I HOPE ED BEGLEY GOES TO THE PUYALLUP MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR EVERY YEAR

because I'm going to start a wall collection of me and Ed.

Me and Ed in 2012

Me and Ed in 2013 - I've gained weight and Ed got a haircut

Larry and I love going to the Mother Earth News Fair.  We leave inspired, wanting to do better and more, plus, it fuels our dreams of one day being completely self sufficient.

Now that we our little flock of five, we went into the poultry tent to check out some feathered friends.  Some have the craziest, coolest hair!

Some are drop dead gorgeous and other breeds, not so much.

We saw a hen lay an egg - something I've never seen before - SO cool!

Larry and I went to many seminars and demonstrations - electric motorcycles, solar power, soap making, taking care of our chicks, farmstead cooking, herding dogs, medicinal weeds....and there were more we couldn't take.  That's why we love going back every year. We learn SO much!

I fell in love with goats and alpacas.

And one of the funniest things we saw on our way out were a couple of llama carriages.   So cute and hilarious!

THE CHICKEN COOP IS ALMOST FINISHED

The interior is finished and our little chicks are happily roaming around their new backyard lair.  The exterior still  has some work, you know, the bells and whistles but here is a little sneak peek.

Chicka-chicka-boom-boom

Zelda and Rosie

Lily is constantly checking on her babies.

What started out as this...

has turned into all hands on deck.  Even Josh helped while he was visiting.  I was very thankful for his height.

Hopefully it will be finished in a week - it will all depend on this crazy rainy weather we've been having.  Once it's all fancy schmancy, I'll show you the final results.

MEET OUR CHICKS

 This in Chica Chica Boom Boom - she is a Buff Orpington and will lay brown eggs.

 This is Coconut - she is an Ameraucana and will lay various shades of blue and blue/green eggs.

 This is Zelda - she is a Black Australorp and will lay brown eggs.

 This is Princess Leah - she is an Ameraucana like Coconut.  She will will lay various shades of blue and blue/green eggs.

And last, but not least, this is Rosie.  She is a Cuckoo Maran and will lay dark brown eggs.

We are SO excited to have these cute additions to our family.  We have to build a coop and I have found a wicked cool coop plan for Larry to use as inspiration.  I'm giddy.  Lily is on mama mode again and the boys are ecstatic.  We are looking forward to our start at urban farming.