Friday Farm Funny: I see London, I see France.....

Around here we try to recycle things as much as possible, and that includes worn-out clothing that has reached the unwearable stage. I have a little container in the laundry room that we call the "rag box" where all the ragged socks, t shirts- and yes, undies- are washed and placed in to be used for everything from dusting ceiling fans and waxing cars to cleaning up greasy hands and dirty shoes.
This garment was used for the messy task of cleaning up our paintbrushes (and our hands) while we were staining the house, but I forgot to throw it away and didn't realize it was still hanging around until I went looking for my scrub brush.
Now, I'm not going to tell you who these belonged to, but I will say this much- I would love to think I owned a pair of undies that could be used to clean a paintbrush and the elastic still hold up this good on them.
But I don't.
And that's all I'm gonna say.


Happy Friday, everyone!

Welcome to the Poor House

I usually don't discuss current events in my posts because I like for my blog to be a happy place to visit.... but we're feeling the pinch of the bad economy around the farm these days. Those of you who have any kind of animals, whether it be cats, dogs, or farm critters know feeding them is not cheap- and getting more expensive all the time. Our feed bill is becoming higher than our grocery bill and it's not that our animals are eating more because we carefully ration everyone's feed to eliminate waste- but the price of feed is going through the roof. Grain prices have almost doubled in the last year.... a bag of scratch feed for the chickens was around $7.50 just a year ago- now we're paying over $11 a bag and layer mash (which is vital to the hens egg-laying parts) is an unbelievable $14 a bag. The sheep feed is also higher than it was just a few months ago, but thank goodness the pasture is starting to green up which means the sheep will be eating mostly grass now.

But even that isn't free- we need to put down a bag or two of seed mix in order to have quality pasture.
At $40 a bag. *Sigh*

I had high hopes last year when I bought some new laying-breed chicks to raise that by now I would be selling fresh eggs on a regular basis to help with the feed bill, but it hasn't worked out the way I had hoped. The local farmer's market wanted so much commission off what was sold I wouldn't have made enough to break even. I also thought about trying a "fresh eggs" sign at the end of the driveway, but since we live off the beaten path I'm a little afraid of strangers driving up to the house with me here alone during the day.
So, it was with a heavy heart I decided over the weekend to sell off my 6 Rhode Island Red hens to help cut back on feed..... it was not an easy decision, but one I felt was for the best. I still have my green-eggers and the 4 young New Hampshire Red girls from last year, and that will be enough to keep us in eggs with a little left over to give to some of the elderly ladies at our church.
And of course I still have my fuzzy-bottomed Silkies who I love having around just for the entertainment value, and they don't eat much so they're not expensive to keep. (Although they would like to think they are...)
We are also hoping gas prices don't skyrocket any more than they already have... we have to fill up the diesel barrel for Hubby's tractor to cut and bale hay this summer. Yikes!

What about you.....
Are you feeling the pinch more than usual these days?

Sorry for the downer post today...
I promise this week's Friday Farm Fotos will be a happier place to visit!

Just call me Cow Patty.

I love routine.... I'm happy when every day is the same with no mishaps or disasters. And I always take for granted that when I have to be away from home for a little while, I will return to find everything just as it was when I left.

Not anymore.

Sunday morning started out like any other- I woke up early and took Lily outside while Hubby fed the animals; we ate breakfast, then got ready for Sunday meetin' and we left.
While we were gone, we had some visitors.
Of the bovine kind.


Flashback to last summer:

Early one June morning, Hubby had left for work and I was settling in to my daily routine when I heard Smokey barking and going nuts. I looked out the back window but saw nothing that seemed out of place.

