A Day in the Unfolding of the New Year

Trying to take on a few major projects while my work schedule is lighter, as well as help the kids with homeschooling and their own projects has kept me on my toes, but it has been quite rewarding. I will share more about the projects going on around here in the next few days. Okay, seeing how often I am too tired for blogging lately, how about I promise to do my best, but acknowledge they might be a bit late?

This blue Silkie pullet is one of a few new layers who have been contributing their first few eggs to the family here lately. This morning, she seemed bent on being broody, though she wasn't actually sitting ON the egg. Wyatt wasn't sure whether to be thankful she was making the collecting easy or explain how the whole broody thing worked, but since he was trying to get pens cleaned between storms, I think he was just happy for anything simple he could get!

Shine got to hang out in the house for a while with his buddy Shadow this morning. They haven't had as much of this time lately, since the rain and mud has led to some rather muddy hooves! On the flip side, at least the rain has the barrels mostly full again! Shine and Shadow sure enjoy the companionship, though, they were great friends when Shine was a house goat.

Later, Shine got to head down to visit friends at another 4-H club we compete with sometimes. A number of the youth are brand new to the group, but a few have grown up together showing as a group for several yers now. It is amazing to me to see them so grown up!

The older youth were examples and teachers, as they should be as Senior showmen. They also enjoyed laughing with each other and at themselves, I think!

Shine seems to be settling in to the showing thing, though he seemed to like raiding cookies from Bailey's pocket the best!

I think it is funny that after each trip off to training sessions, meetings and community outreach, both Shine and Shadow stop in the front yard to check all of the statues. 

I am not sure what they expect, but they are usually the only ones who move them!

FOr those of you following the saga of the lonely chick, I gave in this week and arranged for the little one to have some friends. A big thank you to Melanie for sharing some of her purebred Black Ameraucana stock with us, these will likely be te only new poultry stock until after county fair.The four little chicks have taken well to their new surroundings, and the slightly older Java of ours seems to also be taking well to having young charges to look after.

Some of the biggest news these days is that Miss Versie seems to be getting ready to kid. Bailey is spending lots of time out there, and we are tracking her progress. One interesting thing about her, Verse has taken in the last day to stretching out by climbing the fences of the maternity ward with her front hooves. I sure hope that means that the babies are settling well into proper position.

You can barely see Verse in this photo, she was in the corner of the pen after our last check. She really is a sweetheart. While I don't think kidding is truly imminent, I will head out there again in another hour and let Bailey sleep a bit. It never hurts to be on the safe side, these will be her first kids. 

On that note, I think I will squeeze in a short nap. While moping the kitchen is calling my name, I think it can wait a coupl eof hours and help me warm up after I traipse back out to the goat area in a spell. Hope you all have a wonderful night, I will share again when I can! Love to all.

Saturday Night- Baby Buckling Update!

Saturday has become the day to try to look at the baby bucklings side by side, weight them and look at growth and health. So after we worked on the new doe barn project this evening, Bailey brought in Freedom's Prayer and of course Let Your Light Shine and we enjoyed a good bit of baby love.

The boys had been playing hard together while we were working. Coming in led to some sweet cuddling with Freedom's Prayer. Both boys love to nuzzle up under our chins, and sometimes they show their silly attitudes for the camera.

Freedom's Prayer definitely had the head and the thick muscling of a pygmy buck.He also has the attitude, though I think that despite the house goat/ bottle baby mentality, Let Your Light Shine does as well.

It is impossible not to enjoy them as little ones.

Well, of course there was time on the scale. Freedom's Prayer is growing by leaps and bounds, rather like he chooses to do everything as a pygmy goat kid! He weighed in this evening at 17.10 pounds!

That look seems to say, "Oh, yeah, I've got it!"

Then he was ready to jump out of the bucket on the scale and let his brother have a turn.

Let Your Light Shine is still a  good bit behind Freedom's Prayer, though he made significant gains this week himself! He now weighs an even 15 pounds.

Shadow Paws likes to hang out and clean up any drips when he is drinking bottles. Besides, the little guy is her only four legged house mate fter she lost her older brother a couple weeks ago.

