The littlest farm

It’s been a while, and I heard some complaints from my fans (you know who you are), so here’s a little update on Texas life. This week I decided to opt out of the social media life and focus more thoroughly on my real life. I did it one other time for several years back in 2020 and it was the perfect time to escape the infighting and division that occupies online spaces. Even though it feels like there’s been a large swing back toward normalcy and common sense in 2025, there is still an echo chamber of negativity and name calling. Since I can’t convince all those people who are wrong on the internet, I can peace out and let them live on in ignorance.

My garden is in the middle of spring harvest and my food growing dreams are coming true. I’ve always wanted to have berry bushes and fruit trees — the trees make take a few more years to bear fruit, but the berries are booming. And I finally have raspberries! They are not usually successful in Texas because of the heat, but I planted a variety that *might* make it here and this year it has finally taken off.

Blackberries thrive in Texas so I’ve been collecting huge bowls of blackberries daily for the past 2 weeks. We’ve eaten a ton and frozen a ton and I should have enough blackberries to last all year.

My other recent garden addition are those 3 characters in the background above: My secret chickens Hey-hey, Grace and Bertha (Camille named them).

Did you know 2025 has been the year of the chicken shortage? Just like people hoarded toilet paper during covid, this Spring people have been hoarding chickens. I guess they thought it would be easy to save money on eggs by having their own chickens so as egg prices went up, people went out and bought chicks by the dozen. (Never mind that you have to house and feed them for months before you get any eggs, but whatever). I’ve wanted my own chickens for years, but because we live in a neighborhood that doesn’t allow chickens (I despise HOAs . . . yes, I never would have bought in one, but we weren’t planning to actually live here, blah blah) I’ve been hesitant to be one of those rule breaker chicken owners.

Of course, the year I finally decide that I’m going to get a few chickies, the entire world also decides they want them too and that’s how Camille and I found ourselves getting up at the crack of dawn one morning to drive an hour away to wait in line outside a farm for two hours to pick up our 3 precious hens.

6:45 am — we made it! 6th car in line. The farm was limiting each family to 5 chickens, 1st come 1st serve, and by 7 am there were more cars in line than chickens that were available.

We’re about a month away from getting any eggs, but in the meantime they provide plenty of entertainment and bug eating, yard fertilizing benefits.

I built the chicken tractor (yes I did!) with wheels on the back so I can roll it around the yard and put them on fresh grass every few days.

The dogs are regularly frustrated that they can’t get at the chickens, but they have mostly calmed down and approach them with interest, not as prey.

My view with my morning coffee. Just another day on the unlikely homestead.