Homestead Happenings and Tidbits

I was heading out to the barn to close it up for the night, and Leo ran out from under my car and meowed at me.  First time ever for him to come to me like that.  He won't eat with the other cats, so I gave him a water and food bowl.  He wouldn't let me pet him standing up, so I got down to his level, and he rolled over, thanking me for the food.  I guess he's warming up to us.

Herbal Eye Compress ~ Random Tidbits ~ The Planting Begins

Over the past weekend, my eyes were super sore.  Not sure why this year, but I have one idea.  Anyway, they were beet red, dry, and I wanted to rip them out (they felt that bad even with allergy eye drops).

I use the last of my dried calendula, poured a cup of boiling water over it, and cooled it.  I used it to make an eye compress.  It is a short relief, but I do feel like it helped.  It was the only dried herb I had that was suggested for eyes.

Hawk

The recent cold temperatures are bringing out the hawks, looking for food.  This one landed on our goat fence.

This photo was taken from inside the house.  From the house I could not tell what animal it was, and the barn cats often sit in the exact spot, watching for rodents. 

Random Tidbits ~ German Potato Salad

My ladies have been slacking in the egg production department lately.  Considering the amount of feathers out in the run, I'm guessing they are molting.

The weather is now cooling down at night, but the forecast for the end of the week is in the upper 80's again.  

 I'm so glad I got my garlic planted this past weekend.  One more thing off my list.

Wood splitting has resumed.  Thank goodness.  

I was getting worried.  Although the dead trees are still standing (patience is a difficult thing). We need about six more good Saturdays to finish it up.

Random Tidbits

Sunday, just as we sat down at the front porch for our dinner, the deer came out for their dinner.  This time she brought two youngin's with her.

Picking Strawberries ~ Wild Turkey

I picked over a cup of strawberries, and decided to make muffins with them.  I had a few last bags of blueberries in the freezer to use up too.  They are so good.  I was so happy to find a jar of applesauce in my pantry too.

It's the extent of my work yesterday, other than washing a load of laundry.  Storm clouds moved in, but no rain, and just more humidity.  Hot, muggy and uncomfortable.  The kind of weather where you have to peel off your clothes at the end of the day.  My tummy was back to normal about bed time.

Need to Learn List ~ More Hullabaloo on the Homestead

Apparently, I need to learn to gut a deer now.  You know we can't go a day around here without something going on.

While I was showering, and one daughter was on the treadmill (with headphones on), someone hit a deer right in front of our house.  The driver had gone on, but the deer was left behind (on our property).

I had gone to the garden to see if I had anything to pick for my breakfast, and was at the stove when I saw a man walking up to the door. 

Evidently, he drove by, and saw the deer moving around in the yard.  He just wanted to alert me, and that the Sheriff was on the way (they have to be the ones to put them down).

I did call Hubby, but he didn't answer (tsk tsk), to see if he could get extended family over to utilize the meat.  When the Sheriff arrived, Hubby finally called back, but didn't want to send someone without seeing what damage was done to the deer.

Thankfully, the Sheriff had a list, and thankfully someone came for the deer.  Otherwise, it would pulled to the other side of the highway to be left to rot.  And that would not be good with our dogs. 

So....there you have it.  Another fun day at the homestead.  Guess I am adding "learn to gut a deer" to my "learn something new list." 

Roasted Rabbit ~ Keeping Letter Writing Alive

Hubby and I located a son/father business, who basically raise animals for 4-H and so forth.  However, we were given their business card, because they sell a natural feed for both chickens and goats.  He picks up the feed about a little over an hour from here, and sells it to folks from his house.

Raccoon Rescue & Other Farm/Family Goings-On

"You can't put that thing in the garage! It's a pest not a pet!" I screamed at the kids.

"Fine Mom," they said reluctantly putting the baby raccoon in the wood barn.

And that's how it started.  As the entire family ooh'd and ahh'd over this tiny raccoon, I remained inside finishing dinner and putting it back in the oven to wait for everyone to come inside.  They saw it roaming around the driveway about 5pm-ish. 


They immediately started making phone calls.

"No one will take that thing," I tried to explain.  "It's considered a pest."

After dinner the kids had made their call and left a message.  The next day, they called back.  They would not take raccoons, but had a number of someone who would.

Early in the morning, I walked out to the barn to check on the baby, and my 13 year-old walked out with me.  The first thing out of my mouth was unexpected, and of course my daughter had to repeat it to everyone throughout the day.

"Oh my gosh, that is so cute! Awwww!" I said looking at that furry thing all curled up in a ball with it's paws over it's eyes.

That's all it took for the family to laugh at me.  I had broken, and felt sorry for that "pest."

