Back in June of 2015, we received our first batch of guinea fowl. We really enjoyed these birds, and we especially enjoyed how many bugs they ate -- especially ticks!
Once you get guineas to "imprint" on your farm, they will most likely stay forever. This was the case for us. They would roam the entire farm during the day, and then, each evening, the guineas would come up to the house around dinner time to get some food, and then climb up and into their guinea house and roost for the night.
However, about one year after we had the guineas, we made the decision to move them out of our yard and the roost they occupied. The reason was two-fold. (1) They were getting into our flower beds and taking dust baths continually AND (2) The dogs had begun chasing them, and I couldn't work on training the dogs with guineas everywhere.
This proved to be a terrible decision. Without realizing it, a predator began picking off our guinea fowl. Because we weren't feeding them each evening anymore and because they weren't coming into our yard, we had no idea how many we had, and didn't realize their numbers had dwindled until they were completely eliminated from our farm.
At the time, we were okay that this had happened. The issue with the dogs and the garden made us almost relieved to not have the guineas.
But this year, we really started missing them again. Mostly we noticed how many more ticks we were finding on us, our WWOOFers, and the kids. So we decided to bring the guineas back.
We are going to set up their roost outside of our yard and try to keep them from coming into our yard and mingling with our flower beds and dogs. We have some ideas to keep predators at bay. And I am excited to hear the sounds of the guineas again. Many people say they are loud. And, okay, they are, but I find their sound incredibly "happy" and "uplifting." I miss it on the farm.
This past week, about thirty guinea fowl arrived as two-day-old little chicks. Here are some photos and videos sharing their arrival:
Leave it to Hannah to come outside in a sparkly shirt and a blanket because she couldn't find any pants.
JC Penney's is going out of sale by our house. I score $543 worth of kids' clothes for $124!! The girls loved having the same clothes!
July 2017
While unloading our new guineas, Hannah showed up outside in a blue sparkly shirt and a blanket because she didn't want to go upstairs and get pants.
July 2017
Photo courtesy of my niece Grace -- Hannah wearing Grampa's duds.
May 2017
Photo courtesy of Linda!
May 2017
Photo courtesy of Linda!
May 2017
Photo courtesy of Linda!
May, 2017
We rent to "run" to the garbage dump and discovered it didn't open for another hour. So we stopped at a park. Hannah had just thrown something together, but we still had fun!
May, 2017
This green bow caused quite a stir. I put it in her hair and just thought it looked adorable. It's a little big for me, but I still just loved it. She did not want to wear it, and I decided to go to war for the bow. I won.
May, 2017
Sunday church attire. A pretty dress and crocks. Why not.
May, 2017
On the way back from church, she got one of my play necklaces stuck between her teeth. We had to pull over and have Daddy work it out. This came just a few days after she got a drapery cord wedged in her gums.
May, 2017
A necklace on her head makes her a princess!
May, 2017
Playing (and breaking) our friend Linda's red nose from Walmart.
May, 2017
Camping injury.
April 18, 2017
This picture is such a great snap of Hannah. She picked this outfit on herself (now that pants are her style again). She rolls the pants herself too and gets it just right. This picture just SCREAMS who she is -- such a little girl and a grown up all in one.
April 18, 2017
Playing hide and seek with Auntie Rita and Grama Joni.
I just absolutely LOVE this picture.
April 18, 2017
She did this herself before bed. She then pretended to be asleep but fell asleep like this all night.
April 18, 2017
I told Hannah to go inside and put on some summer clothes. (She was wearing pajamas.) This is what she came up with.
April 2017
April 2017
I promise. She came up with this all on her own.
April 2017
A new friend brought some dresses to pass on to Hannah at school. She had to change immediately!
March 2017
This is so her.
March 2017
An applesauce spill.
March 2017
Joni asks Hannah why she doesn't wear pants.
March 11, 2017
A very cold day. Time to get warmed up.
March 4, 2017
She is crying because I have told her we can't wear the Cinderella dress and Dora the Explorer cape (held on with clothespin) to the grocery store. Here's a video of us discussing this costume. She wears this nearly every day for at least a portion of the day.
March 5, 2017
She refuses to wear pants. So when I told her she MUST put something on her bottom half, she opted for a pajama dress worn like a skirt. She wore it like this most of the day.
