OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH NEW

It's true. I have made a significant change in my life by quitting an excellent paying job to stay home and focus on my dream-the homestead. It was a scary decision in two aspects...one, just the fact that I know jobs are hard to come by and the feeling of "am I doing the right thing???" and two because I prayed and got a direct answer from the man upstairs, and that is scary in the fact that He was having a one-on-one conversation with me.

So I am afraid that Valley Creek Herb Farm is a memory...because it was the name my mother gave the farm and with her moving back home to the Midwest, the "herb" is misleading since my greenhouse skills are far from hers. I am happy to grow a cucumber seed.

Instead, our farm (and blog) is now named Lost Arrow Acres. If you are still interested in following us as we continue to move forward in our homesteading attempts, look us up there.

It has been an interesting 16 months, but I have feeling the good things are just beginning.

Love,
Rachel

Snake Pile

It's official! I have a path to the pond to throw the deceased snakes. Since the drought, and the water is down, I can see my snake pile. I hate to kill them, really I do, but even more so, they cannot eat my eggs, let alone the chicks. However, my chicks are old enough now that the odds are in their favor. Now I just have to protect my daily egg.

The snake this morning was in the chicken yard (the fenced area) just in front of the coop. I had already gathered my egg this morning, so he was getting ready to leave empty...stomached.

During our quarrel this time he got his lower two feet around my boot---boy does that freak me out! Of course, the little chicks were scared to death--NOT! They were playing with the end of his shaky tail like a toy! Probably quite entertaining...from a different perspective!

Chapter 5

Protect your Privacy


What I get from the book is about making yours, yours. Having a sanctuary. I think women all have a bit of that in their nature, some stronger than others. I don't think it is being unhospitable or rude to have time for yourself. I think a person must have some time for renewal, alone. Of course, growing up as an only child, I may have gotten too used to it.

October Garden

As I have said before, this Southern gardening thing is really hard for me catch on to. Luckily I have friends who send me e-mails and I get e-mails from other "homesteading" newsletters that help me along, month by month.

I got my garlic to plant in the mail. I have read up on where and how to plant. I am going to put it in a section of raised bed (really my raised beds are just boxed beds, not that "raised.") and also some near a couple of rose bushes just for fun. I also have ordered seed potatoes, which were very hard to find. Next year, I will make sure I save some of my own! But I am going to try the fall planting and see what happens. At this point, I expect most to rot or not come up because of this quick decision. With the changes that I have recently made in my life, I really must do everything I can to ensure good harvests spring, summer, fall and winter.

I was so disappointed in my pumpkin patch. The drought, the squash beetles. All those winter squash and pumpkins I planted...my result....one wee white pumpkin....

More Snakes

I guess we didn't cover the hole well enough. This morning I went to water the baby chickens. It was actually the first night I turned the light off for them. Turned on the light and there was another big ol' king snake with a bulge in his midsection. Right next to him was a chicken just sitting there. Not injured or anything.

After a small fight with the stinky snake, which I won, I came back to count the chickens. There were three missing, but I could have swore, that there was only one in the snake. It was big enough that you could see the entire silhouette of the unfortunate chicken. I went ahead and watered and fed them. They all seemed to be recovering find. I moved the feed totes to get to the layer mash, there was a chicken still hiding in the corner. I put him by the food and he started eating just fine. Then I got the goat chow and saw another chicken huddled behind there. He was fine too.

The snake did only get one. I still have 15. It was a bit of a shock since I had not been missing any eggs. Guess my mothballs are done doing their job. I need to sharpen my shovel a bit. Got more of a workout than I expected this morning (especially since my treadmill died on me this morning too).

I guess I better go and see how the little survivors are doing.

End of September

Really?? September is almost over? Where did it go? I had so much to get done...did I do it? Gosh, I am not sure. Better pull out that September list...

My greenhouse raised bed is doing okay. A windstorm blew off the back door of the greenhouse and it has not been repaired yet, which means animals, including rabbits can get in there. I tell you this because I had green bean plants blooming and ready to put out little baby beans. I waited two days because it had been rainy and cloudy so assumed that I could get away with not watering as much. Well, I ended up with one little stem. No leaves, no blooms, definitely no beans. All 6 plants that were blooming were gone! Poof! They didn't bother my cucumbers. They are faring nicely, growing up the small trellis. The basil I planted in the raised bed is beautiful. I see an Italian meal in my future. I made a bit of lattice work and put different lettuces, spinach and radishes in. They are coming along nicely too.

In the outside garden, the rain watered our turnips, radishes and broccoli . I still have three 4x4 sections to fill. Some kale and cabbage would be good, I think. I will be going through my seeds over the next couple of days and get that done.

I guess it is about time to pick my one little white pumpkin. I was hoping it would grow a bit more, but alas, it has not. It is still in the mid 80s in the afternoon though, so I don't want anything rotting. Then again, maybe I will wait a bit on that.

Why is it I want to wait on things that need to be done now and do what really needs to wait? Do they make medicine for that? Not that I would take medicine, maybe an herbal tea...

Chapter 4

"Learn from Kids as They Live in the Moment."

Yes, I have a big problem with being in the moment or focusing. Friends and family will ask me, "do you remember when..." No, no I don't. Sometimes it may be vaguely familiar, sometimes it does not ring a bell AT ALL. Often times I have felt that I might be losing my mind. But I know that it is my ability to "multitask" during stress that causes this problem. When I am in the middle of typing a "stat" report and the kids come in and tell me something I need to do for them at school...guess who forgets to do that.

