To See What We Can See

Today Lydia, Nolan and I set off on an adventure to see what we could see. Actually, we were hoping to find black raspberries. We did find about enough for a pie, but in the process enjoyed scouting some other wild foods and coming across other interesting things.

We picked daylilies, elder flowers, and milkweed flowers. We will be making fritters with these soon.

We found the blackberry bushes are absolutely loaded this year. We found a few that were ripe, but it is still early. They usually are at their peak around the Fourth of July. Looks like there will be a ton this year.

The sumac is also flowering. These are slow to ripen though, and won't be ready until the end of summer when they turn a deep red color. I'm ready for some sumac pie now, but will have to be patient.

We also stopped at Big Knot for a little recreation. Big Knot is the kids' term for a spot between the barn and driveway. It really is just a rope swing hanging from a high tree, but to them it is a starting point for many adventures.

A walk around the place wouldn't be complete with out seeing a box turtle. Today we saw two.

We didn't see a lot of what we wanted to see on our morning walk today, but we appreciated the things we did see and the time spent together in fresh air and sunshine. It was a good morning.

Surprise!

Our resident broody hen has been at it again. I didn't even know she was sitting on a nest, yet she emerged yesterday with seven new chicks! Henrietta, you are amazing!

DUCKLINGS!

Dual Pro X

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.


As a kid, I remember going on youth back packing and camping trips and always being a little envious of the kids that had Swiss Army knives. Those knives were the cool ones, full of useful gadgets. Last Christmas I gave Kellen and Miles small Swiss Army knives. So, I was thrilled when I was contacted to review the new Dual Pro X made by Victorinox Swiss Army.

This is a great knife that has found many uses around our farm. Here you can see Tim using it to cut off  a piece of hose so he could replace a leaky connection.

I particularly like the one-hand opening lock blades. I often have trouble getting the blades out of pocket knives. This one is easy. Of course, it has lots of useful gadgets. The knife is sharp. It is a good tool. Visit their Facebook fan page for a chance to win a $25,000 adventure.

Every homesteading and outdoor family can use a good pocket knife. The Dual Pro X will get a lot of use around here. The only problem we've had with the knife is that we all want to claim it as our own. Kellen thinks it should be his. It actually was sent to me, but somehow it is made its way to Tim's things. Hmmm I wonder how that happened. 

Because We Needed Something Else to Do

What a week or two.....

The last couple of weeks have been too busy around here. We've been butchering chickens, going to picnics and concerts, and tending to the farm. On top of all that our donkey, Daisy, disappeared. We spent the better part of the day yesterday searching for her to no avail. Tim finally found her, unharmed, this morning.

And because all of that just must not be enough to keep us busy, (rolls eyes,) last night we bought dairy goats. A friend offered us a deal I just could not pass on. I have continued milking Maggie because that darm lamb just won't nurse much on that side, and now will be adding two goats to the milking schedule. You people were supposed to talk me out of this madness! (wink) Instead I have jumped in up to my neck.

But aren't they cute contently munching away in the pasture. I milked a little this morning. There wasn't much because I didn't separate the kids last night, but the girls were fairly co-operative. Looking forward to the milk, yogurt, and cheese!

Around the Farm

Things are busy here in the 100 Acre Woods. We've been butchering chickens, getting the garden going, baling hay, and working on lots of other projects.

 We butchered a bunch of poultry including our extra roosters and drakes, older hens, and so far 40 Cornish Cross Rocks.

The peas are blooming. Can't wait to have some of those fresh goodies!

The potatoes, in tires and conventionally planted, are looking good.

Tried something new this year. We've never had much luck with growing carrots. Since we have heavy clay, I tried a chunky carrot variety last year. I wasn't thrilled with them. This year I mixed sand with the soil in a raised bed. We'll see how the carrots grow there.

What is this? Not sure, but I'm guessing acorn squash even though no squash has been planted in this garden for several years. We are letting it grow.

Mmmm.... and the best yet, the strawberries are starting to get ripe. Too bad the kids and I are eating them all as fast as they are ready. Maybe we'll have enough to freeze and make jam in a week or so.

