Hay Day

Today we went to get some hay.We were hoping not to have to, we have a 10 acre field full of excellent grass.Hubby is working on fencing in half,but with all the rain he doesn't know if he will be able to get the corner and stretcher post set before he leaves.So ,he was able to find some round bails,not an easy task around here because of the unusually dry summer.This particular hay was brought in from New Mexico!So we went and got some just in case we can't get the pasture done before Hubby goes back to China.

Hubby had to take Pork along for the ride.

Don't worry he is tied up so he won't fall out.




Here is our hay getting loaded on the trailer.



I know ,a little leaning and scary!




Hubby strapped it down tight and we made it home fine.




Pork says he'll keep an eye on it!Well,sort of.Maybe he will just splatter it with slobbery drool bits!




We yanked the top bale off with my Toyota,sorry no picture of that!

Then Hubby used this board to get some space between these.



Then we just rolled them off the trailer.Together me and him can roll these big ole bails across the pasture ! He always tells me I have farm girl muscles!

Friday

Well..actually written on Thursday,but posted on Friday!

Yesterday,as I was sitting in my lawn chair knitting a hat for The Boy and enjoying the cool crisp weather one of the black ducks decided to test her wings.Most of our ducks don't fly much and when they do it is for short burst and low to the ground,except the mallards.They fly pretty good,I hope they stay put and don't fly off. Anyways,this one made it over the fence to the goat yard but smacked into the fence on the other side.She sat there for a moment and looked a little stunned as to what she had just done.Then immediately went to the goats water and dove in.It was like her own personal unsoiled soup bowl.


Our ducks will get in anything with water. No goaties seemed to notice except Guinness.She moseyed on over and the duck jumped out.She looked at me,then the water,then me again and walked off.

She didn't get a drink,can't say as I blame her.This is what water looks like after 60 seconds off soaking duck butt!

The duck looked quiet refreshed!

Ms.Duck doesn't understand the problem,she just gently used the water!





Doesn't Butter Bean look cute!




Don't be fooled.This is just seconds before he ferociously tried to eat the clothespins through my clothespin apron!


I am glad you can't see the stubble on my legs!


We saw this cut little old car the other day.I have no idea what it is but I like it.


We see lots of old cars around here because they like to come up here and drive around the lake and have get togethers.Well, not the cars themselves,the folks who drive them!


After a summer of drought mother nature is trying to drown us!We got nearly 5 inches on Monday and as I am writing this we have probably got another 5 today!

The temps are crazy too.We had to have heater running at night last week and this week the air conditioning was back on!I forgot to turn off the heater in the hall and had both going at once the other night to Hubby's horror!


We have propane heat.That is our big ole tank in that big ole puddle!We actually have central heat too but never use it as it makes me and The Boy feel ill.I think most people with allergies feel that way.Have I ever mentioned The Boy is allergic to the whole state of Texas.That is a direct quote from the allergist after reading The Boys test.Not only is he allergic to everything natural,he is also allergic to the chemicals in soaps,shampoos,cleaning products,laundry soap, ect.That is why I started making our own.Also he is allergic to preservatives,nitrates and the general junk in processed foods.He takes allergy drops.He used to take shots but had such bad reactions.Then we found the drops.They are the same as shots but you do them daily and they go under your tongue.This is not for the chemical and food allergies though.Don't worry he is not like some bubble boy and he won't die if he gets into allergies.He gets migraines and rashes.He has had a few episodes of lip swelling so I do keep an eppy pen,just in case,since we live so far out.
Because of my son I am more aware of just how many chemicals we are exposed to every day.It is frightening!
I was hoping to get Hubby to grill tonight,but he will have to get out waders and possibly move the grill to the boat!This was a special treat for The Boy because Hubby picked up some ground buffalo meat on the way home.It is The Boys favorite.Now I have to go make my buffalo burgers into buffalo loaf!

Throwback Thursday

OK, I completely missed Wordless Wednesday this week!Where does the time go?




So here is this weeks throwback to the past.I really don't have a date on this one .Probably late 40's or early 50's.This is my Granny.Her name was Frankie.I didn't know her well,she died when I was young.It is strange to see this smiling picture of her,because what I know of her life, it was sad.



I think she had 6 or 7 brothers and sisters and she may have been the baby.She was very small,a trait not passed on to me ;) , and nick named PeeWee.When she was little her mother backed up to some kind of heater and her nightgown caught on fire and she panicked and fled.By the time whomever was there caught her and put out the flames it was to late and she died.

For some reason I do not know,like so many things in my family history,her father put all the children in the orphanage.She spent the rest of her childhood there. I do not know what she did after that until she was in her 40's.That is when she married my grandfather and had 2 sons.All I know about my grandfather is that he was supposedly a very cruel and hateful man.I do not know if he treated her this way or just his children and everyone else.The few memories I have of Grannie she was very kind and nice to me.She saved us "silver pennies" and always had frozen coconut cake and coca cola in glass bottles.She let us prowl in her shed for treasure and let us have what ever we found that was treasure in our eyes.By the time I was 10 she had Alzheimers.
I really like this picture of her smiling and happy in a pretty dress.Knowing the sorrow she experienced, it makes me glad she could still find a way to laugh and smile.I wish I had know her better.