There was one point in my life where I was so stressed with an outside job that I was forgetting important coversations at work and at home. Peoples lives were dependent on some of these details. It was at that point that I realized I had to lessen my stress. So I did quit (and began working at home eventually). There was a few weeks of decompression and it felt wonderful. I still have stress and yes there are things that I should do to help myself, but I am not ready to move forward on those for different reasons.

One of the things that I have picked up on, as many people have, is yoga. I took a few classes to learn the correct poses and get more of an insight to the practice. I now practice at home, sometimes. Not nearly as often as I should. I absolutely loved it. The focus on the breath and the moment, on each small fractionated movement your body goes through as you change poses and positions. Learning to relax different areas of your body. It is a wonderful, calm feeling when it is finished. And that feeling does stick around for a while.

I guess I had better unroll my mat and take some time to focus on the now...not fret about the past or worry over the unknowns of the future. Now is really all that matters, isn't it. (Namaste)

Out of the Brooder

Jake and I officially let the birds out of their brooder box. One brave bird had escaped and others were sitting on top of the waterer contemplating. So we opened up the front of the box and let them have a bit more freedom, not enough to let them out into the fenced yard yet. I will probably give them at least 1-2 more weeks. (We have to finish putting up chicken wire along the bottom so we don't have to chase them back in.) They seem to be enjoying their new found space. There are a few that seem to like staying by the door so we have to open it gently. It won't be long little ones. It won't be long.

Cherry's Road Trip

No, it was not for pleasure (per se). I thought she was in heat...well, she probably was...yesterday. Okay, I was ignorant to the fact that it only lasted 24 hours. I told the lady with the buck that Cherry's tail was wagging like crazy. I mentioned it was yesterday, not today. I had put the buck rag out this morning with maybe a little tail twitch, but she was more excited about the branch of leaves I had for her. Well, we tried anyway. Nope, not interested in the least. I need to watch in 10 days, but usually it is 21 days between. Oh well. At least Cherry got to take a little road trip. And maybe I was mean on the way back and turned on the back window wiper just to see if it scared her...it did.

Random Thoughts

I didn't go to church this morning. There were physical reasons, but probably more so prideful reasons. Nonetheless, I spent the morning with God. I could see him in the trees blowing and feel him in the warm sun on my skin. I could hear him in the birds singing their songs. I saw his beauty on the pond. No, I didn't go to church, but my spirit was renewed (must be the Indian in me).

Change of Seasons

Don't you love the lightness of the air when fall is on its way. The cool morning air puts a little bounce in my step. I feel myself breathing deeper and slower. It is still 90 degress in the day, but it is in the 60s when I wake up.

As fall approaches, I once again turn to my to-do list in my head. What needs to be done over the next couple of months to make sure we fare well through the winter.

The well is insulated to ensure we have free flowing water. We should insulate the pipes in the greenhouse, however. All the animals have decent shelter. I do need more hay and straw for food and insulating the shelter. There is still some fallen trees to be cut and split to have ready for the fireplace in case we need heat, or just want a warm fire crackling with our hot chocolate around January. The garden can still be tilled and planted with cool crops and cole crops. I also want to have a cover crop on some garden plots. I need to be thinking about what trees or bushes I need plant for our food, bee food and soil improvement.

Of course, it is my favorite time of year to decorate. Time to think about setting some mums on the porch and pumpkins here and there. I do have one small white pumpkin that survived our summer. It grew by the porch. The rest of the plants burned up in the heat. (I will be planting them elsewhere next year).

It is deer season for bowhunters. Maybe I will have a chance to clean out my freezer and rotate some new venison and even hog sausage.

There is a lot to do in the fall, but for some reason, it just does not seem as hard as the summer chores in the heat...

Chapter 3

"A Happy Spouse is a Helping Spouse"


I think that is pretty clearly stated. I have learned a lot from Bruce in how to treat your spouse. He has shown me great patience, trust and to really "not sweat the small stuff." We are a great team. He is laid back and I am uptight, so when you put us together, it works out pretty well...most of the time.



I have asked Bruce what makes him happy. His reply...if you're happy, I'm happy...Come on, that doesn't make me happy. That doesn't give me anything to work with, does it? I have asked him in the past about what is most important to him when he comes home? Quiet, hot meal, sparkling clean home, Cleopatra costume with a palm leaf? Again, he says if you're happy....blah, blah, blah...

Well, okay, then let's say he is a simple man with a simple thought pattern and that is what he means. Then that means I have to figure out what makes ME happy...great, that is even harder! Especially since I am not simple with simple thought patterns, as most women aren't. It would make me happy if he would tell me what would make him happy...okay, I am dizzy now.

I guess what makes me happy is a clutter-free home, knowing the kids and Bruce have good, healthy food to eat and Bruce keeping his fat head off my fluffy pillow...that's about it...I think I can work with that.

Chick Pics

Well, its almost 3 weeks. Yes, they have hit that oh so awkward stage-half furry, half feathery.

Cleaning the Porch

Yes, finally got the back porch somewhat straightened. It had needed to be done all summer. We have our extra supers and other bee equipment all nice and neat in a corner now. I had a super full of honey that we were saving for this fall to put back on the bees. We had taken it off early spring and we saved it specificially for that purpose. It had been sitting on an empty freezer on the porch not harming anyone for months, but I moved it over the "bee" corner. I guess when I was moving the fairly heavy super full of honey, I opened up some of the capped cells. It was probably two or three hours later, Jake was going out to check on the animals for me when he wanted me to come and see the porch. The bees had found the honey. Really??? There were hundreds on the porch, and over the course of these past several days, have not left. Some fly in and out taking it back home, but I am really a bit afraid that they will try to make it their new home...on my porch!!! All the equipment is there, except nothing is covered, but several supers and frames with drawn comb...I may have to suit up and move that honey closer to them a little earlier than planned.

