One of the major benefits of being married to someone with a fancy wood shop and the skills to use all the tools is that he can pretty much make anything.

I usually try not to brag too much about Dakota on this blog, but I have to share the favors he made for our son's recent birthday party. It was a hootenanny theme, and Dakota decided to make a hand-crafted cigar box guitar for every kid.

If you knew Dakota, you'd know he never does anything half-way. So, the guitars came out beautifully. They have wood handles, sturdy boxes and individually carved pegs so that they can be tuned. They are, in my humble opinion, pretty awesome.

While you (and I) might say this is a lot of work for a 3rd birthday favor, in the end I feel like it was worth it. It was really fun to hand out each one and see the excitement on the kids' faces. Hopefully, they will have a great time jamming on their guitars at home. That's what's happening at our house.

One of my blueberry bushes has already started to put out an impressive number of flowers. They are quite pretty and delicate-looking, and they seem to be holding up well despite wild swings in temperature.

This is great to see except for the fact that the other bush hasn't even started growing spring leaves yet. Blueberry blossoms need to be cross-pollinated by a bush of a different variety in order to set fruit.

So... bummer. These flowers are just ornamental for now. I am hoping the other bush will have a burst of growth very soon, so that the two bushes will actually flower at the same time. It would be so fun to pick fresh blueberries this Spring. I just need that lazy second bush to cooperate.

At the moment, I have 3 chickens. Two of them, Betty and Janice, are 3 years old this week. And the third, Tina, a black sex-link, is 5 1/2. That's pretty old in chicken years. She's basically a grandma. But, despite her age, Tina is still going strong.

In fact, she even laid an egg last week. And the egg looked good--no bumps or weird shell formations--just smooth and pink and lovely. Now, that is an impressive feat for such an elderly chicken. Tina has always been a consistent layer. In the spring and summer, I've gotten as many as 5 eggs a week from Tina.

Unlike Betty and Janice, and her hatch-sister, Peggy, who died several years ago, Tina has always let me hold her. I particularly appreciate this trait now that I have a son who likes to pet a chicken from time to time.

As you can see from the photo above, Tina is still looking good. Her black feathers are nice and shiny, and her comb is healthy and red. What I'm trying to say is, Tina is the best hen I have ever had. She is smart and pretty and healthy and productive. Tina is a super-chicken.

So... Cheers to you, Tina. Enjoy those sunflower seeds I just put in the coop. You deserve them!