February 2017 I'm just not sure I can accurately convey how these twopictures made me feel. These were taken over the course of just twelve hours. These are so my girl. She is truly one of the funnest, most challenging, most incredibly smart and sweet and sassy kiddo. She has been asking me to "talk like a queen" lately. So I have to talk in a very "royal" voice and address her as my princess. Ooodles. That's how much I love my children -- and my Hannah.
February 2017
When you ask your daughter to please change out of her Batgirl costume so that we can go run some errands. And she comes back downstairs dressed like this. Yeah. Pajamas. What's worse? Batgirl or PJ's for errands?
January 2017
December 2016
Getting warmed up to go see the piggies on the farm
September 20, 2016
Swimming at our friend Michelle's house
September 13, 2016
In her new bed. Sleeping Hannah style.
August 31, 2016
Hannah has started coming downstairs, in the middle of the night, and sleeping on the couch. We don't hear her come down and don't know when she does this. We just find her the next morning sleeping on the couch. Not sure what to do about this.
August 2016
Hannah uses socks to decorate herself. That is ONE sock she is wearing on her feet.
August 2016
Finding Abigail has painted on her own.
July 2016
Hannah manages to get her seatbelt undone, shirt off, and then seatbelt redone while I am driving.
July 12, 2016
Hannah is always inventing something new that she is that day!
July 15, 2016
Helping us move pallets. Well, getting int he way mostly.
July 15, 2016
Every time I ask her to smile, this is what I get.
July 4, 2016
Yes she put her bike on the table!
July 3, 2016
At long last, Hannah has found something she likes to do (other than just wander around and get into things.) She still won't read many books (although when she does she likes Fancy Nancy) but she is doing puzzles! So wonderful to have something she loves!
July 3, 2016
Hannah came down the stairs like this and when we all acted scared, she said, "I'm sorry I scared you. It was just me."
June 26, 2016
Quick bike ride before bed.
June 25, 2016
Stay calm ... and fingerpaint
June 6, 2016
The kids did an art project, and Hannah wanted to join them!
May 15, 2016
Going shopping with Daddy.
May 2, 2016
May 1, 2016
April 22, 2016
April 17, 2016
Randomly wearing her sister's church name tag on her forehead and spitting out two Connect Four pieces she had in her mouth.
April 2016
Hannah is off to work (this is a game she loves to play with me!)
April 2016
Hannah returns from work
April 12, 2016
Daddy was taking her out to run errands. Hard to believe but she put this ensemble together totally by herself. Ha!
April 12, 2016
Morning play time!
April 11, 2016 Cake at the park. This was moments before she tried to put a piece in her mouth that had been in the grass and ended up with a mouthful of ... grass!
April 5, 2016 Wearing her brothers shoes randomly.
February 20, 2016
February 9, 2016
Hannah has been VERY into reading ... and VERY into "Fancy Nancy." She always picks out girly books to read -- princesses and pink books (and sometimes Mickey Mouse)
February 8, 2016
Showing off her new rings (a present from Grama Di)
January 11, 2015
She created her own dance to the ABC Mouse intro tune. (Her brothers have been teaching her how to play!)
January 9, 2015
Those are mittens on her feet.
January 4, 2016
Don't ask.
January 3, 2016
Yes that is her having climbed up on the dryer to find her own bows for her hair. (Which she removes promptly after putting them in so I am not sure the point is.)
January 2, 2015
Unloading this dishwasher in her choice of attire.
December 25, 2015
With a bunch of her Christmas presents on at one time!
December 21, 2015
December 18, 2015
In preparation for Star Wars, she is wearing her Princess Leia headband from Ms. Patty!
December 16, 2015
December 15, 2016
December 14, 2016
Taking a break after all that getting dressed nonsense!
December 12, 2015
What you do with your stickers from Trader Joe's!
December 11, 2015
Decorating Christmas tree in safari hat and flowery tutu
December 10, 2015
Out of the bath tub clothes including skirt under her dress and two different shoes
December 9, 2015
For some reason she likes to show her belly lately whenever I try to take her picture
October, 2015
Hannah wearing my socks -- which she put on all by herself.
I have decided, as best I can, to include a photo of what Hannah is wearing on any given day. I can't possibly take a picture of everything since she changes clothes dozens of times a day, but I want to remember these pieces she puts together. (Why she lifts her shirt every time I ask her to take a photo is still confusing me.) These may also just include silly predicaments I find her in.