Getting to Know Penny

Lately I have found the act of simply watching Henny Penny (our 1 year old survivor chicken) and Cherry (our goat) relaxing. Watching them as they free range, watching them watch me. In doing so, they have become more of friends than animals on the homestead. Penny gets irritated and impatient when Cherry is allowed to graze and she is stuck in her fence. She paces, back and forth along the fence with that angry little clucking. "I can't believe she is leaving me in here...I just can't believe it." Of course, we can't have Penny upset, so when she is allowed out, she runs to Cherry and stays right by her side, probably whispering about me. It's a wonder my ears don't burn.

Penny has learned she is not allowed in the brooder coop, even though the curosity about kills her. While I am feeding the wee ones, I will see her hop on the top step and stick her neck in the door just to see what is up, but never any further.

Today, one of the dogs was barking toward the chicken coop, the back side or the tool shed as it were. I went in, hoe in hand, looking for a snake. There is no way I could find it in there with all the cords and wires and hoses and snakey-looking things. There was no movement. I went over to the coop side and the baby chickens were fine, Penny was fine and I had an egg. That was encouraging. I decided to check more often just in case.

As the evening was upon us, and the sun was setting, I decided to take one more look in the coops. Penny was in the chicken yard, a little odd for that time of the day. I opened the door to the brooder coop and Penny just hopped on in, nothing stopping her. What in the world? She had never done that before. She didn't even look at the babies as she went to a corner. The chicks were fine, nothing the matter. Maybe there was something in her coop...I shooed her out. She was a bit huffy about it. I grabbed the infamous shovel that I keep near the coop door. As I was walking toward Penny's coop, I noticed the door had shut. I am not sure how, must have been a wind. As soon as I opened the door, Penny bounded in and I heard her fly up on the roost and whisper 'finally.' Oops! She couldn't get in her own bed. No wonder she was cranky! My bad. I think I heard her snore before I even got out of the gate...

Chapter 2

I am moving on to Chapter 2 whilst keeping Chapter 1 in mind about the right emotional climate.

Chapter 2 Give Yourself an Extra 10 Minutes

So this goes along with the hurrying of everyday life. Rush here, rush there, late for this. I used to be early...very early. My dad was always late and I hated it. Now I find I am being late for more appointments and meetings. I feel it is a disrepect but cannot be helped. Well, guess what. It is a disrespect and it can be helped. Okay, yes, an extra 10 minutes. Wake up earlier, go to bed later, leave for work 10 minutes earlier, schedule things further apart to give yourself adequate time...but the most important thing is not to schedule yourself to death. Remember the movie with the Faukers, Meet the Parents, and how Robert DeNiro had everything scheduled down to the minute and any variance in that threw everything else off. NOT how I want to be. I would prefer to be like the older man down the road that has his lawnchair facing his garden. Yep, just sit there and watch the corn grow! Well, that may be TOO far the other way, but I would like to have the option to do so if I wanted. I do like soaking up some sunshine with a few minutes of calm. I guess what it comes down to is making sure we get done what we HAVE to, making sure we take time to help others, and say no to those things that really aren't going to affect our lives or anyone else's lives for the good in the long run. Easier said than done, huh?

Chickies Week 2

Their little wing feathers are growing. They are still cute, however, I know they are about to hit their "awkward" stage when their cute little furry feathers start turning into real feathers...not too cute.

Nervous

Well, this is the month we are to breed Cherry. I have a buck rag given to us by the lady who sold Cherry to us. Basically, it is a washcloth that she took and wiped down the male goat with so it has that musky smell. We are to take that and tie it to the fence and watch for Cherry to start "flirting" and flagging to alert us to her being in heat. When I see that, I will come in and call the lady who has the buck, get her there and hope for the best. After she is bred, we only have 5 months until she freshens (or gives birth). ...oh my goodness. There is so much to do in that 5 months. Read and watch You Tube on kidding to make sure I am prepared for the birth and any emergencies that might arise, get the milk house ready, make sure we have milking equipment, keep Cherry healthy and warm and happy and...oh my goodness. Am I ready for this??? Uh, no. But am I going to do it anyway??? Uh, yes...

"Borrowed" Book

First let me say, Mom, I will send you your book back....after I try an experiment.


I found a book that was given to my mother by one of her friends. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Family. (I hope she didn't get that because of me??) Regardless, I have been feeling, um, "off" a bit lately. Divine intervention maybe? Well, what I am going to do is take my time and work on a chapter at time and see if it makes a difference. There are 100 steps, so we will see how many I actually get to or go through.


Chapter 1. Set a postive emotional climate.


So the other day when everyone left and I walked around and got all mad and huffy and upset, I wasn't setting a "positive emotional climate?" Things I will be working on. Does this need to be done yesterday? Do I allow the children to get one chore done before giving them another to do because I could have gotten it done by now? Do we need to hurry to get this done, really? Hmm...So what steps have I taken today to achieve a more positive emotional climate? I have purposely slowed down when speaking to the children and made sure they knew I was focusing exclusively on their conversation, even simply turning my chair away from the computer, even though I was working. Some things should take precedence over work. We all know that our attitude is the main ingredient that we can control, yes, we can control it, when it comes to our emotional environment. We can chose to be peaceful and understanding and slow to anger, pretty much as God intended. Or we can rant and rave and work ourselves into frenzy for naught except high blood pressure. I think I like the former.