We have a duck hen sitting now, and I can't wait to see the little ducklings out there! In a different nest of duck eggs I saw a black snake. Normally I'd just let a black snake go about its business, but not when it is eating eggs. Especially not when I have a hen sitting. I got it out of the nest, and Kellen whacked it. Can you tell what Kellen found when he whacked it? Bye Bye Black snake.

It is a busy time here on the farm. Lots of exciting projects and delicious things growing. Lovin' it.

Frost? Are you kidding me?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of SaferBrand. All opinions are 100% mine.

Don't you hate when you go against your better judgment and then regret it later?

I started many of my plants from seeds this year, including tomatoes. They grew beautifully, up until a couple of weeks ago. They really needed transplanted, but it didn't get done. There were a lot of reasons including time, and a lack of larger containers to put them in.

I knew it was a little early, but went against my better judgment and planted them anyway last week. The weather had been so warm. We even had some days in the 80s and 90s. Then it frosted last night. Yes, I said frost after we've had days in the 90s. UGH!

I was scared to go look at them this morning. They did survive, but they certainly aren't thriving. I should have just bought the pots and transplanted. I knew better.

Gardening is a challenge. One that I enjoy though. Seems every year there is some twist with the weather,  the plants, or the bugs that has me puzzled and trying to figure out how to make the garden thrive, despite the challenges.

Right now the challenge is a late frost. Soon, the battle will be with the bugs. The potato and squash bugs challenge me every year. In trying to keep the garden organic, much of the bug battle involves picking the little buggers off the plants. I can never keep up with the squash bugs that way though. This year I have a new weapon; EndALL insect spray

EndALL sent me a sample of their insect spray to test out and tell you about. This is an organic insect killer that kills eggs, larvae, and adult insects. I prefer not use insect killers, organic or not, because they kill all the bugs, not just the bad ones that make us crazy. (Yes, there are good bugs that you want in the garden.) But some bugs, like the squash bugs just take over, and an insect killer is necessary. And if I have to use an insect killer I want it to be an organic one. The key ingredients in this spray are Organic Pyrethrin, soap,  and Neem oil. 

I tested it out on a houseplant that had some gnats. The spray is easy to use. In the cool of the day, spray it on the plant where the insects are eating or resting. Then say bye bye to the bugs. When using on vegetables, the product is safe to use up to the day of harvest.

The garden challenges (and joys) have only just begun. Hopefully my tomatoes will survive this late cool weather. Who knows what else this garden season will bring? But I do know when I see those copper colored eggs on the underside of my squash plants this season those eggs will be getting a shot of EndALL.

Sheep Milking - Revisited

Our last lamb was born Tuesday night. It was another boy. That makes all males lambs this year. Surprisingly it was a single from Maggie, a mother who has always given us twins. He is the largest lamb we've ever had though.

Maggie always has a lot of milk. With only one lamb nursing, her udder looks painful. Apparently this lamb also prefers one side, making Maggie a little lopsided. It makes me hurt to look at her udder.

You may remember that earlier this spring we had another sheep with a lopsided udder. We ended up milking her a few times. Her udder had a clog in it, and once we had that cleared and the teat back to a usable size, her lambs were more than happy to use both sides of her udder.

We thought maybe Maggie had the same issue. So, we milked her, but there was no clog. What there was was a lot of milk. Tim milked out almost two quarts from that one side. This morning she was looking miserable again, and Kellen and I tried to milk her. (We don't have a milking station set up, so this is quite the adventure.) Not exactly sure how much milk we got before Maggie kicked the bucket over and we gave up in frustration, but it was a lot again.

And the lamb still isn't interested in nursing that side. Maggie will call him to nurse, and she will nudge him to that side. He sniffs at the nipple and then goes to the other side. Poor Maggie.

Because she has so much milk and because there is only one lamb, I am seriously considering milking her regularly. I really don't have the time to add another project, but if we had a proper place to milk, and she got used to being milked, it really wouldn't be that big of chore would it? The other thing, besides free milk,  that is tempting me to make the commitment is the richness of the milk.

