Long Time no visit....

When I say my life is busy...I'm not fooling.  I thought we were supposed to relax now that we're in our sixties?!
ANYwho....our main focus has been on the landscaping, flagstone patio and two, yes two, DG patios off the main flagstone.  The one on the left will have a fire pit and the one on the right sits under a massive oak that will be filled with lights to sit out on warm breezy summer nights with friends at the big wooden dinning table...ahhhh!!

Some new girls to the pack...and one boy..damn!  But too cute to send away...yet..ha ha.  Some garden shots...things are blooming around here.  PS. Don't forget, I'm the Tomato Lady...35 planted so far and six more coming soon...I LOVE canning them for the autumn/winter months...Enjoy!

This is a small shot...this DG patio of 20 feet long
and pretty wide...it goes to the gate entry...the hydrangeas
are coming in wonderfully.  The oak above is huge...it's
simply lovely here.We sit here every day for lunch..
too bad huh?

The flagstone is not set yet, and once finished will
have a sealer on it so you will see the deep deep
blue/green color of these stones...soooo pretty.
Step down to this fenced area where a Pit to come
will be on the right of the wide space in the middle...
looks awesome!

Mr. Big...a lemon cuckoo orpington,
who is almost 5 mos here...
can't wait for that tail to come in.
It will be a brown stripe eggs-travaganza...
see how I did that?  Right now it's softer in tone
and not bushy or long...

The newest cluster of chicks..
the front one is Hermione a blue splash orpington.
 Amazing blue color in person, I wish you could see it.
 Behind her to the right,
is Sweet Pea, who was originally
Mrs Big..or Ms. Bradshaw, aka Mrs. Preston...
who turned out not to be the lemon cuckoo female,
but a Buff Columbian cuckoo...so she's still just
Sweet Pea..and Buckbeak is hiding out in the back..
a black orpington.  And Mr. Big on the left.

This is my chocolate orpington...Maggie May..
so big and fluffy..and an amazing array of brown tones
from deep chocolate to a light latte on the bottom..
spectacular in person!

Sweet Pea..Buff Columbian orpington
four/five mos. old.

Millicent...Millie for short...a black laced Barnevelder..
who does NOT lay dark chocolate eggs as she
is supposed to..bummer!

Ha hahahaha...Lydia..my old barred Cochin..
love love love!

Ms. Chickie Gaga...
a light Brahma..strutting her stuff

Ziggy Stardust...BEYOND love!

Ms. Bette...as in Divine!  A blue laced red wyndotte,
 who never turned blue..
bummer again..but pretty nonetheless.

My favorite in color..dont tell the others..
Princess Buttercup..a gold laced Cochin

Ms. Gilda...my homage to Ms. Radner...
a dark Brahma...the hen, not ms. Radner.

And last but not least my oldest gal..
a Silver Laced Cochin..Ms. Wynifred...
or Winnie most days.  Millie is behind her.

Hope your summer is starting off peacefully and full of fun and exciting adventures to come...keep in touch.  Big hugs to all my besties..xoxo juner.

CHICKIES AND IRIS'

So, this is a first for me...months since my last post.  So very sorry about that, it's been mighty hectic around here this past year...well, actually...wait, is it two years now? (seriously? two years already? I thought maybe a year and a half..but no, it began in that July/Aug, two years ago!  Geez!)  since my husband began with his heart issues.  Takes a lot out of you...stress, etc.  In the meantime, we are happy to say he just received his clean bill of health this past June!!  So big relief there!  But the damage was done on my nerves...attempting to get back on track with my own health/body and have a little June time. 

In the meantime, 

Here are a few things to share:

Two new girls to add to the only two
old gals who survived the attack last year...
a couple weeks old here.

The Blue Laced Red Wyndotte on the left,
now four and a half months, Hermione
(yes, Potter head)and to her right, the ever special
Lite Brahma, Chickie Gaga!

Miss Chickie Gaga has some serious attitude..
and when she stands upright will blow you away
with her magnificent size!  Fits her image!

Three new babies arrived five weeks later

How amazing are her eyes!
This is three day old Princess Buttercup,
a Gold Laced Cochin

And this is the Princess at three months old!
She'll have big bloomers!

The Big gal in the middle is Millicent,
(or Millie for short) a Doubled Lace
Barnevelder (her orange lacing
isn't showing up strong yet, but in person is
looking glorious)..she is 13 weeks old,
she will produce super dark chocolate
brown eggs...yay! And the only one without
feathers on her feet or thighs.

And this beauty is a Dark Brahma, also 13 wks,
her name is Gilda (yes, Radner head!)

The Girls!

Will have to keep you in the loop as they get older and more pronounced on their markings...these are all known for their coloring and size...all big fluffy gals, with exception to Hermione.

So, next to chickens, my latest obsession of last year became Bearded Iris'...I bought a couple and built a long bed for them and waited...and while I waited I started looking on line to see what other colors there might be...holy crap!!  I had NO idea how insanely abundant, mulit colored, and amazing these flowers could be.  I searched for hours, building my catalog, picking colors that would go one to the other perfectly...it was a standing joke around here...June's Iris'...that's all I could think about.  So I bought and planted and waited...unfortunately, most of them did not open this season, but the ones that did were spectacular.  Will get better at this, I love them too much (and of course now that iris season is over I'm on to my number one obsession...Vintage Christmas ornaments...it's actually worse than the iris time on the internet...if that's humanly possible.  I used to wait until December, but last year I thought about it in August...and now I just look all the time..!  

These are some of my new Iris blooms from this past spring...ps. going to begin selling rhizomes on ebay!

Dazzling Sarah

Concertina

Rio Roja

Mad World

I Feel Lucky

Ruth Porter Waring

Coffee Trader

Double Chocolate

Here Come The Night

Wine Time

Orange Slices

BORDEUX

CHASING RAINBOWS

So, it's nice to be back...I've missed the community here...will keep in touch better, now that things appear to be stabilizing...ha ha ha..as if THAT could ever happen around here!  Either way, I'll do better.  Have some shots of the garden veggies...and piles of nice grapes coming up...jams, all that good stuff.  Thought I'd piece it out instead of hitting you with everything at once...mucho love to my Besties...hope all are having a tremendous summer thus far! Enjoy! xo juners