This week’s Chick Days post is up today because I have to work (boo), which means no long run until tomorrow. I have to work on Saturdays periodically from May – October. So enjoy one day early!
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Not a lot happened in the world of chicks this week. We were out of town last weekend and then Barry came down with a stomach bug on Monday (he’s feeling better now, though!). Most of the tasks we have left are not things I can do myself. So I thought instead I would share a bunch of pictures showing how they have grown since the day we brought them home.

I picked up our chicks when they were 4 day old fuzz balls:

At two weeks old they had grown enough to need a little more space, so they moved into a Rubbermaid tub:

We had some warmer weather during their third week so they got to experience being outside for the first time:

The chicks changed a lot by the time they reached four weeks old. They started getting more feathers and started doing lots of growing:

At five weeks old they had grown enough and had enough feathers to move outside to the chicken coop:

Once they moved out to the coop, we got to work on their chicken run area. This is a fenced in outside area attached to the coop . The chickens got to test out their new run when they were six weeks old:

And now they are on seven weeks old. They continue to grow and explore their new home place:

Five of them are red, like the chicken pictured above, but one is more white. Remember how I said they are named Lady, Dolores, Agnes, Cecilia, Beatrice, and Reba? Well, the white one is Agnes:

Don’t ask me who is who with the other five red ones, because I don’t know. But I do know which one Agnes is!

1. Look at what I found when I took one of my hanging baskets down this morning to water my flowers:

I hadn’t watered it since last Friday (before we went out of town), and apparently that was enough time for a mama Robin to pick that spot to build her nest and lay her eggs. I still watered my flowers because I don’t want them to die, but I was really careful not to get any water on the eggs. I also put the basket back up on the hook exactly the way it was. Hopefully mama didn’t get scared off.

2. I decided to take a rest day from running today, and instead did a level 3 Jillian 30 day shred workout this evening after work. I’m hoping this will let the blisters on the bottom of my feet toughen up a bit so that I can run tomorrow. During level 3 there’s a part where she has you doing a minute of traditional sit ups. This is my view during that minute:

Scout likes to stand over me and lick my face each time I get to the top of my sit up. It makes me laugh, which I’m sure adds extra difficulty.

3. This evening I am making best friends with my foam roller and stick.

I am hoping to solve all the problems in my lower legs that arose after Saturday’s long run and rolling my ankles multiple times during that run. My achilles and ankles are still very tight, but getting better.

Have you ever had a bird make a nest near your house?

Do you use a foam roller or “The Stick” or something like them?

The random:

Not the actual bear I saw, but this is what he looked like

Have you ever encountered a bear or other wildlife?

Did you have summer weather today?

Who else loves The Breakfast Club (and Sixteen Candles and Weird Science)??
I love the ‘Brat Pack’ and I think John Hughes was a genius.

I was feeling exhausted today, so I decided to swap my track workout for a 6 mile easy run. After an 8 hour workday turned into a 10 hour workday and driving nearly 300 miles during work, I just wasn’t physically or mentally up for a track workout. It was definitely the right decision.
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This past Sunday we celebrated Hank’s third birthday! I cannot believe we have already had him nearly three years. On July 4, 2010 Barry and I were driving back from our honeymoon and we picked up 7 week old Hank on our way home (this was planned, not spur of the moment).

He turned out to be a very good rider (and continues to be today) and pretty much slept with his head in Barry’s lap the whole way home. He was just 19 pounds when we brought him home!

The first thing we did was give him a bath, because the had fleas. He looked at me like “why are you doing this to me!?”

That little face melts my heart. He still gives me that look today, albeit a bigger version of it.

Hank is the first dog that’s truly mine, so naturally I have way too many pictures of him.

Some of his hobbies include riding on equipment:

Taking naps:

Playing fetch:

Taking naps:

Escaping:

Riding in the truck:

Napping while riding in the truck:

He doesn’t even mind if someone sits on his head while he naps:

Dressing up in costume:

Taking naps:

And of course running:

And tracking:

Hank is also a proud graduate and holds a degree in Puppy Kindergarten.

He recently acquired his own puppy, who he named Scout. So far he has done a good job training her and teaching her the tricks of the trade.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hank! You’re the best dog a kid could ask for!

If you have pets, how old are they?

What do you do to celebrate your pet’s birthday?

It’s the ropes and the reins, and the joy and the pain, and they call the thing a rodeo.

Sorry for the blurriness!

This weekend we traveled up to Gordonsville to visit my best friend and go to the rodeo at Oakland Heights Farm. The rodeo is put on by BLM Bull & Rodeo Co. They put on some of Virginia’s finest professional bull riding events. And since my bff rides horses at this farm, we get to sit in the VIP section! That means we’re close enough to get the dirt kicked on us by the bulls while they’re in the arena. Oakland Heights plays host to the rodeo the second Saturday of every month from May to September.



Bulls waiting in the pen to get the show on the road

The evening started off with the first round of bull riding. They had 30 professionals and 10 amateurs, so we got to see a lot of action. They also had two junior bull riders who rode steers. I think they were 10 and 12 years old.

One of the professional riders

The rules are simple. Bull riders ride with one hand and cannot touch the bull or themselves with their free hand (the one they hold up in the air). Two judges give the bull and the cowboy each a score from 1-25, so 100 points would be the perfect ride. The main goal is to stay on for 8 seconds, and you only receive a score if you do so.

Pictured above is one of the judges from Saturday night. I think he looks EXACTLY like Robin Williams when he played Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum:

[Source]

Do you think so??? Either way, I think he does! I also took to referring to him at “Teddy” for the duration of the evening. Once they finished the first round of bull riding, they took a break. This is when the mutton busting takes place! Mutton busting is something for kids to do at rodeos, but instead of riding raging bulls they ride sheep. Most of them just lay on the sheep’s back and hang on for dear life, but a few will use a rope and ride the way the bull riders do (with one hand).

The picture is a total blur because the sheep just take off like a shot when the gate opens. The object is to stay on the longest and the top two kids won gift certificates. Here is a better picture (not from Saturday’s rodeo):

[Source]

During the break they also had barrel racing. Barrel racing is judged solely by the clock, so fastest time wins. Riders complete a clover leaf pattern around three barrels (55-gal drums) set out in a triangle pattern in the arena. At the professional level it is an event for women.

Again, sorry for the blurriness.

Riders receive a 5 second penalty for each barrel they knock over. We also found out that riders are required to make it into the arena with their hat on. If it falls off during their run, that’s okay, but one of the girl’s hats fell off before she came in. The announcer gave her a warning at the end of the run and told her it was her only warning of the season. After the barrel racing, they moved into the short round for bull riding. The short round is where the top 6 riders get matched up against the top 6 bulls. It’s the championship round, and everyone wants to see who will win.

Cowboys watching the final round

Two riders rode for the full 8 seconds in the last round. I think one scored 92 and the other scored 80. In the first round the former scored 86 and the latter scored 80. They took first and second and earned their money. Barry and I had a great time together. He was especially happy because VIP tent = free food!

We try and go to the rodeo at least once each summer. We always bring our camper, which allows us to bring the dogs along (they don’t come to the rodeo, though). This was Scout’s first camping trip, so I wasn’t sure how she would do. She did really well and overall it wasn’t too bad with three dogs in the camper! Mainly because they all did this the entire time:

Scout

Toby

Hank

Have you ever been to the rodeo?

Doesn’t that judge look like Robin Williams from Night at the Museum??

If you have pets, do you take them with you when you travel?