Week in Review (belated)

Good friends, good times

 Wednesday at homeschool co-op, we played the game Kubb. Mike made a set for our class, which was a big hit! It's similar to chess, in that you have strategic moves.

Mike making his throw move.

J's turn

 And these littles arrived on Saturday. We, together with friends, put in an order for heritage turkeys. We chose 5 Midget White turkeys. They are in their nice warm brooder we have used for raising poultry (and more) We've used it successfully for years now. Mike made it out of a recycled changing table we found at the dump. C has been on sentry duty ever since. He makes sure they are okay and happy.

C on duty

I also wanted to share a giveaway friends are having at the Wild Armadillos  (from Armadillo Dreams). Taryn and her family at Wooly Moss Roots make amazing buttons and herbal goodies. Check it out!

{this moment}

Joining in with Soulemama for a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Sowing the Seed

Sowing the seed,

my hand is one with the earth.

Wanting the seed to grow,

my mind is one with the light.

Hoeing the crop,

my hands are one with the rain.

Having cared for the plants,

my mind is one with the air.

Hungry and trusting,

my mind is one with the earth.

Eating the fruit,

my body is one with the earth.

~Wendell Berry (via Milagro Roots)

I haven't been consistent with blogging, but I'm working on it. I will share more of our days to give more life to this space. May it be a place of growth and mindfulness. 

There and Back Again

J wearing his new glasses (I didn't get a pic of C in his yet)

We have had a long winter and were so excited for spring. The SAD (seasonal affective disorder) really hit me this winter and man, it was rough. I was constantly tired. I just tried to be as active as possible and read many a great book. The daffodils popped up and said "Welcome back, Spring!" We also started a new session at our homeschool co-op. I'm leading a class on Vikings, in which both J and C joined. We are enjoying it. The weather had been warming up somewhat and I had been looking forward to getting out in the garden and to the two private gardens I work on.

Our daffodil hill as you round the corner to our house

Ramps are up!

Poor things.

Then, another snowstorm. Come on! We got a total of 10 inches! Mike and the boys went out in the snow for more sledding and play while I got hot herbal tea and dinner ready.

Chicken feet 

A flock of eight turkeys that have been visiting us

Mike's "new" project

Experiments with ice (J filled up a water balloon and sat it outside  to freeze)

The guys were wiped out after all that! We had a great dinner and then watched The Hobbit on DVD we just bought. Mike when to the store the day it was released! We really like it and are looking forward to the next two.
I am excited now that the storm is over and we're getting closer to real spring. We're getting dozens of strawberry plants for the garden and baby turkeys in two weeks! We hope to get our bees and more chickens (and maybe a few baby ducks?) soon too. Hope you all had a beautiful equinoz and wishing you a blessed Easter/Ostara!

To Winter

To Winter by William Blake

O Winter! bar thine adamantine doors:
The north is thine; there hast thou built thy dark
Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs,
Nor bend thy pillars with thine iron car.
He hears me not, but o'er the yawning deep
Rides heavy; his storms are unchain'd, sheath'd
In ribbed steel; I dare not lift mine eyes,
For he hath rear'd his sceptre o'er the world.

Lo! now the direful monster, whose 1000 skin clings
To his strong bones, strides o'er the groaning rocks:
He withers all in silence, and in his hand
Unclothes the earth, and freezes up frail life.

He takes his seat upon the cliffs,--the mariner
Cries in vain. Poor little wretch, that deal'st
With storms!--till heaven smiles, and the monster
Is driv'n yelling to his caves beneath mount Hecla.

All About Magnets

  C initiated our study of magnets this week. He has tested many things to see if they are magnetic. We have a collection of several types of magnets and he and J tested every one.

Holding hematite magnet under the table to test  magnetic pull.

We have enjoyed reading The Magic School Bus: Amazing Magnetism and More Power to You: The Science of Batteries and Magnets. We plan to do more experiments with our magnets the rest of this week. We need to get iron fillings (mentioned in the Magic School Bus book) and neodymium magnets to further our studies.

Snowbirds

Sorry for the silence here, but we have been enjoying our winter snow and planning our spring to-do list. On the list, order more seeds (here, here and here ), more homeschool books and supplies, chicks and ducklings order (maybe quail too?), work to do on the upstairs loft, and beekeeping supplies. We may get rabbits this year too. We haven't decided whether or not to get turkeys again.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from recent days:

The birds are quite grateful for the birdseed we offer (and the shelter from the storm. We have been enjoying all the visitors to the feeder. We have had chickadees, titmice, sparrows, finches, cardinals, and a few others visiting the feeders. It's funny to watch the traffic jam and they each vie for space!

Taking turns at the feeder

Ice sculptures

Our pond (still mostly frozen)

Another visitor

The boys have been playing in the snow, building snowmen and sledding. It really feels like winter!

Warm blessings to all. xo