I think Shadow Paws wanted attention of her own by the time all was said and done, because she took to goofy antics with a ball in the floor. Sometimes Shine will roll the ball to play fetch with her, but she was laying upside down chewing on it and making goofy faces!

That was a pretty big jump for both boys this week. At just over six weeks, we will see what happens next!

Spending the week trying to get our feet back under us!

We are finishing a crazy time in our lives. I have been immensely thankful for having chosen to home school this year. We will spent a good bit of the hot, desert summer finishing up the studies, but we're able to be there with our family when we really needed to.  What a blessing. 

Sunday, we kicked off the week with a fruit tart the boys were craving before heading of to church. . Bailey is settling in to her new assignment teaching the 4 and 5 year old class,  and I got to help while Wyatt enjoyed helping lead games in the last hour of Sunday school next door. 

Monday was a big return to studies, and also the last official 4h meeting of the year. Little Let Your Light Shine wasn't thrilled with sharing his Bailey with her school work, so he embarked on a mission to eat her assignment list.

This was in the back seat on the way to town to go to the meeting. When we walked in to the meeting,  the club president automatically saw Shine, called out, and brought the attention to the club leader . Since Shine was a distraction, he and I were sent outside. 

The youth updated one another, and then voted on officers for the next year. Bailey was elected Vice President, but was the only one who had signed up to run for Treasurer, so she slid over to the Treasurer slot to give her friend the job he wanted for his last year.

After the meeting, we all went down to the park for a potluck.  The kids had so much fun that some of us didn't leave the park until well after 9!

Finally, I rounded them up, with big kids carrying little ones on and over their shoulders, since I needed to open the gym in the morning. 

After my morning shift,  I stopped by to donate my ponytail. I thought we agreed on 11 inches for the donation and enough left for a decent ponytail to stay back from my face while I am teaching, but instead the ponytail was cut off at about 14 inches. 

This is how it came out. It was a bit of a shock for me, but it will be pretty cool for hiking this summer. I have to admit, though, that when the other moms waited for me after girls group, I felt like part of the family. It reminded me of when Charlie had let Bailey take Wyatt ' s ultrasound to school years back (strange, I know, I wasn't going to tell anyone yet) and I got to the daycare after work to find all of the moms waiting for me. I really feel blessed to be finding a true church home. 

Shine is really settling in to living with his people and his four legged friend, Shadow.  He would like to watch the baby chickens in the brooder, but  isn't tall enough to peek. So at this point, he was perched up on a couple of my boxes just below the brooder.

Sometimes he hangs out on the trampoline next to this, but Shadow loves it too, and this was closer to the noisy little ones!

We tried hard so far this week to settle back in to homeschooling, and when the wind wasn't too bad, getting our work done outside. Shadow seems to really be loving that, she curled up next to Wyatt to look at the white board list while he was working on Spanish.

While they were working on this, I tried to figure out what to do with all the ribbons from fair. This pile took more than the bed, and didn't include any from the livestock. The blue rosettes were what they used for purple ribbons for photography this year. I think I will let the kids decide if they want any photos up in their room, and put it all in photo albums by year. 

There is just so much, and they really did learn from the process this year, as well as from the feedback on the judging notes. They have one final photo competition this weekend, but they seem to really enjoy telling a story with their work and having time to dedicate to it.

Shine and Shadow have taken to sharing bowls, but last night he was guarding his bucket of hay pellets. His actual bowl is next to Shadow's, and for as much as Shine is appreciating the company, Shadow is too. We have lost several very special family members this year, including Shadow's brother Vegas, and she likes having a buddy around.

Shine has taken to sleeping on the bed with Bailey, like Shadow does with Wyatt. Here, Shine was practicing Shadow's skill at keeping the kids company during Spanish studies. In the morning when I go to wake them all up, Shadow and Shine lay there awake and wait for me to call them.

The spring hatch continues, as little partridge Cochins joined us, along with light Brahmas and more.