With some more calls, and with my son volunteering, he met up with a woman at a half-way point.  She rescues raccoons, but already had about 60 of them.  After getting a photo from us, she immediately wanted it.  She said it was still at a nursing age.  

So...another wild animal rescued.

The meat chickens are learning to free range pretty well.  At first they were a bit barn "sour" and would not leave the area.  Yesterday, they seemed to be digging around more of the area.  I am keeping an eye out for more raccoons.

My youngest daughter came home from Gram's yesterday too.  She talked a mile-a-minute, jabbering on about her fun stay at Gram's and how she can't wait for the next visit.  

It was a busy day yesterday, as I dehydrated more organic carrots, mixed up a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent, made some homemade macaroni salad (using my home canned sweet pickle relish), and did 4 loads of laundry.   

The cloud cover continues today, and the rain has not yet arrived.  My laundry did not dry all the way, and had to dry inside on racks.  Again, today, they say rain is possible, but I think I better water my flowers.

We picked more strawberries yesterday, so the painted rocks are working very well.  Yay!  Who would have thought?  

 

Teabag Tidbits

Here is where you join me with a cup of tea, while I share tidbits of yesterday and this morning.

I trimmed off my garlic scapes, and need to cook them up.  I picked more strawberries and my painted rocks are working.  However, I need to make sure one is at every plant.  I have doubled the amount I am picking.  Also, the plants that are directly behind the banging pie pans are completely untouched.

We had another baby raccoon yesterday.  This time it was 5:00pm-ish, and in the driveway.  We did leave a message with Nature's Nursery, but have not heard back yet.

I swore I would not buy petunias in hanging pots, and I did.  I am not spending every morning dead heading them.  I just hope I get to see our yearly hummingbird again.

Yesterday, after dinner, we heard the beautiful song of our yearly Baltimore Oriole.  He presented his song from a tree seen from the kitchen window.  However, I don't have photos.  He flew off as soon as we heard him.  His colors are so rich.

This morning, as I twisted the handle to the south door, a baby squirrel took off.  It had been resting at the base of my door.  He may be why my bird feeder is empty so fast.

I made a vegetable side last night to go with our pasta dish, and it was a winner.  It was simply butter, onion, zucchini, and corn off the cob.  For the recipe visit:  Fresh Corn and Zucchini Saute.

As for that book on "stress" - ha ha ha!  You guessed it. I have not opened it since I read the first chapter, which talks about how the word today is overused.  Back in the day it was "at wit's end" and so forth.  The author instructs the readers to use a highlighter, and have a pad of paper and a pen on hand.

The weather is so nice this morning.  It's dark and cloudy, but with a brisk breeze - excellent for camping.  I may just take my shawl and spend a few quiet moments on the porch (aside from traffic noise), before the kids get up.

Farm Logo and Other Farm Occurrences

Last night my son finished his drawing of our new farm logo.  It was a gift to me.  

First Day Back in the Gardens and a Backyard Snapper

After a long day working at cleaning out flower beds (more to clean yet), I went inside to clean up.  I glanced out the window and saw something in the yard.

At first I thought the hawks killed one of our chickens and it was just laying there, by the ditch that runs off the creek.   Then it moved.  Check out all that mud on it's back.

By golly, this guy (or gal) had a shell of about 12 inches or longer.  Yesterday was an interesting day for me.  I saw two hawks, two low flying geese, and this turtle.  I also heard wrens singing.
   

View From my Front Porch

Ragweed, Wild Flowers and The Mower

I've been chatting with a park district expert, in regards to the wild flowers, weeds and invasive plants on our property.  At first I thought it was fun to press some of them, but it's been more that just that.

I've not only found out we have some very interesting flowers, but some weeds that are the cause of our bad allergies.  In fact, the dork that I am, went out and pulled Common Ragweed from the goat's pen area.  I had gloves on, but after pulling two armfuls, I had to stop.  My neck broke out in welts and it had the appearance of poison ivy or oak.  My neck was read and very itchy.  However, after wiping it with a cold, wet washcloth, it disappeared.  Phew!  I woke up congested and could not smell my clothesline fresh bed sheets.  

In this one picture I took, you can see three wild flowers, and they surround one giant weed.  The Tall Ironweed in the picture is taller than me, and I'm tall.  I am pressing some of the Wingstem, and Tall Ironweed.  I have yet to pick some of the Goldenrod.  I found out that the Goldenrod we have can be invasive.  We have a ton of it.

This wild flower grows low to the ground, and I just discovered it this year, as we mowed a good portion of the back acres.  There are still many plants I need to identify.  If we are going to have cattle and a horse out there, we need to know exactly what's growing and what needs to be removed.

