Tagged

I've been tagged so here goes:
Six names you go by:
Nancy, Mom, Grandma, Grams, Nance, Sissy

Three things you are wearing today:
Jumper, blouse, and LONG JOHNS! :-)

Three things you want very badly right now:
For my youngest son and his family to move close
That everyone in my family would be saved
Too deep to share

Three things you did last night/yesterday:
Watched a "Little Bear Wheeler" video and ate popcorn
Washed eggs
Read from my Bible and Martyr's Mirror

Two things you ate today:
Turkey sandwich :-)
Smoothie (drank really)

Two people you last talked to on the phone:
My daughter-in-law
My granddaughter

Two things you are going to do today/tomorrow:
Go bowling with my daughter and her family
Feed goats

Your three favorite beverages:
Milk
Lemonade
Kombucha

Whew! Now you know more than you wanted to! :-)
Nancy

December Snow

Two days ago it was warm enough to open up the cold frames and cut lettuce and spinach (that was a treat!), and today it is gray and very cold and the ground is covered with snow. Winter set in early this year, but I'm still hoping it won't be as cold and wet as it has been the last two.
Marty, the steer, has decided to leave the chicken coops alone for now, but keeps jumping the fence to get in the garden and graze. There's not much in there, except for some corn husks, but it's enough to get his attention. We wouldn't worry about it if it weren't for the cold frames, raised beds, and strawberry plants, but because of those things, ever so often the alarm is sounded, and everyone available has to run outside and chase him out. Marty always joins in the festivities by kicking up his heels and giving everyone a good run around the garden.
Hope you're enjoying the time getting ready for Christmas! It will be here so soon.
Nancy

In Case You're Wondering

Cayenne pepper really does stop bleeding. (They used to use it for that purpose in wars.) We bought a young Alpine buck a while back that was pretty wild because he hadn't been handled. He had been disbudded but decided to grow horns at just under a year old. One day he caught one of them in some fencing and broke it off. It was bleeding badly. Jack came to the back door calling for help and told me what had happened. I knew about cayenne so I grabbed some from the kitchen and ran it outside. Jack was elected to be the one that applied the cayenne to the badly bleeding horn site. While cayenne may burn at first, it then deadens pain. (You'll see it in arthritis rubs and such.) It was the burning part that concerned us. (Especially Jack). He went in and after much crashing around in the barn, he emerged unharmed. (Jack, not the goat.) Now that the coast was cleared, I went in and saw that the bleeding had slowed to a small trickle, then clotted and stopped completely. What a wonderful thing.
Hope your daily adventures turn out well.
Nancy

A Cow In My Coop

We have two chicken coops, the "BIG" and the "LITTLE". Jack walked by the litle one yesterday and noticed that there was a cow inside the coop. "Marty", short for Martin, was completely inside the coop munching happily on laying mash. He has developed quite the appetite lately, running at a full gallop to the hay bunker when Jack puts fresh hay in in the morning and evening. He had to jump two fences to get to the coop. I'm sorry I missed that. :-)
Hope your coops are secure and that you had a great day.
Nancy

Beautiful Day

We had several more inches of rain but I'm happy to report that it quit and today was a beautiful day!
We looked at the horse that we want to buy again last weekend and took him for a test drive. :-) He does so well. We're getting very excited to bring him here! I'm still working on pictures :-{, but you can see pictures of him on Ashley's blog, farmgirlathome.blogspot.com.
Hope things are going well for you today!
Nancy

Then There Was Otis

When my husband was a teenager he would go to the park and watch the "cool" guys play frisbee with their dogs. The dogs would run and glide througth the air to catch the frisbees without missing a beat. He would watch and dream of having a dog like that. One day, it looked like his dream had come true, in the form of a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix puppy. He began to train him and when he got big enough he took Otis to the park for his test run. He took him off the leash and run he did; not to execute a perfect catch of the frisbee, but ran around the park, harassing the other dogs and creating an uproar. Time after time he took Otis to the park only to have him do the same thing. After two years and not one frisbee caught, they parted ways.

Milking Parlor

An incredible amount of work was done on the milking parlor last weekend! It was truly like a miracle. My granddaughter will post some pictures soon. Everyone did a wonderful job and worked so hard. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. It has a roof on it so Jack can now get out of the rain! I so enjoyed having everyone here, and having them here for dinner two nights in a row!
My grandsons made a wonderful wooden stand to attach the corn sheller to. It works so well. It is very sturdy and you can put a bucket underneath to catch the kernels. We grew an old variety this year called Hickory King for cornmeal. It is a white corn that is open-pollinated and the kernels are huge!
Hope things are going well for you!

