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Remember our bees! I worried about them with those freezing temperatures and all that snow. I would walk past the bee hives covered with snow and say a little prayer. Well, today the temperature finally hit 50! Felt like a heat wave hit Cincinnati. Actually went outside without 10 layers of clothes - how nice!
My friend the beekeeper, Kent Hatfield, called and said I should go look at my bee hives and, hopefully, see if there is any sign of life. With the warm temperature, the bees should be coming out of the hive. So very cautiously, I went out to the hives hoping for the best, but reluctant to look. The way our luck has been lately, I wasn't sure I really wanted to look! BUT . . . there they were . . . my wonderful little bees buzzing around. What a beautiful sight!!! Both hives were active! Thank you Lord! So, apparently, we did right in feeding like we did. B & D Honey, yes siree!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
And then there was a fox . . .
That about says it all! We thought we had weasel problems BUT it turns out it is a fox. Last week, we lost another chicken which brings the total to 3 chickens. Fortunately we had a fresh snowfall which gave us good paw prints. The paw prints were definitely not weasel. Weasels don't have claws and these prints showed signs of claws and they were too big for weasels. After a search on the Internet, looks like we have a fox visiting our chickens.
We happened to be up at the duck pen the next day and saw the same prints. He (or she) walked right pass the duck pen. So we followed the prints and lost them under our deck. Now won't that be a kick in the butt if the fox is living under OUR deck while feasting on OUR chickens!
So for the time being the chickens will have to be locked up in the chicken house. Apparently, Mr. or Ms Fox didn't like that very much and yesterday for the first time we had a duck attack and it wasn't pretty. We are now at war and the casualties are mounting. I can't afford to lose many more. So I made a few calls to a couple of my farmer friends. Today I go to pick up a live trap. To all the animals activists, I am sorry if this offends you, but this is my business and I have way too much money invested in these animals to be feeding them to Mr/Ms Fox. If we are able, we will get the "criminal" and "deposit" him/her out at East Fork Lake. But, if there is any chance that we will get bite while trying to remove him, well sorry folks . . .
Until then, all the animals will have to remain locked up. I hate doing that because I won't like being locked up. But I gotta do what I gotta do.
We happened to be up at the duck pen the next day and saw the same prints. He (or she) walked right pass the duck pen. So we followed the prints and lost them under our deck. Now won't that be a kick in the butt if the fox is living under OUR deck while feasting on OUR chickens!
So for the time being the chickens will have to be locked up in the chicken house. Apparently, Mr. or Ms Fox didn't like that very much and yesterday for the first time we had a duck attack and it wasn't pretty. We are now at war and the casualties are mounting. I can't afford to lose many more. So I made a few calls to a couple of my farmer friends. Today I go to pick up a live trap. To all the animals activists, I am sorry if this offends you, but this is my business and I have way too much money invested in these animals to be feeding them to Mr/Ms Fox. If we are able, we will get the "criminal" and "deposit" him/her out at East Fork Lake. But, if there is any chance that we will get bite while trying to remove him, well sorry folks . . .
Until then, all the animals will have to remain locked up. I hate doing that because I won't like being locked up. But I gotta do what I gotta do.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Back to work!
Whew! Survived the Christmas rush! Today I will attempt to clean my soap room which looks like a major disaster struck! When you are frantically making soaps and lotions, if something spills . . . oh well! So today it returns back to a "normal" room. Of course, it won't last for long. And I begin rebuilding my soap inventory which is at new all time low. So if you are looking for a particular soap fragrance, speak up! I know a lot of people were looking for Rosemary/Lavender Herbal Soap so that is first on my list. I am planning on making a lot of that. Since we had two goats miscarry this Fall, we will probably have a larger inventory of the herbal soaps.
To update you on "Opie" (my son). Yes, Opie will be leaving Mayberry sometime this summer to go to Boot Camp (or as it now called Basic Training). He will be "enlisting" in the Navy this week in the DEP program (Delay Entry Program) - which means that he is in the Navy but will "actively" join the Navy once he graduates from High School. Of course, I feel like someone dropped a ton of bricks on me. Fortunately, I found a neat support group called "Navy for Moms" on the Internet and found a bunch of other "weepy" Moms, so I am not alone. In the last week and a half, I have learned so much and "met" a lot of very nice Navy Moms. So now I don't feel as quite alone as I did.
