Bee Haven Acres

Ode to the D+ Day

2012-01-27T04:00:00.005-05:00

Deliver us,

oh please,

from the dark and dreary,

damp and dank,

drizzly and doleful,

dismal and drab,

day

that has disturbingly descended upon us.

We are soggy from our heads to our toes....

but worry not,

our hearts are always full of sunshine!!

Hope your weekend is perfect...

everything you need it to be!

Ours will be full of adventure, I am sure....

and we will share them with you on Monday!

Thanks so very much for all of your wonderful comments this week....

I felt like I had a roomful of old friends to talk to!

Playtime And An Announcement

2012-01-26T04:00:00.008-05:00

Today's post is short on words,

and long on pictures.

The past two days have been warm (50 degrees)

and so the snow is melting quickly.

Weather like this means outdoor playtime.

And when we play outside, the species always mingle...

giving me the best photo opportunities.

So, here you are...

a walk to the barn.

Sadie...who loves the snow...

just can't get enough.

And the boys...who play hard.

Maddie....talkin' turkey...

Maddie and MaryAnn...

Ginger and TomTom...

MaryAnn and Ollie....

Ginger and Ollie....

Of course, the rest of the gang has to check out the pigs...

Everybody...

The Littles have playtime in the arena....

Nothing like a good hard romp....

And a nice easy ride....

What a fun day yesterday was!!

And now, if you will please excuse me...

(drumroll)

I have an announcement.

I have opened a shop...

The Marketplace at Bee Haven Acres

Here we will offer goodies from the farm and from my sewing room.

I have been sewing like a fiend!

Check here for honey after our next harvest.

And for those of you who are head over heels with Ginger and MaryAnn....

notecards.

Check it out.

Thank you!

For The Love.....

2012-01-25T04:00:00.004-05:00

"Oh, for the love of Dog!"

Did I spell that wrong?

Seriously.

This post is about dogs.

And stuff....gross stuff.

Which seems to go hand in hand with dogs.

If you have any, you know exactly what I mean.

Although I might paint a romantic picture of what farm life is all about,

don't be fooled.

As I write this post, my barn coat is in the washer,

because I just figured out that the large brown stain on the right sleeve was...

barncat poop.

(If you have a cat, you will agree with me that nothing smells worse than cat poop!)

Nothing.

Back to the dogs.....

Every night when we go to bed, the dogs go to bed, too.

They each have their own doggie bed.

Sadie and Maddie, our big, exceptionally hairy, cold weather dogs

prefer to sleep in the garage where it is cool.

This is good, too, because Maddie has unpredictable anal glands that leak from time to time....

without warning.

I could write a post on just this subject alone!

Let's not go there, ok?

Hickory, our senior citizen sleeps in a bed in the laundry room...

it's warm there and a tile floor makes the occasional night time "accident"

(senile incontinence) easy to clean up.

Sam and Oakley sleep in their own beds on the floor at the foot of our bed.

They are our back up alarm clock...

always rousing us before the sun comes up.

Last night, for some reason, Oakley would not sleep in his bed

and instead slept on the floor beside Hubbs' side of the bed.

Sam, in his bed, kept making little growling noises all night.

(We figured he was dreaming.)

That is until morning, when we found the reason he was growling.
What is that lying on the floor in front of his bed???

Yes, that's it...a featherless, decapitated bird of some sort.

Gross.
(Warning...you might want to skip the next picture!)

Grosser than gross.

He was protecting a treasure that he had snuck into the house before bed last night.

Needless to say, we absconded with that and washed the carpet.

Later in the morning.....

He had found something else, equally disgusting.

I love my dogs; truly, I do.

But I have to admit....

I sometimes ask my self...

"whatever was I thinking??"

If I have grossed you out today, I apologize.

But I thought you needed to know the truth...

the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

PS....I love my dogs!

PPS:

Pigs get a bad wrap.

Dogs are way grosser than pigs!

Animals First

2012-01-24T04:00:00.002-05:00

You have probably figured out that taking care of our animals is my top priority.

Ok, second.

Family comes first.

However some days they might say that the animals come first!

I spend a great deal of time considering the needs of all of our animals,

and actually plan my days around what the animals will need.

Weather plays a dramatic role in this.

Right now we are in the midst of grey, dreary, rainy, snowy weather.

Because of the snow on the ground, many of our animals

have preferred to remain indoors these past few days.

And so, not only do I make the necessary trips out to the barnyard for several feedings a day,

but I also feel the need to visit the pigs in between in order to offer them some

mental stimulation.

It is said that pigs are as smart as dogs.

If this is true, I know that a great deal of their happiness is derived from

interpersonal interactions.

Ordinarily the pigs spend a portion of each day out in a pasture,

and so they have an opportunity to visit with goats, and turkeys and chickens.

But when the weather is so gloomy, they prefer to remain in the barn.

So......I do what I can to relieve their boredom.

I leave their stall door open so that they have free run of the barn; and

I open one of the stall doors so that the horses can visit them over the door.

This way they can visit with the cats, the horses, chickens and guineas

who are hanging out in the barn.

Tell me....am I crazy being concerned with the mental health of my animals?

Just so that you understand....

this is what happens when a person

who has spent her life caring for others ends up on a farm

surrounded by animals.

All kidding aside, I do feel a tremendous responsibility for the lives

of the animals on our farm.

They depend upon us for so much...

and give even more in return!

Wintry Weekend

2012-01-23T04:00:00.003-05:00

After waiting for what has seemed like an eternity,

the first snow of Winter arrived this weekend.

Now, you may remember that we had a 6 inch snowfall

on the weekend after Halloween.

(Yes, that was the weekend we drove to W.V. to pick up our piglets,

and drove home in a blinding snowstorm....

but that was Autumn, and this is Winter!!)

Saturday morning Hubbs and I donned our warmest, snow-proofiest clothes

and set out to do the AM chores.

The dogs ecstatically romped through the snow,

with the exception of poor old Hickory....

the snow was as high as her back.

This was the first experience with snow for the pigs.

They curiously headed out of the barn, sniffed around in the snow,

and then quickly headed back in for dry bedding.

The turkeys thought nothing of the snow, and spent all weekend out in it.

The guineas, however, stayed inside the turkey house all day long...

never even letting a single toe touch the snow.

The goats waited until the last flake fell to venture out.

The chickens spent their day in the barn around the horses...

who never mind the snow.

After chores were finished, we drove the gator out to our campsite in the woods

to check on our tent.

We try to keep the tarp and roof free from the weight of heavy snow....

It was a beautiful wintry day....

enjoyed by all...

with time spent here...

when we weren't outside.

PS....I also spent some time this weekend doing this....

and this....

How about you...

how did you spend your weekend??

Talkin' Turkey

2012-01-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

Two years ago we had the idea of raising our own heritage breed turkeys for meat.

We thought we would start small,

so I ordered a few bourbon red turkey poults from our local feed store.

From the very first day, these little birds were quite friendly

and curious about us.

Whenever we would approach them, they would come scampering over to us

to say hello.

Over the next few months, they continued to grow and continued to be quite friendly.

It didn't take long for us to realize that we would not be able to eat our new friends.

As the months passed, they grew and grew.

Eventually their mature feathers came in and it was apparent

that we had one hen and two Toms.

Finally we could name them.

They were given the names Tom, Chuck and Edith.

(much better than their original names...Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter)

By the following summer, they had developed into the showy

birds that they are now.

The turkeys spend their day free ranging.

They have the run of the farm,

and are usually found wherever the action is.

Whenever there are workmen on the farm, the turkeys are there.

When I am in the garden, the turkeys are there.

They love human attention; however they prefer not to be touched.

They have their own house where they roost at night.

We close them in at sundown and let them back out the next morning.

Their house is equipped with fresh feed and water,

however,

they seem to prefer foraging for whatever food they can find around the farm.

I am planning to hatch out a few turkey eggs this spring

for a local young man to raise and butcher for us.

This way I won't get attached to the birds,

and we will have delicious heritage breed turkey meat for next winter.

Rule of thumb:

if you name it, you won't eat it!

Cute picture of the week:

"When it comes to accessorizing...
sometimes you just have to use what you've got!" - Nettie B.

Have a wonderful weekend.
We are expecting a little snowstorm here at the farm.
See you Monday with wintry "tails from the farm."

Day's End

2012-01-19T04:00:00.001-05:00

Before I begin...

I must first say thanks for all of the suggestions you left for me yesterday.

I think the next thing that I will try to keep the birds out of our chicken yard is...

pinwheels...

lots of pinwheels!

Where does one buy lots of pinwheels?

(Image courtesy of Pinterest)

Back to the subject of the day...

I often post about sunrise and how it is my favorite time of day.