I went to the side windows- once again, nothing out of the ordinary.
Then I went to the front window, and saw 10 or 12 cows in the front yard,  meandering their way up to the porch.
To say I freaked out is an understatement.
I called Hubby and frantically asked him if he knew why on earth a herd of cows would be in our front yard and where in the world they came from. He had an idea they had probably escaped from the farm across the road from us, which is heavily wooded and hidden from view.
By this time, they were making their way across the yard and I knew if the sheep saw them, it would be a disaster. I ran outside, (still in my robe, a lovely sight) hopped on the four-wheeler and started playing cowgirl. I succeeded in scaring them back down the hill, but I had a new problem- now they were running down the middle of the road. While not uncommon to see a cow out in the road in a rural area like this, it is highly unlikely you will see a whole herd of them making a break for it. Thankfully about this same time, a police car came down the road and slowed to see what was happening. He stopped to see if I needed help getting my cows put up (I'm still in my robe, remember...) to which I quickly explained they were NOT mine, but were on the loose and I had no idea whose cows they were. He said he thought he might have an idea who they belonged to and called for backup.
(Backup? *squeal* At this point I'm living my fantasy of being in a police drama. In my robe.)
He said this man's cows were notorious for getting out, and they had taken several calls on them being in people yards and gardens in the weeks leading up to this, and to make matters worse, the man didn't even live close by, he was only leasing the property and actually lived in another town.
Veeery nice to know.
The cows were herded back to their home without incident, and the details of that crazy morning were soon forgotten.

Fast forward back to Sunday:
Sunday was shaping up to be a rainy and stormy day... quite a bit of rain had fallen by the time we headed home from church. As we came up the driveway, we noticed a strange sight: large clumps of mud and sod had washed down the hill and onto the concrete. Then, as we pulled up to the house, we saw the worst of it.
Holes. All over the front yard. Some about the size of your hand, some even bigger. In the grass and all in the mulch and to beat it all, even a large set of muddy hoof prints walking through the carport.
It took a minute for us to compute what we were seeing, and then we both said the same word at the same time.
Cows.
Large cows. Several large cows.
In other words, the Flank-steak Gang had once again escaped and stopped in for a visit, this time with no crazy woman on a four-wheeler (in her bathrobe) to run them off.

The ground was soft and mushy from all the rain, and the hooves from these 1000-plus pound animals had sunk into the ground 4 or 5 inches in some places.

If that wasn't bad enough, they took it upon themselves to fertilize these large holes for us.
We were able to track down the man who owns the cows and found out that he had been informed that they were out again. He was nice enough to come and survey the damage, and although he acted only mildly concerned, he agreed to get some topsoil for us to fill the holes. Needless to say, we have a lot of yard work in our future before mowing season starts.... now I just have to find a place for all these cow patties.

*Sigh*

Fertilizer, anyone?

A Good Life

One of my favorite old Rhode Island Red hens is dying today..... she has been slowly going downhill this week and now she's laboring for each breath and not moving, so I placed her in her favorite sunny spot to spend the last few hours of her life. As I stroked the beautiful red feathers on her back and told her what a good hen she had been, I felt at peace knowing she had lived a good life... she was not dressed and placed on the table; instead she was allowed to live out her life enjoying simple pleasures like finding a bug before anyone else did, occasionally getting a bigger chunk of cornbread than the other girls, and soaking up the sun in front of the barn. In return, she blessed our table with the most beautiful big brown eggs I've ever seen; in fact, they were so large they wouldn't even fit in a normal carton because the lid wouldn't close.

Even though there's a little sadness in my heart, I still feel blessed...today a little red hen reminded me that living a "good life" doesn't have to mean an extravagant lifestyle some people only dream about, traveling to exotic places, or retiring someday to a life of ease... it can also be an ordinary, everyday existence that is spent finding joy in simple things, giving of yourself to those around you, and being grateful for the gifts you've been given.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Circle of Life

Not much happening to speak of right now on the Fraker Farm.... even though the days are longer it just means more and more to do outside. Thunderstorms are an almost everyday occurrence here right now.... the afternoon heat and humidity is making for some volatile weather. As I write this, thunder is rolling in the background- we've already had one bad storm that moved through about 3:00 this afternoon, but the ominous clouds seem to be circling us and headed back for an encore. Hubby works for the local utility company and weather like this usually finds him working late into the night to help restore power. Last night he didn't get home until 2:00 a.m., and tonight I may not see him at all. I'm praying for a peaceful ending to this day, so he can come home and get some rest.

