Catching up October ~ For Those Interested

It has been nice having Lon home these past 2 days. I don't know if it is due to the amount of time I have spent alone since moving here. Or my recent fall, but I don't like being alone right now. I am enjoying having someone here with me. I believe it will be quite nice once he retires, hopefully in 2 years. That's our goal, as the county accepted the new retirement plan. Two years is all he will need, he already has the 30 years of service required (he had 33 yrs. as of last month). He just needs to reach 55 to qualify. Now there is something to look forward to about getting older.

It has been a rather slow pace these past 2 days. My activity is hampered by the fractures I received when I fell 3 weeks ago today. Lon has his own aches to deal with, so movement is difficult for both of us. But even in all the struggles he has managed to get the walls and roof on the goat shed completed. It is so large and roomy that I won't have to fear bumping my head anymore. It's a good thing, I can't afford to hurt anything else. Now the need is to get some wall covering on it, to make it rain and wind proof. It will give them a warm, dry place to hang out this winter. Putting down shavings will make a soft place for them to bed down in. As the chickens have scratched out the straw we used in the silo for them and Sassie ate the rest right out from under them.

Good news from the barn, we no longer hear or see evidence of rats in it since starting our war with them. Now we can begin the interior tear out and prepping for the goat birthing room/ kid nursery and a feed storage area. I plan to set up a place for milking indoors too. Anna has about 8 weeks before she is due to deliver. I am hoping her emotional status will change from cranky to some form of sweet after giving birth. Sugar is showing her pregnancy quite easily on her small frame. Sweet Amber is just looking solid for someone who has birthed twice before.

The leaves are changing everyday and many have fallen. Leaving bare limbs where only a month ago stood a canopy of shade. We sat for a few minutes this evening before dinner, sipping hot tea in the porch rockers. The air chilled by the setting sun, giving cause to enjoy the warmth of the tea cup and a blanket on my lap. Which an hour earlier the sun had everything toasty. It was nice rocking and resting in the dusk of darkness. Something we need to make more time available for on a regular basis.

Boots has made himself at home in our hearts and lives. We had forgotten the joy of watching a kitten at play. Or the sweetness of one sleeping in your arms.

Rocking cares away,

Deborah

NOT AGAIN!

This day started on a bad note when I fell through the barn flooring. We have had some flooding due to all the rain we have been blessed with as of lately. On top of an already weaken wood from years of sitting unused. Resulting in re-injuring my spine for the third time since my original fall two weeks ago. Makes one wonder what I am doing right to have the enemy so hot on my heels of lately. The second occurred when I slipped last night on mud in the pasture on my way to do the evening chores. Pulling loose all that hurts in my spine. Sending me quickly to bed with yet again pain medication on board. If that was not enough, to add insult to injury, this morning's fall was too much! Heaping more injury on a delicate area is not something you sign up for. I also managed to twist my bad knee as my foot shot through the floor and pulled my back in the process. At this point some of you would probably label me "an accident waiting to happen." I have never had so many injuries so close together before.

I had more than a few tears coursing down my face. Wails of pain, fear and frustration flowed easily to the point of no stopping the outgoing tide. An hour later after hobbling as best I could back to the house. I was still in a state of free-flowing tears. Needless to say this will cause me to be in the doctor's office as soon as I can get an appointment.

We have been having our backdoor compost bucket and garbage can dumped out for several nights now. We have been suspicious that it was either a raccoon, possum or stray dogs that were tasting our leftovers. Well the mystery has been solved. Caught the bandits red-handed and managed to blind them in the process. There was two of them and they appear to be living in the trash pile from the remodeling of the house. (Waiting on clear weather to dispose of it all at the dump.)

To most people these marsupials bring groans of disgust. But do you know they are the only species of animals America has, that carries their babies with them, like a kangaroo? Yep! Plus they serve the purpose of cleaning up that which most animals wouldn't even sniff much less sample. So next time you see one on the side of the road, how about letting it cross safely so as to keep doing it's job of cleaning up the refuse that so many feel necessary to dump on the sides of our highways.

Not moving,

Deborah

A Visit and a Stay

So much time has past with both little and a lot of activity happening. Doesn't seem possible but it can happen. My injury from 2 weeks ago still hinders my level of movement, hence a little of activity. Decreasing what I feel like doing and what I can actually get done each day. But in the midst of this several things are happening.

Changing temperatures for one, along with a colorful hue of leaves overhead. We have seen a flock of geese fly over our place nearly everyday - heading north. One was very large with over 50 that I counted in the V-formation. I love the sound they make in flight. One of encouragement to the "point man." I look forward each Spring to hear of their return in the fresh blue skies. Their departure signals the coming of winter and their return signals the end of it. The promise of Spring ushered in on their wings. How awesome is that! God gives us an audible bell for the changing of the seasons from warmth, to cold, to warmth. We do not have a water source for them here yet. But hopefully within the next year or so, we can create a small pond and enjoy their company once more. Did you know that mate for life, and will not leave behind their mate if it should get injured or sick? I believe as humans we need to take a lesson from them in their level of commitment, don't you?

