Saturday, August 11, 2007

Good Morning

Good Morning

I'm sitting here sipping my coffee, cruising the net, waiting for the boys to wake up. I can't believe they are still asleep, because they went to sleep at nine o'clock last night. They were so tired. *T* and I went to get the boys last evening and when we got home they played outside until it was almost dark. The boys were playing with the dogs in the sandbox, and watching the skydivers' plane flying around. Freefall Oz was having their annual Boogie (lots of pro skydivers coming to sky dive) and since we only live a couple of miles from there the plane was quite low when it would go over the house, we could watch it circle around as it was climbing to the right elevation to for the skydivers to jump. *C&B* (the boys), and of course Ace (the puppy) helped *T* feed all the animals while I cooked dinner and then we took it out to the picnic table to eat. So we all had a very enjoyable evening. *A* (the boys' BM) called about 9:35 pm to talk to the boys before they went to sleep. when I told her they were already asleep I think she was a disappointed. She was at work when we picked the boys up, so she hadn't seen them all day. I kind of felt bad that she didn't get to talk to them, but maybe she'll call again this morning.



In the barn, to my surprise, the old hen that got broody and I set 6 eggs under is still setting on them. I can't remember what day I put the eggs under her :-? I really need to get them candled to see if there are any chicks in them.

The cows have been moved over to Mom's pastures so it seems odd not to have to fill both water tubs 4 or 5 times each day. The horse is still over here, she must really like my pastures because she will not go over to Mom's. She used to stay with the cows no matter which pastures they were in, but anymore Lacy (the horse) just looks at us like "are you crazy" when we are moving the cows over. Then she will go to the back corner, and stay there until we have the cows all moved and the gates closed. I think she has just gotten to the point in her life that she doesn't like change. She is 25 years old now, so I guess she has earned her right to decide which pasture she wants to live in. :-)

I'm still looking for a milking goat. I know where there are some nice looking Alpines for sale, but I'm not sure what breed I want. I like Nubian, but I don't like how vocal they are. I also like Saanens but I like the color patterns on the Aplines. Maybe I'll just have to get one of each ;-P

I'd also like to get a couple more meat rabbits. We saw a litter of Black New Zealands for sale at the fair, but the sign did not have a contact name on it and we did not see anyone around who knew who's bunnies they were. I wanted to check back another day but we didn't get back to the fair until late Saturday evening after all the animals had gone home. :-(

The I have the turkeys in the barn and would like to let them out to free range, but *T* is afraid the coyotes will eat them. And I'm sure they would too if we didn't shut them in at night just like the other small animals. We let the chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens free range and then close them in at night, so why can't we do the same with the turkeys??? I think he is just a bit over protective...LOL.



I have got to get this house cleaned! I keep trying (at least I think I am) but I just don't seen to be getting anywhere. I have been trying to work on something for a certain amount of time each day, and if I can stick to it I know it will work. I'm just not disciplined enough.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

why me?

While I was at the store this morning a guy (*W*) stopped in to see if I was working. I wasn't officially working, but I was there. He "the guy done at Mix's says you might take in an injured bird". My first question was "what kind of bird?" *W* said he found a homing pigeon next to the road in front of his house, it is drinking and eating and he has found the owner, who lives near Syracuse, NY (a long way from here), but *W* doesn't know anything about birds so he would like me to take it until he figures out what the owner wants to do with it. Like I do! I told *W* that I would take the bird and see what I can do for it ... we'll see.

When I got home there was a message from *J* wanting to know if we will take that other turkey her dad has up at his place. I guess it is one of the same ones that we got from *G* last week. What is it with people?

I told my mother that I'm thinking of changing the name of my farm from Seldom Seen Acres to Seldom Seen Sanctuary. Okay... not really. It does make me smile to think that when people are trying to find a good place for there animals to go they think of ME :-)

Monday, August 06, 2007

Where has time gone?

Not sure where to begin here. I have been so tired this week that I haven't even been checking my email... and yes I am going through internet withdrawl. The only reason I've been online this week is to pay bills and check out a couple of things for *T*.