Apologies

Sorry I haven't been posting much! Things have been busy. We are changing our garden area this year and I am very excited about it. We haven't been able to work the garden in Spring the last two years because of all the rain, which meant that we couldn't plant everything we wanted to or things went in late, so I am making raised beds using the layering method called Lasagna Gardening. I hope to have all of the beds ready this Fall so all I will have to do is stick the seeds and plants in the ground come Spring when there is an opening in the weather.
The lettuce and spinach in the cold frames is coming along well. I encourage everyone to try this! It is wonderful to eat fresh greens in the winter, and just as soon as the weather starts to change in the early Spring, it will take off like you wouldn't believe. You will have tons before you normally would have even planted them. It is weed and bug-free gardening!
We are considering buying a horse to help with the plowing and such. We have one in mind but are trying to dig out the barn that flooded two years ago first. We haven't been able to use the barn since. We kept thinking it would stop raining and dry out so we could work on it but that hasn't been the case. We think we are going to have to take part of the outside off and somehow dig out the mud and then raise it up. So, I'll let you know how that goes. The work on the milking parlor came to a screeching halt because of (you guessed it!) several more inches of rain last week, but the rain has stopped now and it is supposed to be nice this weekend. I'll keep you posted on that too!
Hope all of your endeavors are going well and that you are taking the time to enjoy each moment.
Nancy

Rainy Days

We have had an incredible amount of rain lately. We broke all records for October for rainfall before the month was over and then added several inches more to that. It did quit raining a week ago for one day and that was the day we had a party planned here at the farm. Such a wonderful group of people and a lot of fun.
Saw a sign out front of a pizza restaurant in a town close to here that says HAVE ARK.. WILL DELIVER. I guess that sums it up pretty well.
Hope things are going well for you, no matter what the weather!

Goat Delivery

I sold my handsome French Alpine buck and had to deliver him Saturday. The farm that purchased him is about a two-hour drive from here. Naturally, it was rainy, and cold, and muddy to make it as interesting as it could possibly be. We were taking him in the pick-up truck that has a tight-fitting shell. (Remember tight-fitting for later reference.) Jack thought it was going to be nigh impossible to coax him into the back of the truck so he designed a pulley system that worked very well and we were off. For those of you that haven't had personal experience with billy goats I'll explain here that they are in the same family as deer and elk and so they breed in the Fall of the year (right now). And to make themselves attractive to the females they develop (we won't go into detail about how here) an aroma that is less than pleasing to mankind's sense of smell. My daughter and two grandaughters accompanied me on this trip. (Very kind.) We had to stop for gas (and snacks !) on the way and while they ran in to find their goodies I pumped the gas. While I was pumping, a very strong odor wafted out of the back of the truck and surrounded me and because you can't see into the not-tight-fitting-enough shell I knew that noone would have an idea what it was. I stood there in my mud-covered muck boots, smiling and trying to look pleasant, while thinking about what I was going to have to do with my clothes when I got home and wondering if there were any other stops we were going to have to make before we got there.
We pulled up to the farm and the mother and young daughter who was purchasing the goat came out, and after introducing ourselves, and apologizing for the mud all over the goat (good thing she had seen pictures already), and gee, if we had done this on Wed. when I wanted to he wouldn't of had a speck of mud on him, we began trying to come up with a stategy for getting him out of the truck. The dad of this family now comes pulling in and we think (and say out loud) AHA! what great timing! Help has arrived! He walks up to the truck and looks in at Zeb (who I think was also smiling now) and says, "I'm not going to smell like a billy goat" and goes in the house. And, yes, you really could have heard a pin drop (if you can hear them when they fall in the mud) while we smiled and worked on regaining our senses. (All except the sense of smell, of course.) Zeb, not wishing to appear offended, hopped right out of the truck and with head held high, pulled the new owner (who was at the other end of the rope) to the pen that was to become his new home and entered without so much as a sidelong glance around him. A little polite conversation later, we hopped in the truck, turned it around, and headed for home.

Scarecrow Massacre

We went to the wedding of the daughter of some friends of ours Saturday, and while we were gone, the puppy (you know it's coming, right?) chewed through his rope and totally and completely destroyed the scarecrow. That's the end of that.

