We're finally home again!

We took a week off and travelled to Wisconsin and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Our dog went to the kennel, our guinea pig went to grandma and grandpa's and our chickens were visited daily by some wonderful friends (who want some fresh eggs this fall! ;-) Picking up and going somewhere isn't as easy as it used to be! We spent a day in Wisconsin with Bret's brother Mark. We enjoyed BBQ chicken and a hike on his 40 acres. We spent an enjoyable week with Stephen and Heidi (and Benjamin) in Winnipeg and visited with all of Angela's family while there. On the way home we were surprised by a flat tire and ended up buying two new tires in Fargo, N.D.. Surprise! Although our return was delayed, we did stop in Janesville on the way back to check out our old house there. They put a pool where I had my garden and built a deck on the back of the house. Oh, well. I'm still quite glad we moved, although it was nice at the park by the highway. We stopped there for a while to let the kids stretch their legs. It was a nice trip down memory lane.

Other summer fun...

We also enjoyed time with Mom and Otto when they came our way in May. We made our pilgrimmage to the Wildlife Prairie Park (rehabilitation facility for wild animals) and to Starved Rock State Park (a lovely park with natural caves and springs). We enjoyed the trip and the time together with Mom, Otto and Steven (Otto's son).

I promised you ballet pictures...

Greetings all! I did promise ballet pictures and that was some time ago. The ballet recital was at the end of May! Katie is in the back row on the far left. She had a lot of fun doing this. We have taken the summer off, but will be back in fall, I'm sure. I cried during the performance! I'm such a wimp. :-)

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Okay, the sky is not falling. And the "chickens little" are really not that little anymore. They are three weeks old. The chicks are growing and eating and pooping! They are trying really hard to fly (with little success--they can get on top of the waterer) and have gotten used to my frequent visits with food and water. Bret gets his entertainment by dropping one small shaving of paper or cardboard into the "coop." The chicks respond by grabbing the slip of paper and running off, then stealing it from each other. They snatch the paper from each other and try to get it all to themselves! It is very funny to watch--you'll have to take my word for it until I can figure out how to get a video on my blog. It was surprising to me how time can fly as I sit and watch the chickens interacting. They are generally quite active. Even when they are all sleeping they nudge each other and ruffle their feathers. We've lost two, but I think the 24 that remain are healthy and will survive.

More pictures will follow soon!