'Twas The Week Before Christmas

So, every winter this bush's berries become ripe and the robins go crazy, so many eating at the same time.

One robin flew into our glass door right as I was going to work.

We have a sticker on the door to try and prevent that, but it still happened.

He turned out ok though! After some rest he poked his head up.

He could hear all his buddies in the bush behind him.

Indigo Dye Project

Back in April I posted about my indigo... well, it's not exactly time-laps photography, but poof! They're big! Not as big as can be, but still I'm proud of my first time growing the plant. The chicken wire keeps the chickens out.

They're even starting to blossom! I'll save the seed for next year!

So, We decided to try dyeing with it!

On the left I'm harvesting the leaves, and on the right I'm making the dye bath. The leaves are treated like a double boiler for a while, kind of makes a dye tea inside the jar.

The next photos didn't turn out well, since it got dark, but it's quite a process! I'll try to get some better ones next time.

Here's pictures of the finished products:

My knit hat, using the indigo dyed yarn.

Mom dyed a silk scarf in the same dye bath. I didn't think I had enough dyestuff to dye this much product, but I had more than I thought!

It's that time of year again, preparing for Art Farm, an art show featuring local artists and farms. The show isn't until November, but the artwork was due today. Can't wait for the show!

Chickens of Nepal

Back in June I went to Nepal, and of course was interested in the chickens I saw. It's interesting how chickens are chickens no matter where you are in the world. There were subtle differences, but it was probably more a fact that these chickens acted like normal ones, not like my spoiled hens that are picky about what they eat.

This chicken liked hanging out with our stuff

Teaching how to dust bath

A pretty awesome chicken coop. The roof says, "Guest House" hehe

He's tied up

April Chicken Happenings:

I'm glad I took a picture of my indigo last month, because I feel much more encouraged by their progress.

It seems like they're growing so slowly! But they are in a good spot, not too much sun, not too much water. (I killed a few, they're so fragile!)

Summer has suddenly hit! Takes its tole not only in us, but in our girls too. Susie mouth breather.

Luckily they rest where it's cool. Little drips from the hose make a cool, damp place on the east side of our house.

Poor Ku'u Ipo is broody. I shut the door to the coop so she can't go in and sit on her golf ball. I'm going to see if she snaps out of it quicker this way, instead of letting her sit on it to her heart's content.

Bea pecking bugs off the geraniums

Chicken fluff butts

                                  I'll introduce you to the plants which make up our dye garden:

pokeberry: pink & red color

Black Hollyhock: light blue color

Sunflower: yellow and green

Purple Basil: brown

Marjoram: yellow, gray, coppery brown

Marjoram protector (an old birdcage)

Things blooming in the yard: roses and orange blossoms!

St. Chickens' Day

Yay, we definitely spread our green around the yard today.

A shamrock and a "pot-o-gold" for the chickies

Susie just picks out the "good stuff" and flings out the rest

Then the other girls came. Ku'u Ipo likes looking at me.

I haven't really blogged about anything other than the chickens, but I'll mention these things too:

These are my sprouts to grow indigo for dyeing yarns!

Here's a cool ceramic head I made in college, I LOVED that class! So hard, but I always felt awesome afterward. Oh, that's an artichoke plant to the left.

Here's our other green we had this St. Patrick's Day.

Japanese pumpkin, they didn't sprout last year, but they did this time!

Acorn Squash

Moon & Stars Watermelon, looking sickly but we've had a little too much rain lately.

Blue pumpkin, that tasted so yummy last fall, I'm glad we have more than one plant this year!

And BUTTERNUT SQUASH TAKES OVER THE WORLD!

All those little guys in the ground!

I have a sprout on my raspberry bush! I didn't kill it! Yay! (Susie in the background)

Susie girl, she's so pretty.

We have to cover this plant with a bird cage so the chickens don't destroy it

Happy March 17th!