Chicken Swap and a new camera

Yesterday we piled in the car bright and early and headed out to Honea Path to attend our first ever Chicken Swap. Not sure what a Chicken Swap is? Well, you're not alone! We weren't either. And it's basically just what it sounds like: people bring chickens to sell and people come to buy. There were also a few goats, turkeys and quail available.

Before we actually got to the big Swap, we stopped for breakfast at Godfrey's Market in Hodges. We've been hearing about the amazing sausage they have there and it didn't disappoint! I had a sausage, cheese, egg, lettuce and tomato sandwich. The rest of the family had some form of sausage sandwich (including my favorite: my son's bacon and sausage sandwich. Now that's healthy!). The sausage is made there and is huge and delicious! Bellies full, we continued on to the Chicken Swap, with me insisting the whole way that I was just there to look and not buy anything. Famous last words!

Oh, yes! Possum Kingdom, South Carolina was the home of the Chicken Swap. You just have to love a town called Possum Kingdom! We checked out some of the animals available and found Juliette, all the way from down by Charleston, who had the most adorable Seramas. Seramas are the smallest breed of chickens and they were all just beautiful! My kids of course wanted them all but I, okay mostly my husband, had the sense to tell them no. We did, however, pick out four little hens. While we were doing this, my husband was befriending Hank the Horse who was in the nearby pasture. My son started yelling and we all turned to see Hank pulling Cole's T-shirt and chewing. No skin broke but old Hank did chew a hole in it!

Our chickens picked and safely in the carrier, we loaded back up to head back to the farm. My children named the chickens on the way home and we now have Oreo, Pumpkin Lace, Pixie, and Snow.

The little Seramas blended in quite nicely with the rest of the flock. They are so little that no one paid them much attention. They are almost full grown and you can hold them in the palm of your hand. Snow and Pumpkin Lace love to be held and Snow actually fell asleep in my hand and started doing a Chicken Snore! Annaliese spent a lot of time kissing and loving on them.

I think they'll fit in just fine on Huckleberry Farm. Can't wait to see the teeny egg they lay!

We also have two new kayaks for paddling around on the ponds. And I have a new camera! My dear, sweet man bought me a new Canon Rebel for my birthday a few weeks ago. I finally got it out and started trying to figure out how to use it! So while the kids and Cole tried out the kayaks, I tried out my new camera!

I know I'll be able to do some amazing things with it once I figure it all out. Thankfully we had tons of butterflies yesterday for me to practice on!

The sheep are doing well. Getting fat and allowing us to come up to the fence to say hi.

We are getting some much needed rain today and tomorrow. The pastures are yellow and dry, which is not a good thing when you have grazing animals relying on them for food! Hopefully we'll get enough to get everything back green. The temperatures are finally out of the 90's!! Even yesterday, September 25th, was in the mid-90's. Today it's 70 and feels wonderful!

I took one last picture of our new Seramas. She is standing next to a few Silkies which are very little chickens. The little Seramas can almost run underneath the bigger chickens. Can't wait to get to know them better!!