Nothing is better than watching my animals peacefully munching

away on their breakfast as they greet the new day...

with a beautiful fiery new sun on the horizon.

There is another time of day that makes me pause,

taking time to appreciate
all that my senses can take in....

sunset.

As many times as I see an orangey-pink sunrise,

there are even more scarlet, purple, and crimson sunsets to be seen.
Even non-climactic sunsets like last evening's are still lovely;
as shadows, stillness and silence overtake the land.

The chickens return to their yard and eventually wander back into their coop to roost.

The turkeys follow soon after.

And lastly the guineas fly to their treetop roost in the old pine tree by the barn.

The goats eat the last of their supper and finish their evening's gossip.

The horses meander back to the barn where flakes of hay await them.

After sleeping all day beneath their heat lamps, the barn kitties emerge;
ready for their evening hunt.

All activities of the day come to a close, and everyone else retreats to the

warmth and safety of shelter.

The minutes and hours of life tick by so very quickly,
so I make it a point to take note of things like sunrises and sunsets.
I take a moment,
breathe deeply,
and fill my soul with the deepest gratitude for the day...
another day of doing what I love to do...
another day of experiencing the beauty of this world around me...
another day of hard work, love and laughter.

And if I am lucky,
another sunrise will greet me in the morning!

Lessons Learned

2012-01-18T04:00:00.003-05:00

It seems that farm life teaches us lessons every time we turn around.

Some days we are lucky enough to find someone else's experiences to help guide us,

and some days (more than not) we resort to trial and error.

Over the years we have made many improvements to our chicken yards...

in an attempt to solve problems as they arise.

The metal mesh roof on the chicken yard was the answer to preying hawks.

Then, in an attempt to keep out unwanted sparrows, swallows, and grackles,

we added a finer chicken wire to the roof.

However, realizing that a heavy snow would end up collapsing our entire yard,

we then removed said chicken wire as a preventative measure.

Which brought us right back to the same problem...

how to keep unwanted wild birds from roosting in our henhouses?

We thought and pondered and came up with this solution....

a garden owl to scare the birds away!

This is a great owl.

It attached to the upright pole with a couple of screws.

It has a clear fin on the back of its head to catch the gentle breezes,

thus making its head turn just like a real owl.

(Except for the fact that real owls sleep during the daytime,

and not usually out in plain sight.)

But then we were counting on the tiny birds not being able to reason through

this thought process.

As you can see.......

the birds are smarter than we think.

The owl did not affect their roosting habit at all.

In fact, I have witnessed those little birds chuckling at the owl

as they sit right under his nose.

Any suggestions????

There are some things around the farm that I have definitely learned not to leave to chance.

Horseback riding is one of those things.

Lessons are are a must.

And lessons with as gifted a teacher as the one that Becky and I have

are priceless.

Cindy is the most amazing teacher.

Unbelievably well versed in every discipline,

she can spot a problem a mile away and always has the best advice for correcting it.

Safety is he number one goal....

and for that I am thankful.

Here is Cindy working with Becky and Sid.

(and of course during my lesson, the camera was in my pocket!)

In spite of no pictorial proof, I have to tell you...

we had a great lesson.

And the difference in Moonbeam from beginning to end was astonishing.

I have committed to continuing our training....so I promise, I will produce pictures!!

I did have to show you....
no matter where we go or what we do around the farm,
these silly turkeys are always with us!
Perhaps I should teach them to work my camera!!

(I cannot wait for Spring...so that we can plant some grass around the arena.
For now, it is a bit of a swamp!)

Very Pinteresting....Dreaming of Spring

2012-01-17T04:00:00.003-05:00

Just a week of harsh cold and I am already dreaming of this....

and this...

Oh, how I miss my garden!

And oh, how many ideas I have for this coming Spring.

If I accomplish everything I have planned,

I will have to work from sun up to sun down.

But in the end, it will be magnificent.

At least it is in my dreams!

Our basement "greenhouse" is growing as we had hoped.

The first batch of lettuce seeds did not germinate (duds).

But new ones planted two days ago are already up.

The herbs and radishes continue to grow.

The mint plants (saved from our garden) are sending up new shoots.

Outside, our garden boxes stand barren and frozen...

patiently waiting the warmth of a Spring sun.

Every week new seed catalogs arrive.

It's time to get serious and plan next year's produce.

Perhaps some new items....

like....

Tiny Mexican gherkin cucumbers!

Or Ruby Queen sweet corn...

Have you yet discovered the website "Pinterest"?

If you have not, do yourself a favor and head over there.

But set your alarm, or you just might stay for much longer than you planned.

Pinterest is like a yummy pictoral magazine,

with tons of ideas of all sorts just waiting to be discovered and re-pinned to your

very own bulletin board.

It's where I go to dream.
(Click here for an example of a Pinterest Board)

Here are just a few gardening ideas that I found there and plan to use

this coming Spring...

Gutter gardening....a perfect place to grow your lettuces!

I am planning on painting pots to match my blue and green garden shed,
and hanging them on the outer wall like this....

Cute, huh?

And then....
last summer I picked up this pile of old windows...for free!

I am planning to build cold frames with them
so that I can plant my garden a bit earlier this Spring,
and extend it later in the Fall.

As winter sends its icy chill down our necks,

I will stay warm by the fire dreaming of gardens yet planted.

My girls will stay warm beneath their heat lamp,

dreaming of gardens yet eaten!

(I just love how they always lay nose to nose...sweet sisters!)

Meanwhile, our "ladies in waiting" (pregnant does)

dream of shedding their winter coats and

frolicking with their newborn kids.

Here's to dreams of new green growth

and yummy ripe produce straight front the garden,

and adorable baby goats to cuddle!

Raw Eggs and Farm Security

2012-01-16T04:00:00.003-05:00

I'll bet the title of today's post has you wondering!
It will soon be completely clear to you....

The piggies have stumbled onto a most exciting find!

Each day when they go out to their yard,

they immediately run into each goat house...

looking for tasty morsels.

You see, on occasion while free-ranging, one of our chickens

will lay an egg in a goat house.

What an amazingly tasty treat these raw eggs are!!

Just ask the girls.
It looks like I will have to do goat house inspections before the pigs go out to play!

While we were outside with the piggies yesterday,

we were visited by our friends (neighbors) and their dogs.

Two strange dogs on the farm sent the guineas and the turkeys into such a tizzy!

Seriously, though, guinea fowl make excellent farm security

in that they do make quite a ruckus when anyone strange comes around.

What I didn't get on tape, however, is how the turkeys kept chasing the new dogs,

trying to establish dominance.

A Piece of History

2012-01-13T04:00:00.005-05:00

We are very fortunate to have a piece of history on our land.

The log cabin that sits at the entrance to our farm is the oldest structure in our area,

and perhaps in our county.

It is well over 200 years old...

Revolutionary War era.

As you can see by the logs on this wall,

it was originally a small one room cabin built over a spring.

The lower right section was the original building.

At some point it was expanded to twice as wide;

and a second story was added.

I get so many questions about this cabin,

so I thought I would answer them here.

The cabin was inhabited until the mid 60's.

In it's later years some rudimentary electricity was added.

It does not have running water.

Instead, the water supply is in the basement....the springhouse.

The door to the springhouse is made of open slats to allow for air circulation.

This prevents rotting of the floor boards above from too much humidity.

The floors are original.

The cabin has shifted some over the years,

and continues to do so even today.

It's foundation has weakened a bit due to heavy rains.

Every few years we have a company called Humble Restorations

look at the structure and make the necessary repairs

in order to keep it standing.

A tiny, narrow staircase leads up to the second floor.

Upstairs, the walls have layer upon layer of peeling paint and paper.

Beneath the top layers of wall paper (which are quite old)

are very old newspapers (used as insulation).

The windows are rippled glass.

The door is wonderful chippy paint.

The doorways are quite small

and the ceilings are low.

We use the structure only for storage.

I fear it is not sound enough for human habitation.

But it is quaint and lovely in an aging sort of way.

We will maintain it in order to keep it standing for as long as possible...

a tiny living piece of our country's history.

And home to these two...

(as well as a few squirrels and raccoons, too)

I couldn't leave you today without at least one picture of some animals....

Have a wonderful weekend!

We may be getting a bit of snow here.

Needless to say, our warm temperatures have been replaced by a wintry chill!

PS....I just had postcards (with envelopes) printed of the pigs...really cute pics.
Do you think there is a market to sell these??
Let me know what you think.
(I am thinking that these pigs need to earn a living...
since their only other purpose in life is being cute!)
(They will NEVER be bacon!)

2012-01-12T04:00:00.003-05:00

We are in that time of year when there is not much

naturally occurring nutrition available for our animals.

As you can see in this picture our front pasture is dry and barren.