I know that it doesn't show up well in the photo, but I am pointing to the line where the milk and cream have separated. All I can think is butter....cheese....yum....

Someone talk me out of this madness....or convince me that it isn't madness... or come and milk my sheep for me!

Our Horse Girl

Lydia has taken quite an interest in the horses over past couple of months. She loves to feed them, and brush them, and is learning to ride.

Papaw says she is a natural with the horses. She is calm and gentle, but also firm when she needs to be. They trust her, and let her brush them. Even Daisy, the donkey, who has not been trained, lets Lydia sit on her back. Lydia will sit on Diamond while someone else leads her. Lydia has spent a lot of time with them, and she loves every minute of it. Well, at least she did.

Last Friday Lydia also learned that riding and working with horses can be dangerous. She and Mamaw were brushing and feeding the horses. Lydia sat bareback on Diamond. They weren't even moving, but as Lydia was trying to adjust herself, she lost her balance and slid right off Diamond. She landed on her arm....This is what she got from that adventure.

She isn't quite ready to get back up on the horses, but she still loves working with them. For now, she will be feeding and brushing them, but I have a feeling that it won't be long until she is back up on the horses again.

Fort Triforce

Not long ago Papaw scored a fabulous deal on cement blocks at the Re-Store. He brought home pallets and pallets of them for future building projects here on the farm.

It didn't take long until Kellen realized that he could remove the middle blocks and create a small shelter. With a little adult encouragement, the small one pallet shelter quickly turned into a fort; Fort Triforce.

Here are a few views of the fort:

Notice the shelving inside the fort. Those are the "swords" on it. The bows are hanging under the shelf. The taller weapons in the corner are spears. Oh, and that satellite dish? That, of course, is a shield.  Also stockpiled within the fort is water, snacks, a change of clothes, and tools padlocked into a plastic storage container.

To the older boys, Kellen and Miles, this fort is all fort. It is a stage for their battles and they have plans for outposts in the woods. To the younger children, this is a perfect playhouse. A place to take their stuffed animals and blankets. Let's just say that Fort Triforce has already withstood many a battle. In the end, it remains a fort, and the younger children are learning to be respectful of the time and effort that has gone into planing and stocking the fort. Fort Triforce stands tall.

And while I'm sharing videos. . .

Posted about this one over at Stop the Ride today, but wanted to be sure the video itself made into our family archive here (Hey I don't scrap book or keep up photo albums. This is it folks.) Sorry to those of you are getting this duplicated.

This is my brother Eric and I in 1973.

We're On the Small Screen

A few weeks ago we had a lovely visit with Tammy, The Unusually Unusual Farmchick and the Captain. They got the dime tour of the farm, and helped with sheep shearing. Tammy is creating a Homesteader Video series featuring the methods (and madness?) of homesteaders. Check out the video that she made while visiting the 100 Acre Wood: Homesteader Spotlight Video 1.  And I know that Tammy is looking for more homesteads to feature. If your homestead is within driving distance of NE Ohio, and you'd like her to come visit, send her and email.

Spring is Here!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of MyOrganicGardeningBlog.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring! Spring! How I love thee! The weather here has been just perfect. Good and warm through the day and nice and cool in the evening. This really is my favorite weather. Why oh why can't it be like this all year?

The red buds are in full bloom. The Dogwoods are just beginning to open up, and our brown forest is turning green by the day. The early vegetables are in the garden, and LOOK there are blooms on my strawberry plants! The blooms are on the ever bearing plants. The June berries are not blooming yet though. And my asparagus has me a little worried because nothing is coming up yet, but I'm trying to be patient and hoping for the best.

The garden seems to bring new challenges every year, and because organic gardening is somewhat new to me, I'm constantly looking for helpful tips and information. My Organic Gardening Blog has lots of helpful information. It is written for the experienced and the novice gardener. There are posts about vegetable gardening, houseplants, pests, and flowers. Of course, I'll be mostly looking at the vegetable garden posts.

