2013 Spring

Lot of visits in the last few days, not complaining, just wondering!  Always enjoy visits to my pictures, thoughts and gripes.  

Busy, busy, busy around this little farm.  New kits (bunnies) born on Easter Sunday and Star is a good mother.  My rabbits seem to be a bit temperamental and sometimes behave in most unsavory ways.  Pinky's babe has developed into a beautiful little thing, but is still a bit hyper and not comfortable as yet with being handled.   

Chickens are so very happy to have the sunshine and warm weather return and the egg production has once again increased.  The brood has to be thinned but it is hard to do when they are all your babies.

My daughter's farm, Blessed Acres Farm, is growing and developing quite nicely.  She has spring onions ready to sell and they are beautiful!  Too much rain on the strawberries, but that can't be helped.  Maybe just a message that strawberries don't belong on her farm - she is allergic to them!  Greenhouse is filled with sprouted seeds and small plants almost ready to go in the ground.  The spinach patch is coming right along. 

The large field has been twice plowed and harrowed; ready for the rows to be laid and plants or seeds put in the rich ground.  In the next 90 to 120 days we will be feasting on beans, tomatoes, peas, spinach and all the good stuff and all GMO free and natural the way it was meant to be.  Chicks and ducks are thriving in their new space and should come right along in the next few weeks.  By August the chicks should be producing eggs regularly.  Buff Orpingtons are good layers if on the broody side.  She also has Arucanas which I know nothing about, but they are really cute chicks!

It is unbelievable how many people do not know they can not just travel across other people's property.  Many 4-wheeler's cutting through the woods and fields and when confronted are very aggressive as if the property owners are the offenders!  The lack of respect for other people's property and belongings astounds me, but I was raised in a different era.  A few years back we came home to find a man riding his 4- wheeler in the woods next to the house.  When ask who gave him permission, he said he didn't need permission - nobody lived there.  

The few problems encountered will not stop my joy at such a beautiful Spring!  So glad to have all the trees and shrubs budding out and blooming.  The rain has even come at good times to wash to excess away and help keep my sinus' free from irritation!

Many changes occurring in our world - both local and worldwide.  Praying that God protects us as we are forced to accept these changes and that He guides our leaders in their decisions that will so greatly affect us.

Thanks for dropping in and until next time . . .

Happy Reading!
Belle

Late Spring Update

A very fruitful two weeks! 

I have been to a Tax Assessors class and learned a lot of very useful information.  We had a veteran instructor who enlightened us on the many property tax laws and the effects of exemptions on the property taxes we pay.  I was pleased with my week as I learned a lot and also met a lot of interesting and wonderful people.

My venture into hatching duck eggs was successful in one way and not so in another.  The first duck to hatch was wonderful.  No, not at first as he was covered in slimy goop and floppy, but in a few hours time he was waddling slowly and his down dried to a wonderful cream color.  His entire life lasted only 36 hours as I found him stiff as a board with no clue as to what had ended his little life.  He ate and drank within the first 12 hours and seemed fine when I last checked on him/her.  I still have a couple of eggs in the incubator, but am not very hopeful on their hatching after so many days.  I am not one that is easily discouraged and intend on trying again.

I have raised the roof over the death of two of my squash plants.  It appeared that some varmit had played around in the hill and destroyed my plants.  I checked again yesterday and found some foul looking bug chomping away at the stem right at ground level.  As much as I dislike Sevin, the garden got a good dusting with the offenders getting an extra good dose.  Probably not going to be able to save the hill, but maybe they won't spread to the neighboring plants.  I will replant to replace the lost plants in a week or so to keep a good supply coming all summer.  Potatoes, beans, squash and beets have been delicious and we will soon have some broccoli and eggplant.  Hurray for summer food!

My hummingbirds are emptying their feeder every two days now and with the onset of higher temperatures and longer days I will soon be filling the feeder every day.  They are so beautiful to watch as they zip and zoom around the porch and through the trees. 

We have Catalpa worms for the first time in 6 years.  Water helps everything!  Almost all the leaves on one tree have been devoured and half of another tree.  We will be catching lots of fish this year! I know the Catalpa is the best fish bait in the world and from experience I know catfish love them!  

My grandson is moving forward by leaps and bounds in Boy Scouts.  I am so proud of the work he has done. The Boy Scout organization gives boys an extra boost in preparing them on their journey toward adulthood.  He has set his goals and is following through towards attaining those goals.  Congrats to Joseph!

I am looking forward to the next two weeks.  A family cookout this weekend and a visit with neices I don't get to see near often enough and then my class reunion.  I can hardly wait to see friends I have not seen or heard from in 41 years. 

I am reading a most enjoyable book by Dan Brown -The Lost Symbol.  Intriguing!

A little apart here - I have heard through the grapevine that much fun has been made of my simple writings.  I am a simple person - which does not mean I am simple minded.  My blog is written so my friends and far away family can keep in touch with my daily doings and is not written in order to expound with hate filled comments the situations of others and their lives.  If I can bring a smile to your face even if produced as a result of derision, I have accomplished a goal.  My hope is to make everyone smile!  I can't change your heart, but I can put a smile on your face.

Thanks for visiting and until next time . . .

Happy reading!
Belle

Yeah! It's Friday

I admit I must be a little touched, but I love the smell of animals.  I guess it comes from being raised on a dairy farm, but nothing smells better than a field of cows on a warm summer day.  Goats, well, they are a different story.  The smelliest of all animals - emus. 

A couple of weeks ago we went to the auction barn and on exiting the truck and overwhelming odor blasted us.  There were over 200 hundred goats at the barn that evening and I could not believe the stench.  Know I realize that the lover of goats probably think there is no better smell, as does the pig farmer, but really, there is nothing warm and cozy feeling about either.

Tonight means another trip to the auction barn and hopefully all the goat trading has taken place and we can move right on to the chickens, ducks and geese.  I love the beautiful silkies and would buy one for a pet, but every farm animal I have ever made a pet of, ended up in the frying pan.  I just don't think I could face that again.  Poor Blackie, my pet calf who grew to be an enormous cow, was really good eating once I got past the memories of her letting me lay against her belly while I read.  She became meat for the freezer when an even larger cow dumped her upside down in the feed trough.  We didn't try CPR as it took an hour or so just to haul her out of the trough via the tractor and a winch.  How would you do CPR on a cow?  Not sure, but such is life, but I don't think silkies are grown for eating.

It is suppose to be warm, warm, warm today and I might just get my feet in some dirt.  It is starting to look like an outside day already!  Have lots to do so I better get to it.  Thanks for visiting with me and drop in again soon.

Happy reading!
Belle