Yet, every day the horses love to go out and forage.

They find precious little to eat out there,

but it is a change of scenery and it satisfies them.

Plenty of hay keeps them satisfied through these grey months.

We have had a spell of unseasonably warm weather this past week.

The bees, whose hive we winterized in November,

have been out and about looking for food.

Usually at this time of year they are huddled together inside their hive

keeping warm

and surviving on their stores of honey.

The average life span for a worker bee is about 6 weeks,

however during the winter months it can be much longer.

This is due, in part, to the fact that they spend all winter inside their hive.

So, you see...during warm spells like this when they come out and fly around,

they exert a lot of energy looking for food...

which actually shortens their winter lifespan.

Winters like this can be just as bad for the health of the hive as harsh winters.

We count on the bees living through the winter so that they can repopulate the hive in the Spring.

If they are out and about like they have been lately, we run the risk of them dying before Spring's arrival.

The only green area on the farm right now is the land around the old

log cabin.

The cabin is built on top of a spring.

That spring keeps the surrounding grass green and lush

for much of the winter.

This spring provides constant fresh water for our duck pond.

Originally it provided fresh (indoor) water for the inhabitants of the cabin.

Even with the obvious lack of vegetation,

Ginger and Maryann still enjoy their daily trips outdoors.

Even more than that, though, they love running back to the barn

for their afternoon meal!

Homeward Bound

2012-01-11T04:00:00.002-05:00

I loved your comments about yesterday's post.

It seems there are many who feel like I do about the

emotional capacities of our animal friends.

Today's post is another piggie video.

(Please tell me if you've had enough!)

Every day when I take the pigs back to the barn,

after they have been out in their yard,

I find myself having a good chuckle.

I wanted to share that with you.

I am never at a loss for things that tickle my funny bone...

especially with these two gals!!

Please excuse the quality of the video....

it's quite hard to hold the camera still when you are running and laughing.

The arena has been getting a lot of action lately.

Here are Becky and Sid getting used to the new surroundings...

Moonbeam and I have been riding a few times a week.
We rode last evening under the lights....peaceful!

It's so good to be able to ride at any time on any day.

Thanks, Hubbs!

Animal Behavior

2012-01-10T04:00:00.002-05:00

Perhaps I have lived on the farm just a little too long,

out of touch with reality (just a tad),

but....

I have come to a couple of conclusions.

One.

Those people who say that animal behavior is purely the result of instinct

have never owned an animal.

Two.

Those people who say that animals don't have emotions or feelings

have never owned an animal.

Ok, so I tend to be a little anthropomorphic.

And this is where perhaps living a rather solitary life in the country comes into play.

But... I've got to say...

I see so much of human behavior in my animals.

Luckily, it is usually the best part of human behavior that I witness in them.

The worst part seems to be a trait of only humans.

When animals do something horrid, it is usually for the right reasons.

(not usually the case with humans)

Every day I am treated to the unlikely friendships between different species

and observe deep affection between them.

I have witnessed the extraordinary grief that an animal

can show at the loss of a herd member.

There is nothing sweeter than the care and concern

that one nurturing animal can show another.

And then there are the moments when behavior is unexplainable,

except perhaps to say that it is just "fun"... that's all.

My animals have taught me so much about living a good life.

And there is no doubt in my mind that those beings have a soul.

They are so much more than just instinctive creatures.

They are more like us than most believe.

If they only had a voice,

I know they would tell us this is true.

I Love Sundays

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Around the farm, Sundays are all about family.

It is the one day each week that we try to slow down

and just enjoy the serenity that country life offers us.

A peaceful start to the day, doing morning chores at sunrise....

This is one time of day that I hate to miss.

Sunrise at the barn offers spectacular shows

and yesterday's was the best we'd had in a while.

Even the horses enjoy their peaceful early morning repast.

Although the chickens are up and ready for the day's activities,

there are always a few who like to sleep in...

and a few who rest (gossiping) in the tree next to their coop...

After chores, upon return to the farmhouse we nourish ourselves

with our traditional "Farm Breakfast"...

a Sunday morning tradition

(feel free to join us any Sunday morning that you happen to be in the area!)

Southwestern omelets and whole grain Belgian waffles with fresh pear slices

and homemade triple berry compote were on yesterday's menu.

Cleaning eggs and packaging for the week's deliveries

was the last required task.

We were surprised to find this sunflower design on this egg...

Curious, huh?

A family hike with the dogs filled a large part of the afternoon.

With cameras in hand, Hubbs, Amanda, Andy and I

headed through our hay field, where Becky's horses were out grazing...

to the hundred acre woods in search of interesting subjects.

Like....

eyes on logs...

hollow logs habitats...

moss sending seeds skyward....

And on the way home...

stopping to bring the pigs back to the barn.

Here is Maddie our Newfie with her piggies.

And this picture was taken months ago...

look how those piggies have grown!

The afternoon ended with an ultrasound exam for O'Malley.

Happily, we found she has twins (at least!)

The moon rising over the arena...

the perfect ending to a perfect day.

I love Sundays!

Nothing is more fulfilling to us than enjoying the beauty of the land

and the personalities of the animals who share it with us.

I hope you had a beautiful Sunday as well!

PS...we have been treated to way-above-average temperatures these last few days...

it's a weird winter here!

Winter Survival the Sustainable Way

2012-01-06T04:00:00.001-05:00

Sustainability is something we strive for here on the farm.

We want to leave this land a little better than we found it...

that is, we want to keep our footprint as small and as lightweight as possible.

As a way of achieving that goal, we try not to waste a thing.

We recycle just about everything.

Our manure is used on our hayfields and gardens as mulch and fertilizer.

Our kitchen scraps are fed to the chickens.

Nothing goes to waste.

Unfortunately our goats are picky eaters.

They sift through the hay picking out only what they want

and let the rest fall on the ground.

Try as we may, we cannot get them to eat the hay on the ground.

(As many of you know... hay is a precious commodity!)

Luckily, the chickens like to pick through these droppings for tasty treats.

Chickens, you may also know, are NOT picky eaters!

Once the chickens are through eating their share,

we clean up the rest of the hay and it becomes the footing for the chicken yards.

Chickens will very quickly decimate their yard and completely clean it of every

blade of grass and weed until that yard becomes a barren dust bowl.

Covering this space with hay keeps mud to a minimum and provides a soft footing

for the chickens (not to mention better traction in ice and snow for me).

You might have noticed that our Christmas tree is in the goat pen.

Pine trees are a favorite amongst the goats.

They clean off every last needle and strip the bark before they are finished.

After the tree is stripped, they use it for a scratching post.

I have often thought that our horses would make good roommates for the goats...

in that they eat every last piece of hay they can find on the ground.

Nothing wasted in the horse lot!

Oh, and in case you were wondering....

This winter's fashion forecast is:

Fur...

lots and lots of thick wooly fur.

Everyone around the farm is wearing it!

No faux furs around here!!

I often get the question of how our animals survive the cold winter....

Fur coats!

And extra portions of hay.

PS....
Three days later we have....

little baby radish plants.
(Yay!)

Indoor Gardening

2012-01-05T04:00:00.001-05:00

With the arrival of the new year,

we have been plunged into frigid winter weather...

at least for the time being.

Dressing to go out to do farm chores reminds me of how my Mom used to bundle me up to play in the snow when I was a very little girl.

I have to admit...

I like this time of year.

I love the cold weather.

Bundled up, I can work outdoors all day and not mind the cold...

much easier than working outdoors in the blazing heat of the summer...

at least for me!

Still, all in all, there just are not as many outdoor chores to do this time of year.

So I have turned my attention indoors...

catching up on reading and sewing (a new quilt is in the works).

Paging through seed catalogs and planning this coming summer's garden boxes

will keep me occupied the rest of the time.

Rather than waiting until Spring's arrival to once again begin gardening,

we decided to do a little indoor gardening this winter.

Hubbs, Amanda and I fashioned a little greenhouse in our basement.

Utility shelves surrounded by plastic sheeting,

grow lights and heat mats will provide the necessary warmth and humidity

for seeds to sprout.

We have planted lettuces for fresh winter salads

and several herbs, as well as rescuing some of our spearmint from freezing

temperatures.

As an experiment, we have planted radishes in deeper pots.

I'll keep you informed of our progress.

For now, though, it sure felt good to have our fingers in soil once again.

It's been too cold for the pigs to go outside the past couple of days.

This is how they spend their time on these frigid days....

They dig themselves into a pile of hay beneath their heat lamp and sleep

with just their little piggy butts showing.

Once the temperatures are back in the mid 30's they will go out to play again.

And by the way...the pigs have now tripled in size....

I can no longer lift them.
Little Porkers!

