Ahhh...the Country Life...

 Hard to believe it has been almost a week since I posted.

Whew!

Sorry about that.

It was one of those weeks that was both a fast forward and a slow motion week.

Our county fair started last week so the two weeks leading up to it were a whirlwind of busy, trying to get submissions done.

We dropped off our submissions this weekend and then drove right from there to see family for the weekend.

Had a great time but when I got home, I just sort of tuckered out.

Lost the wind in my sails and just could not get a direction.

Has that ever happened to you?

So this is my flock.

I tried to take photos when I let them out of their pen one night.

They move fast when they get out...

Eating bugs and grass.

Taking a dust bath.

Just exploring.

Most pictures are blurry from the flurry of movement.

They love getting out in the evenings.

In winter we keep them in their enclosure because they don't like the snow anyway.

They still get lots of fresh air from their little courtyard but they do not run around the yard.

They squawk when it is time to fly down from the nesting box in the morning because they don't want their little feet to touch the snow.

Silly Birds.

When I let them out in the evening, there are always one or two feeling broody in the nesting box.  

I pick each hen up and hold her until she cools a little and wants to fly down.

Then I gather the eggs.

After the broody girls walk around a little bit, they return to the nesting box.

This is Emma and Agent C (from Phineas and Ferb).

This is Sally (short for salad).  

Most of them are named after Chicken dishes...

Chicken Salad= Sally.

Chicken Barbeque= BeeBee

Chicken Fajita= Fay

Chicken Patty= Patty

Fried Chicken= Fred

I know, it is weird.

  We don't eat them.

They are egg producing pets.

Here is Fred, from the 2 new chicks this year.

Yup, he's a rooster.

So far, so good with Chester, the other rooster.

 And here is Frick, the other new chick.

I have the most pictures of them.

  They imprinted on us so they think the humans are their flock.

Frick and Fred are Araucanas.

Frick should lay green or blue eggs.

All the Bantam hens lay little white to tan eggs.

It will be exciting the first time we find a blue one.

I am going to try to get back on track with my posts.

Thanks for stopping by....

Linking up with these great blogs.

Thrifty Thursday....Junking with the Husband....

I know I have mentioned how awesome my husband is....

Last week we went yard sale-ing together.

A church down the road hosted a yard sale in the parking lot...

Lots of possibilities with just one stop...

So we set out early.

We got home early too.

Check out some of our treasures.

Free is good, right?

It's one of those twisty things that you can arrange yourself. 

I have other plans for it...

I will show you later.

Some more goodies...

The popcorn crock will get used with the popcorn machine for parties...

Remember the popcorn machine from the studio tour?

I already have a couple popcorn crocks but this one was 50 cents with no chips so it was a keeper.

The bottles and flower pot were a nickel each.

What's that copper thing, you ask?

It was behind one of the booths.

I love copper.

I figured it was something they had already purchased from someone else.

"Is it for sale?" I asked.

"Yep,"  he says.

"How much?"

"A Nickle."

I gave him a quarter.

It's a water feature for your house/garden, porch.

It was very dirty and had no water pump.

I had 3 little pumps in the greenhouse.

With some work, one fit.

Now it just needs some plants and a home.

We also got 2 director's chairs

a couple bins for wood

A whole pile of seat cushions (24, I think).

They are getting makeovers with some burlap.

and 2 more bowling balls for more garden art.

Except once I got the bowling balls home, my daughter claimed one and my husband says the other one would work for him.

Although I think my husband would let me use this one in the garden.

Sigh!

Oh!  My other favorite was this old school chair.

Marked $3.

Paid $1.

I am not sure yet if it will end up in the garden or repaired.

  I do love it....

The vehicle came home full.

And we had a fun adventure.

Thanks for stopping by.....

Barn Tour...Part 3...the Exterior

I showed you the upstairs and downstairs in the barn.

Today is a look at the outside.

I took these pictures last summer.

The beauty of the weathered wood is always fresh to me.

Even abandoned and alone, I think she is lovely.

She does not seem sad to me.

She seems strong and settled and happy.

When I come to visit here, I usually wait for my husband right here.

He knows when he pulls up in the truck that there may be a pile of goodies to load for home.

Sometimes it's just a little pile of walnuts or scrap wood.

This is the old implement shed.

This winter, part of the roof fell in.

My daughter had her senior pictures taken here.

She said she had a lot of sweat equity in those pictures.

We came 2 times to clean out brush and trim back branches and grass.

The pictures were gorgeous.

We loved that the photographer came here to take them.

This place means something to my whole family.

I know that pole barns are so much easier and cheaper to build.

These sweet old buildings are slowly dying away.

Even though she is old and overgrown,  I think she is lovely and charming.

This is a look from the outside in that small animal room I showed you before.

If you turn and look the other way at the door, you see the scene below....

We just don't make things like this anymore....

This is what was left of the farm house last fall.

It is very overgrown.

I am curious to explore it but it is not safe.

You could fall through the floor into the basement.

Or get beaned by something falling from above...

So I usually try to get as close as possible and look.

Living in the country has so many benefits...

Fresh air.

Lots of space.

Nice, hard working people.

Critters and birds.

Beautiful places.

Do you have somewhere you enjoy like this?

Thanks for stopping by...