So, can I move on to chapter two yet?? Didn't think so. This may take a few days. In fact, according to the author, it may have taken years to create the environment we are living now(yes, I do have an anxious personality), and may take time to create a new one...

Mom, I might just have to buy you a new book!

Just One of Those Days

The family had gone to town to do some shopping (Kohl's cash to be spent before it expired) and see if we could get a belt for the tiller. Meanwhile, I stayed here, hoping to get some work done, both on the computer and outside. Cherry and Penny free ranged for a while as I tried to pull up some weeds just in case the tiller was fixed today. After an hour with the shovel, I had about a 2 foot square of weedless clay. After putting Cherry and Penny back up, I headed indoors, shoulders slumped, head down. Started thinking about all the things I needed to get done and how many things I haven't accomplished yet. Doggone! There was that bad attitude again. Those sneaky thoughts that bring you down. Once the family got back, I was not in a good mood. But, as always, Bruce talked to me and reminded me of what I do have and have accomplished and not to worry so much. Yes, poor man, has to remind me often. There are days I can catch myself, and there are days, I can't. Today was an I can't day. Well, it is afternoon to evening now and I am better. And, I did get some things accomplished, when I look at it with a better attitude.

Missed the Pond!

As you recall, I had an encounter with a snake in my baby chicken coop. I took the snake remains and threw it into the pond for the snapping turtle to enjoy. Apparently I missed. The pond is down severely with the drought. I guess the buzzards found it instead. It was a bit eerie to see the big black shadows fly by my window.

NOTE TO SELF: Make sure carcasses are disposed of properly to avoid Edgar Allen Poe nightmares---in the middle of the day!!

Seedlings

My several trays of cooler crops are doing fairly well. Apparently mice or voles or whatever is getting fat on my seeds, really enjoy my lettuce varieties-arrrghh! I have picture evidence of where they have dug out my seeds (see below). I have to do another tray and see if I can get any worthwhile from that, as well as some spinach that they devoured. Beets, collars, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale are doing well. The timing should be just about right. The plants and garden beds should be ready about the same time. I do have some basil that I am hoping will have enough time to grow, even if I have to bring them in, so that I can dry some and make some pesto to have on hand. I still want broccoli and mustard greens. I think I have a few seeds left. Yes, my not-so-good furry friends feasted on those too. So far, I am pleased with how things are going.

Waste

It hit me like a ton of bricks today. When I veer from my healthy habits, my waste expands...no pun intended. I just happened to pay attention to the kitchen wastebasket when I threw away something after lunch. No, I am not going to air my dirty laundry, I am too ashamed of how I have been the last few days, but just the visible items told the story. IF, if I had been eating appropriately, lots of the fresh vegetables and fruits that I really do love and love the way they make me feel, I would have little to no trash in that can. My compost would be slightly bigger, but that all comes back to me. I have been eating and worse, feeding my family, quick, sugary, salty, chemical-laced things-not food by any stretch of the imagination, that I abhor!! How modern-American of me. What in the world? And then let's step on the scale...now we can talk about waist expansion!! And what about waste of money. Does your local grocery store have "meal deals" or "deal of a meal?" And what do those normally include? Our typical deal would be two frozen pizzas, a frozen "appetizer" such as wings or potato skins, ice cream or ice cream dessert and a 2-liter of cola...all for the price of $13.98! That is a savings of over $15! Come on, that is a good deal, right? Less than half-price! But what, pray-tell, could one get for $14. At another store boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.98 per pound...I could get 7 pounds of chicken and stretch that into a good week's worth of meals! Or 7 pounds of hamburger for $1.99 at another store. Again, a week's worth of meaty meals. A box of pasta, buy one get one free, would be about about 28 boxes! Yes, that is a lot of pasta, but you see where I am going with this. And, no, these things aren't something that is super nutritional alone, but are FAR better than the one meal you can get. And the amount of fresh vegetables one could get with $14 would make such an improvement on a person's health and well-being before they were even finished!
I love food...real food...it makes in difference in how I feel, how I look, what I get accomplished and apparently, how much gas I waste hauling trash off!!

Another Snake in the Chicken House

Not entirely unexpected, a snake made a snack of a few chicks. It ate at least 5 and smashed 3. Nope, this one didn't make the cut. I guess I am the angry one on the block. Nobody was here to tell me that he should live. He got several shovel shots to his head. The first one pretty much missed and just made him angry. That was fun! That's okay, it still didn't match my anger! Probably got him with the next two blows, but for good measure added a couple of extra...made me feel better anyway. One for each baby in his stomach! We patched up the only place we think he possibly could have gotten in. I should have known since Penny's egg production has been poor recently. I bet I have an egg tomorrow! For safe measure, I did the whole mothball thing around perimeter. Oh how I hate poison, but for now, I need to take all precautions until my chickies are not such an easy target!

Time to Think Fall Garden

I spent some time in the abandoned garden this evening. I saw signs of bricks amongst the tall grass, the crab grass and the centipede grass. I untangled a few of the bricks and placed them by the fence for later use. I pulled up the dried corn stalks and leaned them against the fence. I am thinking that a wide fall-colored ribbon would look nice on a bundle or two of those in a month or so. I went to the pole beans and picked the dried pods and placed them in the sack to take in, shell and save for next spring planting. I walked past the tomato cages. They will be moved soon enough. The cucumber fence was covered with dead vines from lack of water. That fence will be moved to the shade house until next spring as well. The hoses need to be wound back up. I tried the soaker hoses and I am not so sure. They are so flimsy and one just broke in half. A new irrigation system will have to be considered. I supposed the soaker hoses will do fine in the fall/winter garden.