I prefer my life to be routine and uneventful, but occasionally that is interrupted or turned upside down- sometimes farm life is good and bad, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak....

I stumble upon the promise of new life- the Wren family has moved in again....

Only to be overshadowed by the death of a member of our farm family.... this was Cinnamon, my sweetest Green egger- I found her dead in the coop last week.... now I have only three left.

A bountiful harvest appears certain for some things- after three years of anxious waiting this is the first fruit to appear on my pear tree...

While others are mowed down by unwelcome creatures- this is all that's left of some of my beans.

My posts are few and far between these days and visits to my dear blog friends have also been somewhat scattered... a true sign of the season! My computer time used to be early in the morning, but outside chores beckon me instead- I try to get all I can done before the heat of the day arrives.

This too shall pass.... all too quickly, I'm afraid..... because the circle of life continues....

A garden re-do, and a grateful heart

After nearly 2 weeks of rain and very little sun, Hubby turned under the entire garden with the plow and we re-planted everything. I had hoped things might look better after a couple of days of sunshine but what little bit of corn was trying to survive, the crows found it. Even though we are getting a very late start, I'm still praying for a bountiful harvest of beans, corn, cucumbers, and cantaloupe.

My tomato plants did not fare much better, although for each one I'm losing another one shows a ray of hope in the form of a tiny bloom...

The hot, dry season is just ahead for us, but I will try to have an optimistic attitude and not be discouraged. Looking over the garden again this morning after a fresh start I decided to make this a show-and-tell for some things I'm thankful for....

I am thankful for a wonderful Husband who loved me enough to buy me a little red wagon- just because I thought it was cute....

I am thankful for a faithful companion who goes up to the barn with me every morning at 6:00 AM, and still loves me even if I'm a little cranky...

I am thankful for a Dad who not only took the time to build and set up hives so we could have honey from our very own bees but, most importantly, pass along some of his wisdom so I can carry it with me the rest of my life.....

I am thankful for the hens who produce mine and Hubby's breakfast every morning, and for a rooster named Hamburger who keeps us entertained for hours on end.

I am thankful for red tractors...

(these were Hubby's words...)

I am thankful for a barn for our sheep to stay dry in bad weather......

I am thankful for the smile I get from seeing fuzzy bottoms.....

Fuzzy bottoms.....

Fuzzy bottoms......

I am thankful for eyes to see and ears to hear the wonders of nature....

I am thankful for a warm, cozy home when the rest of the world seems cold.....

What are you thankful for today?

Summer surprises

I love surprises. I think it's wonderful when it seems like just an ordinary day and you stumble upon something really special by accident, or you get an unexpected phone call from a friend or a special package in the mail.
That being said, I'll share with you some of my recent Summer surprises....

Last October, Hubby put out a wonderful Fall decoration in our front yard complete with pumpkins, straw, and mums. When it was time to move this out of the way for Christmas decorations, I threw the straw in the woods behind the barn and disposed of the pumpkins at the edge of the garden.
Last week, while weed-eating around the garden, I found this....

Apparently, the seeds from the old pumpkins replanted themselves!




Last Saturday, our sweet little mail lady came up the driveway with a special delivery for me, so I ran inside to open it.... and found a boxful of wonderful goodies from my lovely and dear friend Linda. Thanks, sweetie- this unexpected little surprise made my week!





Remember the Little Terrorist and how she held the Fraker Farm hostage for 3 weeks back in April? (and March... lets not forget the first fiasco.) Hubby and I hadn't seen much of her lately... in fact we saw her chicks on several occasions, (which are not chicks anymore) but she was never with them. I told Hubby I was afraid something had gotten her. We have an abundance of hawks, and lately there has been a fox and her pups in the woods behind the barn at night. We were thinking the worst. Well, last Friday night, I was locking up all the hens at the barn, and there she was, sitting on the ground! I walked over to check and see if she was hurt or something, and when I picked her up, this was what she was sitting on.....

9 babies. Yes NINE of them. This little gal is a lean, mean, hatching machine!

