Confounded Pigs

C Day

Confounded Pigs

     Why is it every time it comes a bad rain storm the pigs always find a way to get out? It has been pouring buckets and when we went to feed the pigs, they had all escaped. Thankfully the registered pigs didn’t go far from the pen and they went right in as soon as they knew food was coming. They had busted out of the back of the barn.  After fixing the spot where they broke out We called and drove around the property to see if we could find the other three but so far no sign of them. One is my girl Lucy, she is the oldest of the pigs and is very much pregnant. The other two are feeder hogs and one is fixed and the other not. Maybe a neighbor found them and got free groceries for the day or piglets. I do hope they get back up the hill and back where they belong though, especially Lucy.

     On a good note, I fixed the roof from leaking in the ceiling of our kitchen. No, I didn’t go out on the roof, but I cheated a bit by using the flex tape they advertise on the telly.  That made my day because now I shouldn’t have to mop anymore. Time will tell. I had used the tape before and it does do what they say it does. I give them an a plus. It truly worked too no more mess! The rain is coming down in pools now too!  

     I made a batch of chicken salad today but I didn't have grapes so I substituted them for mango and it turned out to be a great caribbean like salad. here is the recipe:
 2 halves chicken breast,
 1 stalk of celery, 
1 cup  mayo, 
1 tb of lemon juice
A dash of garlic powder,and onion powder,
1/2 a mango cubed
Mix well and enjoy!

     Days like today are only good for two things and that is a hot mug of cocoa and a good book  cozying up by the fire. After being in the rain I feel like that may be the best Idea I had all day.

I hope you enjoy this blusteriest rainy C day as I have (not).  I can’t wait till spring!

*Update on pigs, they are all home safely now no neighbor got lunch today!

Tearing Down the Barn!

     I know that everyone has heard of the three little pigs and how the wolf blew their houses down but now I have a story about the 23 pigs who tore the barn down. We had all but one pig penned up in the right side of the barn yard with a couple of goats and one pig is that pig was earlier terrorizing my yard and gardens ended up in the left side of the barn in that pen. We have 12 new pigs that have been born this year and we are back to having them run the yard because they are small enough to go through the fence. They have also dug their way under the barn walls to go from one pen to the other.

Broken Barn Wall

     Today the hubby calls me on his way down the drive telling me he doesn't see any pigs in the right side pen and would I check it out. Sure I tell him. When I got down there all of the pigs had moved from one side of the barn to the other. They had up rooted a board that was dividing the two sides of the barn and broke the corner off so they can move freely between the two pens. In the meantime one of the bigger baby pigs had once again got its head caught under the gate and was stuck there. (You would think they would learn after doing it yesterday.) I lifted the gate to let him loose and he took off to the other side of the pen. I know our barn is in need of an overhaul because these guys are so destructive. Just another thing needing to be done here on the farm. This is what pigs do tear up and mud up.

My big boy Jamie  now he could tear up some mud!

Left side of barn 

Right side of barn

     Meanwhile, I cleared all the lambs quarters weed out from around the pen and fed it to the pigs until feeding time. That seemed to make them happy. I sure hope they can make it for a little longer so we can get the pasture electric fence  restored from the goats and donkeys so we can put them out there for the fall. We might not have a barn at the rate they are going.

     Next time we will talk about this little pig went to market.

More Expansion on the Farm

Piglets 

Rock path

     We brought home a trio of Buff Opingtons and five Guineas yesterday. To add to the chickens. We lost a few chickens early on this year so we figured it wouldn’t hurt to add a few back. The guineas will be the new alarm system for the barn, and maybe even eat a few fire ants.

Buff

     I have finally got the yard mowed. I have been dealing with the electric company cutting trees and taking down and putting up poles for the last several days. I found three black rat snake eggs while I was mowing. I put them safely into a bucket to see if they will hatch. I don’t want them near the barn but I don’t mind them on the property as they will eat the rats that may find their way up the hill or the copperheads that we really don’t want to encounter at all.

     I paved my garden paths with flat stones to keep grass from taking over and I cleaned out the pond and filled it so that we can put some gold fish in it this year.

     The grand kids are here for a visit and to share in the excitement of the new baby pigs. They lost theirs last year to a dog pack and I told them they could come pick out a new one to keep and train.

Grace is practicing her guitar and Nan has been drawing. I guess they don’t miss the swimming so far but we are definitely going to have to get moving on the frame exchange so we can swim again soon.

     I surprised that darn pig that has been running the yard since birth yesterday. He was in the other pen when we came home and I closed the gate real quick so he can’t get out anymore! Ha. I saved him for a few more days at least because he was going to be slaughter this week. He can live in that pen for a while.  My baby pigs are doing great they are in and out of the barn all day long. The males will be cut soon and once they are weaned six of them will already be going to a new home.

     

The electric company left the poles for us they switched out and will be dropping off any of the others they might have just to keep from hauling them back with them. We will be using them for a pole barn.

Garden Time Again

     I started my garden yesterday. We bought several bags of organic garden soil to fill up raised beds. Just put the lettuce, arugula, and kale seeds in. they can withstand the freeze we might have, it got to 27 last night again. I did manage to plant spinach, swiss chard, turnips, radishes earlier and they are coming up good. We are adding some plowed rows this year because the raised beds were not near enough. This year we have to get serious about the garden.

     The 2 pigs that have been out running the property have almost destroyed my herb garden up at the house. I have saved a few hostas, my angel trumpets, a few strawberry plants, my lemon balm and bee balm. That is it. I am glad I got seeds to replant. The pigs are going to become dinner sooner than they think. I bought some plants at the School’s FFA sale to add to my herbs too I bought a purple Angel Trumpet which I never seen it now and a few rosemary plants, a eucalyptus tree, and some peppermint.

