My Blueberry Life

22/09/2024

There are no weekends when you're a chicken. 🥚🐔🥚
Danika here is getting her Sunday shine on by decorating herself while making breakfast. The girls are laying upwards of a dozen eggs a day, which is decent for both an aging flock, and the arrival of molting season. With the loss of Brayan last week, I'm down to 35 layers aged 6 months to 8 years, so a dozen is plenty to keep us and our friends supplied. I mostly keep chickens for the joy of their company, so eggs are just a tasty bonus of that relationship. 🥰
I hope y'all have had a beautiful weekend where you are. We're in second summer here in Georgia with 90° temps blowing in hot, but at least the sun is shining. On top of the indoor projects we're working on, there's garden turning to do as well. I'm not about to send Mr Blue out to work in this heat though. As always, the garden will have to wait! 🌱
Enjoy your Sunday my peeps!

22/09/2024

Happy First Day of Fall, y'all!!! 🍂
Remember this pic of Pearl when she was just a few months old? She loved getting to do everything with mommy, including sampling my pumpkin spice treats. It doesn't feel like fall today with 93° temps bearing down, but hopefully a lovely breeze and falling leaves are just around the corner. 🍁

22/09/2024

Yikes...who knew prep work could be so tiring! We bought paint and trim supplies tonight, and removed even more stuff off walls, windows, and countertops. Mr Blue wants to definitely rethink the router placement, since it affects the finished bookcase, and learn how to use a new toy for countersinking screws, so tomorrow it's all hands to the kitchen. I really wanted to do most of it myself, since he already works a fulltime job, and spends half his days off working on my projects, but there are a few areas above appliances that no amount of stretching will make my arms reach, so accept help I must. It's times like these I'm extra thankful for my taller spouse, and his willingness to help me complete the tasks I come up with. As I always say, I dream it up, and he builds it. 💙

21/09/2024

The work has officially begun! The den bookshelves are cut, fitted, ready to be painted, then installed. We had to run a new WiFi cable before starting because once the shelves are in, we won't be able to access that area again, but now Mr Blue is contemplating another course of action, so we're pausing to rethink the cable placement. I'm in no hurry. This project has been a pile of supplies sitting in our den for over 8 months, so what's 1 more day. I emptied the kitchen walls, removed and washed the cabinet decor, wiped everything down, and am ready to begin painting just as soon as we go buy the supplies. My calves are in agony after yesterday's PT session, so prep work is probably all I'll accomplish for today, but I have oodles of time, and by next weekend it will all be complete. I even bought a new black farm🐓fresh sign to jumpstart my design inspiration, and I can't wait to see it installed.

I keep telling myself that change is good, you've wanted this for so long, it's finally happening girl, yet I'm still nervous about the process. There is a certain comfort in sameness, but also a stifling of creativity, so in this case I think change will bring a renewed love of my favorite room in the house. The kitchen has always been the heart of our home, and every important event has happened within its walls, so keeping that space current will bring life to an area that's feeling the emptiness of a family home that's slowing down. Plus, what's more fun than getting to search for new chicken decor? 🐔
Bye bye barn red... Hello khaki! 🥰

21/09/2024

Invisihen... the plant pot decoration you didn't even know was there!

20/09/2024

Nobody here but us chickens! 🐓🐓🐓
The day started off sunny and warm, and Mr Blueberry was home today, so after we both attended our respective medical visits, we started working to accomplish several projects that have been on the back burner for far too long. I'm finally ready to start tackling the kitchen painting, and he's working on my built in bookshelf, but both projects require his assistance. I'm good at planning, prepping, and doing whatever my t-rex arms can reach, but I need his long arms to do the upper level work, and I hate that since he already works long hours. I plan to start moving everything in the kitchen to the dining room this evening, and then I need to buy supplies. 🪜🧰🎨

It will probably take 3 coats of paint to cover my deep red walls, so first I need to whitewash everything, and then we'll add color. If I have any energy left after all that, I'll start sanding on the island, as I decided to stain it either white or green to break up the monotony of yellow oak cabinetry, and that should satisfy my need for change for a while. Bookcases on the other hand, will require both of us to assemble, and a few things like trim and screws to finish it out. It seems so easy in theory to build a bookshelf, but when you're working against existing walls and cabinetry that aren't perfectly square, a million little factors come into play. I'm excited to see the final product, and I'll share before and afters once we actually finish. I just hope it all looks like it does in my mind! 😳

Have a fabulous Friday my peeps!

