Can you say GINORMOUS?

We have been getting a lot of eggs here lately.  We've been selling some, but we have WAY to many!  We need to see what we can do about it, because it will only get worse.  We have about 20 more who will start laying really soon!  But yesterday we got a GINORMOUS egg.  Look at the size of this thing!  I do not have small hands.  The decorated Ukrainian egg is a goose egg, to give you an idea.  These are not large hens.  We have been getting some really XXlarge white eggs, but this brown one is hands down the largest, so far.  The eggs in the cartons are mostly what the grocery store would call large.  You can see how large the two white eggs are, the carton wouldn't close, but next to the brown egg, they don't loon nearly as big and the other eggs look like they would be classed small.......

This is how our garden, yard, and chickens grow.....

These are some more of the spring flowers we had.  They were all so beautiful.  I don't know what the lavender flowers are, but they were amazing.  Someone told me they might be Passion flowers.  I will have to look it up.  We would walk out of the house and the air was so fragrant!  We have truly enjoyed where we live and continue to change, repair, make it our own.

These are our new roosters.  The first picture is a Black Cooper Maran, which we hatched out in December.  The second one is a Blue Splash Maran.  We are eating the other rooster.  He got really mean and would take after us every time we went out to get the eggs.

The other pictures are of the yard and garden.  We have planted 18 fruit trees.  You can see them in a couple of the pictures.  It is beautiful!  Stan has put in a lot of time with the yard.

Did you know...

....Missouri has over 6,000 caves!  And more are being discovered every year.  Missouri is called the 'Show Me' State.  I guess in it's early beginnings as a State, members of congress were told things about the State, and the reply was, "You'll have the show me!"  But with all of the caves, they are in the process of changing it to the "Cave State".

This particular cave was discovered in 1862.  The man who owned the land was hunting and his dog disappeared.  When he went looking for him, he found the cave.  He kept it a secret, because at that time the Civil war was going on and soldiers were taking over caves to make salt peter, which is used in the making of gun powder.

In 1867, he placed an ad in a newspaper for someone who might want to come and explore the cave.  Eight women from the athletic association from Springfield showed up with candles in cans to explore the cave!  They stayed 8 hours, and signed their names, which are still there.

At times it was  used for various things, including mushroom farming, a speak easy during Prohibition days, a meeting place for the KKK, and later a stage area for country and gospel music.

It is amazing, with all of the activities, over such a long period of time, the cave was as unharmed as it is.  It is a beautiful cave.  One of the few in the world, there are only 6, that you drive through...a little tight in the headroom area at times.  Rachel and I went with Isaac and his family last year.  I really wanted Stan to see it, so we were able to enjoy it together....and I remembered to bring a camera this time!

More from Alabama....

When I came home from Alabama for work, Stan was able to stay another week.  He truly loved his extra time there and continued bonding with our grandchildren there.  It was so nice to see them in an environment where they could run, play, get dirty, and just be kids!  Family is the best!