We have chickies!!!!

After a looooong drive out to Goldsboro, we picked out 4 gorgeous little sex-link chicks. 3 golden, one brown. I'd been looking forward to getting a black on but all their blacks were boys, and only 3 browns were female (and two were reserved).

Our brown is named Pel, my Prettiest Egg Layer. I felt it fit her better than the oh-so-Vulcan T'Pel.

Our goldens are Ponyo (with purple sharpie on her head), Gakadu (white wings) and ChickChick (all yellow).

They are loud and soft and warm and oh so tiny!

We expect them to be in the house for another couple of months before we move them outside. It'll be another 7 months or so before we have eggs, though we expect a high yield with these girls :)

I'm not sure, but I think our Golden Trio are considered Red Stars, and according to Wikipedia: "are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island White or Delaware hen."

Though they might also be "Golden Commets." And my little Pel might be considered a Red Star.

No clue! All I know is they're a hybrid, a mix of two breeds that creates a chick where the male and females are easily distinguished upon hatching.

I was sad, though. I still want a silky bantam. One day I will have my silkie!!!

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We got the raised bed put together today though we still need the dirt to fill it. So far we picked up and put in 20 bags of compost from Lowes. I'll probably need to pick up 30+ more bags over the coming weeks and I should become accustomed to stopping by every day for 5 bags at a time. Though I'm going to see if I can get someone on Craigslist to deliver 2 cubic feet of compost to my yard in a heap :-P It's more than we need for this one garden project, but I have a couple more garden projects that require dirt so really I'll be stopping at Lowes daily for the next 2 weeks or so just to pick up heavy bags of dirt!

Can't wait to start moving my little seedlings out. The broccoli and spinach are sprouting impressively, while the peppers and lettuce are holding off for a bit longer. I actually hadn't expected any activity at all until this upcoming week so having 50% of my plants already popping up makes me extremely happy and giddy!

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I'm looking more into the various methods of urban homesteading and trying to determine our goals. Obviously right now we're plowing full steam ahead but that will change after awhile. The big thing is to A) make positive changes and B) not make so many at once that you burn yourself out.

So we're talking about long range goals, like where we'd like to be 3 years from now. Eating more of our own food, using less water/gas/energy, producing more, consuming less, etc. Also more kids. But that's beside the point :-P

I'm looking into trying line drying for the first time this summer. I do laundry pretty much daily and I could try a clothing line, see if it appeals to me. There's also a portable washing machine that's not that expensive and might be worth having around in case we lose power. Also I could have the kids wash their own clothes. How awesome would that be??? I can totally see P doing all the laundry for me!

I want to clear out the back fence a bit, plant vines all around the chain link, start some mushroom logs going, build that greenhouse by fall and start those plants, and just generally make this house not only more productive but also a place I enjoy coming home to.

Low maintenance, high yield gardens and livestock.

Actual landscaping.

Lower utility bills and children who understand conservation and sustainability.

Late afternoons spent sitting in a garden swing nursing a baby and eating a fresh peach while watching older children run and play.... the sweet smell of flowers greeting me in the morning... the wonderful feeling in my body after eating totally fresh food...

Also? Total gloating rights :) If we pull this off!

So where do I want to be in three years.... Right here. Living well. And thriving.