Not Quite Wasted Week

Every time I think I have an awesome post for you, something gets in the way. So, instead of going to bed, I'm going to post!
First off: an Independence Days check in.

Plant Something: I planted two sunflower seeds indoors! I'll take anything that grows green and happy right now! Although it looks like I might lose the peas to damp-off disease yet again, damnit. They grow so well, so vigorously, get lots of light and then BAM! They wilt and die.
Harvest  something: Nope. It's too early here, and I planted no sprouts this week.
Preserve something: Nope.
Waste not: I added some  vegetable peelings to the compost bucket, kicked it around the "yard" a bit and flipped it. Also found a great source of leaf mold right under my feet! Almost. I'll add a couple of shovelfuls of it next week.
Want not: Hmm, upon reflection, we added nothing to the pantry. We'll have to fix that next week! I did pick up a couple of very short LED keychain flashlights tonight. The thinking there was that if we get caught out somewhere in an abrupt power failure, we'll have emergency light.  When we go out, we always have our keys, so we'll always have VERY bright light! Does this count as a "want not" item? We'll never be wanting for light...
Eat the food: Obviously we've been eating. No new recipes though. I didn't bake 4 dozen cookies or dehydrate anything. Nothing new to report here either. Wow.
Skill up; Finally! Something to share! We've been submersing ourselves in almost everything chickens, except the fowlpoo. The day is coming...oops, can't let that cat...err, bird out of the bag just yet...
Okay, maybe I can.

On Thursday, I posted very briefly that we were going to the TSC Store. I had hoped for video. Well, who knew the store would be busy!? I got some video before the iPod ran out of room, but I swear there was a district manager and thirty employees in there, and they all started looking at me a little strangely when I started filming. Anyway, the video isn't worth wasting your day over. Suffice it to say that the store was impressive! They had clothes, horse halters, english style saddles, chicken waterers and feeders, heat lamp bulbs, basic animal care supplies, rabbit feed and pens, fencing, chicken feed, hoof trimmers, overalls, boots, first aid kits for humans, cables, books, garden knick-knacks, hoses, electrified fencing equipment, dog food and supplies, shovels and rakes of every description, truck maintenance supplies, small tractors, model tractors, remote control tractors, and... and...I can't list it all, I didn't even see half the store! We'll have to take another trip to see all that we missed the first time. If you are living out in the sticks, or want to move there, if you own livestock, or want to, or you are lucky enough to have a mini-farm, if you have the opportunity to visit a TSC Store.. do it. You won't be disappointed.

What prompted all this? We've been given the go-ahead to acquire and raise chickens once we move! So now we're full-on into the research and development stage. We're learning all we can from a variety of sources, planning to build a coop and narrowing which varieties of birds will do best for our purposes and winter conditions. So far, we're having a blast! Because the hatchery that we're going to be getting our fuzzballs from does not carry Buff Orpingtons, we're likely to be getting Barred Plymouth Rocks, Red Sex Links, Black Sex Links and Rhode Island Reds. (Maybe next year, Jacqueline!)
Now you know why the brief post on Alektorophobia.
No, no one here has it.

Are you participating in the Independence Days Challenge? If you are, how did you do this week?
For those who are not, what did you learn this week?