There are three little new ones in the brooder this evening who hatched last night and this morning, with more talking and pipping away in the incubator now. There are also blue Cochin bantams, which came from the same stock as those bailey took to fair this year. They all earned blue except for one, which had a comb injury from earlier on when he had stuck his head through the fence. Wyatt is eagerly awaiting his next batch of Silkies, after selling his favorite hen in the auction and bringing in new roosters to improve his stock. Some are sue almost any day now.

This was the first Polish to hatch from the ones we brought home this Spring. Cannot wait to see how it comes out!

Well, we did get a little going to try to finish the new pen, and Charlie brought home the wood we asked for for the doe barn project.  We will see what we get done tomorrow! What's going on at your house?

Topping Off the Weekend on a Positive...

On the way to town this morning, we dropped Bailey off at church. She attended a service and youth group, then volunteered in the nursery. I had thought for sure that I was going to be back for her on time, but in the end a BIG thank you to Pastor Todd for dropping her off at the library.

I spent much of the with Wyatt and Shadow at the Ag complex, where pre-fair for the dog project was taking place.

Wyatt and Shadow are improving, and with the additional year, Shadow was far calmer and not trying to play with all the other dogs. As we dashed up to pick up Bailey, they cuddled up and fell asleep in the back seat.

On the way home, a quick stop for the library books, one item for dinner, and an ice cream cone for all the hard work on all of their parts!

We are beginning to dig out from the storm and make plans for the new doe barn. Too bad we don't have more rain in the forecast, though!

Still, I am thankful for the full rain barrels to begin the new week.

Tomorrow, more of the photos of the contest prizes will go up. Are you getting your baby photos ready?

Our friend, TIny

I know that I have said in the past that some girls just aren't meant to be mamas...

Well, this is a story of a girl who is very bent on being a mama, but just cannot get her act together.  Really, this is the story of her little one...

Our Phoenix hens LOVE to go broody. The find the craziest places to hide and hatch out babies.   Well, after we had turned off and cleaned out the incubator and brooder for a while, she was at it again. And before we caught it, she hatched out this cute little baby chick in the big pen. The big pen isn't really the place for hatching a baby.It is a pen of laying hens with a few protective roosters mixed in.

When we found out she had hatched again, we were going to take the baby chick to keep it safe, but she consistently thwarted our efforts. We gave in and chose to watch carefully and track, especially since she still had eggs- in a loft above the nesting boxes.  

Before long, we went to check and she had gone back to sitting on her clutch of eggs.  The little chick was huddled in a corner of the barn, crying.  So Wyatt handed her to me to keep warm while he finished chores, and then we set up a little brooder in the living room.

Chicks need friends, and can sometimes cry themselves into death.  So we didn't put a top on the brooder, and she would hang out with Bailey while she did school work. Then, Bailey was out of town for a few days, and "Tiny", as we had come to call the little one, was crying, so I gave her a stuffed animal.

Another week or so passed, and "she" was getting out of the brooder to roost on the edge, and soon wander the house. We don't advocate this!  We all chat with her when she sits on the edge, and she chats back and watches the world go by out the front window.

When "she" gets out of the brooder, Tiny wants to explore the house, and also find a comfy spot.  You will find the little chick heading for the dog beds, looking for someone to cuddle with.  Tiny tries to be coy, and starts on the edge of the bed, side stepping and sneaking up to cuddle with the dogs.  

When Tiny settles in, though, Vegas bolts.  AT eighteen, he says he has had enough of the babies we bring around.  He likes life on his own terms, where he puppy makes sure his bowl is full and the door opened whenever he wants it.

Shadow Paws wants to be a good girl, but has been trained that chickens are not her domain, aside from protecting them, so she backs away from Tiny, wagging her tail and cutting her eyes to make sure we see who is messing with whom.

Of course, TIny runs from us humans when out and about, because "she" knows we will put her back in her brooder, and there will be no more gallivanting

I am starting to get worried about Tiny's lack of friends. Tomorrow afternoon, I will try the back porch brooder again, keep your fingers crossed! 

.

Mis-Adventures of a Farm Mama...

Sitting at Auntie's care home today, Bailey filled out show forms and we laughed with auntie about wind and the coming baby goats. Bailey told her about the baby chicken that slept in a box in her bed last night, since the baby was too young for all the other groups of babies, and she was lonely and wanting to cuddle with Bailey all the time.

