Starting our Orchard

If you'd like to see and hear a video about this day check out our YouTube channel by clicking the underlined text. 

It's overcast and rainy, but, TGIF!!!!

Michael has two more appointments this week. One more for evaluating Parkinson's symptoms. We are looking to see if he qualifies for therapies to learn strategies for slowing the progression of Parkinson symptoms.  He has at least one more week of evaluation before we will know any results. The other appointment is for PT on his shoulder.

After the appointments, we headed to a big box store to order a shed which we will convert to a chicken coop.  It was 900#. In the end, they opted to open the box and load it piece by piece. I can't believe they don't have other boxes this heavy to load....

Michael spent a bit of time proofing one of Krista's paper and then we loaded up the trailer and headed back to the next town over.

We picked up the shed (above).....and drove up the road and picked up trees!

Drenched - but worth it

Now, we are continuing to watch the ground and plan the fences so we can plant some trees and a garden.

We ended the night playing games and watching a movie - or sleeping through a movie the others watched.

Benny - 5 months

Another Busy Alaskan Day

If you'd like to see and hear a video about this day check out our YouTube channel by clicking the underlined text. 

Michael had an appointment at the VA Center in Anchorage today. We love the drive up the Old Glenn. I've been grabbing fruit and Clif bars for breakfast. Dr. has warned me to cut back on sugars as my A1C was borderline. Who knew Clif bars are high in sugar AND they have soy protein isolate (another thing I'm supposed to avoid due to cancer risks).  I am trying these new bars.

We texted the boys to see if any of them could meet us for lunch. Josiah met us and it was a great chance to spend a bit of one on two time with him. 😃

After lunch we did a bit more shopping. We found trees had just arrived at one store. Another store had a shed that was 1/3 the price of any other we've found. We decided to wait and buy both at the local versions of both stores tomorrow.

A couple of more sure signs of spring? Motorcycles on the roads...and rented Class C's in all the parking lots. LOL

Michael and Alex decided it was time to cut up dead fall in the front. They also attacked the patch of Cottonwood trees at the side of the house. We have plans to put berries in the spot (fenced and netted?).  Alex cut the trees to ground level. They got the pry bar and attempted to pry out the stumps - they discovered the ground in that section is still frozen.

I found this scrapey thing in Michael's stash of tools and it made cleaning the chicks home MUCH easier!

Stacia continues to be a great chick mama.

The birds are starting to find the bird feeder in the trees. We are deciding where to put the hummingbird feeder. I want the feeders up - but have heard they attract bears. I don't want them TOO close to the house. LOL

Do you spot the bird? 

We had a couple of moose come to play in the yard at the end of the day. They weren't going anywhere fast. I am worried about my veggies and fruit in the upcoming months.....I see lots of fencing in our future.

Doctors, Errands, Projects & Chickens

We have two videos about today up on our Youtube Channel. One about our system and the guys' trip to the Recycling Center and one about the Rest of the Day. 

Michael is undergoing a week (or two) of tests pertaining to his Parkinsons.  Our day began with trying to get out of the house for his evaluation at the Mat Su Regional Outpatient Clinic.

Has Yuuki given up bird hunting? Is she guarding the chicks? Is this the start of a beautiful relationship between her and the chickens? I'm not sure, but I found her cuddled by the brooder this morning.

Maybe she's resigned to being a bird-dog with a house full of chickens. 

After Michael's appointment we dropped by Spendards looking for plans to build a shed or chicken coop.

I asked Michael to find some used canning supplies and he came through! We drove out to Meadow Lakes and picked up over 10 dozen canning jars (mostly pints, 3 dz quarts and some 1/2 pints), and a water bath canner. It was fun to visit with the couple. Their children all live in Alaska, but they've decided to move outside to Idaho. They had a beautiful place. Robby gave me some ideas of canning fish, taco meat and rice and beans.....

We don't often stop for lunch, but today, Michael suggested a lunch date in the middle of the busy.

We stopped at Lowes - no plans. Michael has been working on plans and will stick with his. If we forget something essential for a chicken coop, we'll add it later. LOL

Michael and Alex made a trip to the Recycling Center.

I settled in to wash and store jars and to continue drying a case of Fuji apples.

Stacia helped BreAnne with the kids. Our youth went to youth group. Michael and I walked around and talked about placement of various things on the property. He had some new ideas for the greenhouse and chicken coop and run.  We continue to work on burning out one of the stumps...

Stacia continues getting to know her new 18 pets.

Terrific Tuesday....

The sledding hill is pretty much gone for the year. We'll see it again in October. 

Michael woke still feeling a bit puny, but insisted on getting up. He staked out the spot for the greenhouse, continued to research Chicken Coop plans, pulled a Cottonwood and chipped at some ice in the yard. He confessed, "He just wants it GONE." 

I thought it was time to move the portable greenhouse to the deck for the day. I jumped the gun. 

