who are you calling chicken?

We are having a grand time chicken-sitting for our friends and even though the hens are used to us and look forward to the treats we bring them each day, some still keep their distance when we start trying to catch them. Like this one pullet here: she loves her treats...peach peels and apple cores, but she also likes to keep her distance and stand safely inside the coop door to make a fast retreat. Here are some of the more brave hens enjoy an afternoon treat of pizza crust.
Here's Rosie keeping her eye on me as I refill the water and feed inside the coop. She like to get the first peck at fresh feed but she certainly won't turn her back on me.

The payoff! Fresh eggs in the nesting boxes.

And yes, more pizza crust treats. These Barred Plymouth Rock hens are full grown and quite bossy, but hold a piece of crust up high and they'll jump for it! Hold on to it too long and they'll peck your fingers! (learned the hard way, more than once, by the youngest chicken-sitter)

Thanks for indulging me as I blather on about chickens. I had to share more pictures though because my Grandma needs to see them. She is the chicken master, after all.

you capture::get down low

I was pretty excited when I saw the challenge for this week's You Capture...get down low. I am that crazy lady... in my yard, at the playground, on the beach, going for a walk in the neighborhood...that will get down on her knees or lay out like a complete nut job just to get a great shot of my kids or flowers or bees pollinating my garden. I love taking pictures down low with the sun shining brightly and the sky as blue as the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii...and if I can get both the sun and the sky in the shot with whatever subject I'm trying to capture then I love it all the more. Throw in an awesome, accidental bokeh and it just rocks! (you know, the hexagon shapes of light in the blurred area of the picture) Okay, for this week I captured my lilies. Nice, bright, orange lilies. I have a bunch of tiger lilies by the fence, but by the back porch one grew that had layers and layers of ruffled petals. I don't know where it came from or why it's different from the others, but oh my, it is beautiful.

(f/16, 1/3200, ISO 800)

Alright, I know this isn't the greatest shot with the porch railing and part the house in there, but the ruffled lily and the sun with the bokeh, I had to include it.

(f/7.1, 1/3200, ISO 800)

This is a better shot of my ruffled lily in all of her orange loveliness.

(f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 800)

This beauty is one of my regular tiger lilies. As you can see, there are many more buds just waiting to bloom. Because of where these flowers are growing in my yard it is difficult to get the sky or the sun in the shot. However, since the sun was shining through the tree in the background I captured a nice crisp shot of my lily and got a wonderful bokeh effect. (which makes me want to try creating my own bokeh in any shape I want...fun!)

To see more go visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Happy Thursday folks! xo ANG

still here, just not here

Summer seems to have taken over. Our days here at the Clothesline have been filled with so much fun, work, joy, playing, planning, caring, splashing, watering, smelling, and feeding. Well, here, see for yourself.

stopping:: often to smell the lavender, and yes, occasionally picking some

enjoying::the warm, summer, afternoon rain showers

perfecting::the twirl and listening to suffering through a rendition of Singin' in the Rain

waiting::with great anticipation for the first ripe tomatoes

blowing::lots and lots of bubbles

splashing::and sliding and squealing and having a marvelous time

selling::lemonade on one of the hottest days yet at our very first yard sale.

swinging::higher than ever before...and holding on tight

keeping::that hula hoop up and going a little longer with each try

caring::yes, caring for, feeding, watering, watching, listening to, and loving every moment of chicken-sitting for our friends. These three beauties and 12 other hens have kept us entertained and filled with fresh eggs for many days now. I do love me some chickens!

I hope your summer days are filled with whatever brings you joy. Ours have been busy, but we do also enjoy quiet times with a good book and a comfy hammock...and there's always time for that. Happy Tuesday! xo ANG

tea time

My girls were invited to a lovely tea party last week. They had a great time with their friends. The weather was beautiful, the bugs were minimal, and the tea was perfectly brewed, sweet, southern, iced tea.

After the tea party they all took turns on the world's best swing. I tried to capture a sweet, tea party moment for Dad to enjoy, but this is what I captured. They are more like their Dad every time I take my camera out.

After our friends left we went for a nice stroll so I could take some pictures of the girls looking especially beautiful in their mama-made clothes among the flowers. We also went down to the lotus pond to see the frogs and flowers. It's so lovely at the pond...and we were not disappointed.

This collage at the pond is a classic moment. 1-are we done with the pictures yet? we just want to look for frogs. 2- whoa, did you see the frog that made that big splash! 3- okay, we'll smile quick for you mom, if you let us hunt for that frog.

Cute, no? If you could see the gnats...ugh! But the temperature was great and so was the light.

I love this ginormous flower pot. The girls thought it was great, too, but they still didn't want to smile.

Now, that's a keeper!

Flowers around the pond.

Frogs, tadpoles, and fish in the pond.

We had a great time with our friends and a great time enjoying the beauty of nature.

Happy Sunday. xo ANG