our homestead: gratitude

I'm grateful for all of the signs of summer around me.

I thought I'd take the time to write about some of the things I'm grateful for right now. Throughout my journey, there is always plenty to be grateful about. I'm grateful that summer is right around the bend. Once again, our trees are full of green leaves, the sun has been warm and plants are growing and blossoming. The vegetables and flowers in my garden and greenhouse grow taller and leafier everyday, and I've started enjoying fresh greens, tender radishes and sweet little onions from our backyard. I even have enough to share already, as I brought my friends a basket of produce from our yard yesterday.

Straw from my husband.

I am grateful for my loved ones. I have a very supportive circle of family and friends. Good people. I love my husband very much. He's my best friend and is very helpful, attentive and funny. The other day I came home to 4 bales of straw waiting for me (I'd recently run out). Aww, my hubby knows the key to my heart (haha). I was able to plump up my bird's home and nests with a fresh layer of straw and can always use straw in the garden for mulching. Lucky me!

Somebody's nibbling on the cat mint...

...it's a happy Ghosty Cupcakes!

I'm grateful for my silly troop of furbabies: Spyder Munggins, Ghosty Cupcakes, Oswald and Banjo. They're my snuggle buddies, floor cleaners, walking companions and co-pilots. I'm also grateful for my flock of feathered friends down below.

Two of my khaki campbell ducks and one of my buff orpington chickens

One of 14 ducklings so far...

And I'm grateful for our successful first hatching of moscovy ducklings! The last time I counted, there were 14 ducklings down below with more eggs left to hatch. My guess is we will get a second hatching in a couple of days (one clutch of eggs was newer than the other). I've never seen ducklings so small before, as often the ducklings you can buy at the cenex are at least a week old. These little puff balls are so adorable and I've been peeking in on them once a day to watch them splash in their little water tray and gobble down fresh salad greens.