Best of Serendipity (September 2026)

 It has been so very very dry.  It must be hard on little guys like this.  That squash leaf wouldn't be so big and green if we didn't water each evening.

They do especialy like the potted pepper plants on the back deck.  Perhaps that's because they get watered each evening.

Who doesn't love seeing butterflies!  I'm glad I planted flowers in the boxes after the spinach and lettuce was finished.

These funny little hens come running whenever they see me.  I'd like to think they love me, but I know they just expect treats. 

The fluffy little white one is Lola, She is a Showgirl. She's the mother of this crew. The big red on is her daughter from this spring, Amber.  She is the only survivor of the terrible raccoon attack.  The other six are her 6-week-old daughters.  They haven't earned names yet, but they're cuties!

They sure are friendly little ones

Pretty little raccoon, we've talked about this.  Even if you can't get in the coops and hurt the hens, you cannot keep coming around and trying.  We wish you all the best in your new forest home several miles away.

Are we fighting a losing battle?  We got a little motion-activated light to deter them.  We'll see if that works!

Good job, little garden!  You may rest now.  We'll go again next spring!

Best of Serendipity (August 2026)

The middle of July is garden season+. The little buckets are full every day. Then those vegetables have to be washed and made into an artistic creation... Doesn't everybody think they need to do that?
 

It never gets old to watch a momma hen with her little brood of chicks. She's a tiny little bantam, but she can puff up and be fierce if I want to hold one of her babies.

You've heard of hearing cats? Try herding chicks into their coop for the night!

This is our tiny momma hen.  Her name is Lola She Is A Showgirl. Her 7 babies are regular sized chickens, so they'll be bigger than her by the time they're a month old.  That teenaged red hen in the top right is her daughter from her last brood.  She was the sole survivor after the horrible raccoon fiasco.  We call her Amber. (Amber was the final contestant on Survivor one season when we watched it.)

I'm not sure if the chickens could possibly love getting worm treats as much as my little one loves tossing worm treats to them. 

I love how the color of the harvests change each month.  The garden is slowing down, but it's still producing thanks to daily watering.  

Best of Serendipity (July 2026)

I love how the vegetable color palette changes every few weeks.
Our garden has never been so prolific as it is this year. 

Once the rains let the sunshine take over, things started to ripen! 

I limit myself to only having 12 chickens... but these are so tiny that I think 6 of them can count as 2... we we're good... right?

There's not much as sweet as putting day-old chicks under a broody hen at night then watching her be so proud of her family the next morning.

This sunflower randomly grew right in the middle of the garden.  I haven't planted sunflowers in 5-6 years.  I can't imagine how its seed survived in the ground all this time.  I wonder if it was under a stepping stone until this year.

Once it had its chance to lord over the garden, it was time for it to go.  It's leaves were gigantic and putting too much shade on the pepper plants.

Raccoons are a part of life in the country, but these have caused some sad days here on Serendipity. It's time for them to go live a couple of counties away from here.

It just doesn't take much to lure a clever raccoon.

I wish him/her all the best in his/her new life far far away!

The counter in July is constantly filled with happiness.

Best of Serendipity (June 2026)

 

The sycamore tree... It was big, then huge, then a giant too big.   The stump was a table, then a tuft, then a new tree that grew tall until it fell.  That's happened again. It's kind of an entertainment to watch it through the months and years.

The best thing about having house plants is that they don't have to be in the house for half the year.

My row of perennials brings a different color of joy every few weeks.  Now it's the day lily's turn 

These are from the neighbor who shares our driveway. A BOBCAT!!! 

For 25 years we've enjoyed knowing that there was all kinds of wildlife that prowled around our house.  I wonder... was it better when we didn't actually see it!

This coyote was sniffing around our coops the same night.

Yikes!  So peaceful during the day, so ... not... during the night!

Once the babies get a 5-6 weeks old, their momma gives them some freedom to be on their own.  It's fun to get to know their little chicken personalities and see what they're going to look like as their feathers grow in. They don't have names yet... maybe soon.

These five little sweeties are starting to be more hen than chick.  They're friendly and aren't afraid to eat out of my hand.  Well... they're a little afraid but zip in for wary nibbles.

Best of Serendipity (May 2026)

 My row of irises reminds me of the one my mother had when I was a kid.

Sometimes little forest friends come a little closer than they should.

Happy hens like spending the afternoon out!

Every feather on this little bantam's body grows in a different direction! 

Sun bathing... and dust bathing in their happiest spot.

Why was this baby out in the daytime? And, where was the mama of this tiny little thing!?

I don't know if this was the mama raccoon, but he/she was very interested in what was new in the hen house.

This year two hens got broody.  It's always so fun to slip day-old chicks under a hen after dark then watching the little family grow. Although both hens are raising the chicks together, it's been clear that the white one, Lola, is the mom and has relegated the black one, Elfie, to be the helping auntie.

I tried something a little different with my lettuce and spinach this year.  To say that it worked is an understatement!  

So many night visitors!!! As long as they just sniff and leave, it's fine.

When it gets hot each year, these huge turtles come from the pond to lay their eggs.  The female turtles dig with their back feet and drip liquid making a wet hole.  Then they drop in their eggs.