My husband had to replace the mower blades recently, and repaired the mower several times.  Finally, we go it working again.  The other day we were in the house, and heard a loud "POP!"  

"Uh, Mom?  Your flower vase just exploded," said one of my daughters.

It didn't take long to discover that my husband ran over a rock, that was slivered by the new mower blades, and shot it right through the screen of the window.  It hit my plant pot and broke it.  Luckily, no one was sitting in the reading chair by the window.  That's scary.  We blame the dog.  One of our dogs picks up rocks in her mouth like a stick and drops them everywhere.  We are trying to break her from this, as her teeth may get damaged too.

Those very sharp mower blades, or maybe it was his bad mower driving (he he) that destroyed one of my garden stakes.  Grrr!  He got a little too close to the garden.


Speaking of garden, I went out there last night to pick tomatoes.  I discovered my Rote Von Paris, heirloom bush bean plants had disappeared.  I stood there, looking at the last 1 inch of plant stems.  After we went through, and could not find deer tracks, we decided we have our first rabbit problem.  Ugh.  Good thing I pulled the dry beans of last week.  At least I have a few dozen for planting next year.  Bad bunnies!


And I knew that I would get the e-bee jeebies scared out of me again.  Last year it happened when I was walking through the yard in flip-flops and a black water snake slithered under me.  Last night, it happened in the garden.  With all this year's rain, we've had a lot of frogs in the tomato and pepper area of the garden.  I was picking tomatoes and reached down low on one plant.  Out slithered a snake.  I almost threw my basket of tomatoes straight into the air!  Luckily, it was a Garter snake, so I let him live.  I just told him he better leave my frogs alone and scare those rabbits off.

Hawks and Barn Repairs

When I went outside to assess a barn repair, I noticed a few hawks flying low.  I had my camera with me, but I am still not good at catching a good photo of one.  I guess I keep practicing.

 Before Repairs

We not only got these repairs completed, but repaired the bottom split door hinges on the goat barn, and one gate lock.
Now we need to build the top split door and the side door for the goats, and then tackle the new coop for the barred rocks.  

My husband was driving home one day and saw this roost sitting outside on someone's property.  I guess this person also sells other used items.   My husband snatched this up for $20.00.

Today we fixed it up a bit and it's now in with the barred rocks.  As along as we have 2 roosters, they won't get along together in the same coop.  Once we get the new coop built, we can move them from their temporary (night time) coop.

Again, The Toad Returns

Even after the kids took this toad clear out to the woods, it was right back in the pot the next day.  Clearly, this toad is not giving up on this new home. 

I finally caved in, and took my tree out.  It's now in another container, leaving this home for the relentless toad.

Toad Does Not Give Up

I can't tell you how many times we have removed the toad from my tree pots.  He/she has now made a home in the other pot.  We removed him/her from there and yesterday it was sitting on the edge of the rim.

No matter where we put this toad, including way out in the vegetable garden, it finds its way back to my redbud tree pot.  I may have to replant this tree into another container, but that toad will probably burrow into it too.  Our best guess, is that this toad is a Mom, and has eggs buried in there.  I guess time will tell.

Crawdad Gumbo Anyone?

We found this guy in our driveway.  The rains must have brought him out of his hole.  However, he soon became bird food and was snatched away as fast at we found him. He was about 5-6 inches long.

Birds, Deer and More Spring Cleaning updates

I saw a deer today about noon, walking around the woods beyond the field out front.  Last night my husband and one of the girls saw 3 deer walking into our property from the back woods.  They were all female.  Today I saw small birds coming from the largest barn. It looked liked a finch but I was too far away to see for sure.  Speaking of birds,  I sure hope to we get to see our summer hummingbird again.

There is still a chill in the air, but it's perfect for weeding flower beds.  I got yelled at last night for having "too much" green onion.  I am trying to locate a food pantry to donate some too, but not many have refrigerators.  It sells pretty cheap in the stores this week (2 for $1.00) so not many people mess with growing it.  Either way, I pulled a bunch to cook with this week.  We've added it to eggs, potatoes, potato salad, and even mixed it with cooked black beans and cheese for a dip.  I was lucky to have cooked up a batch of dry beans and had them all ready in the freezer.  I will have a bean baking and freezing day soon.


Today's spring cleaning updates:
-washing 3 bed quilts
-scrubbing out a few kitchen cupboards and decluttering and organizing them

Fox in the Field

Here is a photo my son took today. A fox was right in front of the house, walking through this plowed wheat field. He's not very big either. This is the first fox we have seen around here. It's dove hunting season here, so he/she must be out hunting too. This was very neat to see today.