied tulle. 

I'm probably not explaining it very well, so you can get the instructions that I followed from www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/how-to-make-a-tutu.html
   

Now I've Seen Everything

My 77 year old mother learning how to shoot a gun!  Maybe we'll get her on a 4-wheeler next. 
Lord, help us all!

You're Driving Too Fast!

My mother is coming for a visit and I am frantically cleaning house.  She is not one to judge, but I was outside all weekend and didn't do any cleaning in the house so I'm now in a panic, scrubbing the kitchen, changing sheets on the beds, sweeping floors and getting ready to mop through.  She just called and said she is now in South Carolina which means she's 90 miles away from my house.  I told her she's driving too fast - I'm not done cleaning yet! 

I was washing stuff in the kitchen sink and looked up to see something in the compost pile.  I couldn't quite make it out.  Was it a possum or chicken?  Dog maybe?  Turns out it a spot on the kitchen window.  That tells me two things. 

One, I need to wash the windows and two, I need to make an eye appointment - soon.

Maybe Mom will want to wash windows when she gets here.  Probably not.

Now THAT'S a Garden!

Fred and I worked all weekend in the garden.  We took up the bricks that I had originally put down and mowed, then put them back in place but thank goodness for Fred, because he made sure they were laid out straight this time.  I had them so crooked, Fred said a snake would break his back trying to follow that line!   He pulled a string and I was able to follow it.  Guys are so great to have around, aren't they?

After that we added newspapers (again), compost on top of that, then the plants and seeds.  I'm not finished yet, and still have room for other things, but here's a glimpse of what we've done so far. 

I am putting flowers in some of the beds as well as vegetables so it not only attracts the bees, but makes it pretty too.  As you can tell from one of the pictures, Hannah tried everything she could to distract me.