Category: Animals

Animals

Welcome Daisy and Dandelion

bitsybody

Bitsy’s Backyard got a little bigger and extra noisy with the arrival of Daisy and Dandelion, 2 happy, hungry hens.

Still in quarantine, our sweet neighbor who had given us Darby and Delilah came over one night this week and added the two to our coop. Hoping to minimize the excitement and competition, they put them in right before bedtime. Well, Delilah was not as welcoming as one would have hoped. Masked up and armed with a flashlight, I went to rescue the new chickens. Can you imagine in the rain and darkness, climbing into the caged section of the coop? That was me still in quarantine but not wanting the local fox to find them out in the caged section. I caught them; opened the outside door to the coop and placed them in. Delilah was thwarted from keeping them locked out. Night one in the record books.

Now, the new hens figured out that the automatic door closes at dusk so they have learned to hop into the coop each night even with determined Delilah. One afternoon in a heavy downpour, Delilah stood in the entrance of the cage so Dandelion could not get into the coop where she would be out of the rain. When I checked on them, she was soaked through her feathers just dripping from the deluge of water. Noticing our top girl in the entrance way, I quickly scooped up Dandelion and opened the side door of the coop. Another save. Many days have passed now and she still goes after Dandelion by jumping on her back, threatening her at the entrance of the caged section, but each day seems to be getting better. Thank goodness, it breaks a teacher’s and mum’s hearty to see the bullying in the backyard. I guess I have another book idea for the girls. As my son said that I can’t rescue her each time as they have to figure out the coop on their own. So hard to watch nature in my backyard but as Bowen said they are figuring out and everyone is laying eggs.

  • Welcome Dandelion
  • Watch out for me!
  • Welcome Daisy

Today, was coop clean up with new mulch and wiped out boxes. Changing out the mulch, freshening up the coop keeps the smells away even if I still can’t smell as well as helping keep the eggs clean. I have been recycling the Whole Foods bags as they naturally decompose . I used them to line the nesting boxes to preserve the wood frames. I have used them in other parts of my garden as they break down naturally. Yeah Whole Foods – thank you. I’ll show you my shade garden soon and how I used them.

  • Nesting box with a Whole Foods bag – add mulch on top

While cleaning the area, we let them out for a little run. I had my son further away from me guarding the front so they didn’t escape. He made a funny TikTok of them trying to get by me. One hen had something in her mouth that was not appetizing but the other chickens obviously thought it was.

Next on the agenda for the girls is supplementing their feed to have tastier eggs and help one hen that has a softer shell. I’ll update our ideas as I finish some research. They roam free, eats lots of bugs, fruit and greens. They eat Purina full pellet feed as well. Fingers crossed for some positive updates about the eggs.

As I prepare for my quarantine to end (prayers please) and school to start, I sense an uneasy stomach. What is ahead for us especially in Florida? With my blood tests tomorrow, I must refocus on the AIH and pray that my liver is still ok since COVID. I remind myself that I must take one day at a time. Place my trust in God and know that I am not alone.

Have the strength to ask for help as you are not alone as most people around you are willing to walk with you.

Animals, Reflections

In the Moment – More Lessons from Meadow

bitsybody

It has been a crazy two weeks from traveling to VA, getting settled at home, friends arriving from the UK, and our kids being busier than I thought. Why does summer seem to sprint while winter crawls on? In the midst of laundry, cooking and all things to the backyard, I watched our sweet Meadow grow long legs. Lauren this week said that Meadow looks like a deer.

How she is full of life and continues to teach me life lessons. While I spend so much time with her hoping that she is getting closer to being potty-trained, I find myself watching her in amazement. I think we can learn so much from how she responds to her environment teaching us a calmer path forward. Here are some observations of Meadow’s teachings. How can she help me live with chronic disease feeling full of life and not afraid?