20/09/2024

You know... I've had just about enough of this scary hen drama for one day! As if losing Brayan wasn't enough, my little barred bebe had a brush with disaster this evening. While Mr Blueberry and I were outside earlier spending time with the birds, I noticed Bebe acting strange. She was standing penguin style propped against a waterer, and appeared to be straining to lay an egg, but only watery urates were coming out. As she is such a young hen, I couldn't imagine her having major reproductive issues or an infection this early on, so I assumed it was just her first large egg, and that she was simply struggling to pass it. I palpated her and checked for injuries just in case, but felt nothing, so we kept an eye on her while tending to some other hens. Within minutes she started walking around completely upright, still struggling to force out an egg, but to no avail. Worried that one might really be stuck, Mr Blue went to gently pick her up for us to take inside for a soak, and as he lifted her off the ground the oddest thing happened. She started flapping her wings violently, and as she did a twisted mass of membrane, yolk, and albumin shot out of her vent followed by an actual shelled egg, meaning that the soft shelled monstrosity was blocking the exit for the next eggs decent. Since eggs are only formed one at a time over the course of a day, that means this problem has been compounding since yesterday, and I wasn't home before dark to have noticed any change in behavior. Had this mass not moved on it's own, my poor love would have developed a critical infection, and died within days. Talk about scary! I've never had a hen so young develop this problem before, so I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for signs of future distress in case this is a recurring problem. Our sweet bebe showed immediate improvement, and was happily tucked on roost with her sisters just as the sun disappeared. Tomorrow I'll be giving her a thorough checkup to make sure everything cleared out, and maybe even give her a dose of something to ward off any impending infection. This little henny is so precious to me that I can't stand the thought of losing her so soon. 🤕

19/09/2024

Snuggles with a pair of my best hold me hens make even the worst days better. I cropped out my face since I've been ugly crying all afternoon over Brayan, and nobody needs to see that, but after a long cuddle session with Piper and Bébé things are starting to look up. Mr Blue is working overtime today, so I've planned an easy dinner that requires no thought, and now I'm back to staring at my red kitchen walls imagining what effect a drastically neutral color will have on the space. Whatever it takes to distract my mind, ya know? I hope y'all are having a better day than I am. Thank you to all my Blueberry peeps for your kind words of compassion. The comfort they bring when sharing life's joys and sorrows helps turn the worst days around. ❤️‍🩹

19/09/2024

💔 I'm completely heartbroken. 💔

This morning I awoke to the devastating discovery of my biggest, most beautiful Brahma, Brayan, dead inside the coop. She appeared to have had a heart attack, as she showed no signs of illness prior to her death, and there were no injuries on her to suggest predator. Brayan was 5.5 years old, a normal life span for these gentle giants, but her sudden passing has caught me completely off guard. I always lose about 5 birds each year to age or infirmity, but I truly wasn't expecting Bray to be the next in line. Just yesterday afternoon, she walked straight into my arms, and let me hug and pet on her, something she's usually a little reluctant to do, and now I can't help but wonder if she knew something was wrong, and was looking for mommy to make it right.

Brayan was 1 of 3 Brahma chicks I raised in 2019, and she was the largest, darkest, and most heavily feathered of the breed that I've ever seen. She was a very cool, collected hen who never lost her temper, got along with almost everyone, and had a gentle nature about her. She was super chatty, enjoyed my company, and could often be found padding softly behind me as I worked. Brayan was never one to enjoy being handled excessively, but she loved to sit on my boots, receive the occasional stroke of her wings, and as of late was tolerating nightly hugs and head kisses. I think the introduction of Roux to the flock put a little more strain on her, but she didn't seem to be bothered by him.