If you are shopping for organic gardening products, coupon code SBSSMOGB will save you 20% off at Safer Brand. You can follow them on twitter too, http://www.twitter.com/saferbrand.

I just love spring, and am so thrilled that is here. I love working in the garden, and simply enjoy the process of planting and watching things grow. Of course, I also enjoy the payoff that all the hard work brings. I can't wait to enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of our labors! Has spring sprung in your area? Do you have big garden plans for this year?

Those Awkward Teenage Weeks

Two weeks old and they are not chicks anymore. They aren't exactly adult chickens yet either. They are caught in that in between time. It isn't pretty.

But I did learn something new about these Cornish X chickens today. I knew that they were a cross between a White Plymouth Rock hen and a Cornish Rooster, but for the life of me could not figure out how that cross made such large meaty birds. Plymouth Rocks are decent sized birds, but not these huge fast growing things. And when I think Cornish chickens I think of the Cornish game hens that you buy whole at the grocery store. Small, but delicious birds right?

Well, yes, but they are only small because they are butchered at four weeks old. Yes, you read that right, four weeks, one month, 28 eight days, say it how you like, but those are very young birds. The fact that they are that size at the age gives a little perspective to the size of the chicks we have.

Still curious, I dug a little deeper. The Cornish birds are a very short yet stocky bird that is double breasted. They are crosses with the Plymouth Rock because the Rocks are a taller bird. The result is a whole lot of meat. The cross is also what most commercial farmers use, and thus is the chicken we are used to in the grocery store.

Sorry to bore you with my chicken talk, but I found it interesting. :)

The Difference a Week Makes

Our chicks are doing so well. Today we gave the brooding pen a good cleaning and separated the Baird Rocks and Cornish X's. They are now a week old and it is amazing how much they have changed already. The pictures below are from the day we got them.

In a week's time, they have eaten about 50 lbs of food. They have most of their wing feathers, and are starting to get tail feathers. The biggest change however, is the size difference between the two breeds.

They were hatched on the same day, and essentially were the same size when they arrived. You can see from the above picture that is no longer the case. The Cornish X chicks are huge compared to the Bairds. I didn't weigh them, but I bet they are almost double the weight. Tales of their fast growth are not exaggerated. And it is no wonder, because all they seem to do is eat.

We pulled all the chicks out this morning while we were working on the pen. When we put the Bairds in they checked out their pen. A few of them went to the feed or water, but the vast majority pecked around the "new" place checking it out. When we put the Cornish Xs in it was completely opposite. Probably 90% of them went straight for the feed. They had been out of their pen (and away from feed) for less than an hour. By the way they attacked the feed you'd think they hadn't eaten all day. It was funny to watch.

Chicks change so fast. Right now they are still cute and fuzzy and lovable. That won't last long. Soon they will be looking like chickens, and I will be looking forward to put some of them in my freezer.

These are the Days I Love

Lately, it seems like our life is so hectic. That this simple living thing is far from simple. That something has to give, but I can't seem to figure out what. It has been exhausting. And then a day like today comes along and everything feels alright again.

Could I ask for a more perfect day? The weather is simply gorgeous. The sun is shining. The birds are signing, and things are turning green.

Tim stayed home this morning, and we worked together on the farm. I know it sounds a little strange, but those are some of my favorite times. So, often we are working apart, at our respective places of employment, and working apart on farm jobs while he and Papaw tend to the heavier jobs, and I tend to the garden, the kids, and the care of the smaller animals.

It wasn't a monumental task. We simply walked up to the barn to walk the ewes and lambs from the nursery pen back to the shed here. Something about being in the sunshine, working with the animals along side my man just feels right.

Then the kids disappeared; for hours. Kellen helped Papaw with fencing and hauling manure, and the other three packed a backpack for "adventures in the woods." You know what that means right? Alone time for mom. Hours of alone time.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. I love spending time with them, but alone time is an extremely rare and precious thing for this slightly introverted, full time homesteading/homeschooling, part time working mom. Being alone is thoroughly refreshing.

What did I do with all that glorious time alone? I worked in the garden a little. I baked a little. Cleaned a little. Basked in the sunshine while working on laundry a little. Dabbled on the computer a bit. Really does it matter?! I did it alone, and it was all wonderful!