Thank you all for your support in 2010! It has been quite a year! Somehow we survived it - got bruised quite a bit, but we are still standing and that is what counts! With the Lord's Help, 2011 will be better! May the Lord bless you and your families in 2011.
To update you on "Opie" (my son). Yes, Opie will be leaving Mayberry sometime this summer to go to Boot Camp (or as it now called Basic Training). He will be "enlisting" in the Navy this week in the DEP program (Delay Entry Program) - which means that he is in the Navy but will "actively" join the Navy once he graduates from High School. Of course, I feel like someone dropped a ton of bricks on me. Fortunately, I found a neat support group called "Navy for Moms" on the Internet and found a bunch of other "weepy" Moms, so I am not alone. In the last week and a half, I have learned so much and "met" a lot of very nice Navy Moms. So now I don't feel as quite alone as I did.
Thank you all for your support in 2010! It has been quite a year! Somehow we survived it - got bruised quite a bit, but we are still standing and that is what counts! With the Lord's Help, 2011 will be better! May the Lord bless you and your families in 2011.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Goats!!!!
Just when I think I have goats figured out, they do something that completely baffles me. Remember last month, Ida, my black goat, miscarried. Well, today, Kallie, my BEST milker, miscarried triplets (thank you very much!). I found the tiny babies in the hay in the goat barn (boy, there are days when I really love my job!). Excuse me, I am just extremely frustrated. This year has just really sucked and it is ending badly. I don't drink, but this makes me think I might want to!
Then I sit down and think, God will get me through this. There is a reason for this. I just have to figure out WHY? Everything was going good until recently, so what changed? Bobby thinks it is my buck (boy goat). We got rid of my old buck and got a new one. The old one (well, he wasn't old, just had been here for a year or two) was related to several of the girls and we can't have him breeding with his daughters. So he got replaced. Won't think that would make that big of a difference, but I guess it could.
The thing that concerns me now is that I have lost two milkers and have three "potential" milkers left. With goats you are never sure if they are pregnant or not. You can see the "act" being done, but whether or not the buck "hit the mark" - we will find out in 5 months. If a goat is pregnant, she will develop an udder usually a week before she gives birth. I am sure my neighbors think I am some sort of pervert because I keep looking under my goats' tails looking for an udder.
Hopefully, 2011 will be better than 2010 was.
Then I sit down and think, God will get me through this. There is a reason for this. I just have to figure out WHY? Everything was going good until recently, so what changed? Bobby thinks it is my buck (boy goat). We got rid of my old buck and got a new one. The old one (well, he wasn't old, just had been here for a year or two) was related to several of the girls and we can't have him breeding with his daughters. So he got replaced. Won't think that would make that big of a difference, but I guess it could.
The thing that concerns me now is that I have lost two milkers and have three "potential" milkers left. With goats you are never sure if they are pregnant or not. You can see the "act" being done, but whether or not the buck "hit the mark" - we will find out in 5 months. If a goat is pregnant, she will develop an udder usually a week before she gives birth. I am sure my neighbors think I am some sort of pervert because I keep looking under my goats' tails looking for an udder.
Hopefully, 2011 will be better than 2010 was.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Opie Leaving Mayberry
My son, Nathan, will be graduating this Spring from high school. How can this be? It seems like only yesterday when Bobby and I went to Walgreens and jokingly bought a home pregnancy test (we were married!!) because I was "late". And when the little blue line appeared, you didn't know if you should say "OH S..t!" or "OH my!" Either way it was a surprise because the doctors said I couldn't get pregnant - guess they were wrong! So, here we are 17 years later living out in the country on a goat farm. And I have loved every minute of it!
This past Monday, Bobby and Nathan went to talk to a Navy recruiter. Nathan has been at odds about what he is going to do after graduation considering how bad the economy is. Currently, he is working part-time at a horse farm and does not consider that a career choice. The goats are of no interest to him. So "Opie" is thinking about joining the Navy.
Granted this is probably a very wise decision. He could learn so much. Not to mention the "free" travel. Bobby assures me that he probably won't see any military action. If he did, it would be from a boat and boats don't sink. Well, DUH remember the Titanic!!! Nathan tells me that he hasn't made up his mind yet, but I know my son and my intuition tells me that he is going into the Navy.
I am trying not to be a "Mom" about this. I want him to do what is best for him. BUT in my heart, I don't want him to go - I know I can't hold on to my little boy any longer. I am not ready for him to leave yet. I guess every Mom goes through this. I know sooner or later Opie must leave Mayberry, but I hadn't planned on it to be so soon.
