THIS & THAT.

Some random photos from the past week.We inherited a TON of aloe plants this week.Buying new tools for the growing season.Guinea feathers everywhere.Our neighbor Davis delivered eight round bales of hay, to the delight of all the chickens.It is cold, you guys. 

EGG SHELLS.

Despite the frigid weather, our chickens have been doing really well lately. We switched to a new type of food and have been diligent about feeding them egg shells, and we've been getting nearly a dozen eggs a day!We keep the egg shells from all of the eggs we eat, and then sort of "bake" them under the wood stove. Once they have completely dried, we crush them up and feed them back to the chickens for calcium. Think about how much calcium they must need to produce an entire egg nearly every day! We have also use oyster shells, but the eggs are free.What do you add to your chickens diet?- Hannah.

WENDELL WEDNESDAY.

We can't let the new piglets have all the attention! Wendell has been really enjoying our mailbox walks lately.

A SURPRISE BABY.

This past Monday began like most: up with the sun to feed the chickens, get the stove up and running to start making tea and breakfast, wash out our milk jugs because Mondays are milk days. We were expecting our neighbor Davis around 7:30 to deliver some hay for the garden, but when he called, he told us he would be bringing over something else instead.A few-hours-old piglet.We were planning on raising pigs this year, and possibly buying some from Davis, too. But he had been surprised on Sunday night by an unexpected litter, and by one little piglet outside all alone. He brought him home tucked inside his coat and then was up all night trying to warm up the little one/bottle feed him every two hours.And so our pig raising adventure has begun a few months early. And now that picture of new parents is us: waking up every two hours to warm up a bottle on the stove. It is a little bit insane. And a little bit wonderful. This life is a constant surprise, ever a change of plans. And as tired as we have been these past couple of days, every time we see this face it just seems worth it.

THEN: Tuesday morning, we got another call. And a baby brother.Boris (with the black spots), and Gomer. We are so proud.- Hannah.