I Love Being A Winner!!!

I wanted to shout out a big 'ole thank you to Broken Teepee.I won a giant custom made sticker from one of her many contest and it came in the mail today.Of course The Boy insisted it be of Butter Bean,and really how could I refuse!It turned out great.
If you are a contest junkie,I know I am,you should go over and check it out because she is always got at least one going,sometimes 2 or 3!

Hubby is Home and The Boy's Reading Habits

We picked up Hubby from the airport last night.We always leave early to shop,because we don't make it to the big city too often.Our shopping usually consist of buying things that will keep us from returning to the city for a while,because there is a reason we live in the middle of nowhere,we hate the city!We go to Tuesday Mornings,Half Price Books,and some sort of craft store.The craft store is for me,yarn,fabric and the like.Tuesday mornings is for both of us, a discount treasure hunt! Half Price Books is for The Boy.These are the books he got.


And these..

These will last him about 2 months.Yes, we have TV and video games.He still reads this much,and no,I didn't make him get these books!They are his own choices.Why the child practically teaches himself!He selected one more,about the Vietnam War,but Hubby will have to read it first to make sure it is young boy appropriate.Hubby looked at some of the other books and shook his head,said he was glad he didn't have to read them!

Before you see the next picture,no we don't live atop a nuclear waste dump.Weenie's eyes are just glowing because she is happy Hubby is home,as we all are.Yes,we are!

Strange Small Town Facts an Other Ramblings

Sorry I have missed a few days in posting.Bad blogger,bad!I found out and interesting fact about our little town today.In front of our church there is an historical marker.I walk by it every Sunday and have never noticed it.This is extremely odd in the fact that we will drive 35 miles out of our way to read one of these just to find out some obscure person in history camped at that spot one night a hundred years ago.Yep,we are that cool! Anyway, The Boy asked had I ever read it,I hadn't,but preceded to skim over it as not to be late for the very important pre-Sunday school talkin'.In my skimming I discovered the original name for our little community was Coonskin. Yes, you read right,Coonskin.Personally I think they should have kept it.I mean really, how funny would it be to tell folks,"Yep,I live in Coonskin,Texas."Now,I guess considering how many of the varmints we have around here it could be a fittin' name.We have a sort of road across our pasture that goes from the driveway to the little pond.

You can go walk along it and judging by the tracks it is the 'coon super highway!Big ones,little ones,mommas and babies.This is not the best track picture,their tracks look like little hands.

It is no wonder those mentally deficient dogs of Hubby's bark all freaking night long....all night long.Oh,I said that all ready.
Hubby comes home tomorrow,yeah!That will perk up the blog post,we are always super busy when he is home.So for tonight I will just post some random farm picts.Oh, Guinness one of the new goats got bronchitis and had to have a visit to the vet.She is taking her medicine and good doses of probiotics and seems to be on the mend. Nibbles had this once, very persistently,but a change in feed was the answer for her.

Here is some purple basil.I mostly just grow it because it is pretty.


Our sky today,beautiful.


This is Earnest,our sassy little bannie rooster.

Elvis,the king rooster,takin' care of his ladies!

Guineas doing who knows what on the roof the coop. I really like them,but they are slightly crazy.Hmm,probably why I find them appealing!


Here is a blue dutch and buff runner duck "playing 'possum".They act like they are sleeping but their eye is open looking right at you!


One of The Boy's crazy looking Polish chickens.This one was born here this summer.It looks mad about something!They are actually gentle chickens.

For a great end,what could be cuter than a spotted dirty donkey! Here is our,now poke hole free,Bonnie.

Fall,at last!

Fall, Fall, Fall, glorious Fall, how you make my heart flutter!If only it would stay this way forever,sigh. I know, it sounds like over kill.It is just so wonderful to go out in the mornings and do chores and not be dripping wet with sweat at 6 am.To hang out laundry in bright sunshine and cool breezes instead of laundry that is baked into some sort of stiff fabric board in 10 minutes.

Flowers blooming instead of wilting and dieing.




Veggies in the garden.Baby red cabbage and

speckled butter beans.



Leaves turning and falling because it is time not because they are moisture starved and burnt to a crisp.Animals frisky and playing,also grateful for the relief.Sigh....

Fiona,happily staked out in the tall grass, alone.


This time of year is so distracting.I have so much to do,especially since the weather is nice.I find it hard to focus,I want to sit and watch the goats play,explore the woods,be outside all the time.If only I could forget about cooking,cleaning,laundry,homeschool,painting,the endless painting...grrr!Oh well,back to grown up land!I am trying to get the walls in the kitchen, dining room and hall way done this weekend,if I can stay motivated!I am tired of looking at the ugly kitchen,but is is nobody's fault but my own,I am the one who is tired of painting and put it off.Painting is just the first step it is going to have to have a total redo from floor to ceiling,but the paint will make a big difference.But,The Boy is out playing with the goats and it is such a nice day......

