Birds

Another find while cleaning out boxes was this terra-cotta bird feeder. Had a hard time using it at the old house as rain always managed to get into the feeder cups and soak the food. But now I've got it under our protective eave and it's staying nice and dry.

The chickadees seem to love it - they use the perch and even sit on the very top. But they're the only birds that do. Nothing else is frequenting it. 

A very happy sun

Of course the red feeder is seeing a lot of action. And new this year is this fella. Depending on the identification site it's either: a Rosefinch, a House Sparrow that's been eating things with red coloring, or a Purple Finch. I'm never going to be a birder...

I see you

It's a very open community around the feeder. All are welcome.

I can at least identify the chickadee

Here's another view of the mystery bird. Quite a bit of black on his back/wings. Maybe a Pine Grosbeak? Humph.

We typically get American Goldfinches too but I didn't get a shot of one this time. I need to pick up a thistle feeder as that's their preferred food. Would love to attract more variety - and maybe I'll eventually figure out how to identify them. 

A creative use for wooden wine boxes

While trying to clean up and put away all the kitchen stuff lately I found a couple of wooden wine crates that I've been hoarding saving for a special project. Deciding that I really needed to get some items off the countertop I figured I could make a couple wall boxes out the lids and some hardware cloth (one advantage of getting chickens? I now have scraps of hardware cloth all the over the place). 

I sealed the box lids with poly, attached some end boards, trimmed the hardware cloth to fit, and then used small fence staples to attach the wire to the boxes. A pretty quick and simple project.

The materials

Tall storage

Flat storage 

Taters on the left, garlic and herbs right

I really like how they came out and I'm already getting good use out of them. Wondering where I got the crates? Ask at your favorite package store next time you're buying wine. They don't always have them (and even if they do have them they don't always give them out), but I've been lucky enough to score some great looking boxes a few time. Just gotta ask. Now to figure out what I'll do with the bottom portions of the crates...

It's starting to come together

Spring Update

Typical for our area, the weather has been all over the place - cold and windy, cold and wet, warm and sunny - pick a temperature and you'll probably get it (yes, we hit 86 one day). I like this type of topsy-turvy weather though as it gives me a chance to pick a project based on how looks outside. Spring cleaning is actually pretty pleasant when it's sunny but cold out. And there is no better feeling than getting out when it's finally warm enough to do some winter cleanup. So far I've raked the yards, torn down a raised bed that was in a bad spot, used the lumber to build a cold frame, cleaned out the chicken coop, cleared off the porch, got out the patio furniture, and planted trees. 

The streams aren't running as hard since all the snow has melted off. We had to do a fair amount of maintenance on the runoff area as water had spread out into the woods with all the leaf litter filling in the drainage ditches. Even with all the snow we got over the winter the thaw was quick and the water level has already dropped considerably.

Normally gushing this time of year

Outlet area under driveway

Barely see the waterfall on the left

Cooper and the chickens have been enjoying any chance to get out into the sun. 

Cleaning up after I raked

Don't panic! These chickens are not dead! They're loving a dustbath in the sandy soil of the east yard. 

Rubbing her head in the sand

I have a bench seat out here and they'll gather at my feet, dig into the sand, and coo. Actually coo. It's the most pleasant, peaceful, and contented sound I've ever experienced.

Ahhh...

Indoor projects have involved lots of cleaning. I've dug out most of the kitchen boxes that have been waiting patiently for unpacking and actually managed to empty 12 of them. And, as expected (after all, it has been packed away for 4 years), there is stuff in them that we don't really use. Why do we have so many drinking glasses??? However I have found some items that I've actually been missing. Pans, utensils, fun decorations, it's a mixed bag, er, box.

A craft project - drawers into shelves

I got a couple of old drawers from my Mom. They were kinda ugly but built really well and I thought I might be able to turn them into wall storage in My Room. 

I washed them thoroughly, put on a coat of primer, and then painted and stenciled them. I chose a couple colors that bring out the blue butterflies in the curtains. 

Spice jars full of office supplies

I'm still figuring out what I'm going to store on the shelves. Looking for function here, so I don't want to just decorate them. I did know I wanted to hang my ironing board though so added hooks to one. Worked a treat.

Too bad my iron doesn't fit...

And I think they add a nice touch to that corner of the room. I'll likely add little shelves to the tall one so I can store sewing thread there. Or maybe tension rods that I can use to hold ribbon or lace. Something will come to me I'm sure.

