Out of the house and into their henhouse, that is. It's about time, too. They were getting mighty stinky. We don't have a garage, only a carport and I didn't think it was safe enough to move them outside in just a cardboard box. Even though we live in the suburbs, there are lots of critters roaming around. As I've mentioned before, we have two or more well established squirrel colonies in our backyard as well as a bunny family. I doubt squirrels or bunnies would do more that just scrounge chicken feed, but we have also seen raccoons in our front yard and they would love a free chicken dinner for sure. So, we had to wait until the chicken coop was finished before we could safely move our little flock out of the house and into the carport. It's been pretty cool at night so they are still using their heater, but I think that by next week the nights will be warm enough that they can be moved out into the yard. 
One phase of my "simple life" that I have been avoiding is growing a garden. My half-hearted attempts have been met with crushing disappointment, and my very fragile self just cannot handle it. Everything I've planted has been devoured by squirrels or rabbits or raccoons. I have no idea who the culprit is, I just know that when you go out to water your seedlings and some jerky animal has nibbled them to the ground, it is not a good feeling. I am usually a positive person, sometimes delusionally so, and it takes very little to bring me joy. It also takes quite a bit to really crush my spirit. Even with the hardships we've been facing lately, I know my family has it pretty good, and I have so many wonderful people in my life, I feel very blessed and happy most of the time. But a girl can only take so much. Last year, when I poured my heart and soul (I'm also a little dramatic) into my tomato plants only to have very single tomato eaten while still green was almost too much. This year, they've been nibbled to nothing before they could even bloom.
About a week ago I noticed that a bird or squirrel had dropped some sunflower seeds into the planter box where we dump our dogs' water bowl, and the seeds had sprouted. I was so excited! I love sunflowers! I told everyone in the house about the miracle sunflowers that just sprouted up all by themselves. Isn't nature wonderful? Uh, no. About three days later I went back to check on them and guess what...Gone. Eaten. All that was left was a forest of green stems poking out of the soil. Without leaves, plants can't survive, so I knew they'd be shriveled up in a day or so. I felt like crying. I wanted to kick a squirrel so bad that day. It sounds dramatic I'm sure, but a feeling of doom just poured over me. I want a garden so much, but I have no idea how to stop the squirrels from destroying it.
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