Hoop's Coop Eggs & Totes

06/18/2026

Woke up yesterday morning to this on my trail cam! Be sure to enlarge the photos—the trail-cam images are dark, and the raccoon is easier to see when you zoom in.

My heart literally sank when I saw it.

It’s nothing short of a miracle that not a single chicken was harmed. Last year, a raccoon got into my pheasant pen and killed every one of them in a single night, so seeing this footage brought all those memories rushing back.

This raccoon was inside the coop for 30–40 minutes and got in through the open vent space where the roof meets the wall. One of the videos even shows a hen walking around near it, completely unharmed. (The raccoon is in the back half of the coop where my breeding pens are.)

It reminded me of Daniel in the lion’s den. I truly believe God had His hand on my flock and put angels around those chickens that night.

“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me…” — Daniel 6:22 KJV

Needless to say, I spent the day fixing the problem. I covered approximately 60 feet of open vent space with hardware cloth—30 feet across the front and 30 feet across the back. It meant hauling a ladder through all seven breeder pens, cutting pieces to fit, and stapling them in place one section at a time, but it’s done.

I’m thankful beyond words that this story ended the way it did.

06/13/2026

I rescued this hanging basket today because I absolutely fell in love with the color. 💜✨

Life has looked very different lately, and this beautiful color felt like something I needed to bring home. Maybe it was the color, maybe it was the fact that it needed a little rescuing.

I believe it’s a petunia, but it’s pretty leggy and sparse. I’d love to get it looking nice and full without damaging it.

For those of you with experience growing petunias:

• Can I trim it back this time of year to encourage it to fill out?

• How much can safely be cut off?

• Should I fertilize it, repot it, or just leave it alone?

• Any tips for helping it become a fuller, healthier plant?

I think this is one of the most beautiful flower colors I’ve ever seen, and I’d really like to give it the best chance to thrive.

Thanks for any advice! 💜

06/11/2026

This morning, as I finished chores, I felt like I was peeking through a window into calm.
My Barred Rock hen perched with quiet confidence—so at ease in her own moment.
It made me pause, and for that brief time, something lifted.

I think of Tim all day, every day, and still battle the sadness.
There’s still so much to sort through, but for a few moments, everything seemed exactly where it belonged. Sunny was quietly eating his hay, my Barred Rock hen was perched on the gate without a care in the world, and the sadness got a little quieter. I’m so thankful for moments like this.

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. —Psalm 32:7

06/07/2026

I have a group of roosters (culls from my breeding programs), about a year to a year and a half old:
2 Olive Eggers,
3 white (most likely dominant white) Ameruacanas - one with only a single gene for muffs & beard. The other two have the double gene for muffs & beards,
and 2 Light Brahmas.

They need rehoming by Monday. If not placed by then, they’ll be headed to freezer camp on Wednesday. Free to a good home—message me if you’re interested! 🐓

I’ve also got a beautiful Blue Palm Tom turkey, about a year and a half old. He’s smaller with an underdeveloped snood, but he’s laid-back and a very sweet boy. I’m asking a $5️⃣0️⃣ rehoming fee—he’d make a wonderful companion. 🦃

I need to cut back on my flocks, so if you can offer them a home, please reach out.

Located in Standish!

06/07/2026

Sharing a moment from the yard today.

These grow-outs were something Tim and I had looked forward to—these little ones always brought us a smile.

Life continues to move around me, even though I feel lost and standing still.

These little moments with the flock are what I have today. I miss Tim, and I’m just trying to keep going.

This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

06/02/2026

God can use the smallest things to get our attention.

This morning, while taking Motown out, I looked down and found a four-leaf clover.

It may seem insignificant, but where I am right now—in the fog of loss and the moments of darkness—small things matter. For just a fleeting second, my heart felt a little lighter.

These days, my faith in God is all I have to keep me going. I don’t believe God speaks only through big things. Sometimes He reminds us He’s still there through the simplest ones—a sunrise, a kind word, a horse waiting at the gate, or a four-leaf clover growing quietly in the grass.

Today, it was a four-leaf clover. 🍀 I’m going to press it, date it, and save it—to remember this moment.

The original Irish tradition around the four-leaf clover was that it was a rare sign of God’s favor, protection, and blessing.

05/26/2026

It’s been one week since Tim passed.

Every inch of this farm holds his hard work and our dreams.

The emptiness is hard to describe, and I’m at a loss at how moving forward will ever look.

These are a couple of moments that remind me of who we were together.

05/21/2026

💔 After losing Tim, a dear friend set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and keeping the farm going. If you feel moved to donate or share, I’m deeply grateful.

https://gofund.me/5e413293b

After a long year and a half battle with multiple serious medical issues… Julie Vedder needs your support for Support for Katherine After Tim Hooper’s Passing

05/21/2026

💔 It is with a broken heart that I share that my husband, Tim Hooper, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026.

After a long year and a half battle with serious health issues, hospital stays, ambulance rides, and complications that just kept coming, Tim is finally at peace.

Tim and I would have celebrated 46 years of marriage on June 4.

The last year and a half tested us in ways I cannot even put into words. Caregiving, fear, exhaustion, stress, and trying to hold life together while watching someone you love slowly decline changes everything. But through it all, Tim was still Tim — stubborn, funny, strong-willed, deeply loved, and happiest around the animals and simple farm life he loved so much.

Right now I am trying to process a loss that feels far bigger than words. The house feels quiet in a way I cannot explain.

Many of you knew Tim personally. Others knew him through the farm, through stories, pictures, videos, or simply through following our life here at Hoop’s Coop Eggs & Totes. Thank you for caring about our family over the years.

Several people have reached out asking how they can help during this difficult time. A GoFundMe has been created to help with funeral expenses, medical and transportation costs, household bills, and helping me navigate the difficult road ahead after losing Tim.

GoFundMe link:

https://gofund.me/ede9eb3e4

Please keep me, our family, and everyone who loved Tim in your prayers during the difficult days ahead.

If you feel led to share this post, I would truly appreciate it. ❤️

Tim’s Obituary

https://www.ramsaygroupfs.com/obituaries/Timothy-Tim-D-Hooper?obId=48450612 #/obituaryInfo

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