Winter Watering

If you have not done so already, these warm February days are an excellent time to drag out the hose and give all of your trees and shrubs a good winter watering. Often Colorado winters are not wet enough to get woody plant material through the winter months. This is especially true if you have newly planted trees and shrubs. It is not as big of an issue for well established plant material. All you need to do is pick a sunny day, drag out the hose and hand water anything you think could use a drink.

More Signs of Spring

Another sign that spring is on the horizon is the fact the the ladies have started to kick to the egg laying. In my experience, young ones really don't get started until the spring after they are purchased. Wahoo! Fresh eggs! I am thinking we will most likely get 2-3 more chicks this spring. For me, spring is not spring with out a baby something. I'm pretty sure I am not going to get away with a baby goat, lamb or calf so I better stick to the baby chicks!

Thanks ladies, your treats are most delectable!

Bagels

I know that sometimes I seem to post things that seem a bit random and off of the general crafty, gardening, farming topic but to me it is all related. Take for instance my husbands desire to make bagels. Yes, you can make bagels in your own kitchen. You just need a willingness to delay gratification and investigate the process. Agricultural living takes time. You do a lot of things for yourself and enjoy the process of doing it. It really is a lifestyle and the satisfaction that is had from "doing it yourself" lasts much longer than the experience of plucking the bag from the grocery store shelf! Thanks for the bagels baby, you are amazing!

Kneading out the dough

Shaping into bagels

Boiling the bagels

After baking and coated with poppy seed goodness!

Happy Valentines Day!

From our Valentine Tree to yours!

National Bird Feeding Month

Its National Bird Feeding Month! This month was established as such in 1994 in an effort to encourage individuals to help feed, water and shelter wild birds through the winter. Food stores are typically low and a little extra helps go a long way. The benefit to you is what you may get the opportunity to appreciate in your own backyard! You might be surprised by what you would find just putting out some heated water! So dig out those sunflower heads that I told you to stash in the garage and don't cut down the flower seed heads quite yet as there is still some forage value left for our feathered friends.

In the Mood for Love

THIS IS A VALENTINE SPOILER!

IF YOU WANT TO WAIT

FOR IT TO COME IN THE MAIL,

DON'T LOOK!

I put these together the other day. I hope they make the recipients as happy as I was designing and making them! A little embossing, a little vintage lace and of course just the right amount of red to say you are truly in my heart! We all need a little bit of something to get us through these winter days!

Valentine Prep

Preschool Valentine party is Friday. Despite being under the weather, it was time to get cracking! I am already uneasy about the quality of food served at school so I was definitely not going to contribute to the sugar overload that is sure to ensue. I thought about bags of carrots tied with pink bows but have probably found a happier medium here:

I die cut the hearts and let A decorate with stickers to her hearts content. After picking a few pencils to keep for herself, we taped the rest to the hearts. Daddy helped her pick out the dandy felt bag and stickers for carrying them to school and bringing her loot home. We had fun and only spent $3.00 on pencils! The rest, we had!