Ever since I have known this guy, he always has his plate full of projects. I can take credit for a good portion of those, but not all. Neither one of us seem to be wired to just chill. We always have to have our hands in something. Last summer we went on what felt like an old tractor shopping spree. All but maybe one was purchased to fix and sell. Then more projects got in front of that and now Scott is getting back to fixing the old John Deere. From the smile on his face you can probably guess that project was one of his own.
Big dogs need a big dog house. I shopped for some, but none of them seemed to be able to fit both Bo & Ellie. Honestly, it was even hard to find one that looked like it would fit just one of them when they are full grown. Scott has designed and started working on what is going to be their one of a kind, rustic, extra large dog house. They will be situated right next to the chicken coop.
Adding to the list is getting this old shed ready to be a duck house. Currently, the ducks stay in a section in the chicken coop. However, we have new baby chicks arriving at the end of April and will be needing our brooder back in the coop.
One of our ongoing projects….the pond…is definitely looking different these days. On the left is what was done in January and on the right is what it looks like now. The ducks swimming pool keeps getting larger after each rain.
We thought we might add some extra friends in the pond. We are working on transitioning some frog eggs to the pond. It definitely feels like you live in the country when you hear frogs croaking.
This Week’s Books
“A Busy Creature’s Day of Eating” was popular this week. Mostly because it was super silly. “Shiver Me Letters” was super cute! The Easter selections were also great choices.
My favorites were “The Fruits We Eat” and “The Vegetables We Eat”. For children’s books, these were loaded with fun information about all the different types of fruits and vegetables. I would definitely say it is one of my biggest reasons for reading so much to our kids. We all have something to learn.
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Menu
- Fancy sweet potato fries with ground turkey, avocado, cucumber, pickles, radish, tomatoes, green onions, and habanero ranch with broccoli.
- Spinach artichoke dip with chicken and tortilla chips.
I have a goal of recreating all of my favorite dips into gluten & dairy free alternatives. I’ve got the queso, the taziki sauce, and now the spinach artichoke. It always makes me super happy when I find a delicious alternative. For one it gives me another option to bring at gatherings and two I like to see how dairy eating people respond.
- Scott’s brownies – Krusteaz GF Brownie mix, Jif creamy peanut butter, and Nestle DF dark chocolate chips.
- An attempt at 4-leaf clover pancakes.
These brownies are Scott’s jam right now. I have been quite impressed with this brownie mix. Some GF mixes can be card-boardy, but this one is actually quite delicious. So, I really just wanted to buy some St.Patrick’s Day lucky charms cereal to celebrate with for the kids, but they were sold out at the store. Thus, I attempted some shamrock pancakes. Turns out, my pancake art needs some work. The kids had no opposition to green pancakes, but give them green tortillas and they aren’t having it.
Farm Animals
Is he cute or what? I so have been wanting to get him and his sister some collars, but these guys just grow nonstop.
It is so crazy to see how fast Bo has grown in such a short time. Even though his size changes, the facial expression stays the same. This bashful guy is a Momma’s boy.
Ellie is too busy to pick her up and of the two she always seems to get the dirtiest. She’s precious. I love watching her chase butterflies.
We found out the history behind Bonnie’s right arm injury this week. We took her to the vet because she seemed to have mobility issues with her back legs. The vet took some x-rays to see what was going on with her spine and stumbled upon something else. The poor thing was shot with a pellet gun and still has the bullet inside between her diaphragm and liver. She also has shrapnel left in her arm joint. Poor kitty is very much lucky to be alive. Since it is likely that the bullet doesn’t contain led, it is more safe for her to leave it versus trying surgery to get it out. For her back issues, she was given a steroid shot. She may have to routinely get these shots if she continues to have these mobility issues.
She has been a blessing to our family and continues to be an example of strength and resilience.
And of course we have my precious first born Abby. She has pretty much taught the kids about you snooze you lose if you drop veggie straws. She has had her fair share around here. She is especially ecstatic if the kids drop hotdogs.
Fitness
Definitely didn’t fit the amount of workouts I was hoping to get to this week….too many interruptions and unexpected events. But there is always next week! I think I am about ready to get back to cycling. That was my jam last summer, so I am thinking I will start earlier this year.
On Another Note…
I planted about 10 dogwood trees and 2 crepe myrtles 2 weeks ago. They already have new growth! I will admit I am an addict. I have so many trees in my greenhouse that I will be planting this Spring. The Arbor Day Foundation supports my habit. They have so so many kinds of trees and they make it easy to see what grows in your area and ship it to you at the appropriate time for planting. It’s so inexpensive to be a member ($10 per year makes you a member) and you get discounts and free trees for being a member. I definitely recommend checking them out at www.arborday.org
I hope everyone is enjoying Spring! God Bless!
