The Babies Are Growing Up! *update*

Our little baby chicks aren't much like babies anymore! They are nearly fully feathered out and LOVE to fly and perch on things. They are eating so much now and we have started feeding them scraps from the table. We also built them an outdoor "playpen" as we transition them to outdoor life. The chicken house is about 80% complete and should be finished this weekend when the ladies will make their move.

The boys really enjoy the chickens 

and today I found Sam sitting on a log by the "playpen"

 singing to them! It was so sweet. Even 

Arlo likes to interact with them and will be very gentle. He won't hold them though and when I offer he shrugs his shoulders and giggles and looks the other way.

Sadly enough we did have our first chicken mortality. The first day the ladies were in the "playpen" one of the smaller Leghorns squeezed through the fencing and lost in a race for life to Cyrus. Her life went very fast as Cyrus went right for her neck. Sam witnessed the entire event and just shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's life, Mama."

Quiet Days

After four full days at home, I am beginning to get used to the ebb and flow of what this recovery will be like.  I spend my days draped in this beautiful kimono robe that Pat gifted me just before the surgery. I feel so pretty in wearing it and don't mind greeting visitors or even walking outside by the street with it on. Yesterday was rainy and misty and in between two bursts of rain I added my red moose wellie boots to the ensemble and walked through our orchard. I felt like I was in a novel.

My days are very quiet and when the boys are awake or around the sound level increases and I find myself getting very irritated. It must be the drugs I am taking, which are substantial pain killers, because I don't remember every really feeling that way about the boys' sounds before. I would certainly look forward to the quiet times, but I mostly enjoyed and certainly tolerated it. Now I just become very irritated. 

I can't say that I am enjoying this recovery, but I do find myself feeling very peaceful and that is enjoyable. I'd certainly rather be up and about and interacting with everyone in a more normal and physical manner. However, I can finally knit and spent most of yesterday and this morning doing just that. The drugs make me too foggy to read, so I watch a lot of the Gilmore Girls and knit. Sounds great, eh? Well add in some random nausea, constipation, general pains from the surgery, sore butt from sitting and it doesn't sound as nice.

I am not complaining though. This could all be much, much worse and I have a super support system, so I'd say that all in all this is a pretty special time.

In Recovery

I am at home and in recovery. The surgery was successful and completed thorascopically with some minor complications (I bled more than they liked after the first surgery so they went back in through an original incision and stopped it all just fine).

The weather is amazing and I have been taking little walks and sitting outside. I feel good as long as my pain killers are working, tired and slow, but good. 

Everyone is here and helping a lot. The boys are happy to see me, but definitely acting differently. Arlo, especially. He's not sure I am the same woman. I know as I heal and can be with him like I was, I am sure he'll warm up to me. He's just gentle, which is good.

Feel free to call though I can't talk long and if you're in the neighborhood, I'd love to see you....

Last Night

Healing Before Broken

In the past week I have been asked many times how I am feeling about this impending surgery. The same answer comes out of my mouth like a rehearsed script. 

I keep meeting people here that barely know me and yet they are blessing me with prayer, with music, with energy and thoughts. 

They are healing me before I am broken.

I don't know how to respond to all of the giving.

Tonight we had dinner with a wonderful couple and their sweet baby boy. After our simple dinner on the picnic table, some beer and tea and a fire, beautiful music and real conversation, I felt so at peace. 

For the first time I feel real emotion about this challenge I am about to face. There is a lot of fear that has been pushed aside.

I was given a collection of music as gift for healing...then said a healing gift to begin now. 

The music is beautiful and perfect.

This evening was beautiful and perfect.

I will be fine.

Just Had To Share

Spring Brings New Babies!

Spring has certainly sprung here at the Grieshop "farm"...and a farm we are becoming! We've been dreaming of raising chickens now for a number of years and finally, this Tuesday evening, our dream came true.

Last weekend we worked together as a family to build a proper brooding box made entirely from recycled wood and objects found around our homestead. From an old dog house, a fallen off wire door and some lumber odd and ends (and Matt's constructive creativity) we put together a great place for our babies! Originally we were going to use a cardboard box, but after scrounging around and finding some great reusable wood, we decided a nice sturdy box we can reuse every year (as we add to our brood) would be ideal.
We went in on an order of chicks with some friends who already have an established flock, but wanted to add to it and replace some victims of a hawk invasion....so goes farm life. They also know a fair amount about the different breeds, how they lay and what kinds of eggs they lay.
We ended up getting 12 chicks in all, 3 each of 4 different breeds:

Rhode Island Red:
These girls will lay brown eggs and are known to be good layers that can produce for an upwards of 3 years. They are also known to be more skiddish and can be more aggressive...we'll see. We are already noticing they are molting the most of the three breeds we have now. Very cute!





Aurucana:
Often thought of as chicks on the fanciers (yuppy-ish city folk who move to the country for the "real-life") have, Aurucanas are so pretty. Even as babies you can see they will have a gorgeous plumage. These ladies will lay a blue-green egg of medium to small size. I don't think they are particularly excellent layers, but they are fun to have and are known to be more mellow!


Barred Rock:
Good layers of brown eggs, these chicks are also known to be more mellow. Eventually they will have a black and white spotted plumage. These seem to be the most active so far and are the hardest to catch when we want to hold the chicks (which we try to do every day so they are used to us...the kids love it!)

Our final breed, Leghorns, are white and will lay white eggs that can be quite large. We'll pick up those babies on Tuesday! So far we really enjoy having them here....so do the cat and dog!








We've also been having a few other friends of the poultry nature come around...especially on the rainy and foggy days.