Snake in the chicken pen

This summer has been a busy one.  First we had a nice long spring, and then poof! Hot days of summer!  Garden time, working on camper time, and why isn't mama hen wanting to set?  We have this one white hen, faithful as ever on setting, but this year she did not want to set until June which is really late for her since by June she could be on her second batch of chicks.
Early on we had what they call "rat" snake in the chicken pen.  Hubby found it when he was reaching in to get the eggs it had one in its mouth already!  So, he caught that one and took it on down the road a few miles and turned it loose.  Mama hen then decided to hatch some little ones.  She hatched seven, and then there were four.  Hmmm. 
That morning I looked around everywhere, and hubby looked too.  Till I looked up.

There it was, nice and full.  I am not a big fan of snakes, but don't get me wrong.  Rat snakes eat copperheads, rats, mice, etc.., and they are good to have just not in my chicken pen.  We did not realize how big it was till we put it in the trash can we had.

It was over 5feet in length!  This had to be a pretty old snake to be that big.  This time hubby took it down the road, across two rivers, and the interstate till he dropped it off on the other side.  We did not want that one back!
Poor mama hen.  So, I have been wanting some Araucana chickens again for the longest time so I can have some pretty colored eggs!  I found some baby chicks, and went to pick them up.  Now to see if mama would take to them.  We slipped them under her late at night.

They were all happy campers.  We have not seen another snake since then, however, we did lose another big one and two little ones.  Never found the snake though.  So, we built a box with a super fine mesh that we put on the "nursery" side that has its own entrance.

So every night when they all go to bed they get their door closed up and then re-opened bright and early, and I do mean early.  For those of you who have chickens you know how early that can be!  So for now they are all happy and getting really big by wandering all over the property.  Pretty soon they will all go over the the big side, and mama will be glad.  She has always been our best one.  I did notice that one of the bigger chicks was calling to the little ones when it found something so maybe we will have another good mama hen to carry on.
As for the snakes, well, we have a lot of woods around us so they can stay there. The neighbor has had a big one at their place, and I have seen a couple of  real little ones which is ok....for now.  Just stay out of the chicken pen or your home will be miles down the road!

Spring is back

First came the daffodils, then the tulips, and the leaves are finally coming out with that lovely spring green color.  It is so nice to have all of these colors back!  Here are some photos of things that have bloomed around here.

I have to learn about the placements of photos again.  There is so much information on blogger now, and so little time!  I have found a lot of changes with things so I had better get busy and learn.  How are the springtime colors in your neck of the woods?

A Sunny Break

We had a few more items of my hubby's uncle and aunt that needed to be delivered to them so we took a little break down to Florida.  We left behind a cold, rainy, week to a week of warm sunshine.  Not quite in the 80's, but very close.  The retirement park they live in had a chicken dinner with dancing on Sunday, and I would be showing pics of that yet somehow I managed to mess up that video.  Then another morning we had the "big" breakfast.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I needed to leave the place just so I would not gain any weight!  We have never been there in January before so it was quite a change with the park being so full and very active.  Let me tell you the seniors know how to party!

We made it to what used to be a favorite place for us to go and eat lunch right on the beach.  It was not so good this time, but I will give it another chance as I enjoy sitting on the roof top.

Next was the beach, and who can go wrong with the glorious beach?

However, when I put my feet into it

Brrrrrrrr, yep, it is January! So, the solar heated swimming pool was nice.

It went by way too fast, but we did some things around the house there too like a new ceiling fan for the living room so it can be used during the summer months.  That was a gift to them since they really don't need anything, and had their fill of candies over the holidays!  I always plant flowers for them too as aunt loves them just as much as me.  I also brought a geranium and a fuchsia plant back.  Hey, I need a little color around here till the spring!  I am so ready for spring, are you?

A Sunrise

The 9th of January already.  Before you know it the month will be gone.  Here is a beautiful sunrise taken in Connecticut.  Enjoy your day and the weekend!

Along came a.......

My Thanksgiving cactus bloomed beautifully this past Thanksgiving.  Practically for two months!  I had placed both of them during the summer in hanging baskets as my great aunt had done hers that way a long time ago, and my cousin still has them.

So one day I took them to the sink to give them a good dose of water, and when I went back to the sink later this is what I found....

A little frog!  Apparently he had made his home in one of the pots.  Sorry to say I had to place the little frog back outside, but at least it had a long time to bunker in before the year ended and this cold front arrived!    You never know what you will find when you bring plants in, and he blended quite well! 

Good Morning 2015!

Hope you have a beautiful start to this new year!