Hello December with your cold blowing winds and ever darkening skies. Like a bear I become ready to gorge on cookies and then curl up in a ball and sleep. Slumbering away the winter months waiting impatiently for spring.

Here is a picture of my baby chickens, well actually they are more like teenagers now. I ordered them in the mail thinking I was going to get hens. Now the count is 8 roosters 10 hens. The interesting thing about roosters is their need to be vocal and they all have unique voices. Amilo will start the morning chorus and then each and every rooster will chime in. I think Rocky has the nicest crow. As the roosters age they also are starting to fight with each other. The silkies Beefy and Moutzy are like Chuck Noris or ninja warriors. They will bow to each other and then its on, jumping in the air doing back flips and drop kicking each other. Rocky the bright colored rooster in front of the pumpkin is by far the largest and the most colorful. If there is a confrontation he merely puffs out his neck feathers and they all run away. So I'm praying that since they were brought up together they will find their pecking order and all get along. I have become attached to all of them and would hate for any of them to get killed in a fight to the death. Testosterone is a powerful hormone that makes all male species want to kick each others ass be it over a spot on the hay bale or the fluffy feathers of a cute hen. It is interesting to me how you can learn so much about us humans and our characteristics when watching little chicks mature.
The other project THE STUDIO is progressing slowly. Now that winter is upon us we have to get the outside protected against the frost and heat in the inside. We are trying to get gas brought up to the building, but like everything there are hoops to jump through to get that done. We did get the toilet hooked up So Yea I can go to the bathroom inside not in the field with the horses.

It is yet another rainy day here in wisconsin, So I am working in the studio getting ready for our art show charity event this coming may. My daughters Alyssa and Amber did a study abroad in Namibia this past January. The met MaryBeth a teacher at the BNC school. They were so moved by her efforts and the children that they promised to help. So Amber and I are creating Art that we will be selling and proceeds will be going to help Mary Beth.

Jeff is putting a brick ledge under the new windows. Gives a little country flair to a plain white window. We are waiting for everything to dry up and get warmer. Although this weather beats the -20 we were working in last January. Every day we are out there I get so excited and can't wait to get digging in the dirt or get painting on something. Next week Jeff and a friend are going to do a controlled burn. I hope and pray that goes well. Not that we burn the neighborhood down.

We have been working still on cleaning the property of previous owners junk. We did however get some windows in. Now I am trying to decide what color to paint the building. In this picture I am taking down the fencing around an old chicken coop. Cutting out the trees and cutting the wire from the wood supports, what a job. Found another family of mice. Gave them their eviction notice.

the girls that live on our farm

Cindy and Tabby are some big girls Belgium Beauty's, Today they were out pulling their sleigh. We bought a shower stall at menards and took it out to the barn. We just saw them as they were coming in from their work out.

Me and my husband Jeff will be working on this project together. He is a Mason, good thing since this building is block. Lots of junk

cleaning out the building that will be my new studio

It is amazing how much stuff aka Junk a person can collect. I myself should not talk, 2garages, now a barn and a house full of treasures. It is all together different however when you have to clean out someone elses junk to start your project. Since January 13 the day we officially acquired our new land and buildings we have been Burning and hauling. Since the average temp has been 1 degrees many layers are necessary just to keep warm enough to last 3-4 hours. I can not wait for spring.
We have found a few treasures, some old yokes they used for horses and some vegetable forms you put around cucumbers to make faces. We have also found the remains of a large rat family. May they rest in Peace.