Puppy Life

I spoke before of the cycle of fun, trouble, fun, trouble that a dog's first year consists of, and because our Great Pyranees was hit by a truck last summer, we find ourselves involved, once again, in this process. This isn' the first time we have had a puppy in the Fall. And there is something about putting decorations for this season out in the yard that brings out the worst in them. A scarecrow is just more than they can handle. By now Duke has learned some degree of self-control, but not when it comes to scarecrows. He was discovered in the yard this morning giving the new guy a good shaking, after he had pulled him out of the straw bale so as to be able to give it a good go. Jack was able to rescue the poor fellow and restore him to his proper place intact, albeit, missing one eye and his hat.(The hat was later found and also restored to its place. It hangs down over the face now so the missing eye isn't a problem.) After some stern discipline he left it alone. ***UPDATE: There were two more attempts made and foiled.***
Having to leave the scarecrow alone in mid-thrashing must have left a bad taste in his mouth because he was found taking it out on a chicken. By chewing on it.
With the puppy being locked up in the barn for the night, peace has been restored to Family Circle Farm. Goodnight.
Nancy

Chris Klicka's Passing

It is with much sadness that I refer here to the passing of Chris Klicka, attorney with Home School Legal Defense Association. He was used mightily of God to fight for and secure freedom for homeschoolers. He had a vision for homeschooling that, according to HSLDA, never waned. I can tell you, as one who homeschooled in the early days, that we owe him and his family very much gratitude.

The Freeze Warning Scramble

There's nothing like a good freeze warning to get everybody moving. For my part I worried that I didn't have enough herbs dried for cooking and winter tea so I gathered lemon balm, chocolate mint, oregano, chives, and more basil. The frost the night before got most of the basil but not all of it. We picked the green tomatoes to ripen inside and the last (again) of the okra. I'm going to miss the tomatoes and herbs. Having an herb garden is a wonderful thing. The fragrance when you are working in the garden is amazing and when you cut them to bring indoors it is delightful. And nothing you buy can compare to the freshness of your own homegrown herbs. Then you get to enjoy them all winter! The kitchen smells absolutely great right now with all of the bunches of herbs hanging to dry there.
Hope you'll grow some of your own fresh herbs to enjoy!
Nancy

Mile-Long Wagon Ride

We went to an auction not far from here today and they had you park at the county yard and then took you by wagon to the site. That was fun. Didn't find anything but enjoyed the ride.
It is sunny and chilly today. There was ice on the chickens' water this morning and the ground was frozen.
We were gone much of the day today so I'd better get going.
Hope you're enjoying your day!

Rainy Day

It rained all day yesterday so I was able to do some inside things. I did some straightening and had a great phone conversation with a good friend. I also made butter, cultured buttermilk, and mozarella cheese. And, what can a person do when they have all of that fresh butter but bake cookies! Homemade soup, cornbread, and, of course, cookies. Perfect for a chilly rainy day.
We picked up our beef today and have a couple of steaks out for tomorrow. It's a very good feeling to know that you have grown your own food. It's kind of a milestone for us because we waited so long to be back on a farm doing this sort of thing again. God has been very very good to us. Tonight we will have homemade pizza with the fresh cheese.
Wherever you are today I hope that you have taken the time to notice the many good things around you.
Nancy

Farm Help

Our children and grandchildren that live fairly close all came last weekend to help with several things. The guys set the posts for the new milking parlor (this is very exciting! We have been milking outside for over two years!), repaired a lot of fencing, reinforced the bucks' pen (so they can't get to the does!), helped with chores, and I'm sure things that I'm not listing. Two of my grandsons built a pen for the little chicks that we hatched out and did a wonderful job. It is so cute! And the chicks are very happy. It was so wonderful to have their company!
I hope you are enjoying your day and everything that God has blessed you with!
Nancy

Last of the Garden

I pickled some more okra last night and froze the rest for gumbo. That will taste so good this winter! We always have pickled okra with our holiday meals. I'm saying it is the last of the okra but Jack said it is getting more blooms. I think I'm going to pull it up anyway to prepare some beds for spring planting. It has produced like crazy this year! Jack also picked one lone tomato so we are going to eat it with dinner tonight. I hate to see them go.
We are ready to plant the cold frames with lettuce and spinach for fresh greens during the winter. If you haven't tried this I encourage you to do so. It is so easy (and no insects or weeds to deal with!) and you get to enjoy home-grown veggies during the cold months. What a blessing!
Hope your day is going very well and that you were able to enjoy some home-grown or locally-grown produce this year.
Nancy

