A Feathery Flockery Fall

These last few months have flown by in a blur.  I guess that's the blessing of being so busy . . . when you don't have time to be bored!

Randi started two new projects.  She's started a chapter of 4H called Wings and Things where she'll be teaching children about raising chickens and teaching entomology (insect pinning).  She is also helping to organize and build an organization to promote local seed saving through a seed library of heirloom variety garden produce called Coquille Valley Seed Savers.

Tanner has been creating all kinds of things for his school classes.  Most recently he completed building a model of the Mayflower.  He's in the Coquille Chess club and recently travelled to a chess tournament in Sutherlin, Oregon with the Coquille Middle School chess team where he placed 2nd winning four out of five games!  Upon turning 12, Tanner was ordained a Deacon and has faithfully been performing his duties each Sunday.




Rylie is participating in a 4H Sewing club, and is taking two classes on-line.  She really loves going to the Art Center and has really developed her artistic talents.  Rylie loves to read and is very creative.

Jocelyn has learned to read and is starting to enjoy reading books on her own.  She loves entomology, hence the 4H Entomology chapter.  She also loves being creative at the Art Center and knitting.

Lenore loves playing and learning right alongside her siblings.  She likes to draw, color and cut paper with scissors.  Nora has learned to do an amazing somersault with no hands starting in a position balancing on one foot.  She can also do the splits.  Nora loves to play with My Little Ponies and with games on the Ipad any chance she gets.

Our family has also added a few more members to our household.  There's nine quail, five new Maran chicks and an Angora bunny named Eve which Randi got for her birthday to harvest fiber for spinning into yarn.

For my part (Ben), it's been a challenge just to keep up with everyone else!  I really like what I have been able to do at work because of all the great people I get to work with here.  The Town Hall meeting last week had about 100 people come out to express a very positive vision for the future of Coquille.  In between times, I've been reading the first three books of the Fablehaven series to Rylie and Jocelyn, camping with Tanner and the Scouts, playing with Nora and enjoying a few scarce moments to catch up with Randi.

Our FIRST Egg.

Broody is a Silkie Hen.  Her name is Broody because... well you might have guessed, she's a bit broody.  This is one of the reasons we bought her and her sister Ruby in the first place.  Silkies are great nesters.  They just love to sit on their clutch and wait for the eggs to hatch.  When we bought her we were told that she had been laying for a while was starting to sit on some eggs.  We took her home along with 4 eggs that we hoped would become little baby fluff balls ( that didn't turn out so well in the end.... a bad homemade incubator, enough said).  In the end I don't think she was actually laying yet, and she wasn't ready to sit on any eggs... Fast forward 4 weeks and we've got an egg almost every day from her!!  Cute little tan eggs.  They're a bit smaller than the large store eggs, but her shells are thick and the yolks are a deep deep golden color.

Broody the Hen working hard to lay that egg....  BREATH Broody!

Broody and Ruby in their nest boxes.

Left:  Broody's egg    Right:  Store's egg

Grandma's Visit

Just as the Parmenters were leaving, Grandma came for a visit!  She had already driven from San Diego California to Utah and decided to make a loop through Oregon on her way home.  Her trip was upwards of 4000 miles total driving!!  Here's some pics of our fun times!

A Visit From the Parmenters

Elena and the kiddos came for a visit this month!  We had so much fun with them.  It's nice to have a friendship that began as my family began....  Visits with my friend Elena are always filled with deep thought and long discussions (we're talking 4 in the morning folks!).  In the end, I always feel enlightened and edified.  I'm grateful for this deep source of strength in my life.  

Here's some pics of all the fun that was to be had.  They've become such good friends over the years!

Kids + Candy + Tall Grass = TONS of FUN!

The boys...

You want some of the Brookster?

Buddies :)

At the West Coast Game Park in Bandon Oregon

Rapture!

posing with a baby bobcat

Peacock feathers are Awesome!!  So nice of Joselyn (Nora's Nursery teacher) to buy them for all the kids!