Phenomenal Workout Partner

Our exercise equipment is in the garage for the time being. The downstairs living room will become a workout/game room sometime this fall.  It has taken time for me to be content working out in the garage. The lights buzz, it's crowded, flies attack... BUT, today, I discovered the funniest reason to work out in the garage.

It provides a phenomenal opportunity for fun workout partners. 

Lucille is our free range hen. After she healed from the weasel attack, the others didn't accept her back in the yard. They tore open her side. She healed from that. They tore open another spot. She WANTS to be back with the others.

We have been letting the new chicks out during the day. She picks on them. She wanted back into the chicken yard and so we let her back with the other. Last night she had a bloody comb. She is back to free ranging and sleeping in the garage on my freezer.

Evidently she decided to check out all the excitement in this part of the garage. 

I finally had to stop and get her down. I had visions of her leaving a deposit on the treadmill.

Lucille is our healthiest looking hen. All the others have plucked bare behinds - I don't know that we can break them of this nasty habit. I'm worried about putting our new ones in with them.

This Morning's Rush

 It appears we are a haven for free range animals!

I haven't known an adrenaline rush such as the one from being in the greenhouse and spotting a baby moose in the garden. Subsequently finding Mama - the aggressive visitor - on the other side of the greenhouse. There I was caught in the middle... Not a happy place for me.

We are going to have to move the hammock. That is sad. Baby got caught in it today. I certainly don't want to have one of them unable to get out and us trying to figure out how to help them. That is one of those moments where your desire to help a critter in distress truly puts your life at great risk. Mama moose are well-known for stomping on people for coming too close to their baby.

I haven't captured pictures of the fox, eagle, owl, hawk, weasel, cats and dogs.....


We don't mind sharing Wibbly Wobbly Acres with all.....we would just like to be able to sit in the garden without being terrified of every rustling noise in the brush....or drive in the driveway without having to dodge one of them. 😀

Chickens aren't scary! 

Phoenix - the roo, Oreo and Lorri

Seriously, we love it! We're happy to co-exist with Alaska's wildlife. I even planted extra cabbage this year after the moose debacle of last year.

We simply want to be able to be outside without big quadrupeds sneaking up on us.

For the most part, if we make noise, they stay away....but now we know our aggressive one is a mama. She is going to be aggressive for a few months. We hope she'll eventually be content in the woods as Rosie (of the collar) was last year.  When Rosie had her baby with her, she would come and wreak havoc in the garden only when we were inside. This gal seems determined to take over the yard and prove her fearlessness of people.

Summer Routine/ Alaska Rhythm

We are falling into a routine. I spend a bit of time blogging or with friends in the morning. We spend the afternoon/evening working on projects.

There are MANY projects. People don't fully comprehend how VERY short our season is when we CAN work on projects.  We save up $ and energy during the winter/breakup/spring, and when the light hits and the snow melts, we work hard and play hard until the snow flies again.  Personally, I find I don't drop off until after midnight, and I'm up at 0400 most mornings. This seems fairly common. It's the Alaska rhythm. Who wants to waste time inside or sleeping when the SUN IS OUT???? Not I. 

Spending our days outside has led to the inside of the house looking, well, less nice. Michael commented we hadn't "company cleaned" for quite a bit of time...::snort::  Since the last week of Life Group. ::Snort:: He's been stuck laying on the couch or in bed with lots of time to watch the inside deteriorate.  I noted Stacia doesn't like being outside all afternoon. She doesn't enjoy weeding, hauling gravel or sifting dirt....and so a deal was struck.  I would let her out of the outside chores if she would do the inside chores. It's working.  It's livable again. 😅

I spent time this morning with a friend at a local tea spot. I suppose it's known more for coffee and vegetarian food....but it was a tea spot for us.  It was lovely. Once again, I didn't take photos. 

Let the afternoon work begin! 

The sure sign I'm working in the garden

At home this afternoon? PROJECTS. Michael has been up more since Sunday. He is trying to build up to his big cross country trip at the end of this month. Our goal was to cover our second bed. I had vague hopes of getting the electric fence working for the season...and getting a place for the chicks OUTSIDE of the garage. 

Look at those dandelions. As noted before, we are trying to avoid chemicals - it's a Parkie* thing. The vinegar and soap recipes are obviously not working. I'm trying to resign myself to fields of yellow...but this is not the Oregonian way. I will research some dandelion jelly recipes as my cousin, Darla, suggested. 

 There is usually something animal related to tend to around here.   

Tending to the chick's brooder

 Alex has been Michael's back and our muscle. He's a hard worker and is making it possible for us to keep getting things done even with Michael's back on the fritz.  BTW, please pray the VA referral for a chiropractor arrives SOON.

Arielle takes care of rabbits 

 For those wondering why everything seems to take us so long - THIS is our soil. Whenever we have a project to do, we have to deal with compacted clay and gavel!