Catch-Up

Morning chores in the rain today. We can't complain after the beautiful stretch of weather we've had. Does make it difficult for milking because we're still milking outside!
Rachael and the children came yesterday and helped us clean up by the barn and haul some scrap metal off. That was a tremendous help! And, we enjoyed their company very much.
We went to a friend's Farm Day last Sat. He holds it every fall and it is always a lot of fun. Tons of food, horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, spinning and weaving, and lots of good company.
Sadly, on another note, Jack's mom is being declared incompetent due to dementia and because of her behaviour they won't release her from the hospital to go anywhere but a nursing home. Such a shame. We're praying that God will be in control of the situation.
Hope you're enjoying your day and that you are living each day on purpose.
Nancy

Farm Happenings

Two of our steers were taken in today for processing. I bottle fed these two as they were purchased from someone else. Our neighbor that very kindly took them in for us brought his trailer over several days ago so we could feed them in it daily to get them used to going in there. Good plan and very thoughtful. He and another neighbor not quite believing it would work, promised to be here at loading time so they could watch the entertainment. The two steers had no problem going in at first until one of them starting beating up on the other inside the trailer. We began to think that they just might get their entertainment after all. As it turns out the steer that had been on the receiving end of the roughing up happened to be the only one near the trailer at feeding time (the bully being distracted by one of our Jerseys that was in heat and making a lot of racket) and gladly ran in to have first dibs on the feed. With a little coaxing the other one followed us up to the trailer and boarded to enjoy his breakfast. Lucky for the first one that this trailer has a divider that was closed after he boarded that separated the two of them. Whew.
I shed a few tears as I looked at them (you can't help but get attached to them) and left to finish my chores and go inside.

Puppy Lessons

Jack found the puppy giving one of the baby chicks a ride around the farm in his mouth last night when we were out doing chores. He received a good scolding and was locked up in the pen for a little while to hopefully learn a lesson. The chick was fine and was returned to the brooder house. I can only imagine the terror that the chick was feeling as the puppy was taking him out to play. :-)
I hand-dipped 10 pairs of beeswax candles two days ago and found out that it is much nicer to do them when the weather is cooler! I am very glad to have them done, though. The smell of the beeswax filling the house was incredible. What a wonderful thing!
Well, I'd better finish up chores so we can be off to Rachael's for dinner tonight. What a treat!
Hope you are having a great day!
Nancy

Slowing Down

We are so blessed to live on a farm. And, when I am away for any time at all, I am reminded of that fact. I can't wait to get back. To see creation in its fullness is a blessing that is so hard to convey in words. My heart fills with gratitude and amazement when I think about it. Wherever you are I hope you will slow down and take note of all of the glorious things going on around you.

And, that brings me to a point that I am thinking about today. Slowing down. We cannot embrace those people and things that really matter unless we do. Our culture has sped up to the point that it has become harmful in so many ways; relationshipwise, healthwise, anythingwise. And I am speaking to myself here as I have been at times one of the worst offenders. ( Interesting that all across the world slow movements pertaining to just about everything are springing up as people are seeing the results of Their hurriedness.) I hope that I can slow down and live in a way that has time for people and true contentment.

Weekend News

We had some much needed rain over the weekend. I'm told some places south of here got nine inches! Was very sorry to hear from a friend in the Atlanta area today how much rain they had received and the problems it is causing. They had 16 inches over a four-day period and then added 12 inches to that overnight.
It was a very sad weekend for our daughter-in-love Tina and her family. Her 43 year-old brother stepped into eternity after suffering a heart attack that they were not able to revive him from. So very tragic. He was a great guy and will be sorely missed.
Unfortunately, we had some other bad news over the weekend but I'll wait until later to share it as I don't want to overload you with it.
We are reminded of how short and fragile life is. The petty things that seem so big are really nothing at all in the scheme of things. Life is so very very precious. Let go of the things that don't matter and embrace the ones that do.
Nancy

Another beautiful day. Jack and Chris were at Rachael's today putting the stairs on the new deck they have been building for her. Some dear friends came over and we enjoyed looking at the animals, the garden, and chatting. The garden is winding down now with the corn that we'll be using for cornmeal drying on the stalks, some tomatoes, and some okra. The okra is still putting on a few blossoms. The weather wasn't very good for gardening again this year but we are very thankful for what we have harvested! We were very blessed to have green grass all summer in the pastures.
How are things going for you?

This and That

We have been enjoying the most beautiful weather lately. What a blessing. All three cows are in milk now and two still have their calves on them. It makes for happy moms and happy healthy calves! I'm not milking the goat now as she is dried up. Time to have two of them bred for kidding in the Spring. Does it seem that this year is flying by? The new puppy is doing very well. I think he will be a good replacement for our farm dog that we lost.
Hope you all are doing well!
Nancy