March Farm Update + Tabby's Federation results

I haven't given a farm update in awhile and yesterday I determined I would do one today.  So when I took Solomon outside yesterday afternoon, I took along my trusty camera.  We walked into the chicken coop and I snapped a picture of our broody hen's adopted eggs, and then thus said trusty camera proceeded to break.  Horrors!  The off/on switch completely stopped working.

Honestly I feel almost like my arm has been cut off.  I bought that camera during Lilly's life and took pictures of her almost daily.  And after she died, I have continued to take pictures almost every day.

Hmmmm ... I'm wondering what the first picture I took of Lilly with that camera was?  Let me check!  Flashback:

Awwww ... how sweet!  It's of Tabby & Lilly on a Sunday.  (June 2011)

OK - back to the farm update.  Earlier this month, we got a dozen fertilized chicken eggs from Bentwillow Bunnies farm and put them under our broody Buff hen, My Precious.  Frank first labeled egg with a "P" for Precious, then Tabby put them under her.  They are labeled so that when Tabby goes to collect eggs each day, she gets the right egg from My Precious.  (All the below photos are from earlier this month, due to the sad state of my camera.)

 

Tabby has a funny story about My Precious's assistant here on her blog, The Goat Chick.  Once you put fertilized eggs under a hen it usually takes 21 days until they hatch.  The woman we got them from said the eggs on her farm tend to take 20 days.  Tomorrow is day 20 so we will be running out to the chicken coop a lot to check and see if any biddies have hatched yet.  A very exciting homeschool lesson in action!

Our "goaty girls" Nutmeg and Pip are doing well with their pregnancies.  Their babies are due in May.  Goats typically have twins, so it will be interesting to see how many babies these girls each have.

Nutmeg, Pippi, Tabby

Lucia had been doing really well, for at least a month, out in the yard loose every day.  She hadn't hurt any chickens.  Until recently, when Frank found Knucklehead dead.  Sigh.  (You can see a picture of Knucklehead and read more here in Tabby's blog post.)   So we're down to 11 chickens.

At first we decided to try Lucia in the goat pen, as she likes going in there with us.  Big Christa  - I don't remember how the "Big" got added to her name - didn't take anything from Lucia, and kept her in her place.

But then a few days later, there apparently was a big fight and Big Christa ended up with a hole in her ear.  So Lucia is back in her normal place, on a long cable during the day, and loose once the chickens are in for the night.

The previous owners of this house told us that well over 250 bluebirds were born here, in the blue bird houses.  Wow!  Babies were born here last year but didn't survive, thanks to Mr. Rat Snake.  The bluebirds are busy building their nests again this year.  We know for sure that at least one of the same ones is back.  A male bluebird I named "Peepers."  Why Peepers?  Because, just like he was last year, he is proving to be a regular peeping Tom!

 

I don't know how he does it but he seems to be at the window of just about every room I walk into!

On completely unrelated to the farm update (unless you relate by saying it's about the farm girl), Tabby got the results for the piano competition she was in.  (She competed in the National Federation Junior Festival under the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs.)  She got an "excellent" on her theory test.  She got an "excellent" for the two classical pieces she played by memory ("Winter's Serenade" and "Ballade."  And finally she got a a "superior" rating for the two hymns she played ("Come Though Almighty King" and "What Wondrous Love is This?")  We're so proud of her.  :)

Finally, I had to laugh when I found Solomon's cars the other day.  Just like Hunter used to, he likes to line them up neatly:

"Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion." - Psalm 103:22

Signs of Spring and a few odds and ends

It's hard to believe it was so snowy and cold earlier this month.  This past week has been warm - 60s and even 70 degrees.  Some sunny days and some rainy days.  Our yard has been a mess of mud from the melted snow and then rain:

Yesterday I took a few pictures of flowers beginning to say "hello":

We took the puppies out into the sunshine today.  They had so much fun!  And so did we:

The pups were worn out after and promptly piled up and went to sleep:

Solomon and I took a walk around the goat area of our property to make sure the fencing was all secure.  He liked the sounds of the gravel from the neighbor's driveway on his shoes.

