Sand...the PERFECT Playground!

Aidan, Evie, Aaron, and I built a pretty cool fortress today!  Including a mote, several bridges, and multiple octopus and sea turtles. Ya just don't get too old for sand...

Did you know that "In 1885 an outdoor play center for children was established in the city of Boston. A large sand pile was placed in the yard of a children's mission through the efforts of the state Emergency and Hygiene Association. Each day an average of fifteen children came to play. They dug in the sand, sang songs, and marched about under the guidance of a woman who lived in the neighborhood. The area around the sand pile was open three days per week for six weeks during the months of July and August.

The Boston Sand Garden served as a forerunner of all playgrounds in America. By 1887, nine other sand gardens had opened in Boston." (Dr. Larry Jackson, http://leisurelines.blogspot.com)

Gobbling Dandelion Fluff!!

For years, Sydney would trick her friends (and me) into closing our eyes and opening wide as she blew dandelion fluff into our mouths!  YUK!  So it's rather funny that her puppy, Mabel, LOVES to grab the big puffy spheres and gobble them up. Wish I could have captured Mabel's eyes lighting up when she sees one :)

13th Annual Kids Kamp has begun!

What a treat to see so many kids come to camp over the years and return as the teenage counselors! It's always a sweet gathering and sometimes the very first "campout" for some of the youngsters. Spaghetti, homemade ice cream, campfires, SKITS, crafts, hikes, baby chicks, and samples from the garden. Thank goodness the rain paused this weekend for us - and thank goodness I don't have to sleep in the tents. :)   Kathleen, Ron, RJ, Taylor, and Amber - you counselors are the best! It's nice just being in charge of logistics.

Newbies right AT the front door!!

Home from a San Juan Island trip to find two new baby Robins a foot from the front door in the hanging fuchsia basket - and two more on the way.  (See earlier post called Too Close for Comfort!) To add to the drama, the annual Kid's Camp is on our property this weekend so all 15 of us will have to come into the house through the garage. Can't BELIEVE Mama Robin thought this was a good idea...though life in a huge fuchsia would be quite fun!

Collards for the Girls

Yes, I really have planted a row of collards each year for several years for my hens. Then, last year, I discovered an old-time recipe for collard greens which is to die for!?!?! It includes a smoked turkey leg and takes TWO HOURS to cook. So, I do hope I have a little left after they chow down :)

When Ya Gotta Go, well...Ya Just Go!

The "aunts" have been displaced a few days while the baby chicks acclimatize and the normal roosts where they lay their eggs are unavailable.  No more words are needed to describe this dilemma! LOL!

Little Miss Red and Her BROOD of 6!

Well, "we" did it. Little Miss Red and I are a team. You might say I tricked her into motherhood once again after the loss of her one little chick, because she has now adopted the six new chicks from Mary's Feed Store. I placed one under her wings the first night - which we named "Hero" for numerous reasons. Kept the other five nestled under a heat lamp and feather duster in the house. All went well in the coop, and the next night, five other chicks were gently placed under her once again. The next morning, she wakes up to SIX and probably says, "Oh! My! Well! Ok!"  And then she just gets on with life - not unlike Dory in finding Nemo - lol!  She's now clucking at the babies as though she laid AND hatched them -  showing them how to dig and peck and dust and all that other chicken stuff.  Oh to have that wonderful accepting attitude :)  BUT I am very glad our brains are considerably larger.

Too Close for Comfort?

More "bird" drama to accompany the chicks!  What a stunning sight to see FOUR beautiful blue robin's eggs in a nest at eye level, about one foot away from our front door in a hanging fuchsia basket. Oooops!  Ms. Robin built this when we were gone for 12 days and now has to live with the consequences. We're trying to avoid the front door when we can, but still startle her often. We'll see what happens in 12-14 days when they are supposed to hatch...

My Little Chicken Pets...

Today, while I was prepping the "alternative" chicken house, and getting the roost ready for six new baby chicks, I remembered how MANY years of my childhood that I "built" animal houses for whatever stray or critter that was my latest catch. And today it was raining and I was soaked and smiling and once again, in my element :)  Sooooo...let the drama unfold over the next few days as babies are introduced to Little Miss Red.

Dog vs Human Scent Detectors

I just learned a human has 5 million scent receptors in their nose and a bloodhound has 300 million!!! Just imagine what Mabel's nose is picking up in these Idaho irrigated fields of mint and onion, corn and barley, potatoes and melons!  Not to mention the pig lots, numerous horse barns, and dairies within a five mile radius of us that day. Now THAT'S a feast of the senses :)

What a Beautiful Country...

It's easy to forget things ever existed like tall prairie grass tickling the bellies of buffalo, wild horses and painted ponies, communities of teepees, wagon trains, the wild west, unclimbed mountains and untamed rivers. But there are some things that haven't changed in hundreds of years like the open prairie, blue sky, towers of cumulous clouds, and Grand Teton National Park. And how fun is it to actually see the terrain change as the hours pass on a long road trip :)

The Way West

Forgot about this way cool historical site as Vern, Sydney, Mabel, and I entered Kearney, Nebraska at dusk tonight towing Syd's little car, Ellen, behind us!  The Arch spans 310 feet over Interstate 80 and represents 170 years of America's westward movement. Three trails:  Oregon, Mormon, and California trails all converge here. We are heading to Wind River, Wyoming tomorrow. Some LONG days on the road ahead...