And, I just realized, you need more. Check out the eyes on this little one!

She's the only brown one of the bunch:

Check out her eyes - Neisa claimed this one.

We have decided that we're keeping one. I just couldn't let him go. Meet Phinneas:

More pics later - there are 4 more puppies!

Chickenpile on the puppies!! Wait, what?

So our dog Maggie unexpectedly had puppies six weeks ago. (Well, to be honest, it wasn't completely unexpected - she was getting huge.) I had (mistakenly) been under the impression that a female dog would not go into heat until she was a year old. Oops. Anywho, as you know, we have 24 free range chickens running about the place. They were sticking to the woods, but now they have decided that the backyard, and everything in it, is theirs as well. As the puppies are in the backyard, in a pen that is kept open during the day, this has made for some interesting moments. Like this one:

Oh, or this one:

Yup... I love pseudo-farm life. :)

So, faithful reader, since last you saw me, I have done many things and failed to do even more. Since I am living in Maine, and we have had nothing but rain for the past two months, my garden (with the exception of the one vegetable - or is it a fruit? - that will grow during the nuclear winter - zucchini) is pathetically yellow and wilting.

We do have 24 happy, healthy chickens in the coop that my dad and my husband made out of our old shed. They eat our leftovers, and in return, also eat bugs. As the mosquitos' favorite food, I am happy about this. lol They're a lot of fun to watch - I was actually really surprised.

We have decided that we are going to take our time getting started, so this year, we're concentrating on our chickens, and getting used to them. Next year, it'll be chickens, angora rabbits and the garden, the year after that, maybe a few sheep and pigs. Ultimately, I want a fiber farm, although I will probably have food animals, too.