Rescuing Tweety Bird

I feel like a bird hero. Ok - not me but my Brooklyn. The other day her cousin Haley was here visiting and we had lost a huge branch off of one of our white peach trees. (We lost it because it was so heavy full of too many peaches) Since it has just fallen Charles told the girls to go and see if there were any peaches that were ripe on the branch and to pick them. When the girls went out this is what they found. A little baby bird that was still in it's nest attached to the fallen branch. The bird would not move out of the nest. They were very worried about the little bird and they came in to get some gloves so they could help the bird out. Well it turns out that the reason that the poor little bird did not get out was because it was stuck. REALLY STUCK! Like forever entwined in that nest of his and had been for some time. His little foot had been entangled in the hair and string that momma bird had used to make the nest. We could tell that it had been a while because his foot had become mis-shapened from it. It was a different color than the other one and was turning the wrong way and gnarly. Brooklyn remembered that last night a friend of ours had to call "the bird lady" to ask about some baby turkey chicks on her property - oh the fun of living out in the country - and so Brooklyn called to get her number. What luck for us since I would not have know what to do or that there was a "bird lady" had our friend not told us that story the night before! Divine intervention I say. Anyway...we talked to the bird lady, learned a lot of interesting facts about birds over the phone, and we were told that we needed to bring her the bird immediately. Charles was super busy, being the Saturday farmer that he is, and was not about to take the time to run this bird in Auburn to the bird lady. Enters Grandma: the bird hero. She was willing to take the girls up to have help complete their bird rescuing mission and deliver Tweety Bird to the "Bird Lady". Tweeety will probably live the rest of his life there in her sanctuary and might have to have his little foot amputated! But at least he is alive. Great job Haley and Brooklyn!

Berry De-lish-ious!

Michelle took the kids out to pick berries along our driveway. She gave each of the kids a big red cup and when they all combined their efforts this is what it yielded! They were so sweet and amazing. That night we made a fresh black berry cobbler. Our course we had to use our favorite recipe of Jennie's. We even froze the rest and took them camping with us. We made this same cobbler in the dutch oven. Although with this thief around it is astonishing that we had any left!



Jennie's Berry Cobbler

2 cups of sugar (divided into 1 cup each)
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
4 cups of frozen berries (boysenberries or marionberries are best)

Cream 1 cup of sugar and butter together. Add milk and then all the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into butter 9x13 pan and top with berries. Then pour 1 cup of sugar over the top of the berries. Next pour 2 cups of boiling water over the top of everything. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Frog catchin'

I told you that the Call kids were enjoying country life. Here is the frog that Isabelle found and then released back into "the wild". As you can see by the dirty fingernails there was a lot of playing outside. I think that it took a couple of days before Michelle got used to how dirty the kids would get. I gave up a while ago worrying about the damage to the clothes, the dirty little fingernails and toes, and whether they smelled spify anymore. Don't get me wrong....they still have to brush their teeth, wash their hands after going to the bathroom, and get nice and smelly clean for church on Sunday but other than that they are having fun just being kids!

And we are back!

So I have good reason for being "off-line" for a few weeks. The last month has been full of change and craziness her at the Davis Family Farm. I am planning on posting something new everyday so for all of you loyal readers ( all 2 of you) check back daily to get caught up with us. One of the highlights that began our summer was some serious cousin time. My brother Anson and his wife Michelle and their 4 sweet kids moved in with us until they could decide where they would be living permanently here in California. We had so much fun with them here. Brigham finally had a boy cousin, Kaden, to play with and boy did they play. There was a lot of Star Wars, Lego building, and lots of secret attacks on the girls. They were inseparable. The girls on the other hand were so wrapped up in Polly Pockets, playing dress up and putting on makeup that I am not sure that they ever quite noticed those pesky boys. I think that the Call kids did enjoy the country life while they were here. Charles finished our chicken coop and so the kids would regularly check on the chickens and let them out.
Calina and Rexton were still trying to get used to the bird flying around and even landing on their heads.

Brigham and Emmelyne, who now deem themselves " chicken experts" were showing Kaden the ropes. Yes - my kids hung out in their bathing suits most of the time that the cousins were here.



Rexton likes petting them in a controlled environment.



Well the cousins have now left and I can not tell you how sad my kids were. It did make the transition easier because they moved out while we were camping in Tahoe ( that is a whole other post) so I think that it made it a little easier. I have to say that I miss cooking dinner with 9 kids running around the kitchen asking ,
"When dinner is going to be ready? "
" Can I have another drink?"
"Can we swim right now?"
" Can I eat with Aunt Michelle - I like what they are having better."
" Can we just have otter pops until dinner is ready?"
I miss cooking my breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same kitchen with Michelle and watching what yummy creation she is going to come up with.
I miss going through a million cups everyday.
I miss having our 11:00pm meetings around the dinner table with Anson and Michelle.

We know that they are excited to be in their house in Folsom and we are glad that they are now sooooo much closer. We will just have to figure out how to get along with out everyone living here.

Lots of love

So another girl in the Davis household took the plunge and donated her hair for locks of love. Brooklyn chopped off 15 inches ! Look how old she looks now.