Meadow’s Teachings

  1. Meadow’s gets a collar – people and life might put a new collar on you – you struggle with it – jump around and fight but eventually you go with it and find happiness and play still wherever you go. Meadow spent 5 minutes challenging the collar and then she just went with it. She makes the collar look great and keep on going being curious everywhere she goes.
  2. The hose – some might look at a hose as just for drinking or watering but Meadow finds fun in catching and snapping at the water. So cute and funny – you can’t help but laugh and smile at the excitement she shows with water coming out as an adventure and amusement.
  3. Picking up sticks – well she loves to eat the yard especially sticks and roots. When one stick is taken from her or she drops it, she is on the hunt for the next one. Not frustrated, she moves on quickly – soon to find another one not too far away. She never gives up as so many more options abound with each step. We are blessed to have so many resources.
  4. Cuddles and belly rubs – being with people and animals is important. A tug on Legos tail, a chase of Tallulah, or belly rubs and hugs from the kids, Meadow is happy enjoying life one day at a time. Being in the present moment and enjoying that second for whatever it may bring. Sometimes it is an awesome treat but other times it is just a head rub when we walk by. She appreciates life and never stops wagging her tail. This past weekend, I walked with 2 dear friends. We chatted afterwards for almost 2 hours. It was so nice to be laughing with them and just there. A true blessing is friendship and just being present with each word said.
  5. Playing in the rain – Rain will fall and get us wet but it is better to play than not. It tends to thunder and rain a lot in Florida so you never know when a passing shower might come. She looks up and tries to take a bite of the rain. Quickly moving on, she finds dry patches where she can to play with her sticks and doesn’t let her stop. When one path closes, she often finds a new way to go. She doesn’t want to get fully wet but she goes with it if she has to.
  6. Weeds – Meadow loves the weeds as much as she loves the flowers. Often we look at weeds and cringe . Maybe the weeds are better than we think? Maybe we have not looked closely enough at the benefits of the weeds. So, I stopped to look at the waterdrops on the marigolds. How many of us stop to take a look to see the waterdrops. My picture shows you how many drops of water are there while it rains. Not one drop is the same but equally amazing.
  7. Moths – In the grass, we have many moths and hornets. As Meadow runs through the yard, it springs to life with them flying everywhere. She chases them in all directions excited to see which way they will go. Never a doubt going forward, she goes from one to the next hoping to make a catch. We must live life springing forward chasing a path with gusto.

As I look back over the last 10 days, I quickly become frustrated that I didn’t set time aside to blog, work in the backyard or cook some of my favorite recipes. I can ponder over the reasons why and start listing them to make me feel better or I can simply start again. I know this is something that I enjoy and it is a fun way to talk to others about how we can have a great trip on this journey called life. I must adapt just as my body adapts to a new normal with a chronic disease, how the household adapts to 5 teens as sweet friends from the UK are staying with us, adapt to changing weather from blistering sun to rain, and just adapt to life. I remember that I told myself last week to embrace life so here I go again with the same start – embrace life like Meadow shows me each day. Love unconditionally, help others and be a force of change for the better. We got this and everyone has the chance to start again. Thus, I keep going with the blog. As the rain falls this afternoon, the science teacher in me thanks the water cycle for taking care of the garden this afternoon. We have so many blessings in a single day to a single hour or even a minute. Meadow doesn’t live outside of the present moment and I too want to be present. Whether during exercise knowing that it is the now that hurts. Breathe through and we all got this.

This moment is where you are meant to be so don’t look too far ahead as you will miss where you are. Even the weeds have something to teach you.

Time for you go pick up your stick.
Animals, Reflections

Embrace Life – Back to the Backyard

bitsybody

Time to leave the peace of my parent’s home and return to the backyard. My strength is up and down but I find that is part of life with an autoimmune disease. Each day is a gift and some are bigger presents than others.

I thought a quick update on the animals would be fun as they are such a big part of our life and I have been away from the backyard work. We are working on pathways for the gardens, replanting the tower, and fun recipes this week. It will be great to be back in a routine as I missed posting more frequently about my life giving work around us. It really is the best medicine to dig into the life around you taking care of the land, the animals and others.

When I returned home, Tallulah, our cat, had received a package. Quick history – she was a feral and very sick kitten that we rescued at 3 months old. She loves the outside and tries to find her path back to freedom at all times. One of her favorite places is the screened-in porch as she watches the birds and all lizards that seem to walk closely to the screen. Always waiting by the door for us to return, she tends to be more of a dog than a cat. She loves nerf guns and comes running to the sound of us taking them out. She can jump the height of our sliding glass door to pull one off which is amazing to see. Personality abounds with Tallulah whether a constant companion during puzzles or a snuggle with us in a fuzzy blanket, she brings a smile to everyone’s face and sometimes a bite.

Tallulah – Our Jumper

In the package, she received some toys and an avocado collar from “Meow Lives” . She loves the fun colored balls that rattle and I am happy to have a collar on her as she wants to escape outside whenever the door seems to be left opened. She has never worn a collar in the 3 years that we have had her so after the initial terror of having something around her neck, she has settled into her new look. She seemed to jump to regal status with her collar as it has an added bell and charm. You hear her everywhere she goes. My husband is thrilled with the 4am bell ringing as the puppy seems to think Tallulah is beckoning her to wake up. She is a personality to behold in our home of the backyard – fun and sassy – definitely offers entertainment but an attack at times so one must tread lightly on the fun or chase games.

The puppy is finally becoming a playmate to Tallulah and it is fun to see them chasing each other around the house. Meadow and Lego have become the wrestling duo. Whether a stuff toy between them or just fur, they have been enjoying the physical activity – we think. Lego is a trooper helping us expend Meadow’s growing energy. Tallulah is not too far from the action in case she wants to play.

The girls are doing well with daily eggs and lots of hellos as my sons can attest to with their morning egg laying cheers. I came home and cleaned the coop area. More fun updates on them as we work on projects and hopefully some additions to the flock.

Always here to play and help with college essays.