We wanted to get the boys this past weekend but BM said NO. We did end up seeing them for a few minutes while we were at the county fair. I really hope that she lets us get She didn't act like she was going to let him get them this weekend either, so we'll see.

At work my boss has been on vacation so that leaves me "in charge"...LOL... I really don't like that term or that job, but I can do it if I have to. Nothing major has gone wrong ...yet... but we still have a few days to go until she gets back on Friday. I got a call from the guy who is baking tomorrow, he said that he just took a cake order so could I come in a little earlier and decorate the cake? LOL... gotta love these young kids... he could do it if he had to, but I have to go in to send in the Deli and Bakery order anyhow so I'll do the cake while I'm there. The plan is to get there early enough to get everything done and go home before the store opens... wish me luck! :-)

Here at Seldom Seen Acres things are about the same as last week. The pigs are growing, the chickens are finally laying in one place and I can find the eggs each day. One of the older hens decided to set in an empty nest (one that didn't even have any hay in it), so I gave her 6 eggs... hopefully she will set on them until they hatch (that is IF they hatch), she has a habbit of setting for a week or two and leaving the nest. I'm not real worried, either way. I just didn't want her sitting there "wasting heat" when she could be incubating eggs.

I have to get a lot done around here tomorrow, I haven't done laundry in a week so you can only imagine what is left in my closet... nothing. The dishes are stacked in the sink from the last few days and that really drives me crazy so that is my plan for tomorrow... CLEANING!

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Overdue Update

I think I'm finally getting used to the new laptop. For a few days I was beginning to think I made a mistake in getting a laptop. One of the biggest changes is the keyboard. I do, however, like the mobility of it :-)

Not sure where I left off with the homesteading stuff but I'll try to catch everyone up.

We are still trying to get the apple tree that fell in the back yard cleaned up. T borrowed the neighbors chain saw to cut it up, but that quit running and he can't seem to figure out what happened to it. So now we are waiting for another friend of our to come with his chainsaw and help get this mess cleaned up. I am to the point that I just want to hook onto it and drag it out of here. I don't care if it just ends up down in the pasture for a scratching post for the cows :-/ I just want it out of my back lawn!

The piglets are doing very well, I forgot how fast piggies grow at this age.

We have new additions to the menagerie... Three white gobblers. Last thursday I no more then got home and got out of the truck when a neighbor from up the road pulled in the driveway on her fourwheeler, she must have seen me go past her house on my way home, she asked me if T & I would like some turkeys that GP has had for a few months and just want to be rid of them. She said that he had been asking she and her hubby to take them but they don't wnat any "livestock". She told me that there three birds and the were probably about three months old. T & I decided to go get the turkeys, but when we got there, we found three "huge" birds. These babies are between 30 and 40 pounds.... Not three months old. We brought them home and added them to our little collection of critters, but not without laughing at ourselves the whole time, and asking how we get ourselves into some of these situations. In the midst of it all T says to me "if nothing else... we have dinner for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.... huh? what do you think". "What do I think?" "I'm thinking, I don't have a roaster big enough for those big boys. And even if I did.... it wouldn't fit in my oven!" So, these birds have been the joke of the week. Oh, and not just for T and I... a co-worker of the original owner, stopped me at the grocery store yesterday to ask me how the turkeys are doing.... apparently these guys thought it was funny that they "suckered" us into taking these turkeys. Little do they know that we are excited about getting them, and that we have been looking into getting turkeys but any time we have seen them for sale they too pricey.... and these ones were FREE! I'll try to get pictures of them soon.

Dad informed me last week that he has sold all his cows. My first thought was "now I'm going to have to get something to keep the pastures picked", then he told me that the guy who bought them is going to leave them here and rotate them back and forth between here and my parents (like we have done). So, even though we no longer own the cows we will still get the benefits of having them, just not the work. I'm still not sure what kind of deal we are going to work out for the rent of pasture, but I'm sure we will come up with something. I have no idea what people charge for these things.