Day 156

We are a loud family. We work loud. We play loud. We sing loud. A lot. Heading outside only increases our volume. Anytime we are outside, there is certain to be a scream or two. I’m sure our neighbors are thrilled. No one is hurt or scared, but more excited when some creature is caught. 

Our children simply will not pass up the opportunity to catch a frog or toad. They give them fun names, “play” with them, and eventually place them back where they were found. One of our favorite times of year is late spring when the baby toads arrive. Last year, it seemed like there were thousands of them. Tiny little toads literally everywhere. 

In the summer months, yard work often turns into catching the garter snake stirred up by the rumbling engine of the lawn mower.. What some people might fear and avoid at all costs is something my kids pursue and argue over. We are definitely planning on putting some snake boards down this summer and seeing what we can find.

We know that our chickens love catching and eating bugs, worms, and any creepy crawly they can find. However, we know someone who loves them even more.

Our youngest and only son is a ridiculous fan of catching critters. He wants to investigate every spider and beetle he finds. While he is enamored with june bugs and “hot potato” bugs (pillbugs), worms are his absolute favorite. He was a huge help in the garden planning as he made sure to look through every inch of dirt and soil he could to find squirmy wormies.

Even after the garden was planted, the search continued. Landscaping rocks excavated from the backyard surround the edge of the chicken yard. Serving more as decoration than a  barrier, they also have become a hotbed of bug catching. Just about every day, we have to take a few minutes to lift a few rocks and see what might be there. While we used to put our findings in a cup to give to the chickens, they now stick their head right through the fence as each rock is moved.

The chickens watch our every move.