Oh the cuteness..

I've been completely smitten with Weezie since I brought her home as a tiny little chick from a Blue Ridge feed store the Thanksgiving 0f 2008. So when she decided this spring she wanted to be a momma I did my best to help her out. I snuck her little unfertilized eggs out from underneath her and replaced them with fertile eggs from my other hens that happen to reside with Mr. Edgar, one of my roosters. She sat and she sat and she sat. Nothing happened. After 24 days or so I snuck those eggs out and replaced them with new ones (they should've hatched in 21 days). Same process - she sat and sat and sat. Although several times she was sitting beside the eggs instead of on them.. I don't think she quite had the process down but boy was she determined! So when those didn't hatch either I removed them, told Weezie I was sorry and that she was just going to have to try again next spring and all this sitting was bad for her! She needed to get on with her life as a chicken - out scratching for bugs, taking dirt baths and napping in the sun. But she wasn't hearing any of it. She refused to budge. She continued to sit - on nothing! I'd take her out of her little cage, she'd cackle at me, run around for about 2 minutes and then run right back in and sit again. This went on for nearly 2 weeks - I really thought she'd give up after a few days but I was proven wrong.

This may sound a little crazy but I could tell she was sad. She wanted to be a momma so bad. So on a recent trip to the feed store they had just gotten in a shipment of bantam chicks - it was Weezie's lucky day! I picked out this one odd little black and yellow chick that I just knew Weezie would love and boy was I right! I got home with him, put him in with Weezie, they looked at each other, he chirped, Weezie cooed at him a bit and then he nuzzled himself right under her wing and that was it - Weezie was in love! She's as happy as she can be now and she's just the best little momma a chick could ask for - I'm sure of it!

So here's my completely spoiled rotten Weezie and her new adopted "child" Watson after a long day of scratching up bugs and worms under my shrubbery =).
You gotta love happy endings!

My Neck of the Woods - Strolling around the Lake

There aren't too many days that go by that I don't just sit and admire how beautiful the surroundings are out here in Oglethorpe County. If I could get a decent photo of the night time sky with all it's millions of stars I'd love to be able to share it with you but since I haven't had much luck with those pictures I thought I'd share some of the scenery along the way of the 3 mile loop we do around Lake Oglethorpe. Dan, Debbie and I try to get out and take our walks at least a couple of times a week - weather permitting of course - but I have to admit Dan and Debbie have been more consistent than me here the last couple of months. I'm so cold natured that even though I'm moving I'm still freezing! Now during the spring and summer months we were going nearly every day. And I need to get back at it - all that holiday chocolate is starting to catch up with me! ;)

But here was our first stop on our walk yesterday. This is our neighbor's horse, Doc. At least that's what I think his name is. Although I've been introduced to him before they have several horses and I am TERRIBLE at remembering names and feel bad about asking "Now tell me his name again for the 5th time". So I'm going out on a limb here and saying this is Doc. If it isn't then the tiny little red horse in the background is. ;)
This is Lake Oglethorpe. It's a beautiful 80 acre lake that doesn't allow any boats with motors bigger than 4 horse power so it's always nice and quiet. And it's also where we stop to take a swim during the summer months when we're all equally sweating profusely from the 90 degree plus heat! Even though it was only 60 degrees yesterday Debbie was hot enough that she jumped right in and then got out right in the mud... I think she may be part pig.

You never know what you're going to see but today we ran into a flock of someone's Guineas that were running loose. On almost every trip we run into deer, bunnies and squirrels but we've also encountered beavers, a couple of otters, many turtles including an Alligator snapping turtle, foxes, coyotes, mallard ducks, Canadian geese, turkeys and the occasional groundhog.

And this is just an old abandoned shed on Mr. JB's farm that's at the end of our walk. I don't know what it is but I absolutely love old barns, sheds and houses. I always concoct these stories in my head about who lived there, what they used it for and what kind of animals they had. The older and more run down they are the more I like them. It also warms my heart to see someone restore these old buildings and bring life to them once again. I would love to own a piece of property with a big, old run down barn on it. Maybe one day. I'm pretty fond of my 6 year old barn too =).

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!