Is that a peeping box I see before me?

Well, not yet anyway. I am getting so tired of gray, dark, cold days. It is that horrible time of winter. Too much snow, not enough sun, every day looks the same: Gray, wet, cold, nasty. What is a girl to do? Oh, starting dreaming of little fuzzy chicks arriving in the mail, of course! Today my Randall Burkey catalog arrived. Nice company, several varieties of chickens, but rather expensive. Plus, the chicks get shipped all the way from TEXAS! Yikes. Talk about traveling afar....I am leaning toward Stromberg's hatchery (out of Minnesota) or McMurray hatchery (out of Iowa) for my new layers. I had been thinking of ordering super-special-rare-and-therefore-ridiculously-expensive-Cuckoo Marans this year, but, ummmm....the economy has not improved that much in this household. And while I do love my Special Blacks, I am wanting to try something different. I will be keeping the two mystery chicks, who have grown out to be lovely Golden Laced Wyandottes, and I am torn between several new breeds. Do I want to go with tradition and get New Hampshire Reds or Barred Plymouth Rocks? How about a couple of Welsummers to lay dark, chocolate brown eggs? Or maybe an Ameracauna to find some green or blue treasures in the nest box! I do love big puffy Brahmas, who are so gentle and sweet....Of course, my other dilemma is rounding up some folks who want a couple of hens from a couple varieties to go in on a chick order with me. I am thinking that may not be too much of a problem, but you never know. Minimum order is just 15 after all! I am, of course, planning to order my usual batches of meat birds from the hatchery in Beaver Dam, WI. They have the best prices on meat birds (82 cents each!) and I have never had concerns about chick health. Plus, the office ladies who field the phone calls are super nice. OH, winter weather. Hurry up and bring back some sunshine. My chicks are calling me, and I need warmer weather before having them packed into a holey box and sent to my door!