Soon, in came a barefoot Wyatt Clay, whose shoes had been packed where he couldn't reach them by his exuberant Daddy , excited for the youth hunt this weekend.  The kids kissed their great auntie goodbye, and I promised again to watch their animals well.  Bailey was particularly worried to leave Glory, since she is due to kid any day.

I visited with Auntie for a bit longer, then headed to return the tripods Charlie had borrowed from Teddy. Teddy always has a smile for everyone. He was getting ready to head to work, I asked how he was enjoying being a boss with the present government shutdown.  Teddy has been in the same unit as Charlie since before they went to boot camp, well over twenty years ago.  He agreed, this is not the time to be a boss.

They are full-time National Guardsmen, federal workers during the week, military on the weekend, and when they travel, which is generally a lot, since their unit's chief mission is training the military.  The state has come up with the money to pay them through this week, but then no one knows what will happen.

Teddy and I agreed that when there is lots to juggle, it is time to hit the gym. So I headed for the gym, and left him to head to do the same before work.  With the allergies leaving my throat so raw and painful, I just did five miles on the elliptical, then headed home to the animals waiting for me.

When I got home today, I locked the front gate behind me, the first outward sign that I would be on my own here for a bit.  I grabbed the first load from the car, and headed in the front door, where Shadow rushed out, ran around the porch and circled back to let me know she noticed I was alone.

"Where is your brother?" I asked. She danced in circles, leading me back to the kitchen, where old man Vegas lay at the back door, watching the world go by.  Shadow vocalized all her weird noises at me, letting me know she missed me, but disapproved of my returning, sans children.  They had been here to watch the boys load up this morning, and both knew that they were headed for a hunt.

Somehow, the dogs always know the difference between them loading up for a hunt, and when we load Charlie's car for him to head out on a duty assignment. And when he goes hunting, they greet him back and wait for their present from the hunt- hooves, horns, etc, - we don't believe in wasting the life and the bounty provided. And the dogs know it, and love the reward for looking after the farm well in the hunters' absence.

I offered up some turkey from the fridge to appease them, and gave Vegas some aspirin since the wind had not only left Bailey and I miserable in allergy issues, it also had his joints more stiff. He is seventeen, and has happily given over many of the day to day farm dog duties to his little sister, Shadow.  He keeps me company, and looks after his Bailey, but only really pitches in for guard dog duty and the occasional babysitting of a baby animal brought into the house.

We headed out to check on the animals, glancing in on the back porch crowd- sick bay and young animals live there, when they are recovering from an injury or getting big enough to join the older animals in the grow out or bigger pens. The bantam pen looked fine, and I headed straight for the doe pen- for Glory to be exact.

The others came to greet me, hoping to visit with their friend, as Glory is always the head of the herd.  She ambled out of her house, and turned to let me check her sides and udder. She didn't feel much further along. It seems like the babies are moving up and back a bit, but her udder is still fairly soft. That said, Glory can move along pretty fast once she gets going into labor.  I will still be headed out for a late night check tonight, and will save extra time to get a good check of her in the morning.

Satisfied that all was well, I came out of her pen and turned to head to the feed to top off the does' hay. I think Silver may have taken in her breeding, and they eat in spurts.  We always make sure feed is available.

As I turned left, though, I found Shadow on alert, fifteen feet back from the bantam Cochin pen, where the door had come unlatched and open in the gusting wind.  Her tail was going, she wanted me to fix the issue without her getting close enough to spook the poultry inside, as she had when watching Wyatt too closely one day in the d'Uccle pen. She still hadn't lived that day down.  I counted beaks and checked the feed and water, latched the pen and headed to the feed shed.

After topping off the doe feed, I went to do the same in the buck pen and found old Huey at the gate, awaiting me for a back and ear scratch.  Obediah and Powerstroke stood a couple steps behind him, clearly proud of themselves for getting him up a second time already today.  Huey is over ten, beyond the life span expected for a buck. He is among several geriatric animals toddling around here, living out their years in retirement.