Wordless Wednesday

Fall??????????

Cow Woes

Fiona is my milk cow. She was my Christmas present last year.


I had been wanting a milk cow for ages. I wanted an Irish Dexter and that is just what my dear Hubby got me. Fiona was bred and gave us Anna Belle in the Spring. Our plan is to have a small herd,meat for us and sell any extras. Fiona has always had an attitude about being around other animals.

This,I theorize,is from being raised as a 4-H project.She is well trained,and is easy to work with for the most part,but was not raised with other animals,hence the attitude.Her calf,sweet little Anna Belle is nothing like her,she loves all the other critters.Fiona is not a very good milk cow either.She won't let down her milk for me,even after I let the calf get her started.She gives us enough not to have to buy any,but not enough to make all the yummy extras like butter and cheese.Her attitude as of late has gotten much worse.She is trying to gore the other animals.She used to only bother them when they got close, now she is to the point she is trying to hurt them.So now she is getting staked out in the field by herself.She has no aggression towards people because that is where she thinks she belongs,with people.

I am hoping to keep her in milk until the goats start having babies in December.I'll just have to see how it goes.When Hubby gets home next week we are going to start fencing in the front pasture.

Fiona will get a spot all to herself.This is how it goes in farm land,sometimes you get a wonderful animal,sometimes you get a stinker.I am not ready to sell her,she has nice calves and is a good momma.She will just have to be alone,which is what she wants anyway,after we get our herd going then I may sell her.It really depends on how she acts.

Perfect Weather

Summer still lingers here,but it is loosing it's grasp on us.

The last few days have been almost heavenly.Nights cool enough to snuggle under a few blankets,the days sunny and perfect,no humidity and cool breezes,mmmmm.If every day could be this way.




These are my Grandpa Otts morning glories.They grow up the post of my old shed.



In the goatie world,Doodah is in the dating mood.No,this is not her dating hat,though if it would get her through the fence she would wear it!She is wearing The Boy's boy scout hat!


She is a vocal goat,we call her The Foghorn!She is having terrible longings and desirings to get in with Mr.Tumnus and doesn't care who knows it!He is just as bad,the sounds coming from the goat pen are akin to..to..well I don't know what really!I guess you'd just have to experience it first hand!The Boy wants to wait until spring to let them....consummate their love.He wants to try and plan it out so he has a goat to milk all year around and can give each girl time off.But hey,if there is a slip up what's the worst that happens?Baby goats,not a bad thing at all!He is very serious about his goats and keeps everything written down and planned out in a notebook and researches goat things daily!



The mallards are getting green heads!I had given up and assumed they were all girls.


Turns out we got 3 fellows and only one gal!You can see they are not that beautiful mallard green yet,but they are getting there.

The white and tan ducks are Fawn Runner Ducks.They are really pretty too,although I don't think they run any different than the other ducks.

If your one of those folks that get creepy feelings over spiders you may not want to look any further!


This cool looking spider is living outside my shed.The pictures don't do it justice,I was having trouble getting focused and the wind was blowing.



It's colors are shiny like the wings of butterflies!I have know idea what kind of spider it is.



I don't have any fears of critters,ticks really gross me out(gross me out,that dates me to the 80's haha) but I am not afraid of them.Hubby hates spiders,The Boy dislikes snakes.He also severely dislikes bears and electric eels,though I don't know why.We could have bears back hear soon.I read and article how they are getting real close to our area.With us being surrounded by national forest,it probably won't be long until we start seeing them.The Boy is none to happy about this,he hopes they allow hunting on them!I told him if that was ever the case he would have to eat it because we don't kill for sport.He assured me he would be happy to eat bear all year!

The Boy just loves to mess with folks,gets that from his Daddy.The two of them are never happier than when they are telling some tall tell!He loves to tell things that make us sound like big ole' hillbillies!He tells people we eat 'possum and coon.How we can tell if a particular piece of roadkill is still good eating.He don't need no doctorin' cause when he gets home his Momma will make a poultice for him,OK that part may be true!He hints around that we have a still...you know stuff like that.I think it is hilarious!Of course as soon as I open my deeply accented hillbilly mouth they believe him.People believe anyone with that accent must eat 'possum pie!Now I am not saying I wouldn't eat those things,heck I probably did on occasion as a child.If times got real bad we would all eat a 'possum in a heartbeat!

The wind is starting to pick up,I have noticed it seems to be very windy here in the winter and early spring.We are surrounded by big oaks,I love the sound of the wind rushing through them!
The Goldenrod are just starting to bloom here.


This can give you all who are all further along in your cold weather an idea where we are in our season.Goldenrod is beautiful,but always comes with it's evil twin ragweed!Sneeze..sneeze..it should be changed to sneeze weed !


Hubby will be home in one week!!!!Yeah !!!