Ginger, Jan 2012

Turkey Trot

2012-01-04T04:00:00.002-05:00

I always like to start your day off with a smile....

so, here is the smile for today!

Enjoy!!!

(oh, and turn your sound up)

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

It is frigid cold here right now...

what's it like where you are?

The Big Day

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

After months of waiting for the completion of the arena,

the big day finally arrived last week.

New Year's Eve day, I led Moonbeam,

my filthy, muddy, in-need-of-a-little-maintenance horse,

out of the pasture and into the barn for brushing,

bridle path clipping,

and hoof filing.

Then I saddled him up....

threw on my boots and half chaps....

and headed up to the arena

for our first ride.

After the usual snorting and dancing, Moonbeam settled down

and set out to explore his new digs.

We walked the perimeter, sniffed everything possible,

just to make sure nothing was scary....

and we took our first ride.

Short and sweet....enough for the first time.

Let me tell you, this place is pure heaven....

it never rains or snows in here.

It is peaceful and quiet...

cold, but no wind.

Just perfect!!

So many fun times will be had in this space.

Our neighbors are using it (with our encouragement) for their walks

when the weather is less than perfect.

Becky will be moving her jumps into the arena in the near future.

I plan to take the minis here to play and practice jumping, too.

Fun!....So much fun ahead!

A New Year!

2012-01-02T04:00:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it?

A new year already?
(Oh, and before I go any further,
I have to tell you.... I have missed our little daily chats!)

Did you have a wonderful Christmas?

We had the merriest!

Every little boy needs his very own John Deere Lazy Boy recliner, doesn't he??

Time spent on the farm with family and friends....

always makes for sweet and lasting memories.

The past week has left us all feeling just a little spent...

it's time to get back to life as usual!

Each year on New Year's Day Hubbs and I spend a little time

remembering the past year and planning for the next.

We don't "party" over New Year's, but rather use the holiday

to organize our thoughts and our surroundings

in order to start the new year with a plan.

So, before we look ahead to 2012.....

let's take a look backwards at where we've been this past year.

As I have written before, life on the farm has a certain balance to it.

You learn to take the good with the bad....

the rains with the sunny blue skies....

the losses with the gains.

We suffered a few losses this past year as we bid goodbye to our friends...

Fagner (Becky's long time friend and eventing partner)

who passed away this past summer.

(I never blogged about it as the pain was too great)

Smilin' Jack (our sweet senior fainting goat)

and just recently (2 days after Christmas)...

Forrest (born on the farm 2 years ago)

Forrest had been suffering with lameness for the past several weeks.

Medications did not help and he continued to get worse,

until it was apparent that his quality of life had declined.

Sadly, Becky and I euthanized him and bid him farewell...

he passed in our arms amidst a shower of tears.

Forrest had a conformation problem that caused his patellae to subluxate

(his kneecaps dislocated constantly causing great pain...

a condition for which there is no fix.)

And so there were many tears shed this past year....

but oh so many more smiles and laughter.

Our farm grew by leaps and bounds this past year as we added

2 batches of baby chicks...

Our first "homegrown" ducks hatched this spring...

doubling the population of our duck pond.

Last spring brought the birth of 6 baby fainting goats.

A single, and a set of twins and triplets!

Leo, the Lionhearted appeared on the farm this past summer

and stayed.

As well as Sophia (we think she's Leo's Mama).

Sophia was relocated to Becky's barn last week, though.

Sadly, Bobby and TomTom would not stop tormenting her,

sending her to the rafters daily.

She now lives a more peaceful life sharing Becky's barn with her other barn kitty Lucy.

Perhaps the most exciting additions, however, are our two sweet piggie sisters

Ginger....

and MaryAnn...

our Kunekune pigs.
Are they not the cutest piggies ever?????

And in case you are new to our farm (Welcome!)...
we don't eat any of our animals...just our eggs.

And so it is with farm life. We accept our losses and rejoice in our additions...
enjoying each and every precious day we spend with our animal friends,
ever aware that one day we will say goodbye.

Until that time, however, we will laugh and smile and love with full
and contented hearts.

We look forward to the year ahead
and will have more new additions to share with you as the months pass.
It has been so much fun sharing this journey with you all!

Thanks for being there!
All the best to you in this coming new year.
2012!

Merry Christmas to All!!

2011-12-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

What a guy won't do to get a gal to notice him.....

Our chickens just crack me up!
Hope that gave you a chuckle, too.

Best wishes for the merriest of Christmases!

And may good health and happiness be yours in the coming New Year!!

We will be posting rather sporadically over the next week.

Our house will be filled with family and friends...

so we are taking a little blogging break.

Be sure to join us in the new year for lots more "Tails from the Farm!!!"

Putting a Little Color in My Day

2011-12-22T05:00:00.004-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

not.

We remain in the midst of rain and fog.

Clear weather is on the horizon,

and the holidays should be sunny.

It's weather like this that I am so glad I am not a dairy farmer.

God bless them!

I had part of yesterday off, so I left the farm

and headed for town...

to do a little grocery shopping.

I spent a good portion of the day with Tyler and his Mommy.

We went to Monkey Joe's.

It's a gymnasium sized room full of blow up slides and jumps...

tons of fun!!

We had a blast!!!

What a great way to blow off a little pre-Christmas steam!

And it's certainly a little more cheerful scenery than this....

PS....Happy first day of Winter!!

Winter Rains

2011-12-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

The first day of Winter is tomorrow.

Christmas is in 4 days...

and we are in the midst of the dreariest weather!

Rainy, cloudy, gray....bleak....

not at all what we hope for during the Christmas Season!

I have to admit, though, this weather has given me the opportunity to bake and sew and

finish wrapping.

For the animals...

the rain slows life down considerably.

Most of them seem content to stay inside, munch hay,

and look out at the grayness.

Even the Nigerians stay in their houses at suppertime.

It's always amazing to see two of these plump goats in one house.

We used to provide room service for the goats,

however having to crawl to the back of each of their houses

to retrieve their bowl the next morning

was enough to convince us to discontinue this service.

The piggies stay in the barn when it rains....

spending the day eating and napping in a soft bed of hay beneath their heat lamp.

Even our new barn kitty, Sophia has been outfitted with a soft bed

and her own head lamp.

Spoiled animals????
Maybe.

To our friends in the midwest....we are hoping you are surviving the snowstorm...
and are warm and safe indoors!

Why Is This Goat Smiling?

2011-12-20T05:00:00.001-05:00

Why is Smoochie smiling?

Because he's famous!!

He and Sally and Nettie B. are featured in a new book entitled

Get Your Goat

by Brent Zimmerman

Their pictures (from when they were younger)

are featured on the page about Fainting (or Myotonic) Goats.

How about that!!

Cool, huh?

Also in today's news....

We have dunes on the farm.

Sand dunes.

Yesterday, 6 huge dump trucks arrived full of sand.

Today the excavator will start to move the sand into the arena.

It will be mixed with sawdust.

And lastly, the pigs returned to the barn again yesterday without lead ropes or harnesses.

Such good pigs!!

And.....

Fifi has taken up residence on the workbench.

Each night I have to pick her up and carry her to the henhouse.

You'd think she would find a softer place to lay her eggs!

The addition of a blue towel has at least kept her eggs from cracking as she lays them.

It's funny, you know.....

I often worry that I will run out of things to share with you

(interesting things, that is)...

but it always seems that by the end of any given day,

something noteworthy arrises.

I guess that's "life on the farm"....

never dull.

Sundays are Fun Days!!

2011-12-19T05:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning we awoke to a light dusting of snow....

we had had some flurries Saturday evening.

It looks as if this will have to suffice for our White Christmas...

as there is no more snow on the horizon.

Since our Christmas preparations are complete,

we had the opportunity to just kick back and slow down this weekend.

After our traditional Sunday Farm Breakfast,

Hubbs and I headed out with the dogs for a hike through the woods.

Through the woodpile and out into the back woods behind our house

we set out with Sadie, Maddie, Sam and Oakley.

Behind our house is "the Holler" as we like to call it...

a beautiful patch of woods that the dogs love to roam.

The house is on the highest point of our property, so the land behind it drops down significantly.

From down in "The Holler" we could hear Bobby our barn kitty calling to us from the back deck.

My reply of "Here Kitty...." brought him running down into the woods to see us.

We hiked through to the other side of the woods and exited near the goat pens.

Feeding time always brings the boys out of their houses....

On the way back to the barn, we stopped to walk the pigs back to the barn.

Of course I couldn't resist an opportunity to film our little piggie gals for you!

I hope you enjoyed another Sunday afternoon here on the farm with us!

Walking Piggies

2011-12-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I shared a video with you about walking the pigs up to their grazing yard.

