The Front Porch Swing

[OHhappychicks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/890745/memorial-day-in-remembrance-of-fallen-comrades

Thank you for posting!!!

 

[OHhappychicks]

A very sincere THANK YOU to each and every one of you for your prayers for my family member. They have a long and serious operation going on right now so please keep the prayers coming. So far so good. We do serve a wonderful God.

 

[OHhappychicks]

I'm back from vacation/fishing trip, it was lovely, lovely and more lovely...the weather, the views, the time was just wonderful. God blessed us all through the trip, the house we rented was great and had huge windows facing the most beautiful view....could see millions of stars from the hot tub each night. We caught a few trout~ not as many as we would have liked but we didn't really care....it was a blessed time. God is so very good to us!

The best part? I got to hold, feed, bathe, rock and otherwise love on the grandchild for 4 days! Bliss!

When I got back I found the broody had abandoned her nest....not sure if the chicks died before she left the nest or after but she's up there trying to sit on the fresh eggs in the nest so I'm thinking the chicks died/didn't hatch and she just got off the nest and left them. Some of the eggs were rotten...bad!

The little duck changed from a peeper to a quacker while we were gone and is trying to fledge out...she's big! In just four days the place can change so very much.

I missed you all and hope everyone is well on the Front Porch!

Did I miss anything exciting?

So happy for you!! It is so wonderful to go away with children and grandchildren!! We went to Florida this time last year. All 13 of us!! Wonderful, Wonderful!!! Glad you had a blessed time! Welcome back to the front porch!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Good Morning! Happy Memorial Day! Please take the time to remember those who sacrificed so that we may live freely! Prayers for everyone!

Today is my littlest one's birthday! We had her party on Saturday. Busy day.... I've already dusted the chickens as I let them out one by one. We are waiting on our new washer, dryer, and upright freezer to be delivered from Lowe's. They are running a great sale and credit offer. The ones we bought were all on sale, with an additional 10% off, plus no interest on the credit card for 18 months! Since we have been talking about getting them, it was really too great of a "deal" to not go ahead and do it! Plus Hubby got a new grill.

What a cutie!!! And yes, the time goes too quickly!!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Welcome, welcome! Glad to have you, especially if you bring pie. Gooseberry is one of Ken's favorites but I'm a baaaad wife and won't make one. Um, actually that's CAN'T make one - pie crust and I are mortal enemies. We wrestle, we tussle, it tears up and I tear up. Pull up a bucket, a chair, find a spot on the deck rail or a hidey hole on the steps. The bucket over by the big flower pot full of geraniums moves sometimes all by itself. Don't worry about that - there's a turtle under it and sometimes he wanders.

You got the right attitude going now, hsf! See, 5 years from now those folks won't remember a dandelion in among the cabbages - they'll remember laughing and eating good food and the fun their kids had running around and playing. So yup. relax! I cook for about 30-40 once a month, but I don't have to do it here at the house.

Happy birthday, Sweet Little Girl! What a blessed family you have!

Had everyone over for a barbecue yesterday. We had a blast! We put Kendra's pack 'n play on the deck and she had the WORST case of the sillies...everything made her giggle. She was up and down like a little yo-yo. Once she even let go of the sides of it without realizing it, and just stood there unsupported! She's been pulling herself up and even cruising off and on for a few months, but re-casting always stops her progress and then she has to wait until the strength comes back into her legs to start trying again. Now, usually she pulls herself, up but for the first time yesterday she had a hand on each side of the top rail and used her legs to push herself up with no pulling. We were stunned! Couldn't get her to do it again, but we can't wait to tell Miss Cindy, her physical therapist. Then Jenny was holding Kendra on her lap and she wanted Evan. She loves Evan and Katie's attention. Silly Evan put plastic rings on his ears, pretended to be a radio host, and read her book to her in his best "this is your news" voice.

Katie cracked us up yesterday too. Oh we laughed SO hard. Just as I put the chicken on the grill, Charlie started crowing again. Katie put her hands on her hips and yelled, "Charlie - do you see that chicken on the grill? You might want to think about being very quiet around Gramma's house!" I dunno, maybe it was one of those things where ya just had to be there, but the timing was impeccable!

