Robin's Nest

 Good morning blog world, it is a bit cold this morning. I let the chickens and ducks out of the henhouse, but I haven't let the teenage turkeys out of their dog cage. It is in the henhouse also, just to separate them from the much larger hens who do not like to share any food. It seems a bit too cool to let them out just yet. It is finally beginning to feel closer to spring here on the plains of Colorado. We had a nice thunderstorm overnight after a cloud filled morning that netted us not more than a spit or two of moisture. Being in a deficit on the moisture side of things doesn't help. Neither does the fact that two of the four rain barrels are not functional.  This was the evening sky to the east and it looked much like the morning sky from the west that gave nothing. However, this sky did not disappoint. The northwest rain barrel was full and had signs of overflowing. I found that odd as it has a garden hose and an open valve to direct the water into a storage tank. The s...

 It is Easter weekend already. The weather is a bit gloomy and cold. I moved the turkeys out to the chicken house last week while the weather was very warm, hitting the 70's. Of course, the next day the temps started to drop. I didn't give in and return them to the house. They are adjusting to the henhouse and eventually they will be outside when the other birds are out. While we do not have any huge plans for the holiday I do plan to reflect and learn the importance of this holiday and what it means. Last weekend we visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. That was interesting and surprisingly all three asthmatic kids made it all the way across the sand field to the first dune! So did the author!!! the teen in my shadow on the dune looking back across to the parking lot Looking back at the dune as we walked back to the car the two tweens resting on the way back mini me and the teen on the way to the dune in the visitor center  A good time was had by all! I wou...

 Today is the day I spend getting ready to leave the two littles again to go look at another potential place to live. I'll be honest, I don't like leaving them behind. In the past I tackled anxiety by doing the things that seemed to cause the anxiety. Now I'd rather run from it.  We will be going to look at a house on a lake. That brings its own anxiety! I know that the littles are not little, but they are not ready to be Bigs yet either. My daughter will come and stay with them, and we will only be gone two days. I expect to take nothing more than a backpack as it will be a whirlwind trip. I read this morning where the Tee Cross ranches are up for sale. Once an investor snags that development will explode around here. This will be the place to live if you want to live like California. Not the ranch, although it will be more like LA than Colorado Springs in 10 years. Yep, time to get over that anxiety and find someplace quiet. The trip is over, and the decisions begin. Appa...

 This week has been overwhelming at best. If had made a list to do something I certainly never referenced it as the week went along. Now it is Saturday, and my granddaughter drove down from Wyoming to spend it with me. We have had quite a time today, playing table games and baking and making treats.  2 loaves of sandwich bread for the week ahead peppermint bark just because we could We also went through my cupboards and pulled out duplicate spices and dishes so that I could share with her. It helps me and her at the same time. I really was disappointed when I found out the house that we had hoped for was not to be. I looked at several others that the LLL company sent and 3 were just about perfect, except that they also were already spoken for. Our realtor sent us another and we plan to go look at it this next week. It is not my favorite, but DH likes it, so we will see. I found out today that the owner is not leaving any appliances except those that cannot be removed. That cou...

 Last week went out with a bang or a storm. The storm brought much needed moisture and a much-needed break from driving to the schools for me. With the oldest experiencing significant loss through a close friend and me wondering why such a young mom, staying home was exactly what was needed to process the grief and try to make sense of senseless loss. I was about the same age when our neighbors lost their mother. I remember the morning very well even though I do not want to. On to the snowstorm that finally found the ducks inside the hen house. It has been months of trying to get them to go inside. Once the guys were able to finish the chicken wire enclosure, we were able to corner the ducks quite a bit easier. Personally, I am extremely happy with the results, even though it took all of the Fall season to accomplish. The birds are quite cozy inside and the view is intimidating even to me. This was the first morning. Three days of on and off snowfall added up to about 12 inches of...

 It's election night and I don't care to watch. Not because I don't care, but because I am suffering a broken heart for two young people who lost their precious mother last night. The oldest of the two is my teen's buddy. The two girls are as close as sisters. My teen always referred to Ellie's mom as her second mother. Ellie is a bubbly teen that has a heart for her little brother. Often, I would see her at the school where the tween still attends to pick her brother up because her mom was working. The two would walk over a mile one way to get to school. Ellie is a responsible teen when it comes to caring for her brother. Her mother taught her to be just that. Ellie and her mother were best friends. Now Ellie is being strong for everyone. Many a car ride home Ellie would laugh with Peyton, and they would beg to hang out together, but with Ellie's mom at work it had to wait till the weekend. But then SIL left us for heaven, so the weekend had to wait until we re...

 So much has happened in the last six months and so much more in the last six days... at some point I really need to get off of the merry go round that I have been spinning on. In the past I would have said "where am I going and why am I in this handbasket?" Although I am tempted to say it right now, I won't. Only because I am beginning to realize where it is that I am going. I would try to update this blog, but it would take way too long to even begin. It has been cold enough to turn on the heat at night since returning from Montana. I have not started the heat in the chicken house yet and I hope to not have to until February at the earliest. I truly would like to pack up my family, all of them, and move. I do not know where to is the problem. I have a strong urge to move where my parents are and try to take care of them. But it is cold there and I don't like cold. Would I do it if they needed me? Yes, I would. They say they do not need me. It might be true; my siste...