The video was all about the preparation...

with nothing about the actual walk.

Today we walk (ok, we run).

As a side note, we have stream-lined the "getting dressed" portion of our walks.

I have opted to place the harness behind their front legs,

rather than trying to catch both legs inside the harness.

With their portly bellies, this has worked just fine,

and is a heck of a lot less work!

Once inside their yard, I remove the harness and lead rope
(quickly...as they are short on patience these days!)

Hope this made you giggle just a bit!
Have a perfectly lovely weekend..full of holiday cheer!
See you Monday for more Tails from the Farm.

Random Ramblings.....

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

We all know that Santa has a "Naughty" and "Nice" list.

We all hope to be on the "Nice" list,

but we all know those who we just know will make it to the "Naughty" list.

Right?

Well, it's the same around the farm.

A few are definitely on the "Naughty" list

and heading for a stocking full of coal.

Number 1 on the list:

Bobby (barn kitty)

Don't let that innocent sleeping face fool you.

Bobby has been a menace lately.

At every meal time, he stalks new kitty Sophia,

and pounces on her while she quietly eats her food....

sending her to the rafters with a bloody nose.

Sophia, on the other hand is on the "Nice" list,

as these attacks are unprovoked.

Poor Sophia....it's hard to be the new girl.

*****************************************

Remember the egg that Ella was sitting on last week?

Well, the mystery has been solved.

This little red hen has gotten in the habit of sitting on one of the cat beds each afternoon

and laying her egg in soft cushy comfort.

I sure hope the rest of the hens don't catch on!

******************************************

Yesterday afternoon the dogs and I set out to do the afternoon chores.

This seems to be the time of day that everyone wants to come along with me.

Maddie and Hickory love the ride...

Hickory's only goal is the tasty juice left at the bottom of the cat food can.

Sadie keeps watch over us all.

And Sam and Oakley are always ready for anything fun.

Dogs love routine.

They always know when I am ready to go out for chores.

Excitement fills the air and five tails start wagging.

It would probably take me less time to do chores if I did them alone,

but how could I ever disappoint my best friends.

And so we all set off to the barn for our daily adventure.

**********************

Yesterday's adventure was trimming horses hooves.

I have received comments in the past about the fact that I trim my own hooves.

I keep all of my horses in natural feet and use a file

to keep their hooves in good shape.

I have found that if I rasp their hooves and reshape them every couple of weeks,

that is all they need.

It certainly saves on Farrier bills....with 5 equines.

(In the summer, however, I have Moonbeam shod by the farrier.)

While I was working on Red's hooves,

Ollie (the tiniest of our horses) was standing on his hind legs looking over the stall door.

He hates when his brother and best buddy, Red, is out of his sight.

(blurred picture, as Ollie kept jumping up and down)

Sophia, recovered from her attack from Bobby,

watched while everyone got spruced up.

So by the end of the day,

all of the animals are on the "Nice" list....

except, that is, for Bobby.

He's going to have to be extra good in the next week and a half,

or Santa will surely be leaving him a lump of coal!

Party Animals

2011-12-14T05:00:00.003-05:00

Upon arrival to the barnyard yesterday morning,

I was treated to quite a surprise.

It seems that several of the animals were full of holiday cheer

and ready to party.

It was a fabulous party....with treats for one and all.

Of course I just had to take pictures to share with you.

Maryann was happy to wear the candy canes,

since Ginger had already chosen the mistletoe hat.

Anyone care to kiss the pig?

You may certainly join the celebration...

we have a few hats left!

Merry Christmas.....party on!

Construction update:

Last week it occurred to me that we needed a horse weathervane on our arena.

However, I had not ordered one.

Since construction was almost wrapped up, I figured it was too late to add this,

so I resigned myself to live without a weathervane.

Low and behold, look what appeared on the center cupola....

It appears that our builder is one step ahead of me!

YAY!!!

The outside is complete.

The gutters and downspouts are installed.

The water and electricity is finished.

As soon as the excavator finishes the footing,

we will be riding high and dry.

Now, that's something to celebrate!!

The Terrible Twos

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Our sweet little piggies are now about 4 months old.

Judging by their behavior, that must translate to about 2 years old in pig years.

Just like human 2 year olds, these little gals can be just as sweet as pie one moment,

and the next moment be in the midst of a complete meltdown.

When walking them to their grazing yard,

they either drag their feet, pulling on their leash and sometimes escaping,

or they take off running with us in tow.

They are in a very willful stage right now and let their preferences be known...

quite loudly.

I took a little video footage yesterday to illustrate my point.

Enjoy!

(Make sure your sound is turned up)

(Please note....no animals or humans were injured during the filming of this movie!)

Farm Breakfast

2011-12-12T05:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning.

Winter has arrived full force on the farm.

Our days are blustery cold and clear...

our nights even colder.

A fire in the fireplace keeps the farmhouse toasty and inviting...

a welcomed retreat from the chill of outdoor chores.

I wanted to take a moment to share a farm tradition with you.

Traditions are important.

They are the foundation of wonderful family memories.

Over the past couple of years, we have carried on our tradition of

family farm breakfast every Sunday morning at 9 AM.

Family and guests are treated to a scrumptious (usually homegrown) feast.

We sit around the table filling ourselves with farm fresh eggs, or omelets,

hotcakes, French toast, or Belgian waffles,

fresh fruit,

bacon,

fried potatoes and sweet potatoes.

We share farm stories and tales of the preceding week...

filling the dining room with laughter.

It is a treat we all look forward to,

and one I hope will be a cherished memory to family and friends

long after we are gone.

It's a tradition, and a good one.

So, if you ever find yourself in our neck of the woods on any given Sunday morning...

join us for farm breakfast!

We always say...."the more the merrier!"

Sunday is usually a day spent with family.

Walks in the woods with the dogs,

or walks with the pigs,

and time spent with the animals is usually a big part of our day.

Yesterday, Andy (our 27 year old "wannabe" chef) treated us to an early supper

of homemade stromboli.

I made homemade mozzarella cheese...

which Andy added to wonderful Italian meats and dough.

The end result....

scrumptious, mouth watering stromboli!

Another corner of the kitchen was occupied by Amanda and royal icing...

Christmas cookie time!

We had a great family day with wonderful meals.

A day rated F+....

family, food, fellowship, fun...

fantastic!

Here's a look ahead at tomorrow's post....

"What to do when your pigs enter the terrible twos."

Stay tuned!

Construction Wrap-Up

2011-12-09T05:00:00.003-05:00

I swear....

after all the rain we had (4 1/2 inches) over the past couple of days,

I was becoming monochromatic myself!!

Luckily, though, yesterday the sun came back out again.

The animals were ecstatic after spending two days somewhat "penned up."

I treated the horses to some good grazing time in the upper pastures.

The lower (less fattening) pasture (in front of the barn) has several underground streams
that break through the surface when we get torrential rains like we had
earlier this week.

It takes several days for the soggy ground to be firm enough to withstand horses hooves.

So, in the mean time, the horses are enjoying the grassy upper pastures.

They rarely get to spend much time here as the grass is way too fattening for my already chubby equines.

I only wish I could lead the horses out to pasture and work a video camera at the same time.

As soon as their halters come off, they run off bucking and kicking (and passing gas!)....

joyfully letting off steam before settling down to graze.

Becky's horses spend a lot of their grazing time eating down our hay field.

She uses a portable electric fence that consists of one electrified ribbon (solar powered)

strung through simple, moveable metal keeper posts.

Amazingly, this portable fence keeps her three horses contained.

(If only they knew how easily they could just step over the ribbon!)

Finally, it looks as though the shell of our arena will soon be finished...

perhaps today.

The electrician/plumber is finishing today also.

The only thing left to finish is the footing.

Sand and sawdust will have to be delivered for the center ring.

Then, the outside perimeter will be stone dust, to act as an indoor running track for Hubbs and the kids.

The corners will be utilized for hay and tractor storage.

We have tried to make this arena as multi-purposed as possible.

After two days of being "cooped up",

the pigs were ready for a day in the sunshine, too.

I am just amazed at how big they are getting!

It has been a while since I have written about the Frat Pack.

Our 6 Ameraucana roosters occupied the henhouse closest to our farmhouse

until numbers 5 and 6 discovered the French hens at the barn.

They never went home again.

So, numbers 1 through 4 remain in the Frat House,

and act as the welcoming committee for anyone coming up the driveway to the farmhouse.

I think they are quite stunning with their furry little cheek muffs!

Happily, we are to have clear cold weather for the next week.

I will be working on mulching around the new garden boxes...

a little bit each day.

How about you....what winter projects are you busy with?

Have a wonderful weekend....

we'll see you Monday with more Tails from the Farm!