Huey is in decline, but still seems to be holding his own, though likely only because the other two bucks are dedicated to it. They stand, one on each side of him, and boost him up, then nudging him to walk across the pen a few times a day.  Watching the way the animals look after one another makes me really love getting to be a part of their lives. It isn't always so nice, and they can sometimes be mean and need intervention, but the bucks are proud to look after each other, just as the does look after each other and help team up to raise the babies as a group.  I know the time is drawing nearer for Huey, but for now he still seems happy, and he is blessed by the kinship of Powerstroke and Obediah.

A quick look around, setting a few windblown items to right, and I was satisfied things would hold until the evening feeding, and grabbed the last items from the car and went inside. I thought perhaps a nap might help me feel more able to manage it all with the allergies, especially since I would need a late night check for Glory, so I did a little computer work then laid down for a nap.

I woke up with my throat worse, but at almost six!  This found me heading out as it turned to dusk, with all the chores ahead of me. I managed to grab one of the only flashlights Charlie didn't replace the batteries on before leaving, but began with the back porch, then gathering eggs in the bantam pen, checking on the breeding pens and heading to the goats. I was feeling pretty confident for the afternoon round that the animals were going to behave. Seriously? How many times have I done this? Don't I know every animal here wants their regular caretaker? Don't I know just how seriously the goats take that prankster quality that is part of the pygmy personality?

Bailey had carefully cleaned the pen before leaving, but managed to leave all of the spools the goats love to play with on end. So the gusting wind had them rolling up by the gate to Glory's kidding pen. I rolled them back and headed in to top of her hay, and one rolled back and smacked the gate into my back as the wind started in again.  I was just checking Glory as it happened, and she automatically took advantage and escaped from the kidding pen.  I let her go for a moment, and shoved the spool back, turning to feed the chickens in the next pen and get their water to clean. Another spool blocked me in.  I decided to grab the eggs before fussing with it, but all of the birds told me off for being the wrong caretaker while I was at it. I was thankful as I headed out in the doe area that none of them had tried to sneak into the chicken area, but they were too entertained running with Glory.

I flipped a spool back over to keep the other spools from rolling too close to the kidding pen, and started through the feeding and watering, alternating between cleaning out waters and letting them fill while I filled feeders.  The boys brought me Huey again, the young-ens in the grow out pen were already cuddled up for the night.  The A pen was a mess again, I set houses back to right and realized what Wyatt has been talking about with the setup of that pen, and understood why he wants that one to be the first to get the new treadle feeders.

I muscled my way through the Buckeyes and the Big Pen, upset one of the Brahmas trying to get the eggs from her. Wyatt would have helped her down from the house if he had been there, he says it is the same as when he offers me an elbow going down the hill in heels in the church parking lot.  I managed to lose the egg basket twice, and left my phone in random places, but Shadow split her time between barking at the fence line and checking on me.  The geese, (AKA- the farm busy-bodies) followed me around honking disapprovingly.

It's not as though I have never done this before!

I put away the feed cups and stopped in my shed for a basket to put together for the science club auction coming up.  Shadow met up with me again, and we headed to the back door so I could set the eggs down and begin watering.

Shadow settled Vegas in for a snack.  It's funny, since we free feed, but Shadow wants to make sure that the food bowl is never completely empty and no one forgets to let Vegas in immediately when he wants the door opened.  Since she has appointed herself my assistant, she also makes sure he sits down near the food bowl a couple times a day, whether he eats or not. This time, he humored her, and laid by the food bowl and watched us begin the watering.

I water by hand, I think it keeps me from missing things and having it go wrong in our extreme weather.  But it means a solid half hour plus of carrying buckets each night.  Shadow would run off at top speed, and then disappear for a bit, while i tended the plants, then just as I got to wondering, she would appear back by Vegas, checking on him then coming to see me before heading off to bark at anything she found suspicious.

As seriously as she is taking her farm/ guard dog duties, only hours into them being gone, the neighbors will be loving me soon! I see cookies and bread going over the fence shortly...

Bailey called, they have made it safely to where they had left the hunting stuff after Charlie's last hunt, and I assured her that the animals were fine.  I gave her a couple more strategies for the allergies, since she left the meds in the back of my car today, and encouraged her to take the medication she had and get some sleep.

