~HOUSEWORK~

Doing housework.... I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dish washing. Whenever I get one of those questionnaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. While you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare. ~Tasha Tudor~

Oh.... the weather is fine today.... in the high fifties.... it is not to last....just a tease....but I am taking full advantage of the day. Like Tasha Tudor, I too enjoy housework....but when the weather is as nice as it is today I find the need to be outdoors .... feel the sun on my face....and entertain thoughts of Spring....still feeling the need to clean something I decided today was a perfect opportunity to clean the girl's coop.... empty their nesting boxes.... add dust and fresh chips....rake....and add clean shavings to the floor....I vacuumed the eaves and walls. I like to keep a neat and tidy chicken coop. I know my girls appreciate this act of kindness....I like to add small decorative touches to their house too....even chickens like being "chic." On one of my current thrifing expeditions I found a curtain valance with a scattering of poultry printed on it....I decided it was just the perfect item for the girl's coop. I can hear some of you laughing at me now...." curtains in a chicken coop"....let me forewarn you this is what happens when you let fuzzy little peeps enter your life and heart....so with the sun still shining I am off to hang curtains....I would love to hear how some of you decorate your coop.... be brave and share...and yes, I am proud to be a housewife!

A SIMPLE PHRASE

A GLORIOUS SUNSET IS HEAVEN'S DOOR LEFT AJAR. This morning Winslow and I were out and about doing errands and I happened to see these words on a church bulletin board.... I had to share them with you.... Blessings from Dog Trot Farm.

ARE THERE FEATHERS IN YOUR FUTURE?

Yesterday the temperature hit the low fifties....there was a bit of Spring to the air....and this got me thinking about flower gardens.... perennials.... herbs and vegetable gardens ....and of course baby chicks. I know I am not alone when I say there is nothing like having your own flock of hens. They are a great source of enjoyment and entertainment. For those of you who might be contemplating this idea.... Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.... in my opinion is a must have book. Straight forward information....no sugar coating....the bible to us chicken keepers. Next book.... Choosing And Keeping Chickens offers beautiful photos of various breeds of chickens and is also a wealth of information....it offers information on breeds, hatching, rearing, showing, pests and diseases....

Keeping Chickens.... The Essential Guide To Enjoying And Getting The Best From Chickens is another book filled with bucolic photos and unique housing ideas for your chickens. There are craft ideas and recipes included too.

Next.... Hen And The Art Of Chicken Maintenance Reflections on Raising Chickens is a fun read....it is an account of one amateur chicken keeper and his flock.

Famous Chicken Stories is a 1944 children's book I discovered while thrifting. This book includes the tale of Henny Penny, The Little Chick That Would Not Go To Bed, The Little Red Hen and more delightful chicken stories that I recall from childhood.

Last is Minnie Rose Lovegreen's Recipe For Raising Chickens....Minnie was one of nineteen children and raised chickens for sixty years. She offers practical " down on the farm" advice for novice and seasoned chicken keepers alike: "the main thing is to keep them (chickens) happy" can't get any easier than that. This is a most beloved chicken book.... I consider it a must have to any one's chicken library.... not technical.... just good common sensePredators.... if you are raising chickens this is a real concern. In my area our main predator is the fox....I'll never forget the morning Gladys got carried away by a fox. I searched most of the day for her and had just about given up at nightfall I discovered her lying by the garden injured.... bleeding.... but alive. Gladys had found her way home and I was going to give her my best effort in keeping her alive. She spent a week in the chicken infirmary .... and today Gladys is as good as new. If you are thinking of becoming a chicken keeper look for breeds that will do well in your climate. A chicken coop does not need to be fancy however, placement and ventilation are an important factor. I can guarantee you will need to perform "doctoring" at one time or another. I would suggest a cage that you can bring into the house for such emergencies. Believe me when I say it is best to be prepared. Feed, scratch and shavings can be found at Tractor Supply, Blue Seal and Paris Farmers Union Stores. My girls are fed organic feed however, that is my choice not theirs. The old adage is "you reap what you sow." Just ask Henny Penny and Iris-

these are two very happy girls and in turn give me such beautiful brown eggs....Once you have a few hens and become established you become hooked and decide well maybe just a few more. Beware....chickens are addictive. Have you ever seen the television show the "Hoarders"? I had not until a few weeks ago....a man had 168 hens living in his home....that is all I am going to say about that.... remember I warned you..... Honey.... have you seen my Murray McMurray catalog?

