In which we meet our Peeps and do a lot of other stuff on the farm

Today was Chick Day at the local feed store, and we showed up early. We chose twelve Barred Rock chicks ("95% female!") and boxed 'em up and took 'em home.

Home to our chicks is an old galvanized water tank. There are shavings on the floor of the tank, but for the first few days we've laid down newspaper over the shavings.

Newpaper is easier to clean up, and gives the chicks something to read while they grow. "Why not let them read the ads in Korean as well as in English?" we thought.

Also, very young chicks can't tell the difference between food and wood shavings, so it's important to minimize the options until they catch on.

This is chick food. You can see why it might confuse somebody with a teeny-tiny brain.

Once the chicks were settled, we went back to our other farm tasks. Jim and Willy finished erecting the front gate, and affixed the sign: "Keep Gate Closed / Bad Dogs"

My friend Sky (who originally painted the sign for HER gate) explains that in days gone by, her dogs were naughty and kept running through her open gate and over to bother the neighbor's livestock. These days, her dogs are homebodies, and so the gate--and the sign--are not needed at her house. At OUR house, however, the sign is perfect! Keep gate closed! Keep Shelties safe at home!

The battle against the blackberry vines continues.

Note the welding gloves--an awesome piece of helpful armor in this herbaceous war.

I am winning! Mimsy and Luna are sitting where only blackberries dared to go this morning.

Jim helped with the incineration.

Burn, you devil vines, burn!

More chick pix.

They don't have names yet. Pet names have to come from books...so, suggestions anyone?