Sweet spring..

The days have been very pleasant here at Hush Valley. The rain is letting up in the afternoon and the stars are shining at night. One of the big indicators that spring is budding, is the Santa Lucia flower. Rumor has it, over the next few weeks we can find these flowers all over every hillside in the Santa Maria area. It, and other flowers- like the Catalina, are the early spring flowers. Just seeing them on the roadside helps brighten up the day. 
We've been working in the rock garden as well as in the orchard this week. There is plenty to keep us busy. 
The lemon trees and orange trees are full!  Full of fruit and full of buds of fruit to come. We love that they are full and juicy and completely organic- it just feels good to use them in our meals. 
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​Earlier in the month, we found that we were running short on eggs each week. With Dave baking so often, and our egg trades, we are cutting it pretty close. Our partners coming, and Casita reservations are pending, so we thought it may be time freshen up the coop. 
We ordered 14 chicks from the local farm store, with the intent to double our egg count in a few months.
 I had forgotten several things about chicks. 
1.They are very noisy. 2.They are insatiable eaters. 3.They are very messy/dusty/stinky and 4. They grow so fast!  In other words, they're like ...children. 
The chicks were very small when they arrived, and completely adorable.
Bobbie was also incredibly interested in the new additions.

The chicks soon outgrew the tote and had to be divided into two groups, in two different totes. 
Bobby couldn't figure out which tote to watch. Both so interesting!
​It wasn't long before it was just too much for the chicks to be inside the house. We hadn't completed the additional chicken coop yet, so a temporary coop had to be arranged.  Fortunately, we had just cleaned a perfect temporary space. 

Now that they have feathers, they can be outdoors. Its not nearly as cold at night, and the days are warmer, so they are happy to be outside. Its only got to hold them for a few days, updates next week on the coop addition! 

Yesterday, we walked to the top of the property. This property is so diverse! At the top it is prime forest area. No river, but beautiful meadow-like areas and old growth trees. We found what we believe to be, the oldest tree on the property. 
Its an old Oak with multiple levels of branches, and its absolutely beautiful. You'll be able to see this on one of the trail hikes available at Hush Valley. Don't miss it!  

Photo updates on the rock garden coming next week!