Ken let the chickens out (*obligatory chicken mention) and Evan and Katie put on their coop boots to act as "Chicken herders." Their job was to keep them out of Ken's freshly grass seeded area. Oh, we could put a temporary fence around it but it's much more entertaining to watch the kids trying to herd them.....They did a pretty good job of remembering to move slowly and quietly, but sometimes they'd get a little overexcited and then the fun would begin. They had the most trouble with Floyd - he seemed to evade every attempt to keep him out of the seed. Evan glared at him and said, "You're next after Charlie."

I am so blessed. Kenny is still in Denver but that's not working out real well for him. First time in my life I was praying one of my kids would fail, and it looks like that might have happened. I'm not one bit sorry either, so THERE! He called yesterday while we were eating and told Jenny he'd probably be home this week. He missed their 18th anniversary - it was yesterday. So with any luck I'll have my little group back together soon. Little Diane will be here Saturday, and she's bringing her Dustin with her. We really like him. So next Sunday is another barbecue...Charlie and Floyd better watch out, that's a lot of people to feed!

Blessings and gratitude to our military families who have made the ultimate sacrifice. May we not let you down.


Katie and Kendra...sisters forever. God could not have placed Kendra in a home with more love than the one He chose for Kendra!


Evan the disc jockey reading to Kendra, just out of sight in the picture.

Family and grandchildren!!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Oh... and we are having our first adventure with fleas!!! In Edmonton, they were rare. Here our poor 13yo dog hs been infested with them. I have never seen so many. Do chickens get fleas?

Did the prior owners have dogs or cats in the house? If so, the fleas were starving until your poor dog showed up. BUFFET! If this is the case, you need to bomb the house. Has to be done twice. Once to kill the live fleas and a second time after the bazillion eggs hatch.

I've not heard of chickens getting fleas.

Stupid question then...at first I didn't think I'd even need it, although I knew Tam probably would. With a history of vertigo (basically resolved since the Epley maneuver but still popping up once in rare while) is seasickness something I even need to think about? I wasn't worried about it, but all this talk has made me start second guessing. I've never been on a cruise before and a couple of our planned excursions are on smaller boats - whale watching and such. What do you guys think?


What Jen said! If you need it have it, if you don't have it you WILL need it! Such is how life works. Whether you need it or not will likely depend on:
1) How big the boat is (yes I ended a 'sentence' with a preposition, so shoot me!)
2) The state of the sea

If the boat is huge and the seas relatively calm, you won't even know you are on a boat. Conversely, well you will be stylin' in that blue dress while you feed the fish if you don;t pack the Dramamine

Momma, "washibator"? Seriously? This group is trying to give my little spellchecker dude appolexiy... um, applepixie... um, a stroke.

In true Blooie fashion. You make me

Bruce

 

[LindaB220]

Here is one I used to make for our local pub. The guys loved them.
Pickled Eggs

1 16 oz, can sliced beets with juice
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pickling spice
1 large onion sliced in rings
12 hard boiled eggs, peeled.

In a enamel or stainless steel sauce pan combine the 1st 5 ingredients
Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
In a glass jar big enough to hold 12 eggs alternate layers of eggs, beets, and onion rings until all are used. Pour the heated liquid into the jar making sure all layers are covered.
Refrigerate 24 hours before serving. They should keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
I hope this helps.

This sounds delicious. I love pickled eggs and also beets. So win win

 

[LindaB220]

Pyrethrin or Sulfur Dust(natural, cheaper, easier to find, very effective on mites and lice)...try either of those before using the Ivermectin...even my dog knows that stuff is bad news.

So glad you said something before I ordered Ivermectin. Amazon is my friend.

 

[enola]

Here is one I used to make for our local pub. The guys loved them.
Pickled Eggs

1  16 oz,   can sliced beets with juice
2  tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pickling spice
1 large onion sliced in rings
12 hard boiled eggs, peeled.

In a enamel or stainless steel sauce pan combine the 1st 5 ingredients
Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
In a glass jar big enough to hold 12 eggs alternate layers of eggs, beets, and onion rings until all are used. Pour the heated liquid into the jar making sure all layers are covered.
Refrigerate 24 hours before serving. They should keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
I hope this helps.

Thanks! Going to try this recipe tomorrow

 

[heartsizedfarm]

It is always what is in the heart that counts.

That sounds like a phrase from St Exupery's Little Prince.