The next farm over showed me a great way to get livestock....Hang around Dollar General!  Now we all know they do not sell chickens...at least not on the foot, but my neighbors' wife works at a local area Dollar General as an Assistant Manager.  The other day, people kept coming on and telling her there was a chicken on the bench outside.   So my neighbor went out, and sure enough there was a chicken outside.  She made calls all afternoon, and no one claimed the chicken. She gave it water, and stopped on the way home at the feed store.  Yes, that chicken has recovered from an afternoon at the Dollar General, and is happily living at the next farm up the road.  I guess I have to get mine the old fashioned way!  just had to share!  Ya'll have a great week! Be open to opportunities, and always check out the local stores!

While for the most part, I enjoy being a single woman, there are times when I wish I could pull a man out of the closet to do something I don't want to have to do.  Late night visitation from a pack of coyotes is one of those times.  Yes our coyotes here travel and hunt in a pack.  I have been told this does not happen, but have seen 7-10 running through the yard, and upper pasture together.  Three nights ago, they were in the front yard going through and really upset Torrie! It took her two hours to quit pacing and growling at the front door.  I did manage to shoot one, and in the morning had to deal with the carcass before letting Torrie out in the yard.

The rest of the week has been fairly uneventfu. Getting to know my students, getting back into the routine, learning new agendas at a new school.  I get to mowing early Saturday mornings, and managed to get laundry out early this morning.  I also somehow left my cellphone on the my teacher desk at school.  I will get it on Monday morning because as a newbie on campus, I have not received my outside door key yet, so could not get in.

Homesteading is hard work, especially if you have to work full. Time off the homestead to make finances work. The nice thing, though, is standing on the front porch in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee looking over all my property and smiling.  That alone makes up for having to leave Torrie all day.  It is definitely where I need to be doing what. I need to be doing!  Thank you Lord for blessing me with all this abundance and a good dog!

What a week this has been!
  1.The house is very nearly finished. With insulating( I lack five panels) and stays much cooler with the little a/c I bought for the dog.  She is kept inside during the day while I am gone since I have not got the fence for the yard as of yet.
2. The neighbor's chickens were attacked- originally by coyotes, or so we thought, but secondary attacks have led to a neighbors dog.  He has been allowed to roam the countryside at will, and this is the result.  Another reason to hurry and fence in my land.  The sad thing is the neighbor who owns the dog does not feel his dog should be disciplined, shot at, or anything, because they have lived here longer than anyone else and his dog ( a big kurvas) has always been allowed to roam. Makes me think twice about building a chicken coop without the yard being fenced.
3. Insulation of the house is nearly finished, including the push on a 100 plus degree day that left me itchy and hot!  I lack one bundle ( 5 panels).
4. Finally, school has begun!  I am always eager to go back to school and get to know my new students.

All in all, except for helping clean up the havoc of a raided coop, and helping explain how chickens to to heaven to their kids, it was a great and wonderful week!

New companion and security for the homestead!