Since Bill was on vacation, I feel like I have been struggling to keep my head above water around the house and farmette (A new little term for our home was given by someone I have recently met!)  The last couple of days have really been busy!  I've managed to keep the house mildly straight and clothes and dishes washed, but that is about the extent of it!

Yesterday was an exciting day.  I was greeted with the peeps of baby chicks when I let the chickens out.  The mother hen was hiding them under her wings (What a beautiful reminder of God's love for us!), so I didn't get to see them until a little later.  Unfortunatly, I found one on the floor of the coop floundering and chirping wildly when I went back to check on them later.  I quickly risked being pecked to death by Fern and scooped it up.  The poor thing was still wet.  I showed if off to the family before returning it to the nest.

Alissa was getting ready to help put up and get
in the pool, but the chick came first!  She fell in
love with it.  It went to sleep nearly as soon as I
put it in her hands!

Jake's face was just priceless!

 I was thanked for returning the chick with a nice firm peck! 

The whole experience of Fern becoming broody, though, has really helped Fern become more trusting.  Before she started sitting on the eggs, she wouldn't have anything to do with the other chickens, and she wouldn't even roost in the coop.  She would get in a tree just outside of the coop.  She would also run from us if she thought we were going to get too close to her.  Since the chicks have hatched, she hasn't been wanting to leave the nest much, because everytime she does, one of the other hens gets on the nest and one or the other of the chicks always falls to the floor.  I started leaving her little bites of food just outside the nest so she didn't have to walk away from the coop more than neccessary.  At first, she would peck me, but she eventually seemed to understand I was trying to help her.  Once, this morning when I went up to check on things, she was sitting on the floor and two hens were in two of the nests, one of which was Fern's.  I wasn't sure what was going on so I backed out where they couldn't see me.  The two hens left and I walked back in where Fern was still on the floor.  As I got near her, she stood, and the two sweet babies came chirping from under her!  She looked at me as if to say, "What are you waiting for?," and got on the ramp to the nest.  I scooped up the babies and put them in a different nest that the hens don't fight over.  Fern immediately got in the nest with them.  As they all settled in, she would touch them with her beak and then look at me.  Soon the babies were all snuggled in, and Mama was happy!  Too sweet!

Fern and Flip

Fern and Flop

I gave them their names of Flip and Flop because they are always flipping and flopping out of the nest!

Bill was off yesterday and he wanted me to try and finish going through all the things I had stored in his shop while he and the children put up the small swimming pool we bought several years ago.  What a job all that sorting has been!  I thought would melt away yesterday as I finished up sorting through everything in the heat and humidity!  I had planned to reorganize and put everything away today, but I ended up having to buy groceries today.  It seems tomorrow is just going to be too busy to squeeze in shopping; it's a special day.  So, now, my school room is a complete mess!  Please don't show up without warning before Monday!

So, there is a small glimpse into the happenings of the last two days here on the farmette.

Before I leave, there is one little trick I had tucked away in my scattered brain that I thought I would share with you.  Have you ever had a splinter or tiny briar you couldn't see or remove?  Poor Alissa was out with her daddy the other day and saw a beautiful yellow flower blooming on a cactus in the woods.  She tried to pick it for me, but found her hand full of prickly needles.  They were so tiny and fine, they could hardly be seen. She thought she had gotten them all out, but later discovered that some of them were still bothering her.  I couldn't see anything to pull out and initially felt helpless.  Then I remembered the trick I read a long time ago.  I got a bottle of white glue and covered the area of her thumb that was bothering her with the glue.  I let the glue dry and then peeled it off.  Voila!  The splinter was pulled out by the dried glue!  Maybe you can use the tip one day!

Thank you for spending a little time with us on the farmette!  I hope you enjoyed your visit!  Please know you are welcomed anytime!  We welcome comments.  Do you have any little tricks that help you?  Please feel free to share!

I'm off to plan a birthday party that is supposed to happen in 18 days!  So, until we meet again, be blessed!