 

Our resident chicken whisperer chatted with her feathered friends some.  Tabby really can talk like a chicken:

 

Our house is very old (over 100 years).  Obviously there was no trash pickup back then!  (Well there still isn't here.  We take our trash to a nearby dump.)  The original owners used to throw things out in a certain area outside.  That means that whenever it rains, broken glass and rusted objects sometimes come up out of the ground.  (Another reason we always wear boots outside.)  Today I spent about 15 minutes picking up glass pieces out of the mud.  I love the cobalt blue glass.  I found a little bottle today too (see top area of bowl):

We've got a collection going of whole bottles we've found.  (I found a neat spice jar from the 1930s last year too!)  Someday when I have time (TIME? HAHAHA!) I want to go through the bottles, clean them up, and then display the most interesting ones.

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun." - Ecclesiastes 11:7

Last week, the kids and I finished going through a book called Jashub's Journal: An Old Testament Law Story and Bible Study by Simply Charlotte Mason.  (More info and sample page here.)  This was a "living story" that taught several old testament laws for every day situations.  You read the story and then read the Bible passages and answer a few questions.  It was really interesting!  And it made the old laws make a lot more sense to me.  When we finished, Tabby asked if we could get some more Bible studies like that.  I do not know of any so I am looking into it.  If you know of any - please let me know!

In response to my post last Sunday about dealing with digital picture overload, I have concluded most of us are in the same boat.  (Must be the S.S. I'm Drowning In Photos!)  No one seems to have a system they are thrilled with.  People dabble in albums, boxes, scrapbooks, digital scrapbooks, and printed photo books.  Each system has pros and cons.  It does seem that making photo books online and having them printed is becoming one of the most popular choices.  I like them.  I've made one for each family member of them with Lilly.  But they can be pricey if you don't have a discount, and seem very time consuming to me.  But then I guess every system is. 

So phooey - no easy answers.  I will continue to back up my photos on my expansion drive.  I also get my blog printed and bound each year and give a copy to each of my children.  (That is a journal for us and it can be our photo album too.)  I think I need to just go back to taking one hour a week and sorting through the photos that I do have printed.  Put them in order in boxes.  (Labeling them can happen in another season in my life.)  Then put some in themed photo albums.  (The smaller albums with slots to slip pictures in.)  Baby albums and maybe some highlights of the year albums.  I have a digital scrapbooking program I got free (which you can buy at discount from My Memories - see the ad near the top right area of this blog) but I really prefer paper.  I like making things with my hands.  Maybe I'll just finish using the scrapbooking supplies I have and then try digital again.  Finally, when I receive the "free photo book" offers from Shutterfly, I will continue to take advantage of them! (I seem to get one every March.)

Finally I'm happy to report that Frank's kidney stone(s) seems to be completely gone!  Thanks to the good Lord and home remedies!  I gave him all the things I mentioned in this post.  Remember that if you're struggling with a kidney stone!

Changes on the farm

"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." - Psalm 103:12 

This scripture popped into my head Saturday as the two Great Pyrenees, East and West, left our farm and headed back for home.  Yep!  The beautiful chicken killing goat protectors have left the premises.  The chickens cheered but I actually miss seeing their big fluffy white bodies.  In spite of her fury against the dogs, Tabby feels the same way.  We've already decided we'll have to go visit them soon.

Here's a picture from last week of Hunter hugging one of the dogs:

This past Friday night we got together with L family to "talk goats."  Yes - we have decided we want to keep some goats!  Since goats can get lonely, we decided on two.  Plus that will help keep the milk supply up a little more than what we're getting right now, with just one milk goat, since they go into heat this time of year and the milk supply drastically drops.  So we talked and worked out a general plan and strategy.

