Winter or Spring?

Here in Arkansas, you never can tell what the weather will be.  Cold, hot,  snowy, windy.    Today is beautiful,  sunny with a light wind.  So I naturally thought of getting everyone out doors.

 We have been working on containing the chickens in one area, giving them enough room to roam but keeping all the POOP out of the yard we play in.  I am really tired of telling the kids to check their feet, shoes, blankets, pants, etc.  Here is a pic of our redneck chicken coop.

We had some temporary fencing to keep them out of the garden, but now I want them out of the yard, so we put it around another part of the yard with a tree for shade and protection and all is better.  But it is SOOO tacky.  There are even bricks on the edge to to keep the chickens from crawling under the fencing.  Hopefully soon, we will put up some pig wire permanently with a door. 

 The kids are building their own beds for growing things this spring.  I am slowing but surely releasing my hold on projects that I thought were mine.  So I have two raised beds and they each get one.  Here is a pic of the three younger kids working on their beds.  (The wood we scrounged around for in  the burn pile and a neighbors burn pile. .frugal huh??)

Lastly,  a pic of our newly acquired rooster, 12 weeks old.  Right now the chickens are bigger than he is and peck him.  Thankfully, he can get out and away from them during the day.  At night,  well,  let's just say I haven't found any blood yet.  I hope he man's up soon and puts those hens in their place.  I want some chicks this spring.  Pretty isn't he?

No name yet.  In the running is Mr. Scott and Hugo. Do you like one or the other?  Let me know and I will tell the girls. 

Sorry for not posting in so long.  I vacillate between writing what's on my heart, which sometimes shouldn't be spoken of, and writing day to day happenings.  Hopefully I can combine these and just have fun here. 

thanks for reading,

Rebekah