Near Record Rain/ Lightning Strike, Bees Love Lavender! Progress With Chicks

Near Record Rain/ Lightning Strike-
So far this month we have had near record rainfall! The weeds are loving it but it has just been too wet. We had a really severe thunderstorm come through Saturday dumping a huge amount of rain. Because it was really hot and then a cold front come through we had really awful thunder and lightning as well. The winds were whipping, I got up Saturday morning about 7 a.m. or so and the thunder was really really loud. I got up and came out and watched the thunder and lightning from the living room.

At one point I heard what sounded like a close explosion and Anya (our cat) jumped up about a foot or two straight off the floor into the air! No kidding, never saw her do that before. I was afraid our tree had been hit, or one of the neighbor's, or a structure.  I couldn't see anything. The next day my husband Dave found out from the neighbor right next to us that their driveway had been hit by lightning. There was a nice big scorched area, no photo sorry. I think that's the first lightning explosion I have ever heard and it was really really loud! Luckily we are all okay. As we speak today it is pouring rain again and all of 58 degrees. Supposed to be 93 by Sunday, here's hoping!

Bees Love Lavender! 

My lavender that I was able to winter-over has been getting visits from bees! I went out last week and stood very still, took photos of the two or three that were pollinating it. I was able to get pretty close. Bees are in such sharp decline in the United States that is wonderful to be able to provide some home habitat easily and beautifully!

Progress With Chicks- 

The chicks are doing really great! They are getting big and have feathered out-

It had been too cold and wet to start getting them outside. Its supposed to be pretty warm by Sunday so I'm going to start getting them out in the daytime. They can look and stretch their legs out. We have an old, thrifted ($1.00) outdoor playpen that works great covered with bird netting to protect from predators. The nice thing about working from home I can put them out for a few hours and keep an eye on them. It's really great to be able to add more chicks to your flock, since for me that's definitely a part of my urban homesteading self-sufficiency mode. Even if you don't butcher your chickens, which we don't, there's so much you can do with eggs for protein! You can also sell or barter. Of course they also eat lots of bugs and weed the garden area for us. The chicks are pretty funny watching me work through the day with their little box right behind my desk. I got a couple of little windows in the box and they are really fascinated I can tell. Who knows what's going on in their little pea brains?

This is Ellie from six years ago as a chick-

Cute

Then later-

Only done once for a photo op, no poop on my shoulder!