On Saturday the L family bought a buck (boy goat).  They took him to their property.  (Their house is still not quite finished being re-built, but it should be by early January.)  Then they came and got East and West and one goat, Daisy.  Today Mrs. L is planning to come and get three more goats to pack into her minvan:  the Spice girls (Nutmeg and Cloves) and Pip.  The purpose:  breeding.  

Why not do it here?  Because they said the bucks can get really mean during this time to anyone coming into their pen, and they didn't want Tabby to be in any danger when she goes to milk Christa. Plus Mr. L said bucks are extra stinky!

"Big Christa" and her kids Daisy, and Buck

Speaking of Christa, or "Big Christa" as Hunter calls her, we are buying her from the L. family.  We are not going to breed her, but just keep milking her.  (We're only getting about a cup a day right now.  Still trying to "save up" to get enough to make another batch of goat milk soap!)  We will also be keeping Christa's son Buck here for now.  He will keep Christa company.  Then the L family will take him home and eat him.  (Did you know goat meat is commonly eaten in other countries, such as India and Africa?) 

We are planning to buy Nutmeg, the little goat on the right.  These girls are both sweet and pretty goats:

The "Spice Girls" - Cloves and Nutmeg

Pip is our children's favorite goat.  She is very social, probably because she was the goat we bottle fed for so long.  The L family is giving her to Tabby for free as a pet, and Tabby is going to help pay for her "room and board" here.   She will be our "take a chance goat" as we are going to try and breed her.  Her mama was not a good milker and Pip's sibling died (probably starved).  Her mama had to be put down shortly after coming here. Pip should be able to have babies fine, but we don't know if she will be able to produce milk.  Apparently when a nanny goat has trouble making milk, her babies tend to have the same problem.  But we will try and see.  If we need to bottle feed any babies then oh well!  The kids (and I) love doing that!

Pip

Here's some pictures from last week of the goats playing "follow the leader" with Hunter:

Tabby was glad to have gotten some pictures of the dogs last week:

Tabby and West

And what blog post would be complete, without a picture of Solomon?  This kid has become a climbing machine:

A little farm update

Tabby had me take this picture a few days ago.  She was one proud mama when her prized Silkie Bantam named Shiny began laying cute little eggs.

I'm sad to share that today Shiny was killed by East, the Great Pyrenees and goat protector.  To say Tabby was devastated is an understatement.  You can read her post here with all the details and lots of pictures that will even make you smile.  (If you do read her post, please leave her a comment.  It would mean so much to her!)

This is East. She's a beautiful dog sitting here looking all innocent.  But she and her sister West are seasoned chicken killers.  Their job is to protect the goats.  But if a chicken gets in their pen - that chicken is food to them.

Today East managed to escape the pen THREE times.  The first two times were before the chickens were out for the day.  Tabby found a hole in the fence and we fixed it.  We thought that was that.  But then in the middle of math today, she suddenly got a "mama's intuition" that something was wrong outside.  She went out and returned shortly crying.  East was lose again and had just eaten Shiny's head off.  (Like Tabby really needed to see that.  Thanks a lot East.)

So Tabby hooked East to a long cable and I buried Shiny by the other 2 Silkies that were recently killed.

I told Tabby that today I added two new things to my resume:  learned to fix a fence and buried my first chicken.  (She and Frank had done all the burying until today.)  Yep.  My life continues to become more different than I ever imagined it would be.  Here is Tabby during our fence fixin' time getting some supervision from Daisy the goat:

Hunter has been taking a big interest in helping with the animals more.  His favorite thing is to help collect chicken eggs:

He also fills up a watering can from the rain barrels and uses the water to fill the chicken waterers around the yard:

Finally, just an interesting aside, do you know what shape a goat's pupils are?  I didn't either until we started taking care of the L family's goats.  They are rectangular!  Check out these pictures of Christa and Daisy and look at their eyes:

The older I get, the more amazed I am at the creativity of God.

