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

OKAY...SO TIME HAS SLIPPED BY AGAIN!

I know, I know...I promised.  But I have a good excuse this time...I'm working madly to finish up the third book in my     YA/Tween Fantasy/Adventure Series, Benjamin McTish.  As you know, last year got all discombobulated with my father in law moving in and needing so much care (it's been a year by the way since his passing..how freaking quick did that go by!? I actually got teary about it last night..such is life and death)...and then my dear husband with his health issues, so the promised tome did not materialize as planned, however, I'v been writing and it's nearly there! (ps. having issues with format here on the ever problematic blogger posting..this should all be left align..sorry."

Here's the cover

                            

So, time allowing and no sudden moves, it should be in my hot little hand by the end of the month..yay!

In the meantime, life moves on.  The storms have been dreadful...my poor little chix stand in their coop watching the flood go by their door..it's really quite cute actually.  And don't get me wrong, I love the rain and grey days...love it...but even this is getting to me a bit now too...so I decided not to add any new ladies this month...eleven is a good number at present.  And until I can find the truly special ones I've been hunting for, it will remain as such.  Although I did rescue a little Buff Crested Duck..Penelope I call her..so she's fitting in well at the present, getting her "big girl" voice and all...super cute.

Miss Monroe...of course!

Here we have, beginning on the right,..
Princess Buttercup, Ms. Monroe, Bette
(or Ms. M, or even Divine at times),
and I believe that might be Esther, then
of course Mr. Big..who started out as Gilda..!!

My favorite, but don't tell the others, Lydia...
she is ginormous..the fluffiest and softest chicken
you have ever held..unbelievable!!
this pic doesn't do her justice..the one 
I wanted wouldn't up load properly..next time.

Petunia..who is gigantic as well..Blue Cochin..love!

Sophie..or as we call her..Soff

Hermione...yes, Potter fan!!

The new baby..Penelope!

The old gals..Ruby and Vida..
Rubs came back after her first molt
with white feathers around her collar..??
Strange look, on her super black body
with shiny green feathers in her wings...
and now white!

And this is Mr. Big...we found a new home
for him..wait till you see this...
ps. he's only five months old here!
By the time he was six months
he came up above my knees..he was aptly
named..and yes, Sex in the City fan!

So we found a new home for our Mr. Big...he's on a local farm..little home farm..with forty hens!!  Talk about Cock of the Walk...anyway, this place is AH-Maze-ing!!  I felt like I was in England...big sprawling fields, geese wondering around and sheep...oh man, I've been wanting sheep for a while now...we'll see..this is just a random little guest cottage on the property..they had several...cute cute cute!

I want one of these...just this long path for
the sheep to come up from their pasture and is
capped off with an amazing gate...so magical!
the photo of the gate won't load..argh!!

Loads of other things going on for the Schneider clan...this is a house we went to visit with our friends, Kim and Tom.  Their friend Ron has been building this by hand for six years...I took loads of photos, and don't want to inundate you today..so will save for future post..because it's worth it..but here are a few...it's made entirely of iron and steel...he likes rusted old scrapes and it was breathtaking..up in the hillsides, close to the coast...just spectacular! 

that's rusted iron framing the other metal..!

work room

A couple weeks ago we went off to the Roller Derby with our good friends, Bill and Paula...the girls come out in the beginning all bent over low and stamp their skates in time to David Bowie..Under Pressure (I think that's what is was.geez..it was Bowie either way and super dramatic), They wear scarves like bandits and it was super cool..unfortunately for them, our home team the Steamer Janes won! What a blast!

And last, but certainly not least...my precious and perfect cat Frankie left us.  It's been since our big Xmas/Birthday bash that we've seen him around...and unfortunately living in the foothills of the forest is not the safest of homes for an outdoor cat.  I'd like to believe he simply got twisted around in the huge storm and found a new home...or that he went after something, or maybe something chased him, and again, got lost in all the inclimate weather and found some other lovely people to take care of him...He was most loved.  I've never had a relationship with an animal as I did with this fat tuxedo cat.  He would lie on my chest and literally put his arms around my neck and stare at me....it brings tears to my eyes right now, just thinking of him. His perfect purring motor and his curling up on my lap...I simply loved him with all my heart. We shared a terrific eight years together and he could never be replaced.  The last fun memory we have of him is at the holidays when the kids were staying in the den and Frankie was literally walking around on my son Cal's chest and face...we were cracking up.  Cal kept attempting to speak with out getting cat in his mouth.."what is he doing?"  We just laughed and laughed..he was loved deeply by our family.  I wish I had some of his younger pics..or even better ones, however, most were from the old real camera days, and the others are..who knows?  Why they aren't in my Frankie folder I don't know..but I did have these to share...

So back to the grind...and the incessant rain!  I know, I know..we need it...but it's time to do some major gardening and right now it's a pile of mud!!  (my new obsession, bearded iris's..we'll talk) There are a couple other things to share, but I'll wait until next week...need to move on with my day and give you guys a break from reading about my life...stay happy, dry and safe...much love to my besties..and much joy to everyone else! xo juner