     I started taking classes again I finished up one in reflexology. I am now certified to practice it. The other classes are in acupressure, one is a master class and the other is fully accredited. I can use them for my family who all have ailments of some sort. I hope to help ease their problems. I would love to go to get certified to be an acupuncturist but money is tight. Maybe in my bucket list.

Bringing 2018 to its Close and New Beginnings

   

  Knowing I have not typed up a post for a while, I feel like I have lost track of time in so many ways. Time seemed to get away from us here on the farm. The weather has played such a great part in that too. Rain seems to have come down and cold weather in the past few months. I am talking torrential down pours too.

      My daughter, her husband, and children have moved away, which was probably for the best as they didn’t find time to help us in the roof project much. Having one working bathroom was too hard to deal with also for 6 people.  That can create negative feelings too. On the up side, I have my living room back, something that had been taken over by my g daughters since we had the hurricane last year. Boy was I happy too, even though I ended up clearing out their stuff by myself and packing it up for them. I found some nice free antique furniture to take their place instead.  The g kids still come for the free internet lol.

      As far as the work on the roof we have put up a roof section over the top of the worst part of the trailer and have a dry dining room and kitchen once again. We have 12x12 feet of walls built on one end of the trailer to begin the next section.  Seems there are great intentions, but rain seems to hit on the days I am off and sunshine on those I am not. I finally through in the towel for this year and said we could start in the spring. (We all know here in Georgia we only have two seasons these days’ winter and summer. Spring is a week or so long and so is fall.)  

      We have had a hard time keeping our hogs in a dry spot and lost a few again to the abundant amount of rain that we have had. We still have several piglets that we would love to sell for feeders. We have slaughtered a few for bbq and sold several. Even then, we had so many at born one time and despite loss we should cull a few more to start out on the right foot for the coming year. Our chickens have done well over the raining months no egg laying, but no loss.

      Speaking of loss, my husband lost his stepdad this month. Both my brothers lost fathers-in-law too. As our parents seem to be coming into that age we should be somewhat expecting this, we really don’t. 80 is a long time to live for many folks, but in my family they seem to hang in there a bit longer. My great grandmother was 102 when she passed. My grandmother lived to 90s. They were from my dad’s side. Not so great for my mother’s side, 60-80.  My mother has gone through a lot this year. She lost her eye and her vision is very poor in the other. She has had countless health issues but continues on. This year has been fair to my husband and myself just your everyday ailments for the most part. We sure are not at all spring chickens anymore though that is for sure. My husband is 60 already and I think I will stay 17 for a few more years tee hee.

      I just want to say that I have been patient for what it has been worth and I know that one day the roof will be finished and the old trailer will be gone. But for now I am ending this year hoping for a better beginning and less rain. Lots of love coming and going as we never seem to have enough love. Saying please forgive me if I wronged you in anyway and find more time to listen, more time to laugh,  more time to share. I am thankful for all I have: new friends, old friends, family spiritual and natural. Thankful this old broken down farm that is mine and is just like me. Life is good. See you all in the coming 2019 year. May great blessings be given to all.

Roof on Dude

Front Roof

Trailer roof and front roof

My work space/office

     Despite all the pitfalls and negative onset of getting the new roof on the house, I can honestly say that we are finally getting started. The rain has finally cleared our area and the weather is warm, maybe too warm for some but we have now begun to build a roof. Woohoo!

     Since I am not going on the roof until it is safer I have been working on plenty of other things. I am afraid of heights and if anyone will be falling through, It will be me. So that being said I have been busy with gardening and yard work. Safe things like that are more my way of getting things done. I have planted a four square garden a month ago and it has taken off like crazy with all the rain we had. I have filled in a stone walkway between each square and last night I laid out my frame fencing to keep the critters out. I am recycling an old pool frame for the base. I have also recycled an old round bath tub to make a small fish pond in the one end of the garden.

 

     At the front of the house I have planted a flower/fairy garden. I have been collecting flowers and herbs just for this place. I also dug out all of the debris from around the steps going down to the ravine that has accumulated over the past years. Today I will begin cleaning out the downed branches and wisteria vine and poison ivy that has taken over in the ravine. My daughter has an old pool liner that she is bringing me to line the bottom with to make a big pond for Koi. This project may take some time in between all the other things going on. I have also laid out plans for my pool shed.

 

My steps to the ravine & strawberry patch

My garden

poison ivy & wisteria I will be clearing out for pond

Where the new pool shed will go

     I have been going from one room to the next cleaning out and getting rid of stuff that will not be used or has not been used for a while, downsizing. My office has just a few new thing in it. I now have a sewing area. That is something I needed. We ran all the electric last week and I have just one wall to cover now. I can say it is always cool in there with the a/c we added. Everything has a place and that includes my rocking chair with my massager. I need that too for those days I have gone beyond my breaking point for the day. Little by little I see progress in motion. It may take more than the summer to get things finished but it is well worth it to get up early and start the day off right and work till I drop. I know one thing, I sleep well most nights, unless I have over extended and I do have a tendency to do that. That is when the arnica comes out.

     We have figured that six of the seven female pigs are pregnant and we shall have piglets come August. We moved all the pigs to a new pen since the rain has all but washed them away in the old one. Hopefully that one will dry out soon. We will have to move them all soon to the new pasture. 

     That is what has been going on here at EarthsBlessing Farm. I will be keeping up with new progress and more pictures soon. We hope you like our blog and share it with others as we continue to survive and sustain in all our great adventures.