{this moment}

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." 

Inspiration from SouleMama:


                                        happy day!

FAERIE RINGS

We collected wild grapevine, that was tangled in the trees by the pond, and decided to put it to good use.

We made faerie rounds by forming them into circles and tucking the ends under. If they vines are too brittles, try soaking them in water. It helps make them pliable again.

Ribbons can be attached by looping over. . . 

or the child can practice their tying skills.

But the most fun of all is to take them outdoors

and run and play with the spring winds!

(If you don't have grapevines where you live, use any other bendable twigs , grasses, etc. Get creative!)

happy day!

MAKE A NEST HELPER

It's that time again to help the birds build their nests!

We gathered our supplies:

-horse hair from grooming the horses, 

-feathers on the ground from the ducks and hens

-mane from the horses

-angora from plucking the rabbits

-yarn that we cut into two inch lengths

-large wire suet feeder


We counted, measured, and recorded our ingredients. At a later date, we can see what has been used by the birds.


Next we layered them in the wire feeder . . . 

                      packing them loosely . . . 

and hung it outside, on a branch, for the birds.

We make these every year. See what we made last year here.
                   
                 happy day! happy nesting!


                 Linked to Barn Hop #6

UPDATE - ROOT WONDER

The lima beans we planted under glass have grown.
                            14 days 

See how we started them here.

19 days

20 days

21 days

22 days

23 days

Now we can have fun measuring its height !

Isn't nature glorious?

happy day!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

   
                      ~ busted ~

(Please feel free to join in One Word Wednesday, just leave your link in the comments).

                                               happy day!

HAND ART

We talked of India, the ancient art of mehndi, and henna. 
And the children decided to do their own hand art.


They traced their own hands and set to work creating their own unique designs with colored pencils.

Each design is unique, like each of the children.
                      happy day!

PROTECTING THE GARDEN

Do you have helpers in your garden ?

" I see you have been out in your garden", visitors say as they comment on the raked areas throughout our flower beds and raised bed garden. 

But it wasn't me, it was them! My helpers.

But there comes a time that I need to say, Thank you but no more! No more eating the earthworms and other beneficials deep in the soil of the garden. 


I fill up the raised beds with our rich compost. . . 

 and then protect it from the chickens.


 I lay chicken wire, or other wire I have on hand, over each raised bed and secure it with a rock, heavy branch, or piece of lumber. 

The hens will still try but will be easily discouraged and move on their way.

Once I start planting, I set up a temporary fence so they can't get in the garden at all, but for now it's just the raised beds I protect.
  
I'm not willing to keep my chickens from free-ranging throughout our land, so there are extra steps I need to take to protect our plantings. 

A tip when putting in transplants, in an area that is not fenced in, is to surround the actual plant with rocks, right up to its stem. Flat rocks work best.


I learned the hard way. All my transplants were tipped upside down, with roots facing the sky, as the chickens made their way through the yard. Something had to be done.


The rocks protect the plant from the hens scratching. They still can scratch nearby but the transplants stay in place. Once the plants grow and their roots are secure in the soil, the rocks can be removed and growth can continue.

happy day! happy gardening!

Linking up to BARN HOP #5

and 

 Hearth and Soul Hop