Stella's Social Club

[1muttsfan]

It is a beautifully perfect day in Northern Michigan, sunny and warm(er), breezy - and I have to work. Mary, maybe you need a Service Chicken to monitor your health and keep you from overdoing it!!

If your hubby wants a cow and goats, you will fine 2 acres very constricting very quickly...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Love the video Mary. I love that Isi is protecting his ladies and babies.

Sounds like fun Kathy. I am doing absolutely nothing. I cleaned and re-organized my utility room yesterday, today I cleaned the big coop and the kitchen.

I passed out after cleaning the coop today. I was bending over in the coop hanging a feeder for the baby chicks. Perspiration was pouring off my face. I got dizzy when I stood up then went outside to load some trash into the back of the Polaris. I put a roll of chicken wire in then picked up some fencing. I got dizzy and dropped right by the wheel. I made it to the house when I came to and called Michael on his cell phone to come downstairs and help me. He got a cool wet rag for my head and some water. I recovered quickly once I got in out of the heat and smoke. There is no relief projected for tomorrow so I think I need to stay inside and not push myself.

Major understatement!

Howdy,


Chooks posted a link to this thread on the Icelandic thread so here I am, from land without a summer northern MI.

Tomato plants either have parkas or plastic over them or, no tomatos, I am using a combo of both.

But, the Icelandic Chickens are doing just great ! Fwiw.

Mary watch those high temps !!! Be careful !!

Anyhow, interesting thread, now I know where you all are, I'll be back. Not like arnold was though.

Hey Jake! Nice to see you here!

Mary- that's exactly my fear. More than the rooster complaints since it IS out in unincoporated land I'm worried we will get traffic complaints.

Haha Hubby went on for HOURS last night about everything we need to do about snakes at that 10 acre place- not sure if it is his overactive business mind working ahead or if I've really sold him on it. I finally told him, "YES we will get guineas and a dog and whatever- can we just go walk through the house and put an offer before you decide how many and where they will be housed?!?!" It just listed 3 days ago and doesn't even pull up on Realtor.com yet. Just over 2000 sf, 3/2, full brick, two car garage but no shed. But we would only have 2 neighbors within several miles. It will be a lot of work as there is a lot of scrub oak and rock, and the small road to the house is so rough I was a little afraid to take my minivan on it. Certainly not ideal for goats or a cow both of which are in hubby's "dream" although we could have a few goats.

The make or break may be school district as we have young children- the address pulls up down the road in a VERY good school district but looking closely at the maps the house is just past the district line in a mediocre school district. Got to figure out how to nail that down.

Even though it is more work, the 10 acres will be worth it in the end. Think of everything you can do with that space - animals, fruit trees, garden, etc. It will come in time.

Goats like to browse (weeds not pasture), so you should be fine there.

As for the school district, around here, you can do an interdistrict transfer and attend the school you want, even if it's out of your district.

Kelly how is your girl this morning?

No change.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hi Jake, good to see you here

 

[lonnyandrinda]

It is a beautifully perfect day in Northern Michigan, sunny and warm(er), breezy - and I have to work. Mary, maybe you need a Service Chicken to monitor your health and keep you from overdoing it!!

If your hubby wants a cow and goats, you will fine 2 acres very constricting very quickly...

Yes, that is part of what makes the 10 acres so attractive. I REALLY liked the 2 acre home though. But we did some creative searching in the mls listings this morning and have a few more we want to drive by that are still an acceptable commute for him, and hubby wants to go back down to the 10 acre place and walk the property (in boots this time!). He is still freaked out by the copper head silly goose. I have a healthy respect for snakes but I am not afraid of them.

Even though it is more work, the 10 acres will be worth it in the end. Think of everything you can do with that space - animals, fruit trees, garden, etc. It will come in time.

Goats like to browse (weeds not pasture), so you should be fine there.

As for the school district, around here, you can do an interdistrict transfer and attend the school you want, even if it's out of your district.
No change.

Yes that is what we are thinking, even it if we have to clear it. And hey, clearing rocks is what child labor is for, right?

Yes we can possibly transfer to Bixby schools, but if they consider it outside the district that means no bus service, which means 2X per day (and more if I have a half-day preschooler) that I have to take the rough road out and drive way over to the schools. We're talking multiple 1' potholes. Not really what I want to do if I can help it at least not until the road is fixed.

If you look it up on mapquest, it finds the wrong place- which IS in the district. But I don't think a bus could turn around down there!!!

We'll see. Like I said, we have about 4 places now we want to at least drive by and we are looking more and more into 10 acre places instead of 2 acre places.

 

[Happy Chooks]

People here still have their kids ride the bus, but they pick them up from a bus stop that is within the district. We are on the last road of our district, and many people that live farther up from us in the next district, pick up their kids from our stop.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I was a busy girl yesterday. I started by picking the garden. Then, on to the fruit.

I had to get out the orchard ladder to pick the last of my pluots. This is probably less than 1/4 of what was on the whole tree.


Peaches are starting to ripen too:


This morning, I picked some more grapes. Other than a few bunches left, this is the last of the grapes.


The nectarines are not ripe yet, but they are starting to ripen.

 

[The Sheriff]

Nice Kelly! You makin? jam?

 

[The Sheriff]

I think I had too much coffee this morning.

 

[debs_flock]

I was a busy girl yesterday. I started by picking the garden. Then, on to the fruit.

I had to get out the orchard ladder to pick the last of my pluots. This is probably less than 1/4 of what was on the whole tree.


Peaches are starting to ripen too:


This morning, I picked some more grapes. Other than a few bunches left, this is the last of the grapes.


The nectarines are not ripe yet, but they are starting to ripen.

Lovely crops Kelly.

Other than the plum trees (and those I have to fight the deer and the birds), I basically just raise bird food.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Nice Kelly! You makin? jam?

Possibly. I found a recipe for Tropical sauce that sounds good - it's plum, apricot, mango, pineapple, lemon juice. I thought I'd can some pluot halves as well for winter.

I also found a recipe for poaching the pluots in Riesling wine - I think I'll try that. Plus, I'll be making a peach cobbler, as it's one of my favorites.

I think I had too much coffee this morning.

That is cool.

Lovely crops Kelly.

Other than the plum trees (and those I have to fight the deer and the birds), I basically just raise bird food.

I too have struggled with birds, especially Robins. It helps now that my trees produce enough that I get most of it, the birds get a little. Whatever falls on the ground, my welsummer flock cleans up. Though you know that there is too much fruit when even the chickens won't eat it anymore. It's fenced in for the chickens, so the deer can't get to it.