Hay!

We finally have some! My amazing father in-law sent my BIL and SIL over with two giant round bales of perfect fluffy hay this morning! I mentioned about a week ago that I desperately needed some for the turkey coop and to mulch the garden with. I really meant old hay that was no longer any good for animal feed. Usually there is left-over hay on the trailer that the cows eat off of or an old forgotten bale sitting in a field somewhere that is decomposing and full of fire ants that I can go and toss into the back of a truck and bring home. I feel guilty for using the hay of dreams for mulch and turkey bedding. I am so grateful though! I feel like it is my birthday or something! It seems silly to be this excited over something like a bale of hay, I know. I have been stressing about needing to mulch the garden and especially about the turkey coop needed bedding for weeks. I also usually have to use any hay I get very sparingly because there is never enough to go around. Never do I get to put such a beautiful thick layer of it where ever I need it and have some to spare!

Needless to say, I spent the entire day mulching the garden. The turkey coop got tended to immediately, of course, but the rest of the day was spent in the garden. I mulched every area that there is something planted and then watered it in well. By the time I was finished I thought that the mosquitoes and and no see-ums were going to carry me away and I wanted nothing more than to get inside and take a shower and some benadryl. I will have to take pictures tomorrow. I am looking forward to sleeping well this evening. That doesn't happen to often lately, as is typical in late pregnancy. I am already struggling to keep my eyes open.

While I was working the guineas made several trips by the garden. I am in the habit of counting them every time I see them to see if I have lost any. There have been 2 missing for a few weeks. I assumed that they were a mated pair and had nested somewhere, but didn't think I would ever see them again. Usually when any birds go missing for more than a night around here it is a guarantee that something ate them over-night and we will never see them again. I was surprised when I counted all 8 guineas. Then I noticed a little brown splotch move by one of their feet. It was a little baby guinea keet! It looks to be a week or two old and is the only one. The little guy sticks close to the group and the group keeps it tightly enclosed in its ranks most of the time. Hopefully it will make it. There are plenty of dangers for little birdies around here. Especially the hawks and snakes. I could hear the resident hawk close by most of the day. Brad took lots of pictures of them and I need to get them off of his camera. Our blue-slate turkey hen has been missing for a couple of weeks as well. I kn ow she was building a nest somewhere, but never found it before she started sitting full-time. I am holding out hope that she, too, will soon come wandering through the yard followed by sweet babies. It is doubtful though. I'll be happy if she come back in one piece, babies or not.

All in all it was a very productive and positive day. Tomorrow has been officially named as d-day. Tomorrow we are renting a shampooer and cleaning all of the carpets. It has been put off for far too long and I must get it done before I'm not able to. It is so daunting because we have a very small living space. I enjoy that most of the time. I won't get off on a rant, but I will just say that I think that people in our country have gotten entirely too out of hand when it comes to huge houses and the vast majority of people in most countries (yes even the highly developed ones) live in much smaller homes with more people per household (think extended family). Stepping off of my soap-box now. Anyway, if I am going to put in the effort I want it done all the way. That means moving the furniture, every piece, and cleaning under it. With a small space it is quite a bit like those square puzzles where you have one empty space and you have to move all of the pieces around and around to solve it. Luckily, I am not allowed to move heavy furniture in my condition so that lot falls to Brad and Keegan. I will be doing all of the vacuuming and shampooing while they shuffle everything around. Tomorrow should be a busy day. I'm looking forward to it being done.

Now, off to bed! Sweet sweet blissful sleep. It has been far too long.