The Colors of the Season

2011-12-08T05:00:00.003-05:00

Greys, browns, blacks and tans...

tis the season for monochromatic vistas.

Such is the countryside as we enter the dreary, drab season called Winter.

This was the scenery as I drove to town to see Tyler and his Mommy yesterday.

Reportedly, our fog and rain are to be replaced by snow in the very near future.

In spite of the weather,

it was wonderful to spend some time with my little buddy, Tyler.

Because it was my day off...and away from the farm,

I have no new pictures of the animals.

Instead I will share a bit more of the Christmas cheer from inside the farmhouse.

The fireplace mantle announces its welcome...

On the hearth is an antique medical bag that I found years ago.

And being a snowman collector, myself, I just had to have it!

A few favorite snowmen grace the other side of the hearth....

Nasty weather gives me a little extra time indoors for sewing, and crafts, and decorating.

I rekindled the joy of cutting paper snowflakes.

A little glitter and glue, and they were just right to hang from the old barn ladder

in my sewing room....

Finishing a couple sewing projects, wrapping gifts, and baking cookies

are all that is left in the preparation for the holidays.

A crackling fire, the sound of Christmas music, and all of the decorations

will be the perfect backdrop for finishing these tasks.

How wonderful it will be to not be so rushed as Christmas draws nigh.

And even better if all this rain and fog

becomes a beautiful white winter wonderland!!

In A Fog

2011-12-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

We spent yesterday in a fog.

Literally.

(And you thought I might be referring to our state of mind!)

From the time of sunrise right through to sunset,

the day stayed murky and gray,

rainy, drizzly,

unseasonably warm...55 degrees.

Everyone took shelter for the day.

Except of course the chickens and turkeys....

they are like the Post Office (used to be)...

not wind nor rain nor....(I forget the rest)

will keep the birds from enjoying a day out of doors.

It seems as if my youngest hens (hatched July 9th) have started to lay.

I have been finding a handful of tiny eggs like the one on the right each day.

We are up to about 3 dozen eggs per day from our gals.

(Keeping a light on in the henhouse until 9 PM seems to help increase winter production.)

On the subject of eggs,

I do believe that one of the barn kitties has begun to lay.

I found this under Ella Bella yesterday afternoon....

Hmmmmmm...quite a curiosity!

Today is my day off of farm work (thanks to our friend Jim)

so I am taking a little time to go visit Tyler and his Mommy.

I haven't seen the little man since Thanksgiving...

Hope your day is as good as I know mine will be!!!

We're Expecting!

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

We performed pregnancy checks on the three fainting goat does that we have bred

for Spring babies.

Sally, O'Malley's daughter, was bred this Autumn for the first time.

She didn't seem to mind the ultrasound at all.

Good news! She's pregnant.

We only saw one fetus...but there can always be more.

O'Malley was the last to be bred, so nothing showed up on her ultrasound...

it's still a bit early.

Sissy,

now a veteran at all of this...

has twins (at least) on board.

Oh, how fun Spring will be when these three girls give birth.

There's nothing like new born kids on the farm!

PS....thanks to all of you for your well wishes with regards to my killer case of poison ivy.
I have catalogued all of your suggestions for further use.
This time, however, I have resorted to Prednisone....
which seems to be drying up the rash on my face at least.
Thanks for all of your remedies!!

Pigs on Parade

2011-12-05T05:00:00.016-05:00

Sadly, as I sit here typing,

my eyes, ears, chin, neck, arms and legs are busting out in itchy, scratchy poison ivy.

"In December?" you say.

"Yup." [she says rubbing her chin raw]

A dried up gnarly apple?

Where I fear my face is headed!

I'm not sure if I should blame it on Sam and Oakley running through the woods,

then bringing oils home on their fur...

or....

that old pair of work gloves that I donned on Friday

(that I just might have used to pull weeds this past Spring...and yes, occasionally a weed is

actually some nasty poison ivy in disguise.)

Saturday and Sunday were sunny and crisp,

so Hubbs and I set about building next year's strawberry boxes.

Hubbs is very precise and carefully measures and places strings as a guide.

I cannot say enough great things about these cedar boxes (or about Hubbs, for that matter.)

The wood comes pre-cut and pre-drilled..

ready and quick to assemble.

The real work will be in filling the boxes with soil and compost.

Heavy duty tarp serves as a weed barrier.
We will cut the tarp out of the inside of the boxes, however, to allow for drainage.
Then the rest of the tarp will be covered with several inches of oak bark mulch.

TomTom was intent on helping.

Helping? (or flossing!)

So much for holding the string line still!

Oakley was sniff inspector..."this one smells just fine!"
Please don't lift that back leg, Oakley...
no need to mark this territory...it's mine!

Of course the turkeys were the entertainment,
gobbling their critique of our work.

Whoa, not so close, Edith!
"Anybody in there?" she chirps.

And as long as the project does not involve latex paint,

I don't mind the turkeys' participation.

(lesson learned last summer while painting the garden shed...

resulting in bourbon red turkeys with green breasts)

We took a quick break from construction to take the piggies up to their grazing yard.

Until now I have been transporting them in a dog crate on the back of the gator.

But since they are growing like weeds, we decided it was time to harness train them.

Harnesses secured....

Lead ropes attached...

Off we go....
pigs on parade!

Piggies: $$$$

Halters: $

Picture of Hubbs walking piggies on leash: PRICELESS!

Amazingly, I swear the pigs knew exactly where they were going,

and wasted no time in getting there.

I had read on another website in a post entitled "Kunekune Pigs FAQ's":

Question: "How do you harness train a Kunekune pig?"

Answer: "Put the harness on."

It's true.

It was. That. Easy.

I love these pigs.

Oh and I love my new strawberry boxes.

No more weeding on my hands and knees.

And those awful-tenacious-prickly-thistley-that reproduce by the thousands-weeds?

Buried beneath tarp, strawberry boxes, and soon many inches of oak bark mulch.

Us: 1

Weeds: 0

Go Team!

Oh yea....poison ivy...

Us: 1

Weeds: 1
And with the way my face is feeling, the weeds may have won.... this time.

Growing Like Weeds

2011-12-02T05:00:00.005-05:00

Do you know what happens when you eat like a pig?

You grow like a pig!

And these gals have really grown.

This first pictures shows the girls on November 9th.

Notice how they are as long as the cage is wide,

and they stand tall up to 2 1/2 rungs from the bottom of the cage.

Here they are yesterday (this is how I transport them to their pasture....but not for long!)

Notice they now fit lengthwise front to back and their height is up to 3 1/2 rungs from the bottom.

These gals are growing like weeds.

I really have to get them harness trained.

It won't be long before lifting them will be out of the question!

Even though they have doubled in size,

they are still very sweet...and we just love them to pieces!

Here is another picture from yesterday...

That's Becky walking Sid and Ava out to pasture early in the morning.

Waiting for them, already out to pasture, was old Duffy.

He whinnied and bucked and ran until they were finally in their pasture next to him.

The funny thing is this...

if Sid and Duffy are together, they fight.

But take Sid out of Duffy's sight and he cries and cries for him.

Go figure.....just like siblings....

can't live with them, can't live without them!

Well, finally a bit of work is being done to finish the arena.

Our construction crew has been off all week for deer hunting.

A trench for water and electric was dug yesterday, and the plumber/electrician is hard at work.

And that pile of wood beside the barn....

next year's strawberry boxes.

No more gardening on the ground

(except for the already established asparagus patch.)

And lastly, my wish for you is this...

that wherever you are, you have a friend to snuggle with on a cold wintry day!

And if a friend is not available,

may I suggest a nice warm heat lamp!

Hopefully, though, you don't have such a scowl on your face as Ella does.

Keep smiling...it's Friday!

Have a great weekend.

See you Monday with more Tails from the Farm!

A Day Off

2011-12-01T05:00:00.010-05:00

"My goal in life is to become the kind of person my dogs think I am."

Truly.

My dogs love me.

Today they love me more than usual.

This is why....

Yesterday I had my first day off of farm work in a month.

Jim, our neighbor, who was out of commission for a month

returned for his Wednesday work day...

freeing me up to get a bit of Christmas shopping (hence the bag of balls)
and get some Christmas decorating done.

"Ruff, ruff, ruff.....ruuuuuufffffff..... Errrr...Woof !"

translated:

"Balls....the most-est, funnest thing in the whole world....Let's play!"

Lucky for the dogs, Hubbs came home early and treated them to a

rowdy game of fetch.

Maddie, our biggest gal, plays catch.

(too much running is hard on her joints)

Sadie just enjoys the cooler weather.

Her disinterest in balls illustrates the fact that in her mind she's "not a dog".

Hickory's playing days are over.

She is content with a little fresh air...just passing time until her next meal.

