sunrise snow

pine tree needles

morning sentinels

frozen clothespins

drippy bough

rosy glow icicle



pink snow

tree line

we got our first snowfall of the season last night, one of those heavy snows that coats every tree and bush and fence post. it was treacherous driving home from work but once i slid back the driveway it was pure delight. the dogs ran and chased and buried their noses in the snow to follow the tracks of a rabbit hustling to get into its den for the night. when i checked on the chickens they were all snuggled together on their perches, heads tucked beneath wings, oblivious to the winter wonderland outside.

i set my alarm to go off early this morning hoping to take some great photos of the snow. as the rosy sun peeked up over the cornfield i was trudging thru the woods, nikon in hand, loving every glorious step and vision. now as i enjoy my coffee and warm up my toes i can hear the melting snow drip, drip, dripping onto the sidewalk outside. and, i feel happy, blessed and grateful that i was alone with nature for just a few minutes today. 

two farmer chicks, a hoe and an apron

this is my mom and me; we are the heart, soul, sweat and tears of butterscotch farm. my maiden name is farmer so we truly are farmer chicks. mom is the mother of 5, a retired elementary school cafeteria manager, fantastic cook and one of the sweetest people i have ever met. she is the apron in our operation, baking almost every day of the week. her specialty is butterscotch pie and it is the inspiration for the name of our farm.stay tuned for more on the pie in an upcoming post. mom loves knitting and keeps our big family stocked with knitted dishcloths. she also enjoys reading and will stay up late into the night to finish a good book. she is most happy when our entire family is gathered here on the farm to enjoy the big meal she has spent days planning and preparing. at 83, she amazes me with her ambition, work ethic and ability to still do it all!

i am the hoe in our operation. it's ok to laugh -- go ahead and let loose with a big belly laugh. you'll understand the hoe part soon! my story is one of hope and longing and a great deal of courage. at 57 i was working a demanding and stressful corporate job as a marketing coordinator. i was unhappy, unfulfilled and convinced that there was a much better life for me. i longed to live simply in the country, harvest my own food from a big garden and raise chickens. visions of homesteading life haunted me at night and sustained me during long corporate work days. i felt trapped and began to realize that i was living someone else's dream and filling the pockets of arrogant corporate greed. and so one day in february 2011 i said enough. i gave two weeks notice at my job, cashed in my 401k and spread my wings.

yes, it was a scary move. and yes i had a moment of panic or two. but overall i felt an overwhelming sense of relief and the knowledge that all was finally right in my world. since my dad passed in may 2010, mom was living alone in the house she and dad built in 1955. the two plus acres included a small pole barn and room for a big garden. i approached mom about raising chickens and she loved the idea. we asked a neighbor to plow up a big garden plot and i picked up a hoe for the first time in over 35 years. i became the hoe of butterscoth farm!

chickens in the garlic

i'm learning that having chickens is a lot like having kids. most of the tasks i perform outside, i end up having to do again and again. why? because the chickens like to dig and poop and make messes! a couple of weeks ago i planted my garlic bed so i can harvest garlic next july. i worked mulched leaves and composted chicken poop into the dirt and then covered it over with 4 inches of mulch and straw. i finished the mulching right at dark on a cool fall evening. i felt energized and fulfilled, anticipating a giant garlic harvest to enjoy and sell. 

the next day as i pulled back the driveway after work i saw all 10 chickens digging furiously in my garlic bed.  grrrrr! there is no herding them out of the garden when they're on a worm binge. the above photo shows the teamwork needed to be effective worm harvesters. one hen digs furiously while the other hovers close by to pounce at the first glimpse of a fat, juicy worm.

when a worm is plucked the other hens come running like banshees to get in on the action. you wouldn't even believe how fast these hens can run!!!! we spoil them with all of our fruit and vegetable peels. so, of course, when we come out the back door they make a beeline toward us to get their goodies. if we're simply headed to the clothes line without any spoils for them, they will peck at our painted toenails, hoping for a tasty treat. and, it really hurts!

my friend vickie does not like chickens. she says they don't have any social boundaries and i do believe she's right.

we continue to get 9 or 10 eggs every day. the joy of gathering eggs has not waned and it is still one of my favorite daily chores.