The seedlings in the greenhouse are growing nicely and so things need to be done soon. I will be removing the grass, adding two year old compost and fresh rabbit manure before tilling. I am not sure what size beds to make for the fall. I will more than likely have long rows so that I can use covered tunnels when the colder weather comes (although that seems so hard to imagine right now). Broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuces such as winter density and Rouge de Hiver, carrots, collards, spinach, various mustard greens, to name a few that I have already. I would still like to add chard, brussels sprouts, radishes and a few other greens to the mix. I also have garlic coming fairly soon to plant. I know just where to put it. It will be all around the rose bush at the entrance of the garden. I will also be using the greenhouse and the greenhouse beds, but I would like to see what else I can grow without heating. I need to learn to take advantage of this southern growing season-it is just so different from what I (and my mother) knew in Indiana.

I hope to have pictures of my "work in progress" and I hope to share my bounty (if there is one) with friends and neighbors; that's what it is really about, after all.

Just Another Day, I Suppose

Fencing is so important whether you are on a farm, hobby farm or just have a dog to keep in your yard. The kids and I had delivered my reports to town (over an hour away). On the way back, I called my husband and asked him to check on the baby chickens for me...nobody to look in on them for over 3 hours-how horrible. I pulled down the final 1/10 mile of the driveway to see my husband walking toward the car. I rolled down the window. "Everything okay?" I asked. He just shook his head. "What?" I asked panicky now. "Cherry's gone." I booked it to my parking place, and hopped out of the car full of groceries in the back seat, in my beaded flip-flops, and took off power walking to the garden, where I was hoping she might have gone since that is where I let her free range while I do work in the yard. Nope. I walked toward the animal yard-her fence. In the back, there was evidence of where she had climbed on the fence, probably trying to get to the branches of fresh leaves and bent it down enough to jump on over.

So the trek began walking in the wooded land behind where she could feast on lots of bramble. Looked like a possible trail back down toward the driveway. Sarah was coming towards me. She asked if I wanted to switch my flip flops with beads and heels for her boots. Yes, please. Even though sockless I took off walking down the driveway, up the old driveway near the outhouse. The neighbor's dog was barking oddly up by the highway. I walked quickly, catching and passing Bruce.

A mile later I see the dog, no sign of a goat in that yard, but it was barking towards the woods across the driveway. I stopped and listened past the barking. Yep. In the distance there was Cherry's cry. I ran past the freshly dug pond and through more woods until I came to a neighbor's house, unfamiliar who it was. There were cars there, but nobody out and about...except Cherry standing there crying looking lost but not a scratch on her. Thank you, Lord.

As I approached, I began thinking, how am I going to get her home. No rope leash of any sort. I certainly couldn't carry her. So when I got to her I gave her a big hug. So, I started walking away, like we do in the yard, clicking like one would for a horse ( I do that often). She came running my way. No problem. She followed me back to the driveway where we saw Bruce heading our way. Realizing we were pretty much okay, no harm, no foul, reality set in. The clouds were dark and the wind had picked up greatly and my sockless feet were not in my broken down boots, but Sarah's boots and the skin was rubbing of my heels. Well, a half-mile to go and boom...sky opens up and down comes the rain that we have needed badly. I had to smile as I started to jog the rest of the way home with Cherry tripping under my feet the whole way.

And of course half way there I realized I left the window down in my car. I knew the kids would not think to check it because I NEVER do that. Seriously, until it is paid for the windows stay up going down the dirt driveway...Crumb-monkey!!

I led Cherry into the chicken coop- the always faithful fence. She would have to share Henny Penny's side since the baby chicks are in the other coop. Got Cherry situated for the evening. I rolled up the window on the car, went in and got out of the soaking clothes and boots. Once those boots were off, ouch!! Nice hole in my heel (like my feet were bad enough being dry and cracking! ick!). Well, I don't have to wonder about what I need to do tomorrow. Goat fence repaired-priority one! Yep, just another day. *sigh*

Chicks Finally Arrived

I was starting to get worried. I usually get the call from the postoffice around 7 a.m. the day the hatchery says they will start shipping for that week. They made it and look really good. They are loud, eating, drinking and of course pooping on the paper on top of the straw in the brooder. And, they are colorful--not boring at least I knew what kind they were. On of my friends who is what I would call an expert regarding chickens, mentioned it might take weeks to months before I figured out what kinds I have. I will chock it up to another lesson in patience. Of course, I have already made some highlighted question marks in my chicken hatchery magazine that shows what the chicks look like, as well as the adults. Slow learner. However, I have learned that these little critters are going to stay behind locked doors for a while. We have a good size brooder in a larger coop with screen access to air of course. So they will have plenty of room once they can hop over the brooder side into the coop until I feel comfortable letting them out. I am also hoping no snakes find their way into that side. But I will do everything in my power to protect this flock! Aren't they cute?

The Beauty of Homesteading

No, I am not referring to the nature or the symbiosis of homesteading. I am referring to the physical beauty of homesteading. No, not the landscape or the animals.


The actual homesteader's superficial beauty or vanity. The beautifully manicured hands and artistically placed make-up and hair.