We had sifted the gravel from the garden beds. While Michael and Alex finished the cover, I moved gravel to the greenhouse. I wanted the center aisle filled with gravel. I was happy to have plenty of free gravel to harvest from the garden plot. I also put roof shingles down around the beds - it worked well as a weed block last year between rows of veggies. We have it, and it's free to use. 

As we worked, I heard a SNAP! She was back. We haven't named her, yet. She's aggressive. She doesn't seem intimidated by our presence. Her hackles are raised. She came fairly close to the "fence." The t post marks the fence.  We're on the other side working. 

She seemed to get irritated we were in her favorite dinner spot. She stomped off to Stacia's hammock.

Do you see her there in the purple? 

Notice the dead spruce tree in the photo above. Cutting all the spruce is another project. We are in discussion with the borough. They will not allow us to cut the spruce beetle-infected trees in the walking easement behind our house. They want us to pay $200 for a permit and then they want us to pay to have the property lines surveyed before we cut the trees....and the trees are theirs. We offered to take them out so they didn't infect the whole area. Red tape is a thing to behold - wherever it is found.

She came back this morning  (June 5th). She's not very big, but she's aggressive. 

Anyway - we did get both beds covered. Michael changed the design a bit on the 2nd, so he re-worked the 1st. 

At this point, I was sifting a pile of dirt and mining more gravel for the greenhouse. Alex insisted on taking over. I was glad to let him. My muscles are sore at night. It's a good sore. 

The chicks on the outside want in, and the mean girls on the inside want out. LOL That'll preach! 

These girls enjoy their dust baths. Their bedraggled, bare bohonkuses are so sad. They keep pecking each other's tail feathers... I can't figure out what to do with them. I took the chicks in when I got them and told the girls, "Shape up. I have your replacements." It didn't seem to help.😏 Michael is thinking of sending  the worst offenders to the stock pot.  Our last hope is that Phoenix, the roo, will be able to establish some sort of order when he's big enough to be in with them. 

Michael began talking about a trip to the store. I had dough rising and went inside at this point to prepare calzone.  Oh YUM! Veggie for me - meat and cheese for the others. Michael finished a project with string and beans in the greenhouse.

We popped the prepped calzones into the fridge and went to Lowes. Michael points out what he wants, and the kids load it up.

Our final stop was Walmart where we bought a frame and mattress for Dad. Between now and Saturday we need to move Stacia to the study and get the bed set up for Dad. 

I popped the calzones in the oven, and we had dinner...finally. Michael needed loctite so we headed to Freddie's to try to find some. No luck. 

It was a tiring day - but a productive day. 

*Parkie or Parkies - those with Parkinsons. 

Sometimes a Man needs a little Nudge from the Women in His Life OR Most Excellent Monday

Breakfast with a friend. Building a most excellent tribe here in Alaska.

After breakfast, I headed to BreZaak's. Bre had a doctor's appointment. It was hilarious that as soon as Bre walked out the door, the kids ran for their shoes and wanted to go outside. It was a beautiful day, and I was happy to oblige them.

 I think this photo is hilarious! Bella gave Gideon a little nudge to get him moving! ::snort::  

This was Gideon's response. I'm just SURE he is trying to figure out how to get water out of that hose  - just to add a bit of excitement to Bella's day. LOL

I love hand-picked bouquets

It was such a nice day we had lunch outside. 

The afternoon was spent working in the garden/yard/forest of a yard. 

THIS!!!! Our favorite Garden Pest is BACK....except it ISN'T Rosie (with the collar). This one is a mean, aggressive moose. She tromped right through the bed with the guys THERE.  She ate one little cabbage plant, flattened the beets and her hoof-prints wreaked havoc with the planted seeds....spinach, cilantro and lettuce.  There you have it - 2nd planting of the year.

She didn't bother the covered bed. Michael began building a cover for the second bed. 

We will have an electric fence...but it's been torn down (by moose) over the winter. It will be up and working shortly. I have made it known to all I want to smell moose burgers a mile away if one of them touches it.

Our 8 week old chicks....free ranging until we get them a safe spot in the chicken yard. The mean girls are just too nasty for these sweet ones. 

This is Petunia. She's lame. We thought she had died. We got home from vacation, and she was here....and we don't have the heart to take her life after she's displayed such a fighting spirit. SO....she goes where we are. She can hobble, and fly a bit. We are trying to figure out the best thing to do for her. 

Our work was cut short when it began sprinkling. Soon, we heard thunder in the distance. CoRielle got home and said our little town was flooding. Bre sent a polo of HAIL.  Up here, we didn't have any of that...and I'm glad. Hail would have been the end of my fledgling garden. LOL

Photo from KTUU via google pics

The photo doesn't do it justice. There was water over the hoods of cars...they even saw a man out in a kayak paddling his way down the center of one of the streets. LOL

Nothing Says Welcome Like...

