Watermelon, it is a favorite summertime treat, my kids cannot get enough of it. Every week we have to grab one from the grocery store and ball it up into a container for the week. Of course, I’m too lazy to cut and ball a regular size watermelon. I like to buy the small personal size ones instead. 

I recently found out that my children are not the only ones who love watermelon, apparently, so do my chickens and goats. 

   
Josie found it to be lip-smacking delicious!

 

It is so fun having our sweet little goats back. We sure missed having them around. It just was not the same around the homestead without their little spunky personalities. 

Of course, I wasn’t so excited about having them back the other day when I was having to chase one that escaped from their fenced in area (thanks to a certain little curly-haired girl of mine). It would not have been such a big deal if – I was not already trying to get my new group of chicks all situated in their new pen or if I was not trying to help Lil’ Man as my mean old rooster was trying to attack him or, even, if there was not a crew of roofers stopping their work on my next door neighbors house to watch, with amusement, as I chased Miss Josie all around. Bless.

Speaking of new chicks…

   
 

We have 11 new chickens. That was not a typo…I, indeed, said 11. My husband is a very patient and loving man. He puts up with my whims – even if it means getting up early on his day off to drive an hour to go and pick up said new hens. Yes, even when he gets back to the house with two diaper boxes full of chickens and then has to figure out temporary housing for our new feathered friends (while the scorching sun beats down on him), he does not complain. I saw him reflecting Jesus to his family that day. 

Now, I keep referring to all my new friends as “hens” because I’m hoping for all hens. I will be sorely disappointed if I end up with some roosters. I finally just rid of one rooster (the mean one)…he was not only worthless as a protector to his flock, but, apparently, was not good eating either. Too chewy. No matter, I’m glad he is gone. He was mean to us and absolutely terrible to my poor hens. 

Unwanted creatures. 

We have had some more unfortunate encounters with the coyote. A few hens have been taken. (Insert mad face). Their is now barbed wire surrounding the entire perimeter of the fence, so hopefully he will let us alone. I am also hoping that the coyote I saw lying dead on the side of the road the other day is the very same coyote who has caused me such grief. One can hope, right?

Big yucky spiders. This fellow was out for a brisk morning walk the other day. It is moments like this where I find myself wishing I had a BB gun. 

  

Also, these…

  

An unseemly amount of little frogs and toads are out and about – all over my yard, my back porch, my front porch and my garage. It is no wonder that I found a dried up one in my house the other night. Gag. 

Flies. The influx of flies that have raided my home is about to drive me mad. I am sure I look as crazy as I feel too, as I am hunting them down throughout my house. They buzz and annoy constantly…that is until I grab a fly swatter. The moment I grab that thing, they all disappear. 

But flies, I can I have more tolerance for than I do the behomoth mosquitoes that have suddenly invaded. They are big. They are mean. They leave huge welts on poor Miss Priss. 

Good things.

Not all is terrible though. Early morning, afternoon or evening you will, at some point, find me sitting on my back porch swing and gazing out at the view. I will have a book in hand, music will be playing from my phone and I just…

It is lovely.

  

It has been a great place for me to go where I can just sit, relax, and have conversation with the One who has captured my heart.