Okay, I think you know by now my sarcasm, right.

I think its time to go shopping...after a bath!!! (and yes, I am wuss, when I am working with the bags of soil, I use a mask so I don't blow black out of my nose for days...I guess there is some vanity after all)

Two Flew the Coop (or hive)

I am so sad. We had not one, but two hives, abscond! We worked so hard on our Hive #1. We bought a new queen, she left, died or was ousted because we ended up having a laying worker (all drones)! We emptied every bee out of the hive and then set them in front of the hive to re-enter, less the laying worker, (supposedly the colony won't let her back in) and put in good brood from another strong hive with eggs and nurse bees. That was hard work, wearing beekeeping clothing and veils and gloves in the 100 degree June weather. But we did it. Shortly after they had made themselves a new queen. Success! With the continued heat and no rain and no pollen or nectar of any amount, they got into their honey stores. I guess when the queen saw how low that supply was, she decided to move her colony somewhere else. I could have prevented that if I had started feeding them earlier than August. Oh, I could kick myself! The new hive (AKA the Pond Hive) did the same thing. We must not have gotten food to them in time. 50% of our stock gone. That's a lot of money and a lot of (next year's) honey down the drain...

Ok, Lord, I am ready to see progress. I think you have shown me all the down side. Goats, rabbits, chickens, bees, garden...So, I am ready to see the flip side now. Amen.

Knitting

I have my worsted wool, my size 9 needles, peaches and cream yarn and size 5 needles. Okay, soooo....My aunt, who is so awesome at knitting, spinning and all things yarn, showed me once, but then I put it down and never went back until now. And have forgotten. I have to say that I am thankful for the internet and all the videos that you can watch to try to learn. It can be a bit overwhelming because so many people have their own variations, and then of course, being left-handed makes it even more awkward to learn right-handed. But as I suspected, it will be better in the long run if I learn it that way. And poor Aunt Sherry gets her brain picked every now and again.

My daughter was going to learn with me, but she still seems to be more of a crocheter like her Mamaw, Granny and my Mamaw before that. Which is good, because as you can see in the picture below, she would leave me in the dust! Yes, Sarah's first attempt at casting on in the green yarn and my first attempt in the purple yarn. I was not lying about the skill skipping me...but the stubborn streak I did inherit, from all sides! About time that trait works for me for a change. I still practice when the evenings are calm, which is not very often at this point.

I have tried the knit stitch and the purl stitch. My first attempt is below. I know, it is horrible, but I have to start somewhere. I may not be able to wear anything I knit in public, but the goats will not laugh at me(at least not in front of me) at my knitted scarf or hat that is keeping me warm when I go out to milk them in the winter.

Plastic Feed Sacks

Okay, all the creative people in the world kind of hurt my feelings. It amazes me how people sew, knit, paint and the list goes on. It skipped me. My mother does it ALL! I mean everything from making clothes and quilts to painting and colored pencils and wood burning on gourds and crocheting and punch needle and...I am tired, you get the idea. I like to color with crayons. Does that count? But nonetheless, being of German, Scottish, Irish and Native American descent I am a bit...determined, yes, not stubborn, determined. As I am getting older and finding that simple things are better. I am trying to obtain skills that will be useful when I am able to "stay at home" and run the homestead versus working from home full time. And I will. Even if it is mastering garden and greenhouse, especially herbs, since that is the name of the farm, all the skills that go along with milking such as cheese and yogurt making, knitting, candle making and soap making with our beeswax and honey. You get the idea.

So, these plastic feed sacks. People are making purses, grocery bags, bags in general, things I am not confident I could make. But wait...tarps. They are making tarps to cover hay bales, chicken and rabbit runs, using them for weed barriers, etc. Surely I can sew a tarp, right ? Well, I have saved my first bag-dog food, the chicken bag is getting there, so it will be soon that I may have my answer. And the strings when you open these bags...why didn't I think of saving them to sew on buttons or tie things with. They are fairly thick and sturdy thread.

So much to learn, so much to try. Life is certainly not boring is it? I will post a pic of my first tarp. Be prepared. Do not have liquid in your mouth for your own safety. It could go in or out at the sight of it.

Update on Laundry Soap

Just wanted to say that I love, love, love my laundry soap. I use about 1/8 of a cup (its a scoop from something else so haven't measured exactly). And thank you, Lisa Davis, for the vinegar fabric softener tip. I don't use much, since I don't want to smell like salsa, but even about a tablespoon in the rinse cycle makes a big difference in Bruce's Carharttwork pants, both on the line and in the dryer. We have four hampers in the house, usually at least two if not all of them are full. I am pleased to say that I am down to one that I should finish tomorrow. What will I do if I get the laundry caught up...and no, you can't send me yours, nice try though. Yes, the laundry soap is part of the motivation, but really, it is probably the fact that I had to finish off the gallon ice cream so I could use the bucket to put my laundry soap in. Sugar, sugar! Luckily, it is about gone---just like the dirty clothes :)

More Chickens!

Dern you, Murray McMurray Hatchery! Why do you tempt me with your sales in my inbox! Yes, I am weak when it comes to chickens. Especially since we have the brooder built. I have 25 heavy straight run coming September 13. I ordered those about three months ago to ensure I would have everything ready and cleaned up. And last week, there was a special. Duke's Mix they called it. A plethora of variety. You know, my mother chastised me for just ordering all one breed of white chickens last year; she called them "boring." So, now I have gone to the other extreme. Yes, I clicked order now! And they will be here in two weeks. Oh dear, what have I done. I will have 25 more three weeks after that. Guess, I better divide the brooder. At least I know the ones I ordered in the past will be useful for eating and eggs. I guess even if I get fancy ones I can still eat them and their eggs. I will just call them gourmet.

