Mending Fences

Despite the fact it has been raining here almost every day for the last week I have managed to get a lot done. I have been working on refinishing a big coffee table that my daughter gave me for the new addition of the house. In between rains I have been sanding and waxing it little by little.

Also we have got the new pool up and running. The girls have been little fish all day long, even in the rain. This year we converted over to a salt water pool. Already it has paid off.

My daughter’s boyfriend is giving up farming for the time being and I bought two goats from him; a male and female and she may be pregnant. Not sure what kind they are yet and don’t really care at this time as I need someone to mow down the pasture some to share with the pigs. I spent the morning mending fences and fixing pens. The goats will be delivered sometime today or tomorrow. I will be ready for them.

I have been doing a lot of research on homesteading. I want to get serious about what we have going on here with our pigs and chickens. The goat will provide milk for us sometime in the near future too. I can use it in my soap too. I want to make some money off the animals we have now. I do need a few more chickens, but that will come soon enough too.

Blueberry bushes are ready for picking. They are the nicest ones we have had in a while with all this rain we have been getting. So picking and preserving is on the list of things to do. Not to mention mowing the yard again, if the rain stops enough for the yard to dry up a bit for me to do it.

The house plans are still in order and we have to pick up poles soon. The Sumac trees are tall in the back of the house again.It's due to the crazy weather too,and that means work all over again removing them before the poles go in. Ugh how I hate how those trees keep popping up everywhere.  We have called about roof supplies and we may have got some help with the build that would be a blessing for sure if we do. Anyway I have been a busy little farmer. Time keeps on ticking and one day my house will be done and I will be happy. Until then I will keep plugging away at it.
Just finished my table!

 

Busy as a Bee

      We had a pig returned last night from our daughter because he keeps escaping and they are going back to work and they have a coyote running their property. All of our girls (pigs) are in heat right now and they are too young yet to breed. Lady Cersei is needing to be moved still with all the other girls. We will be working on that sometime this week.
     Today we worked on another chicken coop to separate our new Reds and Dominique from the bigger chickens. The big chickens are a bit too rough as far as I am concerned. We built a new nest box and moved the the two into the new pen. One of the big chickens will stay with the babies because she is taking them under her wing. She is one who hasn't laid an egg yet, but I think she is older and has stopped.
     I re-potted a bunch of chocolate mint this morning and planted my new banana tree. I have some rosemary in a start jar and spearmint too.  I am hoping to have a very nice sized herb garden soon. Little by little I add a few more. I planted a few starts of Pothos into the pot with the rest of it to fill up the pot.
     I am also getting back out in field service when I can to keep my service work to Jehovah up a bit more. That is my first and foremost task of all. I have also started five classes: two literature, one history and one education class. I won't get college credit, but it will give me more insight into each class. Knowledge is always great and I love learning.

Moving into Hot Weather on the Farm

Back in the chicken biz! We got our five Dominique hens and two Road Island Reds last night. They are babies, just a few weeks old. That means our one hen we have that has been laying eggs will have to keep producing for a while longer by herself. I want to stick with the heritage animals.

I have a new Mango tree up now that gives me four and I hope they will be producing fruits one day. Even after all the crazy weather we had at the beginning of the year I can say we are fortunate to have blue berries for the year!  Plums and pears not so much, and peaches well if they get big it will be very little, far and few. I did plant a bunch of organic tangerine seeds a few weeks back they should be up soon too.

Our pigs are all growing like weeds and the baby girls have already seen their first heat. The momma pigs are all fat and sassy once again. Our four registered pigs are doing well too. We are about to take the boys out and pen them up in the field away from the girls for now to give everyone a rest and recovery. Lady Cersei needs to be bred, but we need a registered boar for her.

We have one week left to school including post planning for teachers. Man has this year blown by. Seniors graduate on Wednesday and students last day is there too. I have no idea what next year will have in store or even if I will still be there as they have several cuts to our department. I have enjoyed working with my mildly disabled children this year. They have me wrapped around their fingers and my heart has been swelling with great joy from working with them. Their last day was yesterday and I tried not to cry before I left. I have been named Ms. Jusey by the class as one called me and I loved hearing them laugh as they all got going calling my name. I will truly miss working with them. I hope whoever gets to work with them love them as much as I do. They could take my head aches right away and made me laugh so far as we worked altogether. They loved to dance and sing and just be the innocent lovely children that they are. It will be a long summer without them.

Moving into the hot weather where is that spring? And house renovation will be fun.