Ugh, need a new cover on the ironing board!

Adding fruit trees

We've given up on the apple orchard that we planted a couple years ago. Why? Because the spot we chose is simply too far from the house to provide protection from the deer. The fence we put up? Ha. Not even going to go there.

So we decided to start over and put the trees up in the chicken pasture. It's fenced, it's close to the house, and it's got chickens - what could be better?

Here's what we got in order of planting, left to right, front to back (that's not going to do you any good but I'll be able to identify the trees based on it). I'm including notes from a variety of sources here so that I can easily refer back in coming years. 

"The large, golden fruit of the yellow delicious apple tree ripens late, developing a fine, sweet flavor. While they are best known as fresh eating apples, yellow delicious also work well for pies, applesauce and preserves. They also store well, keeping 3–6 months if refrigerated." source

Yellow Delicious - perfect for my strudel

"In summer, this variety yields sweet, purple-red plums; in spring, it offers white, fragrant flowers; and in fall and winter, the tree offers structural interest and a great place to hang holiday lights. A heavy bearer, Methley grows clusters of plums all throughout the tree. Disease-resistant to fungal diseases like rust.  Ripens in mid July. Self-pollinating." source

Hardy to zone 4! Mary's Jam - oh yes.

"Cold-hardy native of Canada. Round, red, mildly tart fruit has a soft texture when cooked. Gives apple sauce and cider a spicy kick; bakes up juicy and tender. Ripens in mid Sept." source

Pies! Applesauce!

"A heavy producer. The number of deliciously tart cherries from one of these trees will amaze you. The fruit is perfect for juice or any number of dessert recipes. The sturdy, vase-shaped tree is a beauty in the landscape. Bears just a few years after planting. Disease-resistant to brown rot and leaf spot. Developed by the University of Minnesota, introduced in 1950. Cold-hardy. Ripens in mid-June. Self-pollinating." source

I love cherry pie

"Outstanding fresh-eating qualities make this variety an American favorite. Fruit is aromatic and sweet as honey with an explosively juicy, crisp texture. Grow this naturally compact tree even in small spaces. Originates from Excelsior, Minnesota in 1974. Cold-hardy. Ripens in early September."  source

Our "out of hand" apple

I think I got a decent mix of product - some for baking and canning, some for eating straight from the tree. All should tolerate our growing zone and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the deer can be kept out of the chicken pasture. We've managed to keep them away from the two small peach trees that are up near the house so I do have some expectation that I'm not actually insane.

It's the little things...utensil organization

I love having an organized kitchen. In fact, that was one of the driving considerations in our kitchen design - how do you set it up so that stuff actually fits well and isn't all jumbled together? I think we've done a pretty good job of it and once the kitchen is finished I'll do a post on what's in all drawers, but for now, here is my silverware drawer. Organized? Yes. Maximized? No.

Definitely some problems: it's hard to reach the items stored way in the back; there is wasted space in the white trays; and the trays get dirty and do not look clean, not even after bleach. Little things. Annoying things.

Hate those white trays

Chris to the rescue! Store-bought wood trays are great but they come in limited sizes and configurations. So I told Chris what I wanted and he cut some strips and voile! Problems solved!  The pine strips are sanded smooth and tabbed to fit snugly together. This is a test run so we've taped them for now and if I like the set up we'll pin and glue them together later.

Much better

I like that I didn't have to do the entire drawer. The bulk stuff is contained yet there is plenty of room and easy access to the items that don't need corralling. Nice!

Sadness

I lost two chickens today. Happened between 1pm and 4pm while I was over at Dad's house. Cooper was with me and the cat was locked in the house. Not sure what took them but I found the wings and feathers of one bird right next to the house - I mean within 15 feet. Nothing visible of the other bird; maybe I'll find some evidence tomorrow on our walk of the property.

We've had signs of a fisher and a coyote in the area, but they hadn't come close to the house. And how weird is it that they left her wings? And lots of feathers? I've heard tales of blood drained or the entire bird carried off, but this seems like it actually took time to dismember and eat her.

Looks like we need to rethink the whole "free-range' concept. At least as far as leaving them out when we're not home anyway. Doubt this would have happened if we'd been around, but you can't guarantee that either. I admit we depend on Cooper to alert us to ground predators and that's likely what this was. So maybe we'll just confine the chickens when we're not around...not sure and it's too fresh to make any real decisions. For now we'll just be sad and mourn.