Laundry Soap

I made my first batch of laundry soap today. I hope that it works well. I had read one recipe that was just shaved soap, 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. And you use it just like that. Well, it sounded like a lot of shaved soap, so I looked up a few other recipes and ended up making a batch that is in my 5-gallon bucket. I will find out tomorrow how it works. Can't wait...what, wait, can't wait to do laundry, really??? Did I hit my head :)

Still Regretting

Oh how wonderful the cooler air felt as I opened up the greenhouse and walked to the mailbox. The humidity is so much lower. And it is only supposed to be 90 degrees today. On my 0.6 of a mile walk to mail my package, I looked around the place. I have not been doing anything to "beautify" the place this summer. I didn't plant any flowers or have any hanging baskets out. I didn't even feed the hummingbirds. I feel horrible. Of course, I had a few veggies in the garden, and even picked three cucumbers from the plants around the porch this morning, but have pretty well let the rest of it go. It had been so dry and hot. That is no excuse. I will be sorry when my few bags of frozen corn and cans of green beans are gone before Christmas! Now that the reality of the end of the growing season is here, I am feeling regret for my lack of perseverance. I guess that is why I am now, in the heat of the summer, trying to make up for lost time by making sure this fall and early winter are different. When I have a menu and grocery list for the week and spend over $120, it irks me, especially knowing that some of these things should be in my garden! Although there is regret, there is still hope.

When I opened the greenhouse today I was so happy to see several trays have sprouted; cabbage, collards, beets, lettuces, kale and basil. Especially with the fact that I have been at war with a mouse in the greenhouse. I saw him running into the fuse box a few weesk ago. He destroyed my first batch of sown seeds. He even decimated this batch of spinach and brussels sprouts (much to my husband's joy-he hates brussels sprouts, even swallowed one whole to avoid tasting it-ouch!) I am seriously considering a greenhouse cat! First, I will try some good old fashion traps. I can only dream of the morning I find him in the trap...ahhh, the joy it brings my heart. Sorry if that offends, but he offends me by eating my seeds that are supposed to provide food for my family this fall and winter! I am sure there are more lovely things he could find besides digging in my seed trays!!

I am hoping to get back into the overgrown garden soon and redig some of the old beds to put some of the vegetables in. If I have enough energy, I would like to make some tunnels for fall and early winter to save the greenhouse bed for other experiments. I will be putting a few in the greenhouse bed nonetheless. I also need to put another bed in the greenhouse to make sure we have plenty of winter growing space. There is a whole other compost pile to dig and use for that purpose.

Still so much to do. Thank goodness I am re-motivated everytime I come home from the grocery store!

At Least I Had a Good Weekend

I am giving this weekend a B...for me. I got my package mailed out for my paying job, I got 12 trays of seeds in the greenhouse (fingers crossed), the semi-permanent brooder is up and ready, the kids' school supplies and a good start of clothes is bought and paid for, the animal food is in the containers (I will explain in a second), the fire ants have somewhat abated from the kitchen, Penny and Cherry free-ranged a bit, and my office is finally painted, partially cleared out and ready for organization. I am content with what we got done.

Bruce and the kids, on the other hand, probably graded a bit lower. Jake got several ant bites and cuts. Sarah got a lot of ant bites on her feet, and every time I turned around she had hiccups. And then there is Bruce...poor, poor Bruce. Right now he is lying on the couch in a Benadryl/Ibuprofen coma. He got stung in the eyelid while feeding the bees. No, he didn't wear any veil and had on a sweaty black T-shirt. He looks like he was in a boxing match with a gorilla. He also has ant bites up to his knees. And last, but not least, he stepped on a stick that went through his shoe and stuck into his foot. Very rough day, indeed. Bless their hearts.

Okay, I am trying a new animal food system so I am not taken unawares when the kids say they have been out of food since last night. I have started using, and will be buying more, those 18-gallon totes you can get for $4 at the dollar store. I lined them with trashbags and dumped a bag of food in it. My goal is to have two totes per animal feed/type (two goat chow, two sweet feed, two chick starter, etc.) stacked on each other. When the top one is full the last person to feed the animal is to bring the empty container to the porch so I know what we need when I make a trip to the feed store. Theoretically it will work; however, I know the day will come when the new container is not rotated or left somewhere between the feed shed and the porch, but hopefully those moments will be few and far between. I also think this will keep the food fresher and not waste as much. But, time will tell.

I'm Back!

Not that I have been gone per se. Over the last six months, I have been posting on Facebook. Social Media is great, but I miss the simplicity of the blog. It is not intertwined with all these other things that can make you lose focus, which I have a tendency to do. Okay, the past six months. Spring was an absolute disaster! We lost so many animals. I was almost afraid to try anything. Our chickens were massacred. They were destroyed by dogs that had been running rabbits across the pond. The man got ill and left, leaving behind one dog who found his way to the chicken pen. Our dogs had been trained and did not bother the chickens, thus we free-ranged. I have one hen left. That very same day Snow White, our NZ rabbit had 10 dead bunnies that I had to dispose of. And I had left the cage door open and she got out and our chow did get her. At that point, I came in, sat down, cried like a baby, called my mommy and then put my big girl panties back on and grabbed a shovel. Not one of my best days, ever!

