Thursday, December 31, 2009

Throwback Thursday




These are some pictures from about 3 years ago.They are at the Barrington Living HistoryFarm at Washington on the Brazos,the birthplace of Texas.


There are several museums at this location and trail with markers.This was a wonderful place!The reenactors we some of the best,full of info and a desire to help people understand everything about what it was like all those years ago.I am not going to write you a history lesson ,just show you some picts of a really neat place.

This is The Boy learning about a shave horse.He got to make his own handle to keep.



This is a Piney Woods cow,or maybe a bull I can't remember and can't see its special areas! Any way, there are only a handful of these cattle left.They are trying to get the breed going again here.



This was the main house.How they lived in Texas without air conditioning is beyond me!



See this white "sack" hanging from the rafter.That is a pig bladder.Apparently they saved these and at Christmas stuck them in the fire and it popped like an old timey fire cracker!






This is their chicken coop and yard.The Boy got to throw out some scratch.



A building just like this was the outside kitchen.They had a big pot of greens cooking.



The Boy even got to try his hand at some spinning! First he had to comb the wool !



He actually had a knack for it!







These are the hogs they raised.They weren't stinky at all!



This is the river,muddy like most rivers down here.



This was a wonderful place! If you are ever down the South Texas way it is a great place to spend the day.We are not amusement park kind of folks.When we plan a trip it is centered around museums,history and scientific things ! Like I said before we are way cool!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Ahhh...A good scratchin' !!!







Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Winter Garden and Bonnie is Free

I have a few things in my winter garden.It is nice to go out there and see a little green.Down here we grow cool weather crops in the winter.These are veggies a lot of you up north grow in the summer. They can't possible survive in our summer heat but do well in our mild winters.I really hoped to have a much bigger crop of winter veggies....maybe next winter.


Here are some cabbages forming up nicely.



This is kale.



I don't use a whole lot of kale but I try to grow a lot of it for the chickens in the winter.It is nutrient packed,easy to grow and the chickies love it! It gives them a little extra nutrition when there are less things to forage on.


This is a kohlrabi.I have never grown this before or even eaten one! I am always looking to add a little variety to the garden though!



Of course,the southern staple, turnip greens.Yummy,yummy!



Here is a broccoli, still a little small.




These are brussels sprouts.Just the mention of these causes The Boy's tongue to protrude and sounds of disgust can be heard as he flees the area! They haven't made any sprouts yet but you can see little knobs where they are trying.




Bonnie is finally back with her love,Clyde ! Poor girl,she had 2 wounds. One healed up real quick,the other seemed to take forever! So now she is a free donkey again.



I have to say that the worse part of homesteading for me is caring for injured animals.I know this is part of the package,but it is so stressful and nerve wracking.A lot of prayer goes on in the barn! This is one of those things that I think will get better with experience but, the double edged sword,I don't want to have any more experience!

While I was trying to get a good picture of her, Clyde the Ham decided he wanted his picture taken instead!



Actually I am pretty sure he was just trying to score a treat!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Hay Hay Hay!!!

These pictures were a few days before Christmas but I thought they were too good not to post. A big part of farm life is hay.Because of the drought last summer and us not having the whole place fenced in yet we are using way more hay than we had planned on.The Boys went and got us some square bales, here they are unloading it.They used a cart behind the lawn mower to move it to the shed.



When we moved here 2 years ago, The Boy couldn't handle one of these bales by himself.Lots of good, muscle building farm work quickly changed that! Plus, he has grown about a foot! He has now just gotten a smidgen taller than me, I am 5'-5 1/2", he is only 12 ! Of course, I can lift these bales,I have farm girl muscle!



I love to see father and son working together! Hubby has taught The Boy a lot these last two years and The boy has a thirst for knowledge.Not just book knowledge,which he loves also,but he wants to learn how to do just about everything.He learned some basic welding last week!



Hubby is a good example,there is just about nothing he can't do.If he doesn't know how, he will study and research until he can do it.Brain surgery...maybe not.He could give you first aid and field dress your wound thought.He did this once for himself after he cut a chunk out of his leg with a chain saw but that is a story for another day!



The Boy is so over dramatic! He is faking exhaustion!



In just a short while they are done! Father and son teamwork!



Hopefully this will last a month or two!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Hope Everyone Got What They Wanted...

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I got lots of goodies!

Hubby and MIL and FIL got me some Polish Pottery.These are the dishes I collect and decorate my kitchen with.



Hubby also got me a flat screen TV for the bedroom,and a new food dehydrator! My old dehydrator died last summer.All you farm girls out there know you need a dehydrator when you are trying to preserve as much as possible of the things you grow.

My sweet Boy got me some yarn and the new Super Mario for the Wii.



I have trouble playing some of the funner Wii games because,lets face it,I am old and the Wii is extremely sensitive and I don't have the reflexes for it! The Boy said you play Mario just like the old one from the 80's. He was right,we have had a lot of fun playing it!

Hubby and The Boy both got an iPod Touch.Hubby got the bigger one with more memory or gigs or whatcha-ma-call-its! The Boy got Hubby lots of accessories to go with his iPod.



Technology is,well, possibly not my strong point! What can I say I am just an old fashioned hermit living with 2 techno geeks!

The Boy also wanted a nice globe,which Nanna and Pop-paw got him.Sigh...my little brainiac,makes a Momma proud when her youngin has a thirst for knowledge!



We couldn't forget the Pooches,Weenie and Rascal. They are anxiously waiting for The Boy to open their treats from Santa Dog!



Rascal is loving this rawhide wreath.That is his big tongue.We say he has a liver tongue,because it looks as big as a piece of liver when he flattens it out like that!



Now I know a lot of folks get the after Christmas blues.Not me.I have a new wish book...



Now I get to start planning for Spring.Spring comes early down here,got to get the garden planned,seeds ordered,hot beds made.....

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas




Merry Christmas from Laughing Duck Farm ......





from Butter Bean...



Sweet Pea and Guinness...



Mr.Tumnus...




Doodah...



and who could forget, Nibbles !!!!



Sweetie and her Dirty Donkey friends,Bonnie and Clyde....



all the Bourbon Reds wish you a hearty gobble...




Charger and his flock....



crazy guineas....



Elvis ...



and his chicken friends ....





and of course, Laughing Ducks!!!!




Merry Christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!