A Tale of Two Trees

I'm delighted that Tabby has sold several of her "Lilly-colored" ruffle scarves for our fundraiser for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep!  (see top of blog for details) She can also make the scarves in little girls sizes and even with matching doll sizes.  (It would be cute for a young girl and her American Girl doll!) LillyBear is looking quite sharp in her red-white-and-blue.


Not long ago, I mentioned that my husband has been preparing our garden for using next year by following many of the tips he learned about in the movie "Back to Eden."  (You can watch the movie online for free here or order it from the Back to Eden Film website.)  We are true believers that this stuff works!  Last fall we planted two little tiny trees about the size of foot high sticks. ( I think they are redbuds.)  One has ended up being in what is now the garden area and the other outside it.  What a difference in them! I wasn't able to get a good photo with both in the same picture.  But the one in the garden area is a lot taller and wider:

Yesterday morning was very sad as Tabby found her favorite chicken, Houdini's Halloween, decapitated and shredded in the goat pen.  The goats were innocent I'm sure.  But their protectors, East and West (both Great Pyrenees), must have enjoyed chicken.  (Their owners told us that West is a confirmed chicken killer.)  I hate that Tabby was the one to find her.  She was a sweet chicken with cute puffy cheeks.  To see a picture of her and read Tabby's post about her, click over to Tabby's blog, The Goat Chick, here.  It's ridiculous how attached Tabby and I (especially Tabby) are getting to these chickens!

Many of the chickens are laying nicely now.  Their eggs are beautiful - inside and out.  Such richly colored yolks from our free-range birds!

Several years ago, I bought a set of stories on CD called The Pebbly Brook Farm Stories by Claire Novak of Remembrance Press.  (If you have read or heard of Girlhood Home Companion, this is the same family/publisher.) The Pebbly Brook stories are set in the days of the Great Depression and are based on some of the real life adventures of the author's father.  The author is a homeschool graduate and her mother read the stories on the audio.  I pulled the set out a few weeks ago and we listened to them again, while in the car.  Hunter was old enough to listen and enjoy them this time around.  In one scene, at a train station, some of the characters disembark from the train.  Hunter suddenly asked "They have a dog named Disem?"  We didn't understand at first and told him "no."  But he kept insisting they said something about a dog.  I finally realized when the narrator said "disembarked" Hunter heard "Disem barked!"  We thought that was pretty funny and continue to joke about it. 

An interesting aside, something that didn't mean the same thing to me when I first listened to the cds, is that the family had a son born with Trisomy 13!  I do not know how long he lived.  But after his death, the family ended up moving to a farm.  Wow ... just like us ...   (Trisomy 13 is very similiar to Trisomy 18, which Lilly had.)

In things I've read about this family, I think they surely also treasure this scripture, as we do:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

Field Trip to the Bentwillow Bunnies farm

Since we have our own little farm now, we have become very interested in the set up of other farms.  So last week we were excited to visit
 Bentwillow Bunnies farm, which is located only about 15 minutes from us and is owned by a family who have students that attend the school my husband works at.  They have rabbits, chickens, and peafowl which they raise and sell.  How cool would that be, to have a peacock strutting around your yard?  Frank remembered when he was a little boy, his uncle down the road had a variety of animals, including peacocks.

There were so many adorable bunnies!  (Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs)  Tabby immediately asked how much they were and is considering asking for one for Christmas!

Solomon enjoyed petting a rabbit:

We were all delighted to hear "peep! peep! peep!" and saw some chicks.  Hunter was happy to hold one:

 

Next were the "peafowl!"  I had always called them peacocks, but I learned those were the males.  Females are peahens and babies are peachicks.  I think the peacock blue color is the most beautiful color blue in the world:

We got to feed the peafowl a special treat - cat food!

Tabby talked chicken language to some of the free range chickens:

  

As a bonus, we got to meet some of the horses that lived next door:

 

Solomon's very favorite part of the whole visit though, may very well have been his getting to open and close a gate a bunch of times:

Didn't God make such an amazing variety of creatures?  And they all praise Him too!

"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:  'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'” - Revelation 5:13