This past Monday, Bobby and Nathan went to talk to a Navy recruiter. Nathan has been at odds about what he is going to do after graduation considering how bad the economy is. Currently, he is working part-time at a horse farm and does not consider that a career choice. The goats are of no interest to him. So "Opie" is thinking about joining the Navy.
Granted this is probably a very wise decision. He could learn so much. Not to mention the "free" travel. Bobby assures me that he probably won't see any military action. If he did, it would be from a boat and boats don't sink. Well, DUH remember the Titanic!!! Nathan tells me that he hasn't made up his mind yet, but I know my son and my intuition tells me that he is going into the Navy.
I am trying not to be a "Mom" about this. I want him to do what is best for him. BUT in my heart, I don't want him to go - I know I can't hold on to my little boy any longer. I am not ready for him to leave yet. I guess every Mom goes through this. I know sooner or later Opie must leave Mayberry, but I hadn't planned on it to be so soon.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
We are being hit with our second snowstorm of the year and it isn't even winter yet! Looks like we are in for a "fun" winter! My son is thrilled because this is his second snow day in a week and I think they are predicting more snow next week!
I quickly forgot what happens when it snows and had a painful reminder the other day. Went down to feed the chickens and put them back in their pen, when I found the body of a dead chicken. At first, I didn't think too much of it since it was one of my older chickens and I figured she had died of old age. Then my husband noticed her head was missing (sorry to be so graphic). Very close by was the body of another chicken, a younger one - in the same situation. Feathers were scattered around indicating these were not accidental deaths. The loss of the heads is the definite sign of a weazel attack. Weazels drink the blood of chickens and leave the bodies behind. Other animals will take the bodies away. With the cold weather coming on, the animals are coming out of the woods looking for food and chickens make a nice snack.
So now I will have to keep the ducks and chickens locked up until the winter passes or let them out while I am down there watching. I have too much invested in them to let them be weazel or fox food. It is extremely unusual for this to happen in the day, but I guess when you are hungry . . .
Oh yes, to update you on my shoulder - the doctor postponed my surgery on the 13th. It has been rescheduled for January 10th.
I quickly forgot what happens when it snows and had a painful reminder the other day. Went down to feed the chickens and put them back in their pen, when I found the body of a dead chicken. At first, I didn't think too much of it since it was one of my older chickens and I figured she had died of old age. Then my husband noticed her head was missing (sorry to be so graphic). Very close by was the body of another chicken, a younger one - in the same situation. Feathers were scattered around indicating these were not accidental deaths. The loss of the heads is the definite sign of a weazel attack. Weazels drink the blood of chickens and leave the bodies behind. Other animals will take the bodies away. With the cold weather coming on, the animals are coming out of the woods looking for food and chickens make a nice snack.
So now I will have to keep the ducks and chickens locked up until the winter passes or let them out while I am down there watching. I have too much invested in them to let them be weazel or fox food. It is extremely unusual for this to happen in the day, but I guess when you are hungry . . .
Oh yes, to update you on my shoulder - the doctor postponed my surgery on the 13th. It has been rescheduled for January 10th.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Life on the Farm in the Cold
Ah, the joys of life on the farm when it is cold - really cold. When the temps hit single digits is when I begin to rethink my career choice. Pretty much every single water bucket is its own ice skating rink. So that means hauling fresh water to duck, chicken and goat pens that now seem miles away instead of only several yards. Surprisingly the ducks don't seem to mind the cold very much. When I get their little ponds thawed out, it always give me chills to see them swimming in what has got to be ice cold water - doesn't seem to bother them a bit.
The goats hate this weather and won't venture out of the barn. They will stick their heads out to see what is happening and quickly disappear back into the barn - they must be part bear because they seem to hibernate.
The chickens do come out to see if they can find something to eat. Of course, they can't so they quickly retreat back to the hen house.
With regards to the goat baby situation (UGH!) - it is looking like my new Saanen, Elissa, is pregnant. At least, she looks fat. Can't really tell about the others yet. Ida, my black alpine goat, miscarried last month. Hated to see that but that shouldn't affect me too much. She wasn't a huge milk producer.
On a personal note, it is a "go" for my surgery on Monday. The doctor has been paid - you now have to pay the surgeon up front. I had my physical yesterday and passed that with flying colors. Now I have to do is show up Monday morning at Holmes Hospital.
The goats hate this weather and won't venture out of the barn. They will stick their heads out to see what is happening and quickly disappear back into the barn - they must be part bear because they seem to hibernate.
