Rainy Days!

Some of you have been following our sustainability project- our work to transition to move toward fully sustainable, community accessible farming.  So you will laugh alongside me at the water buckets I was using to harvest rainwater this past week.  Still, as we are working our way to a proper system, these are holding us over to collect and distribute the water needed for the winter veggies.  This was one of many buckets I used last Thursday and again Saturday and Monday!

During a break in the rain on Thursday, I prepared and planted two kinds of lettuce seed in this box.  Later this week, I would like to follow that with a staggered planting in the garden of the same seed, allowing for a staggered harvest.  As soon as I put that work in, the wind blew more of the leaves off the nearby mesquite tree, though!  That would be the green you see! Fun, though, the first planting from earlier last week has begun to come up.  I did accomplish a few things with the kids home sick, even though I couldn't make it to the market.

A beautiful sky as sunset was approaching last week!

The moon trying to peek out...

Thursday brought us about .3 inches.

Sunset toward the West...

The moon said goodnight!

Well, today is the first day in a while I have been able to get the blogger program to work.  I have more to post on it in a few minutes, but will start with this.  Have a great day!

House Swap- Patriot's Dream Style

 With all of the moving and building going on around here lately, there weren't enough houses in all of the chicken pens to account for hens with cabin fever on a rainy day. Based upon the original forecasts, the rain wasn't due in until tomorrow. 

So when Wyatt woke up and wanted to move around during a lull in the rain, he helped me move a big house into the buck pen. Luckily, Obediah was glad to take this house and we moved his igloo house to the young chickens. Huey isn't ready to share, will have to go check there later!

Here is Obediah checking things out.  He is a sweet little buck, lots of fun to hang out with.  And- he comes running for a visit or treat when you call him!

He wasn't sure about us taking the other house, but much easier to move these into their pen, and a better fit for them than the chickens.

Wyatt made sure to put the door on just so, as it had fallen off and he felt that if the boys were compromising their houses for the chickens, it should be right.  So Obediah obliged him by looking over the door before going to the fence to see if the does had noticed his upgrade.

THe little chickens in the grow out space- Buckeyes and light and buff Brahmas, weren't too sure about us rearranging the furniture. THey gathered together right near where we were working and talked.  It seemed as though they were giving us stared and talking about our decorating capabilities, but maybe I was reading too much into it!

Once Huey decides to share his other house (they will still keep their favorite back-scratching push around house, of course!) the A-Pen will get one more.  Those hens are not so sure about sharing!

Sweet Boys

These are not my best pictures, but taken Sunday night while we were finishing up working outside for the day.  Bailey was working in the buck pen while they were playing or supervising.

Silly Huey, on the left, is in geriatric phase, At a little over nine years old, he still wanders around, sometimes jogging, enjoying the company of his son, Obediah on the right.  They are good buddies, and talk to the girls from their favorites spots at the fence, always the most social demanding ear and back scratches from anyone nearby.

In the mornings and evening, you can find sweet Obediah running laps or rearing up to play.  I stood to watch as Huey cocked his head and Obediah danced on his hind legs ready to head but him, silly grins on their faces.  Each time, Obediah came down a couple of inches short of his fathers head, then nudged him playfully as though he had actually head butted him.

I love how the animals need so little reminding of being more gentle with the younger or older ones.  That natural love and respect of the members of the herd.

It would be impossible not to love these goofballs.  They get community and family and remind us how to be good people, and how to accept those who are different.  Sure is nice having these sweet boys around!

Trip Down Memory Lane

Last night, I was up looking into the experience other folks have had with a predator prevention unit, when a friend posted these two photos on my facebook wall.  She had been looking around in albums at pygmy goats of a certain, unaccepted color that cannot be registered, and is causing a lot of issue with the group that registers pygmy goats and maintains the standard, and ran across photos of a young man she recognized-  my Wyatt Clay.

This was from back in 2009, when nationals were in Arizona, and we went.  Wyatt was able to show his buddy.  While Bailey's goat, Wyatt always liked the bucks, so she typically offers to let him show them if he would like.  In this photo, Wyatt was lined up for his first time ever in showmanship with his buddy Huey, and somehow his attitude and bond with the buck caught the attention of someone else.


The only other little ones in showmanship were grandchildren of breeders, and Wyatt wasn't too sure what they were supposed to be doing.  Huey, on the other hand, was content to follow Wyatt around and get back scratches.


That was three years ago- four in May.  Wow- it was such a fun trip down memory lane, Wyatt was so little then, and they had such fun at this show.  Thanks, Kate!  And thanks to the person who had these sweet photos of a fun time.

Have you had any of these unexpected trips down memory lane?  Share your joys of these as comments.  Have a great day!

Christmas Fun

And a wave of the antlers goodnight!

Overnight Baby Chicks and Farmers' Market Preparation!

Getting ready for a new farmers market tomorrow. We will be at Dove Mountain!  This will be just off Tangerine, and while it is a gated community, all are welcome to join in on the Farmers Market fun!

I am so excited to meet new folks, and am finishing up some lotion bars to take along (cannot seem to keep them in stock right now).  This batch has Shea butter AND Cocoa butter.  I work with a variety of recipes, as so many of our regular customers have sensitivities like our Bailey, who was the reason I began making soaps and lotion bars and lip balms and more.  And it never hurt that Wyatt loved the all natural product line!

Ingredient costs are going up markedly, though.  I am sorry to say that the lotion bars price will be going up a tad.  For those of you with outstanding orders (including all of you who called today), I will honor the current price through the end of the year.  For all markets beginning tomorrow, however, and moving forward, the cost for lotion bars will be $5.00 each or 3 for #13.00.  Soaps will remain $4.00 each, the bulk price will change, however, to 3 for $11.00.  We sure appreciate your continued support of our local business and know you will continue to expect the same quality products and quality ingredients we expect from ourselves.

Funny, someone knows I am up because there is another new voice in the incubator!  This one is another from a Brahma egg, looks like a rather dark buff, or maybe there is something in the lineage of our heritage birds that is adding to the color!  Sorry for the poor image quality, still learning to take pics through the incubator window!

Sunday Dinner

Heritage chickens are more sustainable for the environment and the food supply, but they can be a little trickier to cook.  Trickier still, in that I am the family vegetarian.  I know that sounds weird, a vegetarian on the chicken farm, but I stopped eating meat back in college, and while I eat eggs and dairy, I have never returned to eating meat.  I am not morally opposed to it (obviously), though I do believe that animals should be raised naturally and with compassion and a good life.  But at the end of the day, that makes the whole cooking meat for my family, all of whom have very different tastes- tricky indeed.

I have been working on getting better with my recipes.  I stuff the cavity full of cut up lemons and spices, and roast it.  Today, I thought I would roast one with some potatoes and eggplant, and stopped on the way home from work for a couple ingredients for later in the week.  Got home and realized there were no more lemons.  Oops.

Well, I went on line and looked around at the recipes from other folks.  So I am trying one that involves lots of savory spices and a extra virgin olive oil rub and drizzle.  So I used those same things on some eggplant and baby red potatoes when I roasted those too.  So we shall see!  Wish me luck so that everyone wants to eat! (And eat the leftovers too!)