High Fives All Around! We're Home!

From June or July that didn't get published for some reason:

So it looks like the Hi-5 Ranch is finally becoming a reality...as in fo reals. There really aren't words to describe the feeling when you find your place, but we've found it. We are back in North Mississippi and have moved from our house in a neighborhood development in Oxford into a more manageable house on much more land in Taylor.

We. Are. Thrilled. Everyone is breathing easier and sleeping more soundly. We are on 2.5 acres surrounded by a horse farm and cattle farm. Whippoorwills sing the night away and there isn't a Chem-Lawn truck for miles and miles.

We've added to our number since I last wrote, one labradoodle pup, Lobo and one Pygmy goat, Firework in the last two weeks. Cypress, our lab/chessie/golden super retriever mix joined our family about two months ago.

We are going to retrieve our chicken coop from our friends at Woodson Ridge Farms today, and put a few chickens in it while we fix it up for the kids' school. Other business includes a temporary shelter/yard for Firework...who is a precious little fella. He's doing a great job helping us clear away brush and keeping the edges of our home, patio, etc. weed free. Chomp, chomp!

I'm adding a good camera to my list of things to find somewhere because I'd love to record this life we are living in a little mo' bettah way than my cursed droid can handle.

well, hello there!

SO - it's been a while! Tons has happened and all is well. There's no way I can get it all on here, so I'm just going to write from now forward. Today was a good day - we are still beat from the trip to Oxford, where we acted like we were in college. We so aren't in college. I'm hoping to be over Saturday by tomorrow (Tuesday) when I'm heading back up to Oxford for Dr appt and a Juice Plus meeting. I'm really looking forward to the JP thing. Joining JP at this time is so good - we are really on a wellness journey here at the Hi Five Ranchero and the two clearly go hand in hand. Driving up and down the road three days a week is not at all healthy though - and we have months to go of that. Juice Plus will help our bodies with all that stress! 

Sweet Cheeks is poised for take off - but has been sitting on the tarmac for the last couple of months. I'm stressing out about it - but it will happen when it's meant to. Moving five hours and then going back and forth constantly puts everything way down the totem pole somewhere under keeping the kids and ourselves sane. Just a few more months.... Weaning James Clay...weird. I've been preggo and/or b-feeding for almost 7 years straight. I have no idea who I'm going to be after I'm done with these cabbage leaves...I keep thinking I'm suddenly going to have more energy and clarity. Wouldn't that be nice? Here are me and my Boogie Bear doing what we do best - burning up the pavement:

Good night! Gotta hit the road early tomorrow! Woop! 

Blondie's first day in the hen house

Well, I put Blondie in the run/coop with the older chicks today. I put her in, then went to get the feed. I was back in all of 20 seconds and she was up on the coop ladder. The other two don't seem to realize it exists until sundown, so I figured she was safe enough for me to go on to work.

I came home at lunchtime to check on her and she was peering out the coop window. She was still in there when we came home at 5:30. I'm going to go outside and check on her one last time after I get the monkeys to sleep. Hopefully they will all be roosting together peacefully. I'm hoping she's not terribly hungry or thirsty from her day of hiding out. She seemed very energetic when I checked on her, so I'm thinking she's perfectly fine.

....ok, so, she hasn't been invited to the roosting branch, but she's doing ok!
Have any of you ever gotten side-eyed by a chicken? To be fair, I think that's really the only way they can look at you, but I'm pretty sure they were annoyed by my after-dark flashlight shining tonight...










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Listening to the hens wake up over cheerios.

Or...

I could just hang out on the porch swing with my early rising fella " target="_blank">fella


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Mama Hen's survival plan whilest she's sans Her Rooster

If i don't make this into a project with goals I'm going to descend into Pity Purgatory. So, the goals are: keep the kids healthy and happy, train the new pup, lose 15 pounds, continue raising the chickens into prize winning layers, grow our little vegetable garden, and, oh yeah, launch my company. I can do it, and I'm excited about all of it! Go, Lizzie, go! This plan starts with my waking up at dawn so I can feed the chickens, dogs, cats and plants before I feed the monkeys....so, goodnight!


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Blondie's new digs

To be filed under "awesome repurposing" Blondie is spending her still-too-little-for-the-coop days in an old play pen we found in the attic of our last house. The thing is nice and big, but doesn't keep my car out of the garage. She flys up to the top of the railing to roost at night, and then back down to her food and water with the sunrise. No escape attempts yet... knock on wood!

I've lined the bottom with cardboard for lickety split cleaning, and done the same under the big girls' roost in the coop outside. Recycling at its best! Then, we can compost it maybe. I'm going to see how that works out.