(lives for food!)

Playtime is heaven for Oakley and Sam.

So since I had the day off, I did a little decorating around the farmhouse.

The tree in the kitchen....

sitting in an antique nail bin from an old hardware store...

decorated with snowflakes and snowmen...

Snowflakes over the island...

The kitchen window....

the warm glow of a snow-covered farmhouse....

Mr. and Mrs. Santa....

The living room tree...

silver and white snowflakes...

mercury glass ornaments....

The dining room center piece in an antique sieve.

A homemade quilt hangs in my kitchen at all times...
and is changed with the seasons.

Today it's back to farm work as usual.
The temperatures have plummeted...
winter has arrived.
The rest of the Christmas preparations will be done in the little
snippets of time between farm chores.
Today....the fireplace mantle.

PS....To all "lurkers": Keep lurking! I write this blog to be read.
My goal is to spread smiles.
If I succeed and you keep coming back, I am happy.
If you leave me a comment or an email....you make my day.
If not....well, that's ok, too!

Keep smiling and have a great day!

Turf Wars

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

So many of my posts share a common theme...

how well our farm animals get along between species.

That's not saying that the farm is without conflict.

No, there's at least one war daily.

The funny thing is...

the fighting is always limited to two particular species.

For example, right now there is a turf war amongst the roosters.

The henhouse close to our barn has been the scene of a hostile takeover.

Rod Stewart has kicked Henri and Rooster Number 5 and 6 out of the house.

Rod has become one big bad rooster.

It's funny, because prior to this he was always the wimpy Pee Wee Herman type.

I guess since he is the eldest rooster, he has decided to claim

the henhouse and all of the hens as his own.

The unlucky ousted roos are stuck sleeping in the maple tree outside the henhouse.

When winter and snows come, I will have to open the upstairs of the barn for these

fellows to get out of the elements.

The second group of animals in fighting mode is the cats.

Ever since Sophia moved into the barn there is at least one cat fight daily....

usually over food...

resulting in Sophia retreating to the rafters.

From this safe vantage point, she hisses demeaning slander to whomever has

infringed upon her space.

So, you see, although life on the farm is somewhat idyllic,

it is not without a little conflict.

Given a little time, though, these little spats usually work out just fine.

You might remember how we were plagued by a black bear this past Spring.

The destruction of our bird feeders and a few visits to our decks and garage

by this rather large fellow prompted us to call the Game Commission

for the placement of a trapping device with the hopes that our pesky

interloper could be relocated.

No such luck.

We succeeded in catching a raccoon and an opossum, but no bear.

In fact we were under the impression that the bear had moved on,

since we had no further visits after the trap arrived.

That is until this week.

(Picture courtesy of bear-tracker.com)

Our neighbor spotted 3 bears coming out of the woods next to our house this week.

Needless to say, the bird feeders are down.

The garage is closed.

And we are being quite cautious.

By the end of the month, these bears should be in hibernation for the rest of the winter.

I just wonder what Spring will be like when they wake up hungry!

Ginger Running

2011-11-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

We have been quite fortunate since that freak snowstorm that hit us the first week of November.

Since then temperatures have reached 55-60 just about every day!

It seems that this year Old Man Winter teased us once and went into hiding.

He can just stay hidden...

at least until Christmas.

The warmer weather makes morning chores so much easier.

Greeting the sunrise at the barn...

Letting the chickens out to free range,

and cleaning their coops...

Hay for the horses...

I wish I could share with you how peaceful this time of day is.

(Except for the fact that this is "deer season"....

so my peace is interrupted by the sound of gunfire.)

(With each blast I pray for the deer...praying that it escaped harm.)

The cats get very impatient...

waiting for their breakfast...

following me everywhere lest I forget it.

Don't worry, TomTom...

you are next on my list.

Feeding cats is Hickory's favorite activity of the day.

This 16 year-old partially blind gal rides along to the barn each morning,

just so she can lick the cat food can.

Then she makes the quarter mile hike back to the house for a nap,

while I finish the rest of the chores.

Sophia has become much more visible around the barn.

Occasionally a scuffle breaks out between her and Ella,

but for the most part they avoid each other,

and peaceful co-existence prevails.

(You might notice she has a scratch on her nose from the last "cat fight.")

I have come to the conclusion that the pigs live to eat.

They start squealing and grunting as soon as the hear the gator pull up to the barn.

As I open their stall door with hands full of feed,

they rush into the aisle making a barking sound.

Then they follow me back into their stall and set about consuming their breakfast.

For some reason, this little hen has taken to sitting on an empty nest in the barn.

Each day I pick her up, carry her back to the henhouse,

and close up the barn.

Hours later, there she is again...

stubbornly defending her nest and squawking a warning call when I come near.j

She's the toughest broody hen I have ever had to deal with.

The funny thing is....

there are no eggs in her nest....she hasn't laid any for days.

I have been keeping the dogs close to me since hunting season has started.

Ollie doesn't mind at all....

it just gives him more opportunity to pester the horses.

Oakley and Leo share a little lovin...

The Christmas season is a favorite amongst the goats.

They love the tree trimmings that they get for snacks.

When the trees come down on New Year's Day,

they get tossed into the goat pens...

a delectable feast for days following.

I have been trying to capture a video of the pigs running to share with you.

Each day when I take them out to graze,

they kick up their heels and run around the pen with abandon.

Yesterday I finally captured Ginger on the run....

Family Time

2011-11-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

We had a scrumptiously wonderful Thanksgiving here on the farm...

filled with good food, laughter, and fellowship.

The farm was a flurry of activity for 5 solid days.

All of our kids were home.

Tyler was here.

Family.

Old friends.

New friends.

Beautiful warm days and cold, clear nights provided the back drop

for feasting, playing with the animals,

skeet shooting, camping in the woods,

and hysterical laughter over the silliest of things.

The animals received extra doses of loving.

The chickens received lots of scraps.

All in all, everyone had a perfect holiday.

And now it's back to every-day-farm-life...

preparing for the upcoming holidays,

and readying the farm for the winter to come.

We have ordered new garden boxes that should be delivered soon.

After a summer of endless weeding,

I have decided to take my strawberry patch above ground.

Garden boxes will make the strawberry patch much more manageable

in the years to come.

I will share the "building of boxes" when they arrive.

Last, but not least, I have to share this picture.

And although it is not farm related,

I am sure when you look at it you will understand

why I just had to share it....

Tyler had some professional pictures taken.

I knew you'd enjoy them!

Here is a little smile for you...hope your day is as happy as this!....

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-23T05:00:00.011-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us on the farm,

to you and yours...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We all have so very much for which to be thankful!

And PS...to answer a question about our turkeys...

No, we will never eat them.

Ever.

PSS....I will be taking the rest of the week off from

blogging to enjoy the company of family and friends.

May your holiday be "stuffed" with good food and good times!!

See you Monday for more "Tails From The Farm."

Drizzly Days

2011-11-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

A half hour's break in yesterday's drizzle was all it took

for the goats to venture out for their supper.

You see, our fainting goats are fair weather animals.

They seek shelter in their houses as soon as the weather looks ominous.

They lounge indoors all day munching on hay.

We used to provide room service, but have stopped doing that,

as they invariably drag their bowls to the very back of their houses....

requiring us to crawl on our hands and knees the next day to retrieve them.

As for the Dwarf Nigerian goats...

a little rain won't keep them from missing a meal,

but a shower - now that's a different matter.

The fact that they rarely miss a meal,

might have contributed to their portly stature...

As for the rest of the animals...

the drizzle kept them in and around the barn.

Why is it that when you are trying to clean up manure...

suddenly everyone is interested in it?

Not to mention their snacking on it....

as if to imply that I'm not feeding them enough!

All of our animals are chubby.

What's up with that??

Countdown to Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

It's Thanksgiving week!

Don't you just love this holiday?

Lots of family time...just spending time, eating, playing...

without the pressure of gifts and decorating!

It's maybe my most favorite holiday of all.

It is this time of year that we take our annual perimeter walk

around our land and post "No Trespassing" signs

to keep hunters off our land.

You might remember that last year at this time

I lost my camera in the woods while hiking the perimeter.

This year I was extra special careful while walking.

Hubbs and Amanda placed new signs around the property
and I hand carried my camera!

A little time spent with the piggies topped off our day.

They are becoming excellent grazers and really enjoy

their time out of doors.

The turkeys are very curious about them and graze right along side them.

Lucky turkeys....

it's good that they have no clue how many of their cousins

are going to be consumed in the upcoming week!

PS....
Donald and Sophia have recuperated nicely from last week's surgery.
It's back to life as usual.

Farm Surgeries

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was surgical day.

Poor Sophia lost her uterus and ovaries.

She was a little wacky waking up from anesthesia.

