Sunday, January 31, 2010

Better Days


So, I was right, and it is better. Yesterday Mr Farmer and I spent some time looking through the poultry catalog and deciding what we would like to order. So many choices! Today we have spent a fairly quiet day on the farm. We have a sick rabbit in the house, hoping she gets well and can go back outside soon. We have a new addition to the farm, a 12 week old Great Pyrenees puppy named Elvis. He is taking up some time, trying to get him housebroken. And we have had him out around the animals, which he doesn't seem to notice much. Lady, our little house dog, is trying to love him, but still growls and snaps at him occasionally.
Got a couple inches of snow Friday night, its almost all melted now. Back to school for the little farmers tomorrow, and back to work for me and Mr Farmer. I think I will start some tomato seeds sometime this week. I am anxious for spring to get here. Nothing like playing in the dirt to soothe a soul.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Simple Life??

Our donkey, Hugo, died this morning. So, we spent a huge part of our day trying to figure out what to do with his body. Thanks to some fantastic neighbors, it is done, and we are trying to move forward. It has been a hard day and I keep wondering again why people call this the simple life. What we do here is hardly ever simple. It is our choice, and we love this life, but easy, it is not. Days like today, I focus on all the good things, and pray hard. Tomorrow will be better.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

rabbits and a mean turkey

We sold two of our little lionhead rabbits today...they are going to a nice new home as 4H projects, what fun! I think I might be at a point where I will keep the rest of the rabbits, and add on some new meat rabbit breeding stock. Still have 2 turkeys to get rid of, the big blue slate tom is not a nice turkey at all. I have been known to sell chickens just because they have no personality, and this mean boy definitely needs to find a new home. Well, either that or he goes to freezer camp soon.
We are expecting our first real snow of this winter tonight and tomorrow and I can't wait. The kids are excited and hoping for a snow day. I love watching them sled down the big hill.

On a sad note, just over a year since the chicken attack, I found myself trying to save Heckle once again. It was not to be. Heckle the boss roo left for rooster Heaven today from his spot on top of the washing machine.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

So many blessings this weekend! Saturday morning, Mr Vaughn stopped by to say someone was wanting a quarter of a cow, and were we still interested in a half. YES!! So, sometime soon we will be buying a side of beef to fill the freezer. Saturday afternoon, we were filling the bed of the truck with metal. Mr H, the worlds greatest farm neighbor just had it laying out in the barn, and said we could have it. It's just what we need for our brooder shed, rabbitry, and barn. We will go back soon to get the rest, we couldn't fit it all yesterday.
Yet another learning curve with the chickens, we may have an egg eater. A goose egg and a chicken egg that our little bantam was sitting on disappeared. That hen house is as tight as Ft Knox, so I know no critter got in and ate them. At least with the new load of straw Mr Farmer put in there, the eggs aren't freezing now.
Calling for snow tomorrow, the cold this week has been brutal. It's back to work for me tomorrow, and back to school for the little farmers. Looking forward to getting back to our routine.

Friday, January 1, 2010

So, I did laundry today, since we hadn't done any in over a week. No big deal, except, remember, that my dryer died over a year ago, and I haven't replaced it? It's 20F outside right now, with the wind chill making it feel like 10. To save myself from freeze-dried clothes, Mr Farmer and I hung them on hangers in the house. 5 loads of laundry=a house FULL of wet clothes. Little farmers go back to school on Monday though, so I was determined to have everything washed.
We spent the morning outside busting ice from waterers and taking warm water to our spoiled critters. Definitely still on a learning curve with the chickens...we had several eggs in the henhouse, but they had all froze and busted. Mr Farmer is putting more straw in the henhouse to help warm them up, all the goats, donkey, and rabbits have plenty of straw, and bellies full of hay.
What a way to ring in 2010, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes its hard, but it's a good life, and its all ours. I wish you all much love, peace and happiness for the New Year.