Currently, I have Cherry, she is a registered Nubian (disbudded) goat, whom we will have bred next month. Suzy was given to a wonderful family who love her and treat her as a pet. I have Bucky, the white New Zeland buck. My one hen, whom I have named Henny Penny.

So, we are at the building stage again, starting over. Maybe I am trying to do too much. Maybe I should slow down, but in my gut I have this urgency to get the farm up and running quickly.

What am I up to now. As I mentioned, Cherry will be bred next month and we will be getting the milk house ready, which means rebuilding it. We have 25 more chicks on the way-brown layer straight run. Some to eat, some to keep. With that, we are also going to be building a chicken tractor so that they can free-range...safely. (Lesson learned). I am not actively looking for rabbits at this point, but I do scan the Market Bulletin if something is close and reasonably priced. I expect it will be March or so before we get any more.

The garden is so dry that I have let it go. I will be removing the fencing and trellises and posts next month as well. I have put a small raised bed (yes, it is a redneck bed, but it was free) in the greenhouse to try and grow throughout the winter. I am not sure how this will work out, but as everything else, it will be lessons learned until I perfect it. We have several trays of fall/winter crops started.

The yard has not been mown for quite a while now. First, our lawn mower is down and I am waiting to get that fixed. Luckily it is so hot and dry that the grass is not really growing anyway.

We have two beehives. I am feeding them now with sugar water and a supplement of essential oils to keep them healthy while there is nothing blooming on our land anyway.

That catches us up, yet, it seems I am further behind than I was.

Taking Care of Business Day

Today was a long day on the road, but productive. Bruce and I drove to Pickens today to order a package of bees. We decided to just get one this year. We have two strong hives and will probably split one if not both, depending on the equipment we can afford. It is not a cheap endeavor, but it is so worth it to see nature at its core, and the honey. We use honey for tea, lemonade, hot cereal such as oats, and cornbread regularly. I made a loaf of bread with it a few months ago. I really haven't tried other recipes lately. I have given away two very, very small jars to a couple of friends who are suffering from allergies already. Of course, any further honey will cost them. I have not bought any white granulated sugar in months! I have bought a bag of raw cane sugar for those in the family who have to have a little sweetener now and then.
We found an "oops" paint at a local home improvement store for $5. It was a beautiful pale green. That saved us about $25 (it was a more expensive brand).

We are getting ready to order some more hens, yes, hens only. I am waiting until late summer to order the broilers / freezer fodder. I have ordered 25 brown egg layers. The company will be sending five each of five different breeds. Please don't let them send any turkens...seriously those things scare me! They look like they have a horrible disease. Of course, they would be easy aim for butchering-sorry. (This picture is from polishfarms.com.)

We bought our rabbit wire so that Bruce and Jake can finish the cages. There are several advertisements online for New Zealands for sale. I will be calling on those next week. The boys better finish the cages soon. If I waited for the cages to be finished first...I have, and that was over a year ago. Time for a new strategy, don't you think? Besides, poor Rebel really needs to be up with everybody else. Bless his little lonely heart.

We also stopped at a local feed store and got some Kennebec seed potatoes. We will be tilling the "secret garden," as my mother calls it, and get those in the ground soon.

The only thing that did not get done, that we really needed to do, was get the part for the greenhouse waterline. We need to make sure the water heater elements are working too, but I have my doubts. Yes, my mother asked us to make sure we turned off the power supply to the water heater in the greenhouse, and Bruce said he did, and being an adult I didn't double check him...my bad...

All in all it was a productive day, getting supplies and taking care of errands.

Is Spring Coming?

I must suffer from SAD...you know, the label we give people who are grouchy and reclusive in the winter...seasonal affective disorder...now the days are getting a little longer, the sun is getting a little warmer and I am feeling a bit more alive.

It has been a nice winter really. We had two good snowy spells, one actually on Christmas. There has been a good number of rainy days. Now, of course, I have to find some rock for the driveway, soon!

Okay, catch up time. The farm still has one goat, Suzy...I am still contemplating her residency though. We still have Rebel and the one angora rabbit, who is nameless. We have 14 hens and the one rooster we kept around is the "rare" breed McMurray sent us, which is the dominique (the black and white striped/checked looking one). We really thought it was a hen too because it's comb was so small, well, he is so small, no wonder the other roosters were so mean to him. Then we heard him crow. Nice surprise. We aren't getting many eggs, but I have not used the artifical light or anything, just let nature do what it does. And we do have an egg eater...she will be found and dealt with harshly. We did sell a total of 4 dozen eggs over the last few months. Hopefully production will pick up now.

I am just now beginning to get outside and work a bit. I pulled some of the weeds out of the asparagus bed and around the garden fence row. I have my garden plan and most of my seeds ready and waiting. I have few to get. But I still have quite a bit of cleaning up to do, as you can see. Fence posts ready to put up and all those weeds where my cucumbers are going.

Bruce and Jake folded back the shade cloth (just halfway) to allow some sun in the greenhouse. It was 80 degrees in there shortly after they did that. YES! We moved some tables around to open it up a bit and now it is time for the cleaning of pots, cleaning of tables...well, once Bruce repairs the broken water line...This year I will just be growing our food, including vegetables and herbs, and a few neighbor's requests in the greenhouse. This is my true first trial year. I might try to sneak in a few flowers just because.

That is where we stand as of today, Valentine's Day 2011. I am sorry that I have not posted anything for five months. I am guessing the next few months will make up for it; I feel a lot of energy in the air.