Japanese Maple and Indoor Plants~

 Growing this Japanese maple in the house. 

As it really won't take this climate well.

I bought this one with the xmas money my parents sent, to replace the super rare one one DH , bought me after my accident.
We planted the original one in the ground in NW Oregon and couldn't bring it with me.

Japanese Portland Garden has a sale once a year. Like being in a candy store!!
Anyway....
So now I have a beautiful replacement. 

Next to it is the $3.00 Jasmine I got a couple of years ago.

Slowly getting my green thumb back. LOL

 One photo is of the Tangerine tree, which is still doing well. And the $1.00 each, discounted plants I have found.
Everything does much better in Terra Cotta pots.

Mindian Fantails ~~

Above is Asta.  

Beautiful and small mini Indian Fantail.

 Asta and her mate Theo.

Once a pair is mated, they should be able to go into

 a loft with other pigeons.
Theo however, has different ideas. 

He thinks ALL the Pigeon hens should be his.
He's adorable, but a twit.

 Getting some flight exercise.
He even bothers the bantam hens.
Heavy sigh ~~

Below Theo enjoying the snow.

Need room to raise out some of my teen 

chickens this time of year... so he had better behave.
Good thing he is small and cute.

 

Belgian d'Uccles and hatching eggs ~

Hatched out 8 Belgian d'Uccle chicks.

 Will either be Buff, Buff Mottled and I think one will be a Blue Millie, if it runs the same way as the past chicks. 

One was a fighter, still pipping the next day. So I helped, had wry neck so I gave it vitamins and a couple of hours... Poof!  All better.

Gave them the Mareks vaccine the next day.

Keep fingers crossed for the shipped eggs. My Postal person tossed the box over the gate. 

Marked eggs are the ones I had shipped.

Cleaned out the incubator and put in the d'Anver eggs Kristen sent me and some more d'Uccle eggs.

Also picked up 4 Splash Marans chicks from a friend.

So the top of my double deck brooder has the d'Uccles, bottom part is for the Marans. I will have to shift the Marans out in a month.... big breeds just get too large and messy to be in the house long. 


 

Ice Storm ~

 Yup, we have Ice. 

Any where from 1/8 to a 1/2" depend how exposed things are.

I had to walk to the garage to get a hammer to beat the living day lights out of one of the latches so I could get into the main horse pasture.
(normally DH puts heavy duty gear grease on them, and they will work no matter how much Ice is on them)

Couldn't get into Maggie's pen, so I had to pick up and move part of the round pen to get in.

Nets are sagging in an impressive manner but still holding. I could not, knock the ice off.. stuff is very sticky.
Going to leave the poultry and pigeons in for now.

If this keeps up, we are going to loose trees. And the fruit trees in full bloom....  looks like I will not get any fruit from them this year.

Used my grippy boots I got at Cabela's all those years ago. Of course I am out of salt, so DH  will need to bring home salt, and put it on the steps tonight.

After this storm is over, will have a few hours work on just the fence.

 Leyland Murry and Cypress, not fairing well. Keeping my fingers crossed I don't loose them.

 A not happy Birch tree.

Plum tree, was full of flowers and just starting to set fruit.

 Not going to get fruit from a few of the trees because of this Ice.

 News said, its going to be like this tomorrow too.  Yea....

Kauai

 

 Not that long ago, DH had to go to Kauai 

on a Business trip.

I couldn't go, so he took some photos for me.

The above photo, the cliff in the background is 800' up!

 

Find the Helo in both photos.

Having only seen photos of Kauai from the air,

 it looked all green.
Wasn't expecting it to look like Utah or 

the Grand Canyon.

 DH said," there were chickens running wild all 

over the place".

So he took a photo of one for me. LOL

Maybe some day will get to see Hawaii in person. 

Creme Lucerne Pigeons ~

 After the issues with some of the Indian Fantails

 I ended up with.

I decided to buy a pair of Creme Lucernes.
This pair, is from parents imported from Germany.

 They came in very healthy and knock on wood, 

they are doing great.

 Trying to get some action shots of them.

 Not impressed that I stuck a Camera up in their shelf, 

to take a photo.

They look more like Teddy Bears, than birds.

Enjoying them a lot.

New Chicks~

 Winter seems to be the time to hatch out new chicks.
First two photos are of newly hatched, not quite dried off

Belgian d'Anvers.

 Can see how tiny they are.

New to me Brooder is working out very well.

Also have 1 Olive Egger and 4 French Marans 

that hatched out as well.

Have another 16 d'Anver eggs in the incubator right now.
After that batch, will have to wait for awhile, so they can feather out enough to go outside.