Nice Weekend!

We've had a busy week around here that also included a couple of days of staying in our pj's until 5pm too!  Yesterday however, was a sleep in day with the adults not getting up until 8am and our nephew staying asleep until 9:30!  Mornings are typically boring around here...get up, get dressed (most days), go let the chickens out (this one is still very new), and then go through a multitude of websites while I down 3/4 of a pot of coffee (really, it's 3 cups, but it's a big cup)!  Lather, rinse, and repeat, only with the nephew around, we have to add "make a bowl of cereal" to the list, lol.  We also planned an early lunch yesterday, which wasn't the brightest idea in hind sight with the boy getting up so late in the morning.  But, after a snack/lunch at Jack in the Box, we headed for the local library!  It has been 4 years since we moved here (August 1st will be 4 years anyway) and we haven't even been into the library before yesterday!  I had assumed I couldn't get a card because you need photo ID to get a card andf the ID has to match the address you give them...  Low and behold, I was able to get an "unverified" card!  All I need to do is bring in a piece of mail with the correct address next time!  Here's hoping they don't care that it's a collection notice, lol.  We made it a fairly quick trip in the library, the nephew picked out "Tiny the Snow Dog", which is a learning to read type book and a larger book titled "The Big Fat Cow that Goes Kapow"!  I believe he read the entire cow book in the car on the way back from the library, lol.  My other half found the "harder" Dr Seuss books (that have lots of words and only one picture per page) and picked out "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories" for him as well.  Nephew #1 and I read the first story, oddly enough, about Yertle the Turtle, before we all went to bed last night.  My plan is to help him read one story in it a day until we get done (it only has 3 stories in it). 

While at the library, I attempted to find a decent baby crochet book, I'm a little obsessed at the moment, but didn't find anything.  I did, however, find a cookbook to try!  I picked up "200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes" by Dana Carpender.  I love my slow cooker!  During colder months, I cook at least two meals a week in it!  I really would love to find another crock that fits my cooker, but it is an odd size/shape and I'm cheap too...I may see if I can get away with buying another one this Fall (we got the one we have on sale 50% off and used an additional 15% off coupon at time of purchase, making it under $30), but I'll have to be equally lucky in finding another great deal.  I want one that is a little smaller...I have a 5- or 6-quart cooker, great for giant things, not so great for small items and side dishes.  We have even tried one of the recipes already!  While flipping through the book, I came across something called "Mockahlua".  "Hmm," I thought, "Mocha-lua...I wonder what that is!"  So, I started reading, expecting some sort of chocolate goodness!  Water...Splenda...Vanilla...Instant Coffee...got those!  And one other ingredient...Vodka!  Yeah, I was a little confused.  Turned out I had read the name wrong, lol.  It's Mock-Kahlua!  I have been jonesing for this, it doesn't help that we have made our own Kahlua in the past and still have a few bottles of the sugar filled coffee flavored booze up in the cupboard!  My personal favorite is the Kahlua we made with Brandy in it!  My least favorite was the one that called for Chocolate Syrup, we tried two different recipes and three different liqours when we bottled our own.  They were Christmas presents several years ago (we made gift baskets with multiple bottles, shot glasses, coffee cups, hot cocoa packets, teas, coffees, etc... they were a big hit).  So, for the first time in a really long time, we had a drink last night!  Mockahlua and cream on ice!  Of course, I was the one who went inside to get the Vodka (we didn't have any at home), and silly me forgot to pay attention to the proof...the recipe calls for 100-proof, I bought 80-proof.  Tastes awesome, but next time I'll get the right stuff!

Yesterday was also my training day for the K9 crew at the Spokane Humane Society!  Two hours of wandering around the facility...  Today I have a meeting with my mentor, who will give me the basics beyond the "you can walk the dogs over there, in there, and way out there".  I'm really excited about getting to walk some of the dogs today!  We met very cool dogs that really need homes.  Cocoa is an overweight Chocolate Lab looking dog (definitely a mix, but she looks like a brown version of my childhood Lab) that is a pretty old, but that just means she doesn't move to fast.  The gal running the class took her out for a short walk to show us where we could go, Cocoa decided she wanted to just chill in the grass for a little bit before we went back in.  After getting shown how to get Cocoa (and the rest of the dogs) in and out of the pens, we met with the dog trainer for a few minutes along with Mickey.  This is one chill dog!  Mickey made the rounds when the 7 of us piled into the room with him and then went to lay down in a corner of the room and fall asleep.  Rosie would never do that in a room full of strangers!  I saw Mickey in the kennels before the class, his icy blue eyes just drew me right in, against his pure black coat, they are really striking!  He's been at the shelter for a really long time...they said he doesn't show very well in the kennel, but I really thought he was gorgeous!  If I had the room, he would definitely go home with us!  I'm a sucker for pets though...if I had the room (and the funds) I would take each and every cat, dog, and bunny in there home!

The girls have had a nice week too, I think.  Even with Rosie trying very hard to get in the run with them, well really she just whines at them and watches, but she did try to paw the bottom of the door open this morning. They just look at her like she's nuts, and continue on with their day!  They've started sunbathing in the morning sunshine when they first come out in the morning...I haven't been able to capture it though, they move so fast!

They really like the added space too!  They get out of the coop every morning and go barreling around in circles, wings flapping, and yelling up a storm!  Until, that is, one of them finds something tasty...then they all go screaming around the run chasing whoever found it!  I'm putting the food and water in the coop at night with them, mostly because they think going to bed at 9pm is a waste of time and they get up way before I do at 8am!  Last night though, Gertrude was ready to get up on the roost and go to sleep at 10 to 9 when I went out to round  them up and into the coop, lol.  It was the first time I've seen any of them willingly get up on the roost!  Of course, Clyde didn't think she should have to go to bed...so I spent half an hour trying to coax her into the coop!  I was using the flashlight app on my cell phone to make it more inviting, but Henri and Gerty kept attacking my phone, so that didn't last long.  I did get a good photo of the cooped chickens though...  I finally got Clyde tricked out of under the coop with a handful of chick starter...as it hit the ground, she came running for it, lol!

This morning, all three girls left the coop through the pop door with no more coaxing than my opening the door for them, what a change from the first few days!  Gerty even put herself to bed last night, as soon as I entered the run, she ran up the makeshift ramp and into the coop, lol.  She was a little slow getting out this morning, the other two beat her out the door while she was deciding to go out with her left or right foot first!  I need to redo my ramp a bit...I think I want to make them a little platform to step out on, it seems to be too big of a drop for Gerty.

I even got a few photos of my garden last night!  I have a Dill bloom!  Just the one so far...but it is so pretty!  Everything is doing really well, even the Stevia plant that I was sure had been killed (twice now) is sprouting green!  My mystery plant that grew with my Sage seeds is blooming with little flowers too...I still have no clue what it is...  My Marigolds are gorgeous, with the darkened background of nightfall, I think the color really shines through and makes them even prettier!

 

In addition to all the outside plants, the top of the pepper plant that I broke when I planted it has been in a cup of water ever since in my kitchen window.  I noticed a few days ago that it has sprouted roots!  Yeah!  I think I'm going to be keeping it in the house though as it is still very small, compared to the one I bought as a replacement for it.  Also, my newly planted Avocados are doing great, the smaller sprout is still pretty small, it may not have really been ready for dirt yet.  But, the larger one has sprung up a good 3 inches now!  I love watching plants grow...