Our Sophia has had her last litter of kittens....

her uterus showed signs of previous pregnancy.

Dr. Becky said she seemed to be a couple years old,

but in very good condition.

We are even wondering if perhaps she is Leo's mother...

they both appeared within a few weeks of each other...

who knows!

Sophia will spend the next couple days recuperating in the barn.

Sophia is not the only one who went under the knife yesterday.....

Donald, our polled (hornless) buckling born to O'Malley this past spring

was castrated yesterday as well.

Here he is sleeping off his anesthesia.

We were unable to sell him,

so we will keep him as a companion goat.

You might remember that I had mentioned we were considering

castrating Smoochie... since he has failed to perform his duties the past two years.

Update: Becky has decided to try to mate him with Myrtle next year...

so Smoochie gets one more chance.

Three strikes, and you're out, Smoochie!

The boys and I took advantage of the day without rain
and went for a run in the woods...

It's their most favorite thing in the whole world.

This is what unbridled joy looks like....

Wild abandon!

Hope you have a little wild abandon, yourself,

this weekend.

Make it a great one!

See you Monday....for more tails from the farm.

2011-11-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

I had planned to show you photos of fog hanging over fields,

dry leaves blowing in windy rain showers,

goats, nestled dry and warm in their houses,

bedraggled, soggy horses who don't have enough sense to use the shelter they are given,

and chickens that looked like they just stepped out of the shower.

All of that and more I had planned.

Alas....

both cameras had dead batteries.

Both.

At the same time.

I will never let that happen again.

So, instead of artsy scenery shots of perfectly dreadful, dreary weather,

I will show you what I did instead.

I sat in the stall with the pigs

and rubbed bellies.

(their favorite thing in all the world)

And while I did that,

Sammy did this.

Hopefully I have not offended you,

but Sammy likes clean piggies!

Sammy loves the pigs,

almost as much as Maddie does.

Maddie feels motherly towards them.

Sam, just likes the way they taste.

That Sam!

Meanwhile, Leo looks on...

He is never far from the pigs.

Our newest barn kitty, Sophia,

is scheduled for spaying tomorrow.

I feel sorry for her, having to go through that and not understanding why,

but we cannot afford to have a litter of kittens move into the barn.

Poor Sophia.... Sam will gladly look after you!

Today the plumber/electrician start working on the arena.

The exterior shell is almost complete.

With the recent rain, the construction crew has been putting in the interior walls

and hanging the doors.

Another week or two, and we will be riding high and dry!

I can't wait to show you the finished building.

A Sleepy Sort of Day....

2011-11-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

I fear we may have seen our last day of Indian Summer.

This perfect sunrise may have marked our passing into Autumn,

with Winter looming around the corner.

Yesterday was perfectly dreary,

and sleepy,

and lazy.

At least for this fellow...

and these guys...

(there are two pigs nestled into that soft pile of hay)

it was too dreary to go outside.

Most everyone else on the farm went about business as usual,

in a soggy manner.

Temperatures will fall by week's end says the weather man.

And that's the way the seasons pass...

quietly, without fanfare...

warmth fading into cold,

sun fading into clouds.

Those of us who don't mind the rain will continue on as usual.

The rest will spend their days napping,

most likely beneath the warmth of a glowing red heat lamp.

Maddie and Her Piggies

2011-11-15T05:00:00.024-05:00

I had a little fun on the computer yesterday...

ok.... a whole lot of fun!

Coming Soon...
To A Theatre Near You!
(just kidding)

Enjoy...

I don't have a whole lot of free time,

but when I do, I spend it HERE.

Bedlam....Continued

2011-11-14T05:00:00.001-05:00

And so the craziness continues with the Frenchies!!

Every day is a virtual Easter Egg Hunt.

(see Friday's post)

So it is no surprise that while Hubbs was trimming back the ornamental grass

beside the barn greenhouse,

we came upon this....

hidden in the middle of a mound of grass.

Sadly, they are of an unknown age and will have to be composted.

Who knows where else I might find more hiding places!

It has been quite a while since we have visited the ducks.

(Well, actually I visit them every day...but you haven't seen them in a while!)

Earlier in the summer you may remember that a few of my young ducks

from this Spring's hatching (of which there were 16)

had developed a condition known as Angel wing.

This is the result of a diet too high in protein,

which happened because we were feeding our fish

and the ducks were stealing fish food.

Only one of our ducks has permanent Angel wing.

Happily the rest corrected themselves.

This condition causes the duck no harm...

just looks funny.

I have read that you can tape their wings in place to correct it,

if you do so early enough.

Catching this duck would be next to impossible,

and since she is not handicapped by the condition,

we have let well enough alone.

And last, but not least, I have to tell you...

the piglets are growing like weeds.

I estimated their weight at about 15 lbs when we brought them home.

Now they weigh at least 25 lbs.

They come when I call them...

"Here pig pig pig," I call when they are out and they come running over to me.

They have been such a fun addition to the farm!

Finally, I wanted to share with you a silly picture

of Becky's Sid....

He's quite the comedian!

Hope I gave you a smile for today...

now, go and have a great one!

Bedlam

2011-11-11T05:00:00.003-05:00

Did you know?

In Britain, long before America came into existence, there was a hospital

that ministered to the poor. It was named Bethlehem, which in Hebrew meant "house of bread".

The name was shortened to Bedlam.

Bedlam eventually became a hospital for the insane,

and eventually all psychiatric hospitals were referred to as Bedlam.

In modern times bedlam came to mean the "scene of uproar or confusion".

I tell you, it's bedlam around the chicken coops these days.

The French gals (my Cuckoo Marans) have taken to laying

their eggs in the most unorthodox places...

on the work bench...

on top of the refrigerator....

(not the safest place)

in the trash can....

I discovered this gal when Sam was standing on his hind legs peering down into the can.

I wondered if she would be able to get out again.

She did.

Of course.

The Frenchies have taken over the barn.

They run amuck and leave their calling cards all over the place.

Yuck!

Then there are the youngsters that were hatched in July.

Two weeks ago I moved them into the upper henhouses.

I kept them all inside their yard for nearly a week,

so that they would understand that was their new home.

This amount of time should get them used to roosting in their new digs each night.

You would think they would get with the program.

But alas...

yesterday morning I had 10 hens to round up.

They had stayed out partying all night.

Oh....the youth of today!

So, needless to say,

they are on coop arrest.

They will have to remain in their own yard

until I am certain they will return to their coop to roost each evening.

I am all for free ranging, but I hate to lose hens to night time predators.

Bedlam,

uproar,

confusion.

That about describes our chicken coops right now.

Oh, and I forgot to mention.

The first morning after I had allowed the newest hens to free range,

I found one who had bunked down with the Frenchies in the coop by the barn...

which is about 200 yards away from the upper coops where the newbies live.

Bedlam.

Last week I posted a picture of our newest barn cat.

Meet Sophia.

She is a lovely cat who spends most of her days hiding beneath the barn rafters.

Sophia, after Sophia Loren,

(the black eyeliner is the key)

will be neutered along with Leo.

We are a kitten free barn!

And goodness knows, we need no more cats!

Join my friends at:

Meet The Neighbors

2011-11-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

We are quite lucky to have an auto mechanic about a mile from the farm.

Lately we have had to use his services more than we'd like.

A couple of our vehicles (and a tractor who's tires burned up while haying)

have needed new tires.

With construction on the farm, one of Amanda's tires fell prey to a rather large shard of metal.

So....yesterday afternoon I dropped off her car to have the new tire installed

and walked the mile back to the farm.

Soaking in all of the Indian Summer warmth that I could,

I took in the sights and smells of Autumn.

Brown soy beans waiting for harvest....

A little splash of color...one of the last...

our neighbor's sow, "Spot"....

She was quite curious about my camera.

mother to this gang of 100 lb piglets....

This grand old barn...

which is home to a small herd of goats...

(several of whom will be sent to impoverished countries to help sustain villages).

Once back to the farm, I stopped to feed the goats.

Smoochie welcomed me with a fine display of blubbering...

(If you were a goat, you would find him quite attractive!)

The construction crew was just finishing up the day's work...

another side almost finished.

I was mistaken yesterday when I told you we were taking delivery on 300 bales of hay.

This delivery was 100 bales of alfalfa.

The hay comes at a later date.

I also took advantage of this magnificent weather to trim horses hooves.

Ollie, Red, Donnie and Scarlet had their hooves trimmed,

their bridal paths clipped,

and a thorough brushing.

Then off to play in the pasture for the rest of the afternoon....

What a treat these days have been!!

And more just like it is predicted for the weekend.

I hope wherever you are you are also being treated to a taste of Indian Summer!

If not, I will be happy to share ours with you.