We are approaching our second anniversary in this house. I have been looking for the perfect welcome mat all.this.time!

I  decided to get this one. I liked the colors. It said welcome, without saying welcome. I liked it.

Michael was the first person through the door after I placed the mat.

"I'm wondering what kind of message you are trying to send with your mat."

"Huh?"

"So...our guests will stand on the mat, look down and it says, 'hell'?"

Nolan heard the conversation and admitted he'd wondered the same thing. The first two people through the door.....

The search  continues.

Saturdays are for Gardening

We had hoped to be in Seward from Thursday afternoon - Saturday evening. Alas, it was not to be.  Michael is simply not in any shape to drive the RV, camp, or fish. The salmon were safe from us for another week.*

We have a TON of projects around here to keep us busy. Arielle was a pro and went after the blasted dandelions. We don't want to use pesticides with our well, but the vinegar/soap thing is NOT working around here. 

Benny was happy to help us in the garden beds, while his Mama attacked the pretty flowers.  We brought the seedlings out from the house. I have the use of all kitchen counters again. I still have a couple of flats of zucchini and beans - but they are UNDER THE GROW LIGHTS where all well-behaved seedlings belong. 

Willing helper

We added some dirt which smelled suspiciously like manure - or maybe it was the rabbit droppings in the beds....

By this point in the job Benny is looking disgusted with the whole thing.

Mama helped Benny plant a few plants

I'm loving the greenhouse - I suspect we need to put a giant greenhouse over the whole garden plot. 

Nolan suggested we go to see Aladdin.  Michael didn't feel like sitting that long. The 3 Gherkins and I decided to catch the movie after we had planted all our "stuff". We planted carrots, a couple kinds of lettuce, a couple kinds of kale, beets, cabbage, spinach and beans.

While we were gone Michael began putting together this design which has been occupying our thoughts. It has potential. We'll finish it tomorrow or Monday.

We enjoyed the movie - a lot. We don't always like the re-makes of animated movies, but this one was good.

*Josiah texted a couple of photos.....and so it begins. The Salmon Season.

Note the Nyquil by the filet knife. A cold won't keep Cy from
standing in a cold river or inlet all day when the salmon
are playing. . 

Yumm

 I'm sad we couldn't be out there with him, and happy that we got things planted. Praying Michael's back feels like a bit of fishing in the next week or two.

TGI FINALLY FRIDAY

Our goal was to be at the VA Clinic in Anchorage by 0745. We made it by 0750.  I am enjoying the time in the car to talk with Michael, I am not enjoying the two hours out of our days quite so much.😕

I got Dad's ticket purchased this morning before we left the Valley.

We had hoped to be in Seward camping this weekend. It's not to be.

I planned to spend my hours shopping while Michael was at his appointment, but the shops weren't open quite that early. Instead, I enjoyed time with my new library book in Starbucks. This was a great Blue Zone activity - de-stressing at its finest. I spent some of the time sharing polos back and forth with friends and family - another blue zone principle at work - enjoying my tribe.

Karen met Michael and I in the VA parking lot. We handed off 11 dozen eggs - she handed off $55. I'm happy to have space in my fridge again.

We got home to discover how everyone else was spending their day. Nolan had gone on a hike with a friend. Alex was working on mowing. Stacia was making some yummy granola bars.

Stacia and Alex came with me to Lowe's. Our goal was to pick up dirt. I knew my back wouldn't handle it; Alex's does. We almost got a mower but I didn't want to lift it. I find out now that I COULD have asked the employees to load it for me.

We headed to Walmart for a few groceries after Lowe's....and, finally, arrived back home again.

This was a welcome sight....Arielle and Nolan were sifting the dirt in the raised beds. Alex joined them. Stacia and I carried large rocks from the garden area and picked up debris which has blown into our yard over the winter.

I have a project to collect the rocks from around the yard and the garden spot and gravel the center walk in the greenhouse. Stacia and I carried rocks and made a tiny bit of leeway. LOL 

The chicks are enjoying their make-shift yard. Phoenix has begun a feeble crowing of sorts....

Benny was happy to be outside and helping anyway he could. 

Michael appears happy to be outside, too. 

Chicks are about 8 weeks old now

Novia - check out the plucked tush. This is what they've done to each other. It appears she is losing feathers along her back/tail too. There is fuzz left - rather than plucked bare skin. Maybe molting? A bit early. We have let them run around the yard the past couple of days. In the past we worried about predators, but think they may be nicer if they have more room to roam? I am not finding all their eggs - we need to figure out the best time to let them out of the yard. They always have access to the outside of the coop. 

Arielle and Benny joined us for pizza. They are showering. Michael is showering. I think we're all tired. I may try to get a work-out in. This week has not been good for work outs.  It has been a good week for moving naturally!