HAPPY SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY

Red....the color of love....as simple as a heart displayed on a front door.... or tulips in a cut glass vase....

or the beauty of red roses ....

or sugar cookies sprinkled with the color red.... simple displays of love....

Due to the temperament of my computer my blogging presence has been few and far between. Finally my patience with my laptop plum gave out and I reluctantly trotted myself to Best Buy and purchased a new computer. I did not want all the bells and whistles.... just looking for speed and memory. Hopefully this new Toshiba will fit the bill.
My Valentine's gift came early.... last Monday as a matter of fact.... the day of the week I take Winslow Homer to the veterinarian for his weekly blood sugar check. I find myself holding my breath while I am there as I can never predict how the visit is going to go. I try and prepare myself for the worse case scenario....but low and behold Winslow's blood sugar read a perfect ninety....and when the words "we'll see Winslow Homer in a month" were spoken I could have cried....but instead jumped for joy.... and to celebrate this perfect day I headed out on my snow shoes....and took in the beauty of the day....with little Winslow Homer not far behind....

A SEA OF WHITE

Way up yonder.... off in a field.... Dog Trot Farm can be found swimming in a sea of white....earlier in the day we did get a glimpse of blue sky....but it was not to last.... by afternoon the snow had begun to fall yet again....

this my friends is my new means of transportation....

If you can't beat Mother Nature you might as well join her....Oh and just a note to Mr. Punxsutawney Phil.... I am holding you to your word.... I do expect to see spring in six weeks....

CHERISHED POSSESSIONS

With the passing of a parent many of us as adult children will face the task of cleaning out and potentially selling the family home. The torch is passed and it is a fact of life. With the death of my mother in-law I began to realize how daunting this task may be. There are feelings and memories attached to "things" but one must remember it is not about the "things," but honoring their parent's wishes. I do believe my husband and his five siblings have done just that and would make their parent's proud. Many of the items that will now make a home here at Dog Trot Farm are special remembrance's of my mother in-law. The harem doll brought back to her eighty-five years ago by her parents traveling in the Far East. A lace tablecloth used for special occasions on the old farm table.... A German figurine.... my mother in-law shared with me her special memories of horseback riding with her father. Years later when she and my father in-law purchased the farm where my husband grew up she had horses of her own and rode through the fields and woods on what is now our land. She also had a love for and raised Brittney Spaniels.

A pair of eagle mirrors which I have always admired for many years now find a place of honor in our "big room"....

a favorite platter....

Discovered tucked in a bookcase a long forgotten favorite childhood book of my husbands....Mrs Piggle-Wiggle.... and finally two old Christmas ornaments once cherished by my mother in-law will now have a place of honor on our Christmas tree.

What makes an rememberence special is not the monetary value but the heartfelt feelings, special memories that one remembers. I hope you all have cherished possessions of your own, those which tug at your heart and put a smile on your face.

NESTLED IN

I trudged my way to the coop this morning....not only bringing the girls their warm breakfast of oats and blueberries but also with good news. It seems that Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, had come out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob, carefully surveyed his surroundings and found there was to be no shadow, hence declaring an early spring. The girls and I all cheered in unison ....okay I cheered and they clucked for joy...."Girls I said, it's time to start perusing those garden catalogs".... Meanwhile, the snow did fall. It was said to be the storm of the century with eighteen to twenty-four inches of snow predicted. People made their way to the grocery store and gas station in preparation of the big event. You would think by now we would have become accustomed to winter and it's weather....Just look at the people in Chicago, cars stranded and snowed in on Lake Shore Drive. I am so grateful to be snowed in by the wood stove with a cup of warm cocoa in my hand. By three this afternoon the snow came to a halt with the cold temperatures remaining. With the accumulation of last night's snow and today's we have a good fifteen inches of new fallen snow on the ground. During the storm I watched as the birds darted back and forth to the feeders. Such mighty little birds they are. The Tufted Titmouse....

Chickadee....

Cardinal....

Nuthatch....

During this time of year I make sure our bird feeders and suet holders are always full for our feathered backyard friends. I have to admit Winslow Homer has been know to lug off the suet and secretly dine till his heart's content or till I can manage to get it away from him. Not an easy feat, since being on such a rigid diet Winslow will try and run off with just about anything that is edible. I look at him and sigh, "Winslow Homer, I know how you feel.... dieting is never easy....and that is an understatement"....I hope all of you out there in blog land are safe and sound and nestled in under the roof you call home. Blessings....