Well it is Monday – always hard – as the family says the night before that they have the Sunday Scaries. I want to change that feeling at the beginning of the week as a chance for a fresh start – a way to embrace the week. When Louie was a baby he woke up at the crack of dawn, I would wake by putting my feet on the floor and telling myself to embrace the mornings.

I told myself then and I am doing it again…

– Embrace Life –

Embrace the morning and the afternoon exhaustion

Embrace the chance to be whatever you are called to do

Embrace the chance to fail and then learn

Embrace love unconditionally

Embrace laughter and the tears

Embrace the workout and the tired moments

Embrace the quiet times

Embrace the noise

Just Embrace!

Animals

Meadow meets the Girls.

bitsybody

The girls bring so many smiles to our day. As I round the corner to the coop, I always call out “girls” and they greet me at the fence with a cluck cluck cluck. My heart melts every time as Darby and Delilah enthusiastically run. It is funny to see indeed as they move as fast as they possibly can. Gives new meaning to eager to see you. Even on my worst day, those two can make the clouds around me seem less thick. A fun daily treat is taking Meadow over to see Darby and Delilah. She enjoys interacting with them and is hopeful that she will get some of their treats.

Wish I could get into play….

Chickens are a love and bring so much joy. Lately, it has been a few harder days as my energy is low. One challenge with an autoimmune disease is fatigue. I am not sure how to get passed it, but I know that it is not in my head or the need of a supplement. It just is what it is – the Drs. wish they knew how to make it go away but fatigue is the number one symptom. So back to the girls. They give me that extra boost of life and smile to keep going. The animals in my backyard give me peace and joy knowing that I am loved, but they need my love. They need me as much as I need them.

To their space in the backyard, we designed our coop to have a few spaces to keep them safe from predators and weather. They have two areas to roam around in. One is attached to the coop and opens up automatically at dawn. The chicken guard as it is called opens and closes by the rise and fall of the sun. The chickens have a schedule and they head inside before the guard closes for the night. We have food hanging in the coop and a self dispensing water bucket with nibblers that my husband made.

Garden added to our chicken fence
  • Easy access to eggs
  • Safety under the coop.
  • 1st pen with water dispenser.
  • Eggs

All in all the chickens are super easy to raise. We let them out of the smaller pen into the larger one if we are home. At night, we lock the outside pen knowing that the chicken guard has already locked them in safely.

Any for me?

I recommend chickens for anyone’s home and backyard. One for delicious eggs but also the fun interaction of nature.

Animals

Welcome Home Meadow!

bitsybody

Exciting news happened for the backyard animals when a little friend arrived named Meadow last night. Our two cars split paths – one traveling home on I-95 (why??? I know) and the other detoured a little west south of Atlanta to meet a special girl. I’ll get to our surprise in a minute but first you must meet the cast of animals that we have here so far.

Lego

Lego is a mush and a love. As you might think, his name has something to do with Legos. Our youngest loved Legos and for two years we celebrated at Legoland. Well, the third year it happened that we couldn’t go on his bday and our wheels started turning. What makes a family happier than a puppy? At that time, we had a beautiful golden named Pumpkin and of course she needed a brother. Here enters Lego 8 years ago in the October. Lego is a love and the kindest dog you will meet.

Tallulah

Tallulah, Roo, Pud or Chat comes to many names and loves people. A rescue kitten from the streets at 3 months she quickly joined into the family mix and offers so much love and comedy to the family. She loves nerf darts (seriously she has some ups), fetches like her dog friends, loves ping pong, and an avid nature lover from her windows. Tallulah is one special cat with a dog’s personality as my kids describe her. I know you will enjoy watching her story come to life.

Darby and Delilah

Only be in the backyard for 2 weeks, we happily welcomed Darby and Delilah. Given to us from friends, they are fun and great talkers. They love treats of meal worms and fruit. Of course, we are happy to comply. You might hear us yelling “Girls” as we set out to see them. We are having a blast making their coop area a delight – check out upcoming posts on my Blog and Instagram to see the updates as we grow the chicken farm of our backyard.

Pumpkin (2005 -2020)

  • SONY DSC

Sweet Pumpkin passed away during the spring of 2020 with the COVID lockdown. As my husband says, there will never be a greater dog. She was the sweetest, kindest and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for us. She rescued us from the very beginning when she brought smiles to our middle child who was in a spika cast at 22 months – he broke his femur. She loved our family till the end and we will forever be grateful. We love you Pumpkin – thank you for making us better every day.

**Meadow**

Meadow joined us yesterday and she is a smush and a nug as my oldest says. We all felt Pumpkin had come home. The introductions have begun and she is enjoying exploring the backyard. I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. We are in love. Welcome home Meadow!

Banjo

Every once and while, you will see a sweet friend in the backyard. Banjo is my husband’s parent’s black lab. We are lucky to have them living with us in their cottage in the backyard that my husband redid from an old shell of a building/garage.