One of our other Banty hens has gone missing now.

Uh-oh.....wait a minute.....


You have got to be kidding me.

SURPRISE!

A view from my world

One of my favorite visitors...

Peanut beans...

Sweet corn...

Another welcome visitor... this little honey bee can have all the clover he wants.

The Little Terrorist and her babies....

My maters....

Ruthie and Whitey, my strawberry thieves...

My baby....

My other baby....

My Buddy.....

My Love.

Sit a spell....

The last two days have been very rainy and downright nasty... I wanted to post some pictures of our garden, but the weather hasn't been kind enough to get any decent pictures. I was also invited by Heather at Simple Family Supper Lady to do a Tour Tuesday - to take some pictures around my home to share, but it's hard to get good, clear pictures indoors when it's so dark and gloomy. Maybe this weekend the sun will be bright and beautiful, and I can take some pictures so next week you can get a look around my home.
Since I didn't have any of the pictures I had planned on having today, I posted this picture of my favorite place- my front porch. Sometimes I wish I could chat for a few minutes out here in the rocking chairs with each one of you ! I'll bet we would have a lot to talk about; share some laughs and some tears as well.... I have a feeling we would have a ball!

Weird Wednesday

First off, I want to know something from you, my dear readers... is it just me, or is the Blogger word verification getting HARDER? I tried my best at one on someone's blog the other day, and got it WRONG three times! I fully expect at any time to see something like this...

Hubby and I have been really wondering what the little terrorist's chicks are going to look like.

Chickens have strange inherited traits sometimes. If you remember, Hamburger is the Dad, so will it look like this?

Or will it be a whole different line of genetics.....

Or if one of them is a hen, could it possibly be....

Sorry, people.... I just recently found some PhotoStudio software that came with my computer, so I'm just playing around with it today.
Like I have nothing better to do.
Which I do.

2 out of 3 ain't bad

Just in time for Mother's Day, the little terrorist is finally the proud mother to 2 baby chicks... hers and one of the Hostages. The other hostage egg was a dud, apparently. (Ironic?)

This weekend went by so fast... Hubby has been fixing the radiator on his tractor, so my potting/storage shed was put on hold temporarily. (Rats.) Still no pictures... I'm waiting until it doesn't look like a privy before I let you see it. I will give you a "tease"- we ordered the same color of tin that's on our barn, so it will have a matching roof! (squeal, gush) I will have my own "mini-barn"! I'm thinking about putting a little sign on the front that says "Paula's Pout House". (cute, huh?)

In the few short months I've been at this blogging thing, I have come to know which part of the country (or world) most of you live in who read my blog, either by you telling me yourself, or seeing it on your profile. And even though I don't know exactly where you are, it's nice to have an idea where of you and your families live... I try to picture in my mind the way the land looks, if it's a large city or small town, if it's been dry or raining... things like that. But when I hear of bad weather or tornadoes coming near where I know some of you are, I'm almost sick with worry, and hope and pray that everything is alright. (I guess that sounds sappy or dumb, but that's who I am.) That's the way I felt last night and this morning after hearing of some of the devastation in places close to where some of you live. I'm hoping this post finds you safe, and that all is well with you and your family.

Just Ramblin....

I am a little down today, so this post probably won't be a real upbeat one. We lost our garden last night. Our beans, corn, okra, and my little sweet potatoes are all gone. The temperature dipped down below freezing just long enough, and despite our best efforts, they all got frostbit. I'm not one to throw a pity party for myself, but I do feel really bad for Hubby, since all his hard work is gone in one night. We had such high hopes this year, especially after the deer and the drought ruined it last year.

While surveying the damage, I noticed a little bluebird was watching me, and that always makes me feel a little better....

We will buy new seeds and start all over again, since that's all we can do now anyway.

Sometimes I wish I was more like Daisy and Edie.... never wondering why things happen the way they do, but always just trusting in the Shepherd's care.

Which brings me to my new Six Word Memoir- I was tagged this time by my good friend Mel from Nickers and Neighs. I think my new one will be "LEARNING TO TRUST MORE, WORRY LESS."