I will miss this lovely girl more than I can say. I know I use the word favorite a lot when talking about my birds, but Brayan was definitely at the top of my most precious hens list, and her absence will be felt more than most. I'm even struggling to place her on the woodland altar where all of our birds go when they pass, as I just wasn't ready to let this one go. It never gets easier, and the loss of this beautiful brown fluffy has just shattered my big mama bear heart to pieces. 😭

18/09/2024

She is just too cute for words, my little...
Edyth
Everly
Lydia
Minka
Jane
Six months old, laying eggs, perpetual favorite, still no set name. Mr Blue calls her baby because we haven't moved forward from there (and by we I mean me), yet baby is not how I want to forever address this divine creature with the presence of a creeping lion and the patience of a seasoned nurse. She is loving, inquisitive, determined, and kind, everything a beautiful name implies, but which name is that? I have spent hours searching beautiful, unique name lists for just the right one to take hold, but at the end of the day, it is my bébé that gets tucked on the roost alongside those who were named upon arrival. I'm so frustrated with myself! 🤦🏼‍♀️

18/09/2024

Wild Child Wednesdays are the best when they involve cuddles with my squeaky ninja peep, Orchid. This spastic little beardy is such a mystery, running away from me at lightning speed one minute, then snuggling deeply against me the next. She always approaches me slowly, and with caution, then squeaks when captured, but once I have her, she melts into pure sugar. Ameraucanas are generally sweet birds, but they can also have fickle, flighty temperaments that make them a bit of a wild card, so early and regular handling is imperative to gaining their trust. Orchid will be the smallest bird in our flock, so her feisty temperament and speedy retreats will come in handy when learning to navigate life among her sturdier peers. I've seen her get in tiffs with our SLW Ivy on more than one occasion, and win, so my brave ninja squeak seems to have it all figured out. But seriously... just look at that beard!!! 🖤

17/09/2024

Goodness from the garden... 🥚🍅🐔
The tomatoes are giving one last hurrah before retiring for the season, and I'll take every juicy morsel they provide.

17/09/2024

Happy Roosday Tuesday from Deacon Frost, and his pitiful posterior! 🐓

I feel like I've been so busy lately, that I have few stories to tell, no new photos to share, and nothing educational to offer. I'm slightly more focused on getting my body mended with PT, my Christmas trees themed, and my house dressed in its fall finery before I miss the chance entirely. Call it premenopause, middle age brain fog, or unentitled exhaustion, but whatever has my brain on autopilot, and my emotions on ice, I wish it would stop! 😵‍💫

The first few molters of the season have been spotted out in the chicken yard sporting their bedraggled bedheads and disheveled duds, but none of them are shedding very badly this year. The boys only seem to lose beard and tail feathers, and the hens just look more droopy than usual, but everyone is still in good spirits. Our weather, while forever fickle, is trending cooler these days, making it easier to spend time outdoors with my feather kids. The garden is still in need of soil amending and repairs to the support walls, but evidence suggests that the sinkhole beneath it is trying to reopen, so there's more to think about than simply planting broccoli. I finally decided on colors for the kitchen, and Mr Blue has agreed to let me stain the island a color to help break up the monotony of yellow oak that frustrates me to no end, so whenever I get motivated, a redesign will begin. ☘️

I hope y'all are having a lovely afternoon so far. As I'm sitting here typing this up, I suddenly have a hankering to start disassembling the kitchen to force my hand, but I'm also hungry, so maybe a snack first? What have y'all been up to?

17/09/2024

A good friend checks for wardrobe malfunctions. A great friend makes sure that includes a polished posterior. 😂

16/09/2024

This guy right here... ❤️🧡💛
My pumpkin spice Roux is turning into the sweetest young man. Yesterday, Pip and I were sitting outside loving on armfuls of hens, when Roux came sneaking up behind me making soft little cooing noises and started pulling my hair, exactly like Deacon does. I slowly moved my arm around him, petting gently and talking softly, and he stood there of his own volition for at least 5 minutes enjoying every stroke. Eventually I moved my arm away to see what he would do, and after a minute he circled around me, fluttered at a few hens, then returned to my side again. I was completely stunned! He's always been a wee bit skittish, only tolerating my attention when it's too dark outside to object, but this was truly amazing. At one point he left me, and climbed up on Pip's lap for a moment, something only our tamest roosters have done. So far he works well with the other boys, isn't too rough on the girls, and he shows absolutely no aggression towards humans, not even minor nipping. He may turn out to be one of my finest roosters yet!