The chickens do come out to see if they can find something to eat. Of course, they can't so they quickly retreat back to the hen house.
With regards to the goat baby situation (UGH!) - it is looking like my new Saanen, Elissa, is pregnant. At least, she looks fat. Can't really tell about the others yet. Ida, my black alpine goat, miscarried last month. Hated to see that but that shouldn't affect me too much. She wasn't a huge milk producer.
On a personal note, it is a "go" for my surgery on Monday. The doctor has been paid - you now have to pay the surgeon up front. I had my physical yesterday and passed that with flying colors. Now I have to do is show up Monday morning at Holmes Hospital.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Time to breathe!
Craft season is now over. Time to exhale! I want to thank everyone who believed in me enough to buy my products! I know times are tough - thank you so much for your support and your loyalty!
I do have a very limited supply of goat's milk soap. All our lotions and lotion bars are made to order so if you need it, we can make it for you. Just give us a call or send us an email. Our jams, jellies and fudge are also made to order, too. We still have plenty of herbal soaps - Oatmeal & Lavender, Peppermint, Patchouli, and Carrot - out of Beer Soap. Oh yes, we still have plenty of Silly Lilly Dog Shampoo! I will be out of "commission" on December 13, 14 and maybe the 15 due to the surgery on my shoulder but should be back in business after that.
I want to wish everyone one a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. We will be back at the Hyde Park Farmer's Market in May, 2011 and the Anderson Farmer's Market at the end of May, 2011. May God bless you and your family this year and in the new year.
I do have a very limited supply of goat's milk soap. All our lotions and lotion bars are made to order so if you need it, we can make it for you. Just give us a call or send us an email. Our jams, jellies and fudge are also made to order, too. We still have plenty of herbal soaps - Oatmeal & Lavender, Peppermint, Patchouli, and Carrot - out of Beer Soap. Oh yes, we still have plenty of Silly Lilly Dog Shampoo! I will be out of "commission" on December 13, 14 and maybe the 15 due to the surgery on my shoulder but should be back in business after that.
I want to wish everyone one a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. We will be back at the Hyde Park Farmer's Market in May, 2011 and the Anderson Farmer's Market at the end of May, 2011. May God bless you and your family this year and in the new year.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Hyde Park Farmer's Market
Back to "official" business . . . we will be returning to the Hyde Park Farmer's Market in 2011 (and the Anderson Market, also). It is now "official" . . . the Hyde Park Farmer's Market will be moving to the Hyde Park Square in 2011. The Market will be there from June through September. The pre-season market in May will still be at the US Bank parking lot and will return there in October and November.
Doctors and my shoulder
Went to see my Orthopedic Doctor on Monday for follow-up on my shoulder. Not much improvement so I will be having surgery on Monday, December 13. UGH!!! I am not looking forward to this at all.
So yesterday, for some reason, I started to think about my surgery and my mind drifted to what TV Doctor I would love to have do my surgery - I know when you are bored . . . ! For those interested, here is what I came up with (yes,I know I need to get a life!). I don't want McDreamy (Grey's Anatomy) - he loses too many patients and I don't like Meredith. I know ER is no longer on TV, BUT if it were . . . I would probably either want Dr. Greene (yes, I know he died of cancer BUT he would do the surgery BEFORE he died) or Dr. Carter. Of course, there is George Clooney (Dr. Ross) - I forget, he was a pediatric doctor - well, he could work on my kid ANY DAY! I thought of Dr. Kildare or Ben Casey but they might be too old (and probably retired) but at least they would be experienced! Marcus Welby would be another good doctor. What TV Doctor would you want?
So yesterday, for some reason, I started to think about my surgery and my mind drifted to what TV Doctor I would love to have do my surgery - I know when you are bored . . . ! For those interested, here is what I came up with (yes,I know I need to get a life!). I don't want McDreamy (Grey's Anatomy) - he loses too many patients and I don't like Meredith. I know ER is no longer on TV, BUT if it were . . . I would probably either want Dr. Greene (yes, I know he died of cancer BUT he would do the surgery BEFORE he died) or Dr. Carter. Of course, there is George Clooney (Dr. Ross) - I forget, he was a pediatric doctor - well, he could work on my kid ANY DAY! I thought of Dr. Kildare or Ben Casey but they might be too old (and probably retired) but at least they would be experienced! Marcus Welby would be another good doctor. What TV Doctor would you want?
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