Kevin found this egg – our first egg from the Egnas – in the far nest of the chicken coop. Where there's one, more are sure to follow shortly. Yay!!

Oh, and we've decided to go back to calling our hens Bettys. It's just more natural (sometimes there's no reason to change branding). So, from this day forward, I'll be referring to them as our Bettys... ah, that already feels better.

Look at this big, beautiful onion! It's our first onion, which we've grown from seed. I must have sown those seeds in January... it takes a long time for these puppies to grow, but with a lot of patience and perseverance, results are possible. Here's proof! The aroma was strong and sweet.

I sowed more seeds in small containers about a month ago and most have sprouted (these ones seem to have taken less time) and yesterday, I transplanted them in one of the garden beds on the island. I also planted a few in the hatchery under cover to compare how they do. It's a bit of an experiment (like most things we do).

I cooked this big onion and added it to our soup. It was delicious.

Dear Anne and Kevin,

Thank you for providing us with the most perfect start to our honeymoon. The months leading up to our wedding were incredibly stressful and after spending just 3 days here in this amazingly beautiful place, it feels as though all of that stress has been erased. We can't remember the last time we felt so calm, centred and relaxed.

We very much enjoyed your delicious meals - the broccoli cauliflower soup especially. It was so good! And your surprise wedding gift of the Champagne and smoked trout was so generous and kind (and yummy!) – thanks again for that special honeymoon treat.

Brent and I both enjoyed getting the grand tour, learning about  your little piece of paradise – you have created such an incredible place here. We also had so much fun fishing for our dinner, hiking along the trails, taking pictures of the gardens and birds, playing cards, and drinking delicious coffee in the casita when it rained.

Everything helped to add to this wonderful experience, helping to create great memories for us as we start our new life together as husband and wife.

Thank you for everything – we are truly grateful.
Jenn and Brent
Ontario, Canada

We were busy this morning getting everything ready for our honeymooning guests, who arrived just before lunchtime. I used to work with Jenn back in Canada, so it's great to see her again and nice to meet her new husband... and so awesome they chose to spend part of their honeymoon at Hush Valley Lodge! I served Curried Squash soup with salad and fresh homemade bread for lunch and Shepherd's Pie with salad and pineapple cake for dinner.

Also, today we received a booking reservation from December 20 to 27! Christmastime guests.

Just a quick update on the Egnas... no other casualties today. They all seem healthy and happy... still no eggs though. Let's all say a little prayer.

Today, one of our Egnas died. Kevin opened up the chicken coop doors to let the girls out and he saw one of the Egnas laying on the floor. He was hoping she was huddling to get ready to lay an egg.... we're still waiting! An hour later, rather than an egg, he found her dead.

We have no idea what happened. We checked to see if she had been injured or bitten. There were no marks on her – nothing to indicate that she was attacked or hurt. There were no signs of infection. It's a mystery.

We went back to the place where we bought the chickens to see if there is anything we can do to prevent another incident. We were given a cleansing spray to apply all over the inside of their coop. It will remove any harmful germs that might be lingering. Hopefully, it was just a fluke and the other chickens will be fine. Fingers crossed.

Anne and Kevin,

The energy of this place makes the name well deserved. The waterfall area watching the clouds gently roll over the hills onto the treetops and the pitter-patter of the rain on the rook create exactly the kind of calm and soothing soul rejuvenating environment we were looking for. The friendly and knowledgeable service is complemented perfectly by the delicious food delivered right to our door!! We so appreciate your efforts to run the lodge in the most sustainable manner possible. The stunning beauty surrounding the cabin were we are staying is magnified by all the nature sounds echoing through the valley. Thanks for everything!

Jodi, Joy and Brent
Mechanicville, NY

P.S. The beds and bedding made the nights super cozy!

Our guest, Brent, caught his dinner... that trout was just over 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)... it's enough to fill a man up! Of course, I cleaned the fish, Kevin fileted and it was cooked in lemon, butter and rosemary on the bbq. Then it was served!

Today, Kevin and I were both working outside at the front of the house. Kevin was working on the new carport wooden doors and I was painting the house. I had made a playlist on our iPod and I convinced Kevin to give it a try. If he didn't like my selection after a few songs then he could pick whatever he wanted. He was holding out much hope... he thought I'd pick soft ballads and earth muffin folky stuff, of which he's not a fan. To his surprise, as much as he hates to admit it, he liked the line-up... so he turned up the volume. It's rare that we have the boom-box blaring, but today, well it was sunny and it felt right... so, yeah, it was pretty loud. All of a sudden Kevin sees this poor bat crawling on the driveway. We must have woken him or he fell out of a tree from the vibration. We don't know. It was really interesting to see him crawl... he had a really hard time flying. He had really sharp teeth andHe didn't seem injured, but maybe the sunlight was zapping his energy or maybe the music was disorienting for him. Who knows. Kevin scooped him up and put him a dark place near the rocks near the river. A few hours later, Kevin checked on him and he was gone... hopefully all is well for batman.

We bought a hammock!!! Our guests will now have a lovely place to kick back and relax... but first they'll have to kick Kevin out... good luck with that!!

I planted Butternut Squash seeds several months ago and it took a long time for anything to sprout. My first batch didn't produce anything so I figured these seeds were duds. However, eventually, the tiny plants grew (to my surprise). And grew, and grew. The plant it overrunning the garden now, and look at what Kevin found. There are at least six of these hiding under huge leaves. Yay! I love making soup.

Then, we have only ONE little cauliflower coming threw. That's pretty exciting, too!

What else, you ask? Our tomatoes are finally growing, too. These two are growing on plants that we've pretty much left alone... and they're doing better than the tomato plants I've been tending to lovingly. Oh well... and so it goes.

Our potato plants are also doing really well. We're pretty happy.