"There is a privacy about winter which no other season gives you. Only in winter, can you have longer quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.

~Ruth Stout~

ON A COLD WINTER'S DAY

SNOW....three inches of the fluffy white stuff fell silently throughout the night. The Arctic cold temperature however, subsided somewhat today allowing the girls ample opportunity for a quick jaunt through their snow blown paths. A mad dash was seen back to the coop where warm cranberry bread was waiting- yes I love to spoil my girls. The hot chocolate machine that I discovered at Goodwill has been in full use, what a buy I got for $2.99!! I do admit to the fact that I have been consuming more than my fair share of hot chocolate each day. Ghirardelli's sweet ground chocolate and cocoa is so decadent, but oh so satisfying. Accompanying my hot chocolate was my rug hooking, progress has finally been made in the hooking department. I have finished hooking a mat, a Payton Primitives design. This evening I hope to get the binding pinned and with a little luck completed next week. I need to inquire, am I the only rug hooker who hates this part of the rug hooking process? If you have any tips or suggestions I would be more than happy to receive them. On a quick note, thank you one and all for the kind and thoughtful comments offered in regards to my post on Winslow Homer. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you. We are so fortunate to have such caring blogging friends, blessings from snowy Maine. ~Julie and Winslow Homer~

WINSLOW HOMER

Many of you kind friends have inquired as to the well being of Winslow Homer, our Cairn Terrier.Winslow as most of you know is the mascot of Dog Trot Farm, he is the dog with the trot. For the past month there have been many highs and lows regarding Winslow's health. For a brief period our weekly vet. visits began to show much improvement and then a slippery slope of declining health set in. Winslow's blood sugar remained high, as in off the meter high. Our once weekly visit evolved into twice weekly with some all day stays. The word Cushing's disease remained lurking in the conversations with our vet. I had declined to further educate myself on Cushings as I knew it was not going to be good, not an easy disease to treat in dogs. One day as I was checking out an owner brought in a Cairn. Princess was ten, as is Winslow Homer, but appeared much older. In a matter of a week with declining health Princess was diagnosed with diabetes and had become blind. I was looking at the worse case scenario. My heart sank. Along with the diabetes Winslow has a skin condition. Unable to take steroids due to the diabetes Winslow is on a antihistamine. To top it all off he has a collapsible trachea. What was first diagnosed as Kennel cough and then bronchitis turned out to be his trachea. This condition does occur in dogs and treatment could consist of having his trachea rebuilt or as benign as a cough suppressant and stress management. We have opted for the later. Now for the good news, Monday Winslow's blood sugar was near perfect and his heart and lungs sounded clear and strong. No need to see Dr. Rust for two weeks, two weeks....I could jump for joy! Our day begins at 5:30.... breakfast and an insulin shot and one doggie treat between breakfast and dinner. It's difficult, Winslow takes after his human mom we love our treats, but if tough love is going to keep Mr. Winslow Homer with us for a few more years than that is what we are commited to. So there you have it dear friends....today was a good day for both Winslow Homer and myself.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE.....

The weather has turned cold.... very cold. As the temperature plummets my old homestead begins to creak and moan. I worry about my ladies on these cold winter days. Not so much from the frigid temperatures mind you, but being "cooped up" day after day with one another. I do worry about their mental well being. Eleven ladies together ....someone I fear will snap. In the early afternoon when the sun is highest in the sky I let the girls outside just long enough for me to rake the shavings and fluff their nesting boxes. Hygiene is most important especially in winter. This outing offers the girls ample opportunity for a quick sprint around the house and clean air in their lungs. Bravest of the girls are Fern and Phoebe the silver laced wynadottes. The remaining girls are not so forth coming and take a moment to ponder the situation ....

and of course with much encouragement from me....

"Come on Gladys you can do it"....

the situation of course needs to be sized up....
On the count of three....one....two....three....and she's off....

Winslow....lets go out and see the girls....come on lets go get chickens.... He's not thrilled with this snowy winter weather either. Good Boy....

Snow continues to mount on the picnic table....the measurement appears to increase daily....

With another snow storm forecast for mid week it will be spring before these chairs see the light of day.

However, the evening sky sure is pretty when the storm blows away....

Just another day in paradise here at Dog Trot Farm....How is winter treating you in your neck of the woods?