And the icing on the cake? Tonight is the Faculty Lounge, a time for homeschooling moms to get together. A blissful day I tell you! 

These are the kind of days I love. These are the kind of days I need more of.

150 Peepers

Today we got 150 newly hatched chicks in the mail. We ordered from Mt Healthy this year. And so far I am very pleased. The chicks were hatched today and we go the call from the post office this afternoon that the chicks had arrived. They all made the trip and look good.

100 of the chicks are Cornish X Crosses (the yellow ones.) We are co-oping with several other families to raise these birds for meat. We also ordered 50 chicks "hatchery choice." I was expecting a mix of birds in this
group, but it looks like we got a straight run of Barred Rocks. They are the black chicks. I was actually hoping for a mix of chickens just to try a few different breeds, but I am happy with the Barred Rocks, and for the price, I can't complain.

The chicks are of course adorable, but getting them all settled while four kids "helped" was a little chaotic. The goal was to get each chick a drink and then place it in warm pen. The chicks kept trying to escape, and 150 of those little peepers all together is very loud.





Tonight Tim and I went and checked them after we got the kids to bed. They were much more settled, not to mention quiet. Many of them were zonked out for naps. I think we just sat there and watched and played with them for about half and hour. They are just too cute, when they are quiet anyway!

A Certain Je ne sais Quoi

The English language is full of oddities and exceptions to the rule. That I suppose is why it is said to be one of the more difficult languages for non native speakers to learn. It is why it presents many challenges to native speakers also.

The English language also includes many foreign phrases. Some retaining their original meaning and others having morphed into something completely different. Did you know that Paparazzi, the word now used to describe pesky celebrity photographers, mean mosquitoes in Italian? The current use of the word came about from its usage in a movie.

A la mode means fashionable in French. In the seventeenth century the English used this phrase to describe a light silk used to make scarves. Here it has come to mean with ice cream. Strange, the history of words.

Phrases such as the Spanish mi casa es su casa, my house is your house,  are used in their original meaning.  Derriere is French for bottom. Guru means teacher in Sanskrit. Verbatim means word for word in Latin.

No, I am not a master of words who knew all these bits of trivia off the top of my head, though I do find them rather interesting. I found these bits of word history in a book I was recently sent to review, A Cerntain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" - The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English. 

Foreign words and phrases that are used in English are arranged alphabetically in this book. Each word or phrase includes the language or origin, the original meaning, and a little history behind how the word and meaning have come to the English language.

I enjoyed browsing through this book. I learned a lot and was surprised at some of the history behind the words. I think anyone who enjoys words would enjoy this book.

Hasta la vista.

Farm News: The Good and the Bad

Raising animals gives the family a certain appreciation, not to mention education, about the cycle of life. Saturday another lamb was born, a little ram. That makes three for three. One more sheep to lamb this month and then there won't be anymore babies for awhile.

Today we put Daisy, the female donkey in with Luigi, the male donkey. Lydia asked, "Why do you want to move Daisy in with Luigi?" I looked at her and said, "Why do you think we would want to do that?" It was like a light bulb went on, and she said, "Oh you want them to breed." Yep. In about a year we should have a little donkey foal.

We are venturing into raising chickens, co-op style. We are planning to purchase 100 Cornish X chicks very soon. We have sold shares in these birds. I am really excited for this project. A little nervous too because we've never done anything quite like this, but I think it is going to be good! You can see the details on our Facebook page. Click on the discussion tab.

The bad news is that one of our doe goats died. She wasn't showing any of the usual signs of illness, but Sunday morning we found her dead. Her kids are three weeks old. They are eating some feed and hay, but really aren't ready for weaning yet. We hoped that one of the other nursing does in the barn would foster them, but the does want nothing to do with the kids that are not theirs. Luckily we were able to find another "momma" willing to foster them.

Lydia loves being a little momma to the animals that need a little extra TLC. Feeding these kids a couple of bottles a day will help them with the transition.

And that is news from the farm.