Wildlife Habitat!

My land is now certified with the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat. I am thrilled! This has been a goal of mine for years.

There are a few more things I want to do, as money allows.

• I would like to put in a small wetland
• I want a habitat for amphibians
• I'd like a water feature
• I definitely want a bat house
• I want a house for mason bees (love those pollinators!)

I think all these things are compatible with my homesteading activities. I find great pleasure in nurturing the wild creatures that share my home.

Last year, I hung up a bird house gourd. I was so disappointed that no birds used it. This morning, Hub told me to go look. There's a nest inside, and a wren flew out as I approached! I am delighted!

The garden is doing well. Except, only a few corn plants have sprouted. I may plant a few more tomorrow and see what happens. The zucchini looks good. Can't wait for fried zucchini and zucchini bread. MMMMM!

Our solar clothes dryer (clothesline) has continued to bring me pleasure. It may sound funny to some, but I love being outside, hanging clothes and folding them as they come off the line. It's soothing. There has been a stiff wind today, so it hasn't taken things long to dry!

Hub is working on the chicken coop. He has installed the door for the chickens and only needs to rig up a pulley system to open and close it. Now he is finishing off the side of the coop where the lttle door is so we can get it sided, painted and the run put up. The chickies are getting too big for their little pen!

I have checking into what kind of goats I'd like to get next year. I am leaning towards the Dwarf Nigerian goats. They have milk with a high butterfat content, good for making cheese. I need to eventually pick a spot for a shelter for the larger livestock. I worry about coyotes getting the goats, so I may look into a guard lama.

I also definitely want Angora rabbits. I am going to learn to spin this year if it kills me! Drop spindle and on the wheel. I'd like to be able to spin right off the rabbit. Besides, they are adorable!!

Salad in progress

Yesterday, I planted swiss chard, arugula, and romaine. My garden is so pretty! I just wish it would warm up here. I think the garden will really take off with some good sunshine!

I bought crickets for the chickens yesterday. I love to watch them go nuts and chase around the coop. Of course, whoever gets the last cricket gets chased around by the others until the cricket is eaten! So funny! They make more "chicken" noises now, instead of peep, peep, peep. They look so surprised when a full blown cluck emerges.

I almost ended up with a bunny yesterday. I was at the pet store (small pets only, no cats or dogs) to get the crickets when I noticed an enclosure full of bunnies. One little lop hopped up to the glass, sat up and wiggled its nose at me. Instant love! For only $25. Of course, then I would have to buy bedding, a feeder, a waterer, food and a cage. But, oh, I wanted that little rabbit. It was all I could do to take my crickets and leave.

I have filled all the space in my garden. I now wish I had more room. I was walking in our back acreage this morning, looking at all the space, planning projects to make use of that area. We have 3.3 acres and it seems a shame not to utilize it.

I have it in wildflowers and prairie grasses, but I am still fighting Johnson grass. I am trying to conquer that by hand weeding as I don't want to mow down the beneficial plants. We have planted trees out back, but our lovely deer think we are putting out snacks. I don't want to be rid of the deer (I love to watch them), but need to protect and future tree plantings. Deer fencing, I guess.

In the next week, I am hoping to finish everything I need to get certified by NWF as a Backyard Habitat. That is so awesome to me! I love watching all the wildlife around my house.

So far, my garden rocks!

My garden looks awesome! Bean got me Italian parsley for Mother's Day, so I planted it today. My cabbage is beautiful. And I had my first harvest! Two lovely strawberries, just ripe! They were tasty and I hope I have more soon!

I planted beets today, much to Hub's excitement. I have never had fresh beets, only canned or pickled. Hub doesn't like pickled beets. He says that beets with butter and some salt are heavenly. I can't wait to try!

I have everything I need to fill my last garden bed, except good enough weather. It has been the rainiest spring ever, I think. I am hoping to have time and good weather this Sunday.

The chickens continue to thrive. We have been busy, so no further progress on the coop. I put them in their pen as often as I can, weather permitting. I got them a large feeder and waterer as the small ones didn't hold them a day. Hub hung them from the coop ceiling and they stay much cleaner.Hub also built a three tier roost. It is so cute to see the chickies on it. Some on it, some under it. It's a process!

I now have a compost area, made with supplies we had on hand. I am delighted to have a place for my kitchen scraps and the shavings from the coop.

I am pleased with my progress with my little homestead so far. I am being patient, enjoying the process. It is a journey and an adventure.

Slow Going

I have been fighting bronchitis this week. I've had three days off and couldn't enjoy it for being sick. Ick. I haven't even felt like scrapping. It has been pouring rain for three days here and I couldn't do anything outside, either.

I did gather the bills and it is depressing. I am going to have to work more to make ends meet. I love my job, but it is physically and mentally draining to me. Right now, I work 64 hours a pay, that's 8 shifts in two weeks. That is really my limit. Up until now, it was OK, although Hub is a bit weird about me not working "full time." The work exhausts me and doesn't leave me much to give at home. I don't think he understands how hard it is to be a nurse.

But money is more than tight right now and we need more. One of the new nurses is resigning and I know I could pick up a couple more shifts to make me 80 hours. Since I work evening shift, I'll never get to see Hub, except on the weekends that I am off and two days in that two weeks. I just wish I was back on day shift, but I kind of burned that bridge. I guess we will see what happens. Maybe I could work more just through the summer, until we get the Subaru paid off. That will free up almost $400 a month.

The chickens are growing like weeds. They are so funny. Hub built them a roost. When he put it in the coop, they immediately jumped on it. Since then, they have spent more time huddling beneath it. I guess they will figure it out.

My garden looks amazing. I now have cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, basil, and thyme. Dad gave me $100 for my birthday and I am going to spend it preparing my last raised bed and buying veggies for it. I can't wait to actually harvest something, even just one strawberry.

I received a catalog from Gaiam/Real Goods that has a lot of cool, low eco-impact products in it. Some are more money than I would spend, but others may be possible next year. It is nice to dream...