Bad dog, good chicken...

This blog started out as a way for me to document my journey into life as a miro-farmer.  Not turning into a very tiny farmer, but having a tiny-ish farm.  Just so we have that part clear.  So I'm going back to the roots of this blog for today and sharing some deep-ish thoughts about the process so far.

In the last year and a half we have discovered just how much we love raising and growing our own food.  There's a huge sense of pride in seeing and being a part of the whole process.  When I used to buy a package of chicken, or a carton of eggs, they were just products on the shelf.  There was a huge disconnect between me and those chickens.  I'm not responsible for any part of those chickens' lives.  That's the part that's both good and bad about raising my own food.  I'm responsible for it.  It's great because I get to choose what it eats, so that I'm also choosing what I eat.  I give them a safe home where they're protected from predators at night.  I thank them when I collect their eggs.  I treat my birds with respect.  I know that someday they're going to stop producing my breakfast, and therefore someday become my dinner.  Just because I'm going to kill them someday, doesn't mean that I don't care about the quality of life they have now.  I pet them.  I named them.  And I feel awful when something bad happens to them.  Because when something happens to one of my chickens, it's my fault.  If I pick up a package of chicken at the grocery store, I'd never know if that chickens tail feathers were all ripped out by the farmer's way-too-excited dog.  But that's exactly what happened to one of my chickens the other day, and I'm responsible.  I'm responsible for letting my chickens wander wherever they like at the new house.  I'm responsible for my dog.  I'm responsible for the fact that when a chicken wanders very close to a fence with an extremely excitable dog behind it, that there is really just zero chance of containment for that dog, and pretty much zero chance of survival for the chicken.

This particular chicken, however, is one seriously bad-ass chick.  She's currently in isolation from the other chickens, so that they don't peck her wounds.  She doesn't have a single tail feather left to speak of, and has a pretty gnarly gash on her back.  But we've been spraying her back with Vetricin, and despite being pretty worse for ware, she laid an egg yesterday.  We even found a nice little scratch on the dog.  Like I said, a seriously bad-ass chick.

So, today when I'm at the grocery store, and I pass by the egg section, I'll have an ever bigger sense of pride than I usually do when I leave there empty handed.  Because my bad-ass chicken still laid me an egg after being attacked by my dog.  You go girl.


Thanks for stopping by,
~Lindsey

New House Progress/Tour, guided by The Baby...

So, wow, it's been a wicked long time since I've done any blogging, huh?  Well, this is what we've been up to...

~We're living in the new house now.  The roof is done.  Flooring is done in the living room and dining room, and partially done in most of the other rooms.  My downstairs painting is done.  I had visions of grandeur for getting the kitchen cabinets painted, but that was sort of a pipe dream, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that I might be putting that project on hold for a while (like for as long as it takes for me to convince my husband that, despite their practicality, those red counter tops still enrage me, and that they don't need to stay in our home).  My business workshop is now set up at the new house, and I'm in freaking heaven now, not having to run back and forth to Jeffersonville to make, package, and ship orders.  Things are by no means even close to being finished, but they're starting to go well.  We're falling into a good groove here at the new house, and everyone seems happier here.  I'm at great risk right now of completely shutting off from public and staying hidden away up here on the hill on my sunny little farm.   

Downstairs hallway, done, and a WALKING baby!   

Master bathroom, mostly done.  Those peel-and-"stick" tiles are absolute flipping garbage, and will be replaced with real slate ASAP.  Maybe you can see if you zoom in, the giant migration that's already taking place between the tiles in front of the vanity.  Seriously, folks, we've lived here for 3 weeks.  We shouldn't be seeing this kind of wear and tear on the tiles at this point.  NOT cool, Lowes, NOT cool. 

Living room flooring done.  Getting the books up on the bookshelf was a major step in improving the overall home-y-ness of the place. 

New gate up on the stairs to keep the walking man confined to the first floor.  Also, the first coat of paint is done on the stairs, as a temporary fix, until we get treads and risers made out of finish-grade wood.  I'll be adding a runner down the middle for now.  (hopefully a near-future how-to post).

Wicked great outdoor spaces to pick apples...

...Or just chill in the Tonka truck...

...Or hang with big brother...

...Or throw toys for the dogs.

I'll have more info posted in a few days about the new Fall/Winter line of HOUSE 54 products also.  Sorry for the lack of communication lately.  But now that we're moved in, and getting settled, things seem to be going along more smoothly, and I should be able to do more frequent postings.  Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by,

~Lindsey