What My Children Mean to Me

What My Children Mean to Me
Emma Dorsey
 5.13.17 

What My Children Mean to Me

As I grow older and my hair turns grey,

I often wondered what my kids have to say.

After years of training, discipline, boo boo’s and such,

I think, do they still love me a little or as much.

Through tears and laughter they have all come to be,

Unique individuals that fell from my tree.

Sometime unkind words did get spoken,

Even some days my heart felt like a little bit broken.

If they only knew how much I think of them every day,

And how often my heart carries them always as I pray.

I have been blessed with more than I know.

I hope that their love spreads and it grows.

I love they all so much,

But some seem to lose touch.

I am growing older, and much, much slower.

I sometimes wish they would just come on over.

Come give me a hug and a hand when I need it,

Just come home to visit.

Too big for my lap but never too big for my kisses.

Yes these are the things I am really missing.

Time keeps on ticking, I can tell you that,

My kids are my world no matter what.

I still dream of the days we will see paradise

I think of it often it would be so nice.

But we all have our families and others to tend,

Will we all make to the very end?

Just want them to know I love them so much.

And think of them often and miss them a bunch.

Footers Dug and Chores of all Kinds

I am glad the weather has been good to me. We have had just enough rain to soften the ground so I could get things done. Footers are dug all except where the trailer still sits and I can't do anymore till it is gone. Luckily it is where the living room area will set in the front of the house and it is a section that will be added to the existing part of the house on the one end. in the middle of the two parts I think we will just use piers for the floor joist to sit on.  It is only a span of 22 feet and just the front side will need dug and just a few feet more on the side. It may have taken me a few days to get it done, but the reward means some rest for me until we get our block and more gravel. I had some restless nights dealing with pain of unused muscles, but well worth every bit of it. I am now on a mission to build this house!

In the mean time there are several things that I can be working on in other places outside and in. I will be helping to finish up mowing the yard for the first time this year. I do have quite a bit of tree trimming to do also. I can't forget the pigs, they too need my attention. My labs have been in training as well. I have an escape artist that needs to learn just because I am working in the back yard she can not just dig under the dog fence and come see me.

Indoors the spring cleaning will keep me busy; like cleaning out my closet.  I hate to think of the girls room as I never know where to start there. They seemed to accumulate most of their stuff here until their room is added at their house. Thankful for all the crates I saved and filled already with all my art supplies etc. that will make an easy transfer when the time comes. Summer will be here before we know it and I sure hope I have walls up and roof so I don't have to worry about too much heat. Everything else should fall into place after that. Glad we emptied the pool this past fall it will be one less thing I will have to work hard at cleaning.

It's Offical We have Registered Hogs!

Daffodils from my flower garden

Rain keeps me in a bit today but not too long. So, I thought I would get some catching up made. Time passes fast when you have a full plate. Between studying my Bible, herbal class stuff and working at the school full time I sometimes neglect  my blog. I have also taken on the job at school to sell tickets for my soccer kids. This takes up a few nights a week . All in all I have been under the weather some but seem to keep hopping as best as I can. We are already half way through February, WOW!

Piglets are growing like weeds and they are about to be weaned and ready for new homes for those of you who who would like one. Unfortunately we lost two of the newer litter in the rains that came in January. This left us with with eight babies. You never know when you will deal with the unforeseen circumstances on the farm. On the up side, we are now officially raising registered American Guinea Hogs. We purchased a momma sow and three eight week old males with papers from one of the nearby neighbors wanting to get into cows instead. These four are very tame and love being around folks. I have named them Jamie II Frazer, Hoglas Mackenzie, and Angus Mhog. Their momma's name is Lady Cersei and their daddy was Jamie I. He was sold to someone else.

My 3 Registered boys loving their scratchins

Lady Cersei

I have been trying little by little to tame our new little bacon bits so they are not skiddish like their momma's are. They too have come a long way since we first got them. I spend  time sitting very still  talking to them all. You may find me quiet strange but I truly love my pigs. Two babies- the two I will be keeping from my first ever litters named Minnie and Buttons ( our only male in the bunch) love to be scratched and come sit at my feet waiting. They love scratches so much they both fall over and coo out their little grunts of love for me.

I have been working in the back of the house cutting down all the sumac trees that have come up in my flower bed over the septic tank. What a job  they seem to be never ending, I try to dig up roots  as best as I can too. My view is now overlooking all my dafodils blooming out my back window.

Today I started  the footer dig but the rain came. As soon as it stops it will be time to get back at it and finish it up. i have a four day weekend so I hope to get things on the move.