Thursday, December 16, 2021

My camera is finally fixed!

 It took a while, but I finally got my camera fixed!  Now I have to get used to using it!  Someone in one of the homeschool groups I follow on FB asked what others do for outside time for their kids.  She asked for pictures, if we had any. So I came here to this space to dig some up.  And as I did so I realized that a lot of the things I was recommending, we no longer had!  Oh my mommy heart!  My kids keep growing up!  We may not have some of the things that I recommended, but we have other things.  I went outside to just take a look around.


Our new back porch. We finished this this past summer.  We hung up some Bistro lights that unfortunately one of the dogs chewed through the cord.  Sigh.  Until we get a gate to put at the top of the stairs we won't be getting new ones, or putting furniture out there.  I was hoping to utilize this space during the cooler months to sit out there to eat, or do school. 



A new fort is being made!  We already have one, but the boys LOVE building forts.  I'm all for it.  What ever it takes for them to not be glued to the computers!  This is an old ladder for a bunk bed.  


They nailed a bunch of planks of wood between the limbs for seating.  I am waiting for the railings to be put up! I do not trust a certain child to be up there and be safe.  

They tried using the tire swing this summer, but we had some of the Asian hornets hanging out there for the sap that was running from the tree.  We had to get rid of them first.  Thankfully they are not quick to sting, but their sting is BAD when they do so.  


You can't see them in the picture, but Aubrey strung up some battery operated lights to decorate this space. 


Any walk around our property is not complete without an entourage of cats and chickens!  Here are a few of our brown tabbies. In the background you can just make out one of our newer cats, he's black and white.  We got two cats from a group that gives away free feral barn cats. They explained to us that the cats will never be really human friendly as they have been feral their whole lives. Well, they don't know the determination that Saoirse has for taming cats!  It didn't take her long, a week maybe, for them to be coming up to her. We had them live inside for about 2 months.  Then we slowly integrated them to the outside crew of cats.  And now, no one would know the difference. They both come running up to us like the other cats when we come outside. They curl up with the other cats. They will crawl up on your lap to get attention like our other cats. So much for being feral!


The old fort. Still being used. You can make out, in the foreground, what looks like a black rod with red caps. This is the end of the zip line. The beginning of the zip line is up by the fort where you see the ladder up front, and an orange strap from the tree.  They get up on the plank at the top of the ladder, hook themselves up, and zip to the end.  This is not just a park zipline. They have to wear a helmet, and have a harness to be able to ride this thing!  

 


I was trying to get a picture that shows how long the line is, but you really can't tell from the pictures. 


We have very silly chickens. The boys always ask me why the chickens come running up to me. In the above picture I was trying to take a picture of our cats, and I feel my toes being pecked!  They come running for two reasons...1. I don't chase them, like the boys do.  And 2. I bring them treats!  They will eat out of my hand, and will apparently try to eat my toes as well!


One of the chickies.  Even though we secured the barn, we still had predators knock off too many of our chickens. I think we bought about 45 chicks last year. We now only have like 26 chickens left. Thankfully after a few more adjustments we haven't lost any recently.  We will bring up our numbers with new chicks come spring.


Can't resist taking a picture of our road.  The pictures never do it justice. I love the long shadows in the fall/winter.  The streaks of light seem all the brighter.  Today and the next couple of days are supposed to be very mild temp wise...I think around 70 degrees.  We have family coming for a Christmas gathering, so we will be out there cleaning things up.  It is VERY evident we have lots of kids, and lots of animals! Ha!  It's too bad that we can't train chickens to use one area to do their business in!  Because let me tell you, it's a mine field out there!!  

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