With a Chick Chick Here and a Chick Chick There

It's a girl! Times six! We are official chicken owners as of yesterday afternoon. If you had asked me 15 years ago what I would be doing with my life I can say with certainty that playing chicken farmer was NOT on that list! How things have changed.

Our friend, Greg, lives on three acres not too far from us. He enjoys wildlife and is a country boy at heart. He approached us a few weeks ago, asking if we'd like to get some baby chicks. We'll keep them in our home in a brooder until they are ready for the coop he is making (which is quite the coop!). We have six chicks here and our other family friends have six more chicks. Together we'll have 12 chickens to lay eggs. You know my stance on animals therefore none of these babies will ever been harmed or used for meat. They will live a long, happy life eating an all natural diet and will have access to sunlight and clean water and they'll be free to roam when they want and of course they have access to lots of love (hehe!). Yes, I realize how hippie that sounds, but if you have no idea of the horrid conditions chickens are exposed to in mass farming, please educate your self right away. The deplorable conditions are not only inhumane, but they pose a serious health concern to both the animal and the consumer.

Here are my sweet girls: Shelly, Sandy, Emily, Lola, Hippie Chick and Betty White. Aren't they precious?! They are so sweet and love to play with us. I have a feeling we'll miss these little darlings when they graduate to the coop, but luckily we are close enough that we can visit a few times a week.

Augusta

I absolutely love the little town of Augusta! I would move there in a heartbeat if we could find the perfect house (and sell ours of course!). In August we took the boys blackberry picking at my favorite local farm, Centennial Farms. Bryan and I made the decision to spend our 10 year wedding anniversary at a bed & breakfast in Augusta complete with plans to hit up all the wineries and breweries as well as explore the stores and shops. Sadly we didn't get the opportunity to do this and we had to cancel the reservations at the B&B. I was so upset, but we had a family obligation that we just couldn't pass. We took the boys apple picking in mid-August at Eckert's. Due to the extreme weather we had this past winter, spring and summer, the apple crops were ready weeks ahead of schedule. When we went apple picking it was really hot so it didn't even feel like the traditional apple picking we usually do each season. The temps have finally cooled a bit and the later blooming apple varieties are still in season so I loaded everyone up and we headed back out to Centennial Farms for some more apple picking!

We pretty much had the farm to ourselves when we arrived. Our first stop was looking at the bee hive inside the old farmhouse. There must have been hundreds of bees hard at work to make honey. There is a little tube outside the house that allows the bees to travel in and out of their nest. We tried to find the queen but there were just too many bees!

Next we headed out to the tractor. We had to wait a few minutes for the tractor, but this neat little tree kept the boys occupied with questions. We found an old rotted apple in the grass next to the Johnny Appleseed tree so Bryan cut it open and Brennan collected the seeds in his pocket. We are going to plant the seed, keep it indoors over the winter and see about planting it in the backyard next to our apple tree.

 The tractor with the hay ride finally arrived so we boarded the wagon and headed off to the apple orchards. What a cute little bunch of apple pickers! Here's a rare shot of me with the boys! I hate having my picture taken, but this was just too fun of a day to stay hidden behind the camera.

The boys were crazy excited to get into the fields and start picking apples. Today we picked Empire, Golden Delicious and Jonathan varieties.

After we picked our apples we headed over to the play land. It was free this weekend, but in two weeks it will be transformed into a pumpkin land. Again, we had the whole play area pretty much to ourselves. The boys had fun going through the mazes, sliding down the slides and climbing the hay bales.

After the played we decided to take a stroll through the town of Augusta. I fell in love with this quaint little B&B! Look at how pretty this little place is! I want to see the inside of this home, I bet it is beautiful!

 The next few pictures are just some random houses around the town of Augusta. I think one of them is another B&B, but I am not positive. I just love how old and beautiful these homes look. This little town is so rich in history and beauty.

Look at this amazing church! It dates back to the 1800's! The structure still looked in great shape after all these years. Alex wanted his picture taken on the steps of the church.

After our little stroll through Augusta we headed back to the car and took a drive through the winding roads. I know many people who hear the word "Missouri" and they snottily turn up their noses at the idea of stepping foot in the state. Who could resist this serene country side view? I would love to live on this farm! These two pictures do not do the land justice! Thank you Augusta for yet another memorable time in your beautiful land! I cannot wait  to return in October when the air is crisper & cooler, the leaves are hues of red, yellow & orange and the pumpkins are ready for picking!

I know my family is awfully good looking, but please do not copy/reprint/reproduce our pictures! Thank you!

Blackberry Pickin'

Last week we packed the kids in the car and headed out Highway 94 to beautiful Augusta. It was a hot, sunny summer afternoon, the kind of day where sweat rolls down your back and you've only walked from the house to the car. Despite the heat and humidity we were all excited to get out in the farm fields and get busy picking berries. As we pulled into the gravel lot we were greeted by Suzy the farm dog. Alex didn't care much for her, but Brennan remembered her from past visits and had a great time petting her. Suzy is a big, floppy, lazy farm dog! She gave out lots of sloppy doggy kisses in exchange for lots of ear scratching and belly rubs. I think Brennan would have taken her home if we let him!

The farm owner gave us some plastic baskets and soon we were on our way into the berry patch. These blackberries were huge! The boys were eating straight from the vines. There is something about farm fresh foods! I cannot begin to think of anything better than a fruit or vegetable eaten right off the plant. I finally had to tell the boys no more berries because I was afraid they may get sick. The blackberries were the sweetest I've ever eaten; I couldn't wait to get home and make a cobbler. In time we were all sweaty, sticky messes and our baskets were overflowing with berries so we headed back to the market area.

Inside the market area was sweet corn, ripe peaches, squash, zucchini and potatoes as well as items like relishes, jams and flavored honey. If were were going back home I would have loaded up on farm fresh produce, but I didn't want any of it to get bruised and ruined between our next stop. Luckily Bryan and I are returning in August for our anniversary so I will load up then. Here are some pictures of our afternoon at Centennial Farms. My only regret is I was taking all the pictures and I didn't get a single shot of me and boys together :( Please do not use any of my pictures of my children without permission. Thank you!

This is farm/market place. Look at how old is it!

Brennan & Suzy the farm dog, so sweet!

Brennan picking blackberries.

Alex filling up his basket.

You cannot tell from the pictures, but these berries are HUGE!

Look at the beautiful colors. This is nature at its finest!

This is part of the red barn. The landscaping is really pretty.

Welcome to the town of Augusta! I wish I lived here!