This photo can only mean one thing.....dental appointments. Four appointments that felt like one, as we went in two at a time.  All the kids were cavity free! I had a cavity - what's with THAT???? They want to pull mine, Alex and Nolan's wisdom teeth. There is no way the $ for all that at once is in our Ramsey budget. Since I am refusing to have them pull mine, she said Alex would be the first priority. Then she thinks me - but we'll go with Nolan.  We thought of mom and laughed and smiled as we had our ice cream at DQ after the dentist. ANY reason is a good reason for DQ.  I haven't had ice cream at DQ since December when Mom passed. 

Tonight was Bible study. We're studying, "Finding I Am."  I'm really enjoying the study.  Stacia made veggie pot pie for the family as I need to leave right at dinner time to get things set up. I love having young adults in the house!

Redeeming Time

If you'd rather hear and see the day in video - here's a link to the video on our YouTube channel. 

The days begin with feeding Yuuki, checking on food and water for the chicks, cleaning the brooder and stirring the compost.  Yep, seasons are changing.

Michael woke up sick this morning. We cancelled three appointments and then the kids and I set about redeeming the time we found on our hands.  Alex finished school first and headed out to pull up Cottonwood upstarts.  Those roots go out in the yard and send up new trees wherever they go. WHY can't Birch, Aspen or Lodge Pine do this? Or do they?

I set about turning this into a big batch of Pizza Sauce.  

Nolan finished with school and assisted Alex in tree containment. 

They hung a bird feeder for me. 

The kitchen was hopping. In addition to sauce making, Stacia made double chocolate chip cookies for "the boys." They were yummy! I'm an honorary young man. 

My first experience with water bathing. I need one of those big pots. I did get 21 pints of pizza sauce put up...all sealed....enough for 42 14 inch pizzas - I think. 

The days end with chicks....fun to note how they settle down at the same time each night....I wonder what the light of the summer will do in that regard.

Yes, I am bribing them. I hand feed them when I get a moment. 

I LOVE our Church

I love our church! Krista brought goats in today. They were out in the truck during church, but she brought them in for us to see them and love them. They are SO cute! 

So sweet - not this year. It's all a process...we'll establish chickens and a garden this year. We'll build on that next year and consider adding new things....

This evening the MAG women had a Game Night Gathering at Elise's. Elise is a fun hostess and we had a great evening relaxing together. 

I drove Ms Bonnie (below). Imagine the fun we had when we discovered her daughter is looking at buying the VERY HOUSE we put an offer on in May 2017!  They've dropped the price and done the repairs they refused to do for us, and this is fine. We are happy here on the mountain.....in this town.... we found this church....and THEY  have 7 or 8 boys and will love all the space.  God is always in the details. 

New church, new friends, new adventures - we are in a wonderful season.

A Very Rewarding Spring Saturday

A couple of videos which may interest you from the YouTube channel....posted Saturday.  The story of the 15 new arrivals.....and a recounting of our many Saturday projects. 


Michael opted to stay home rather than drive the hour to Anchorage. He planned to get a head start on the projects he had planned. At this point I wasn't 100% sure what they all were. I knew I was going to get a compost "spot" staked out and begin collecting "stuff" .....there had been talk of getting the greenhouse up.... Alex was in bed when Nolan, Stacia and I left for Anchorage. Nolan drove and I shot video clips.

Stacia kept the chicks on the seat beside her for the trip back to the Valley. 

We introduced these 15 to our 3 and made sure they were safe. I neglected photos - but check out the video if you want to see their introduction to our home.  Below is our Yuuki alarm. She is a beagle, a bird dog. I tried to show her a chick and appeal to her maternal instinct. She tried to eat it. She then spent the day pointing below their box. Michael built the brooder with screws to attach the top and bottom. It's secure, we don't think she can get in - but she may try before we get her trained to leave them alone. If she tries - the cow bell will make noise. 

With the chicks safely home, it is time for us to begin some projects. First, a picture of these two....Arielle and Cory.

Benny is 5 months old!

I didn't know this was on the docket for the day - burning a stump out. We have several that need to go. Izaak brought out a 10# can of bacon grease and THAT finally got it going. 

Michael ended up building a compost bin. He wasn't satisfied with letting me simply stake it out. He used pallets we got last week, wafer board the previous owners left, and hardware cloth leftover from the brooder.  There are video clips of it at the link above.... and now I got to put the pitchfork to use. I moved old grass clippings and food scraps which had been collecting over the winter.

We have three horse pastures that have several FEET of horse poop covering them. Izaak and Alex helped me break some from the frozen ground and we added a wheelbarrow full to the compost. I also collected the piles of moose poop for the compost.  I'm hoping for a "hot pile" that will produce some usable compost by the fall. 

Meanwhile, Stacia played with chickens.....

...and watched the canning for me, so I could work outside. I put up 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce. 

We all kept coming in to sneak peeks of these darlings. 

Thus begins our family pastime of chicken watching. 

We got a lot done today. It felt good to be outside and accomplishing things we've discussed. As one of the boys said, "It's rewarding."