Shadow  watched me harvest several pounds of pomegranates, we left the spit ones down for the geese to enjoy tomorrow (they think I don't know they sneak up the retaining wall to raid the tree) and I scratched Vegas' ears on the way in the back door.

It had only taken a couple hours to get through it all, and by the time they get home, I will have it all organized, but tomorrow night, I definitely want to get it all done before dark!

I came inside, and as Shadow alternated between barking like a lunatic at every sound and demanding attention, I settled in to cuddling Tiny, the baby that came in the house a couple days ago. She really wanted Bailey, and kept hollering despite being cuddled, so I gave her a stuffed animal, which she snuggled up to right away, and stopped complaining. I feel so loved.

Now here I am, typing away and listening to the news, drinking tons to try to appease my throat. The eggs are packed away, the dishwasher started. Just as I thought I was getting it under control, Shadow disappeared into Wyatt's room, I called her back and tried to get her to play fetch, she ignored me. I typed a little more, then realized she had stolen my pin cushion and run for her dog bed, to pull the pins out and throw the on the floor.

Yup, feeling loved.

Well, things are temporarily quiet. Vegas has settled into his bed, and Shadow has jumped up on my bed, where she sleeps when Wyatt is away. I suppose that means it is time to get her riled up again and go out and check on Glory one last time for tonight.

I've got this all under control, right? I am sure glad the feed order came in yesterday and Bailey helped me unload it all and put it up, even if I was a little late for the farmers market!

You all have a great night!

Next Adventure!

It's hard to get rolling on a Saturday morning, but we are off to the races, so to speak. Bailey and I are loading up Powerstroke and Obediah and little Versie to head up to Cottonwood for a goat show! We won't be back until late tomorrow, so we are leaving the place int he capable hands of Charlie and Wyatt, as well as the farm dogs =).

Presently there are ten baby chicken in the house, five Brahmas, two Silkies, two Cochins and a d'Uccle.  The tiny Cochin front and center, as well as the little Silkie better seen on the right in the lower photo seem to ave the makings of being visiting chickens. They love being held and played with and jump right into your hand to go for a look around.

These group of them seems to like the camera, too! The remaining Brahmas hide when the camera comes around!

We have had five straight days with rain storms. Not all day, but at least once or twice a day. The geese are loving it, but the mud and the craziness have laying a bit off. The Ameraucana who laid this tiny green egg is two years old!

Well, with Bailey and I heading off, I thought I would share the contest one last time, and remind you to enter, we will draw winners shortly after we get back!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share with friends and have a great holiday weekend, cuddle your animals and stay safe!

Starting the Week Off Right

I cannot help it- I LOVE these monsoon sunsets! Funny, because the opposite direction from this, it was dark. And we are presently having RAIN out there!!! Barrels are out, and excitement is in my blood!

Gosh, the angle on this makes the whip portion look particularly bad! But the breakfast treat of the week- bowls of honeydew and Chinese cantaloupe with chia coconut granola and a little whip on top!  I think I have a chia thing going on these days!

Shadow is looking a little TOO comfortable while Wyatt works on math on my bed- AGAIN...

The hen in the Big Pen loft has now lost her eggs twice. I had a talk with her about shaken baby syndrome, but she wanted her eggs back so I let her have them.

She immediately gathered the remaining three back under, then later the two. I shudder to think where the others have gone after two weeks...

For those of you who follow us on Facebook, you have likely already seen these photos. I went out with Wyatt today to check on chores, and found Huey, having wedged himself under the top of a plastic dog house at the edge of his pen. At first I was worried, 

but then realized that he was just fine there. It is funny, the animal kingdom. When Huey just wants to lay around and not do anything, if Bailey puts food in their buck, even if there was already some there (and the almost always is) Powerstroke pushes Huey gently to his feet and grunts until he walks over to eat.

Shadow was having some goofy of her own, out chasing squirrels in the woodpile.

Well, I guess that is about all for today. Lots to do, and a big delivery coming tomorrow!!!  I will share photos and tell you all about it!