Three Little Cuties!

Draft Horse Clinic

Introducing "Angel", A White Silkie Hen

Campbell's Soup & The Future Farmers of America Barn Restoration Project

Growing up on a farm I was involved in The Future Farmers of America organization in high school. It is a great organization that gives youth involved in agriculture the opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn more about the industry, have projects such as raising livestock, crops, and other related projects.

I happened across this in the Reader's Digest where Campbell's Soup is teaming up with the FFA and are restoring barns across America. You can go to this website, www.helpgrowyoursoup.com, and vote on your favorite barn. Campbell's will donate $1.00 for every vote to the FFA to help them in the barn restoration project.

I find this very important. I have a great appreciation for the farmers across America. As I have traveled, I have always been interested in barns. I really enjoy seeing them. It causes you to wonder about the people, animals, and machinery associated with them. You see alot of barns "dying" or falling down, not functioning. What will happen when all the barns are gone and the farming is not happening?

Let's not let the barn's die! Check out this website and vote!

"The Chicken Cake" for 12 yr old Debbie's birthday

"Angels Bear You Up"

"This last week was one of the roughest weeks that I have had! I don't like being sick and having to stay in, it shuts the work down almost completely. Our numbers this week reflect the sickness, I am all better now and completely back to full strength."

"Speaking of angels bearing you up, I know that this is true, in a very literal sense. After recovering from being sick, my body was left very weak and it took a little while to recover my strength, but as I worked, I noticed that the times that I had the most strength and the most energy, was when I was talking with people on the street or helping somebody out. It was a great testimony builder to me!"

Elder Jordan Ames----January 2010 New York New York North Mission / Area: Harlem

Zach's "8 Is Great" Birthday Cake

Phoebe's Pad

My Coop Was a Runner up on the recent Backyard Chicken Coop Contest!

Coop Contest Winners

First off, A HUGE thumbsup to everyone who submitted their coops to be added to BYC! thumbsup

We've got FOUR submissions tied for first place, all of whom will receive $20 BYC Store Gift Certificates:

LittleFeat - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=36770
AtholCoop - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=16357
TcherDawn - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/vie … arn-garage
daniduck - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=43881


Of course there were a bunch of runners-up that were super close to first place. All of these will get a 12 month Golden Feather Membership for themselves or as a gift for a friend.

Schroeder - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=18266-
Baymen Moe - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=21297-
giantsridge - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=29122-
Sam The Yam - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=27085-the-new-coop
OakwoodFarm - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/vie … icken-coop

... but wait... there's more! of course there were a bunch of honorable mentions that were also really good. All of these will get a 6 month Golden Feather Membership for themselves or as a gift for a friend.

teach1rusl - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=37862-
Zenbirder - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1921-
newhenstein castle - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/vie … ein-castle
Oblio13 - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6001-
Steve - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=6576-new-coop
WisconsinGardenChick - http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=37983-

Brigden & Grandma Helen

When we first moved to Arizona back in 1989, McKelle was 9 months old, about the same age that Brigden is now. Helen lived in the apartment building where we lived and soon became a grandma figure in the lives of our children. She is now 92 years old, still lives on her own, still in the same apartment where we first met her, and we still see her regularly. McKelle, Brigden, and Leisa recently went to visit her so that she could see Brigden.

Baxter's Visit to Knight Transportation

Casey's 24th Birthday at our house

Jacie, Kamrie & Torie with Brigden

50th Anniversary Cake for the Richardson's

Phoebe the Silkie Chicken

This is Phoebe, our new little Silkie chicken that I got for Torie for Christmas. She is really cute, gentle, and easy to catch and enjoys being held.
A little update on Phoebe: On Saturday, January 2, while I was working on the garden spot that has Phoebe's hutch, Phoebe was out in the yard and so was our dog Allie. Allie I noticed at one point was peacefully sitting on the grass and Phoebe was not too far away. I was busy with the project and did not realize that Allie was not in sight. I went to look for her and saw her tail wagging from behind a piece of plywood that I had leaning against the chicken compound. Well, i knew what was happening and immediately went and discovered poor innocent Phoebe being defeathered by the big bad wolf Allie. There were all kinds of feathers off her. She also had skin broken where her neck and body meet and skin broken on one of her legs. She is so lucky to be alive. I was really disturbed by this to think that I had not watched Allie better or had not tied her up. I went to the feed store and got some Blue Kote medicine to spray on her and some antibiotic stuff for her water. I have sprayed her with the blue kote, which turns her feathers a nice purplish color. Needless to say Phoebe now has some work to do to get back her healthy body of feathers. I am committed to help her and nurse her back to health the best I can. I hope to see her neck wound heal as that is the one I am most concerned about. She is moving well and eating and drinking pretty good, so I think she will be able to come back to full strength again. Wish her the best!