I'm still working on a permanent shade solution for the chickens.  This was our emergency solution - the umbrella from my patio table.  It worked, especially if we moved it around during the day to adjust the shade are, but was definitely not a permanent solution.  

So the next semi-permanent solution is to set up a tarp in the corner for them.  I grabbed a pallet I had stored away, draped a tarp over it, and...it works!  It isn't pretty, but it is also not supposed to be the long-term set up.  I'm waiting to see if the chickens like it, and make any tweaks to the design before I make it "pretty".

Unfortunately, I also came up on the wrong side of the pallet....while I was setting everything up, I leaned the pallet against the fence and turned around....and the pallet didn't stay leaning against the fence.  Luckily it just scraped and bruised my leg, no broken bones....that was a close one!!

When I had my septic tank cleaned out a couple of months ago, the tech mentioned that the trees growing in the chicken pen were encroaching into the tank.....uh oh!!!  I had the three oak trees taken out last week.  While they were here, I also had them trim back the tress on the other side of the property.  They had grown so much my garden wasn't getting getting enough sun.  Here are a few before and after pictures.

The walkway to the chicken pen - before"

After:

The view from the chicken pen to the trees....before:

After (the umbrella is there for shade for the chickens while I figure a more permanent solution):

The storage area before:

After:

The view toward the garden area before:

And after:

The view from the garden area before:

And after:

More examples of my on-going struggles to learn to quilt.....like I didn't have enough problems on my own learning this, I have to have help!

 

My newest quilt is started!!!  This one is for Kirby (and before you ask, no, I have not finished the other quilts...they are still in process....)  I love the colors in this one.

And I had a bit of help cutting it out....

 

Last weekend - after I had made my bed/straightened up my room and was doing the same in Allison's room, I heard a large crash.  My first thought was 'What did Jessie get into now?  When I walked in to my room.....the ceiling fan was on my bed.  I'm sooo glad it didn't break in the middle of the night!!!  I got a replacement fan, but now need to find a handyman to put it in - the old fixture is too small for the new fan.  I can replace a ceiling fan, but installing a new electrical box is out of my skill set!!

 

I got three eggs yesterday!  All three of my hens are now laying.  I have been getting two (small) eggs a day for a while now, but this is the first time I got three.  Earlier in the week I knew one was beginning to start laying - I found just the yolk - no shell - in the coop.  

 

I took advantage of having a helper for Allison until 9:00 last night, and Meredith and I went kayaking at Whiskeytown.  It was 107 degrees when I clocked off work, and the lake was beautiful!  I was a bit nervous leaving Alli - originally I was supposed to have a helper that had been here before, but that was not who showed up on my doorstep yesterday afternoon.  Nope, I got a brand new person, so instead of being able to load my kayaks and gear up on my lunch hour (really just a half-hour, after I run and get Alli at her daycare) I ended up doing it after work.  (Did I mention it was 107 degrees when I got off work???)  I knew Alex was home for any questions the helper had, but since Alli is non-verbal, the helpers have to figure out what she needs by observation/body language - hard to do with someone you just met!  The new helper did great, so I didn't need to worry, but....some things you just can't help, right?  All in all - the kayaking trip was worth it though.

 

They are still the cutest kittens!  They are still, unfortunately in Jessie's case, living up to their nicknames  "Mischief and Mayhem"....

 

I’ve been neglecting the blog!!!  I’ll do better…

Sunrise the other morning:

 

I have three quilts at three different "finished" stages.....

This is at the "quilt top is finished!" stage - ready to put the batting and backing on, then quilt and bind:

This one is at the "quilting is finished - just need to do the binding now" stage:

And this one is done, done, done!  

I got an egg!!  My babies are growing up!!  

 

I had Koori put down yesterday.    She was 16, and lived a good life....RIP sweetie.....

My garden is doing good - I planted pole beans this year - and I usually plant bush beans.  I really like the pole beans!  They also seem to be pretty happy - I got a nice bunch of bean yesterday off of them!  

My tomatoes are coming in too - I picked some ripe romas and yellow pear tomatoes.

And found a bug on my purple beans - which turned the normally green bug pink.....the chickens were happy to help dispose of it....

 

My plans for the weekend?  Stay inside or in the pool....