16/09/2024

🤣🤣🤣
Remember...only drink ethically sourced pumpkin spice. Think twice, save a life! 🎃

15/09/2024

The volunteer eggplant hath yielded another fruit! This ichiban eggplant bush was a freebee from last year's bushes, and only produced a single, pint-sized fruit back in July, but today I found 2 more tiny fruits, and a blossom. They aren't as long as the first year fruits, but that's ok because they dice up perfectly for stir fry or quiche. Never look a gift horse in the mouth! 🍆🍆🍆

15/09/2024

This is a no brainer for me, but I'm sure many would disagree. 🏈

I bet none of you can Guess which one I would pick! 😂

14/09/2024

Saturday mornings were made for sleeping in, yet here I am awake, fed, and dragging my feet instead of counting sheep. Pip is doing homework, Mr Blue just returned from the woods, and a steady rain is falling outside. I can hear the hens cackling from inside the coop as they lay their eggs, and as I look out the windows I see Deacon and Roux moseying around the paddock, preening the water from their damp hackle and saddle feathers. I have 2 egg orders to fill by tomorrow, and production is starting to slow with the arrival of molting season and shorter daylight hours. The new girls are laying, but their eggs are still bantam sized, so it may be a few months before they reach sellable size. I hope you are having a restful weekend as well. Pip and I are planning to do a little shopping after she finishes some work, then we'll be cooking dinner at home. How I love these little stolen weekends. Enjoy your day my peeps! 🥰

13/09/2024

My pip is home!!! 🥰🥰🥰

13/09/2024

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday my peeps! 🍂

Yesterday was so busy that I literally didn't see my chickens until after dark, so today I plan to do some serious cuddling to make up for it. Pip is coming home from college for a quick visit, and then we won't see her until November. Ugh, how I miss having her home! The weather has finally taken a comfortable dip, and the recent landfall of TS Francine has brought some much needed rain, so we're enjoying the cooler temps. Inside the house I continue to devise plans for painting and upgrades, but I'm still in no hurry to start any of it. Such is the life of a procrastinator. I hope y'all have a cool, wonderful weekend, and that fall is finding its way to you. 🍂

13/09/2024

🏠 Home Sweet Home 🏠

Good morning
~Honey

12/09/2024

Throwback Thursday shout out to the most handsome and gentle rooster we ever had, my Sammy roo! Anyone remember my sweet boy Samoa? 🐓

12/09/2024

The rare albino Lotus shark is circling! Please send help! The coffee is gone and my lifeboat is full of holes. 🦈☕🐔

12/09/2024

Wacky Facts Wednesday... 🦈
I have a passion for the movie Jaws. Don't ask me why. The movie itself is pretty good even though a lot of the characters are either salty or inane, the movements of the shark unnatural, and seriously, were we really that thick and cheesy in the 70s? Good grief! I've watched most of the shark movies that have been made since Jaws premiered, and even had a deep fascination with sharks in high school after National Geographic released a documentary about them, but few of the newer movies hold a candle to the good old OG Jaws. Subsequent sharks in the Jaws series were less credible than the first, even though special effects were supposed to be improving by the 80s, and I laugh heartily at the 4th movie when the shark audibly roars as it's being shocked and run through. It reminds me of the slow, dramatic death of Ursula in The Little Mermaid after being stabbed by the bowsprit of Prince Eric's frigate. The other shark movies that hold sway over me are Deep Blue Sea, 47 Meters Down, The Shallows, and The Meg (but only because I like Jason Statham). Anyway, not that any of this matters in the slightest, but Netflix has the Jaws series streaming right now, and my sentimental heart just beats wildly at the prospect of watching an old favorite to farewell summer and usher in autumn. Did I mention it felt like October outside today? 🌊

Tell me something wacky about yourself.