Wicked Rural Homestead
Live Simply
IT’S MELTING!
Today, I reveled in the sound of snow melt running off our roof through the open window.
Three weeks ago I declared winter to be over and this afternoon I believed it. I even saw ground on the side of the road.
GROUND!
Ground that had been uncovered by natural forces rather than mechanical means. It is amazing to think that spring might actually be happening. We stated some of our seeds indoors last week and it is quite possible that we are completely jumping the gun. At this point, we just don’t care.
Three boys need at least 18×15 foot tarp for any indoor activity that requires dirt. Trust me; it’s just better that way.
Even the chickens are noticing days growing longer. They have started laying accordingly and we are now getting 8-12 eggs a day. They are even getting some time outside as it isn’t below freezing.
Since the new flock is staring to lay we are getting all sorts of colors and combinations.
I guess all eggs start out white (it is why vinegar etches the colored eggs so well) a few hours before the egg is excreted; a colored layer is added. Eggs from each individual chickens will vary in shade depending on their diet and time of year. We had a couple new colors I hadn’t seen before.
Like this olive green with brown spots.
We have some that have white speckles.
Some with dark brown and there are even some with purple spots.
The closer I look at the them the more interesting they are. The guinea fowl are also changing with the coming sping. They are some odd looking and crazy sounding birds. What a difference from six months ago!
As funny as their heads look- their feathers are astounding up-close.
It’s not all pretty eggs and feathers. I have been seeing bees outside the hive the past few days! Unfortunately they only seem to be leaving in order to fly a ways and-
die.
Or maybe they are all drunk from a bee night club and just sleeping it off in the snow. It is kind of hard to tell.
I can tell that their butts are not shrunken (a sign of serious disease) and while there is a fair bit of poop around it is not the shit show it was last year (pun intended.) It is normal to have a spring die-off when the workers who overwintered with the queen finally reach the end of their already expanded life cycle.
We will see.
All we can do is wait and be patient. Given our indoor planting and constant melt monitoring; we are going to need some help on that front.
I have to admit it has made for some pretty epic sunsets out the front door, but I will not be sorry to see it go.
Going…
Gone.
Let us hope winter sets soon next November will come soon enough.
Wicked Rural Homestead 
Great post and fab pictures…those last four just brilliant, and you are, ha, ha, funny! Cool and groovy eggs. I want some colored eggs. Egg envy. Ours are so boring. 😉
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I could send you fertile ones 🙂
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Customs would have fun with that one 🙂
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What they don’t know won’t confuse them 🙂 I actually have no idea how to do it but I think it is possible. What if I sew them in a pillow? They don’t unstuff pillows do they?!
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They broke into my seed delivery this week (from Missouri). That and they added €23 onto my bill, bastards. I’m pretty sure my daikon radish were violated too.
Would you really dare send eggs via the mail? I suppose everything is possible…
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I totally would! In an aluminum lined pillow- if only to avenge your radish violation. Fu@kin BASTARDS!
I got my Guinea Fowl eggs through the mail and I have fertile peacock eggs on the way (fingers crossed.)
It is possible. We should erase this conversation for the sake of the mission.
This message will self destruct in 15 seconds 🙂
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You read my mind! I had a flash of ‘them’ monitoring us and using it in a court of law. It probably makes more sense for me to look local as tempting as it is…serious now–I do adore having living ‘things’ from a known source, like my kombucha scoby, keifer grains, many, many plants, etc. It makes them more special to me. Sap, sap, I know.
It seems like a big thing as we are sooooo far away. Your eggs are travelling from the States to you?
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Yes, the guineas were from less than 1,000 miles away. Same with the peacocks.
‘They’ are a$$holes! I mean; well intentioned do-gooders. 🙂
I know what you mean about embracing the native species. We are getting some mutt lambs/sheep this year. I am supper excited.
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Well, less than native, I meant, like ‘meaningful’ sentimental crap. Like they had a mom and it wasn’t XYZ company. I look at it as it becomes part of our home and think ‘Aww, that is from so and so.
Mutt lambs. Is that where the word mutton comes from or is that like mixed breed like mutt dogs?
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Hahah! I meant that they are not pure breads of any type. Just from a farm down the road. Like you are saying- So I know what you mean. We are getting a ram and while he is cute now, he might end up mutton 🙂 check out my FB page to see his video.
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I know nothing about sheep, but we have our mixed breed goats that compare. A real hearty bunch. I am often asked what kind they are. I just laugh and say ‘island goats’. Yummy mutton!
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