Kansas visitors and update on Mark's Coop Construction Campaign...

On the Farm

Denise's parents, Dennis and Terry, came to visit last week from Kansas.  Dad worked on the duck pond and used the chainsaw to clear a small tree near the fencing.  Mom helped with processing broccoli, green beans and beets!  It seems that the garden was so slow going and then all of a sudden there are WAY more vegetables than we could ever eat.  I realized pretty quickly that I planted too many beets.  I gave away beets, canned beets, pickled beets, fermented beets, dried beets, stored some in wet sand in our fridge for future use and made beet ketchup and we still have beets in the garden!  A good problem to have...

We also did some fun things!  We went on a jet boat ride down the Snake River through part of Hells Canyon.  It was amazing!  We all really enjoyed it.  Here are some pics of what we saw (please, realize that I am not a professional photographer...these were just taken with my iPhone...)

Wild sheep...this is a heard of females and their babies (they stay separate from the rams)

 Mark seemed to really enjoy the boat ride.

 A bear!!!  We actually saw 2 different bears.

 Mom taking picture of bear on the rocks.

Mountain sheep ram herd.

We also saw white pelicans, bald eagles, golden eagles, chukars, mule deer, and more!  The boat captain also gave lots of history about the area.  We also saw Native American pictographs (painted) and petroglyphs (etched into stone) symbols.  It is hard to believe we live so close to such a beautiful area.  Who needs the Grand Canyon when you have Hells Canyon?

We went huckleberry picking and through a puzzle escape room.  We did not make it out in time but it was the first time we had ever done anything like that so it took us some time to try and figure it out.  It was still a lot of fun!

We also went bowling and for a walk through the Arboretum at the University of Idaho and for ice cream at Ferdinands at Washington State University.

Terry, Mark and Dennis at arboretum.

And on Saturday, my parents helped me at the Farmer's Market.  It was a busy week!  I am really grateful for all their help!

ReMARKable Eggs Update

I have heard from the contractor that ground breaking for the chicken coops will be some time during the very last week of August!  We have raised over $7500 through the GoFundMe!  We are thankful for all this support!  It will be used to buy the building supplies for the coops.  As it gets closer, we will have lots of updates about the coop construction!

Lastly...we now live in a gated community...more on this to come in 2 weeks...

~Denise