I have managed to get a few pots of mums set out in the year and on the porch. Bought them and some more "fall color" decorations for the house when shopping a week or so back. Large and small pumpkins along with an assorted group of gourds I plan to place in a basket to grace our living room table. The larger pumpkin sits by the front door to support the farm's scarecrow. The other sits upon our dinning room table with other little touches of the colorful hues of Autumn. It's a pie pumpkin and will be used as such once the turkey decor comes out for Thanksgiving.

The same trip to town took me by a new place to feed my crafting hunger that is always present. I thoroughly enjoy my visit to Hobby Lobby (for those who don't have one in their area, it is a mega craft/decorating store as the name implies). WOW! I had not been in one for years. Craft choices galore had me walking each aisle. I could definitely spend a lot of time and money on all the temptations this store carries. No visit is complete without stopping by the yarn/fabric section. They have free leaflets you can get for ideas of new projects, like I need any help with that! But collect them I do without fail. One in particular was a easy poncho for children and I immediately thought of Leah. So I chose a soft pink with a skein of multi-colored for some detailing. Their store brand is the softest yarn and I can see many projects being made from it. I was also thrilled to see that they also carry a brand that "Wally world" has dropped. They already had a sale on their Christmas ornaments, which gave cause to pick up a few specialty ones for gifts this year. You just can't beat 50% off this early in the season. Just walking through the Christmas aisles put me in a decorating mood and it is not even Thanksgiving yet. Every year I think the stores rush to see how early they can get Christmas put out on the shelves. By the time you get ready to purchase some of the items they are already gone.

Finding time to sit and sew, crochet and such is so hard for me. When so much calls for my attention. I realized this morning that I have too many interest for the time I have available. Then I wondered can you have too many interest? Possibly, but I know one thing for sure. I am never at a lost for something to occupy my mind or hands. The challenge comes in balancing it all with the necessary. Which always seem to loom larger than the time available too.

We have made much progress on our interior barn remodel. Despite the interference of health issues, availability of time, and good weather. We are down to 2 months left before Anna will need use of it's birthing area. It is like a "catch 22" if I ever saw one. Money is needed for the supplies, which calls for Lon to work extra shifts. Working extra shifts means no time to do the repairs, though we have the supplies. See what I mean?

Leah came to visit this past Sunday and stayed 3 nights with us. Enjoyed her visit like always but still felt a lost when she left yesterday. She is growing up so fast and I miss her daily presence like we once had. She enjoyed doing her usual activities, besides helping to plant in the garden. Watering the flowers on the porch is a must for her. Insisting that they are "very thirsty" every day, several times a day. I think all children love playing in or with water. I hope they survive her loving care.

I was able to catch several good pictures of her with our new kitten ~ Boots.

Can you tell she loves him?

I have much to do today. A lot of "have-to's" and a long list of "want-to's". But I can't seem to get going yet. I've made my list out and time is quickly slipping by. Getting started is my problem. It being the middle of the morning and my not having eaten my breakfast could be part of my dilemma. Instead here I sit, with my cup of coffee cooling beside me, with Boots nestled in my lap, sitting out on the porch, staring at my list and feeling somewhat gloomy. Should I just give into the grey clouds gathering in the morning sky? Or fight the urge to call it a day and simply start at the beginning of my need-to-do's and get done as time will allow.

Putting one foot in front of the other,

Deborah

Fall Happenings

The weather has been typically Fall-ish in every way. I just love the warm days and cool sweater evenings. We have seen two groups of geese fly over yesterday signaling that colder weather is just around the corner. Today we saw 3 different groups flying in their trademark V formations.

We are still not ready for a fall garden, but Lon did manage to plant 2 kinds of cabbage and some collards we think, as the tag on the tray of seedlings were mixed up. I guess we will have to wait till spring to plant a garden in earnest. The best we can do this winter is to improve the soil with some natural amendments found around the barnyard. Then dream over the seed catalogs during the cold days when you don't dare stick your nose outside for long.

Curiosity got the best of us recently and we sat down to figure up the due dates for the girls. Not really knowing when Anna was bred posed a problem with her projected dates, but we just figured it from the week prior to her arrival here. The previous owner had said she and the buck had been seen together, so it is a safe bet that she came to us already bred. All three of the does have gone past their repeated heat cycle dates, so we feel sure they are all pregnant with our future herd mates. It was surprising to see how the due dates fell ~

Anna - due Dec. 24 - Jan. 2nd. (Holiday babies?)

Sugar - due Feb. 5th -Feb. 9th (her birthday is Feb. 9th)
This is one of her baby pictures from back in March. She has grown into a beautiful doe. Guess I need to take some new photos of her, huh?

Amber - due Feb. 12th - Feb. 16th ( Valentine babies?)

This will be our first kidding and we are excited about having baby kids running around the place. But a little nervous about any possible delivery problems we may encounter. I've helped deliver human babies before, but I have a sneaky suspicion that this will be way different. Reading up on the details will be one thing I can do as I wait for my injury to heal.

We now have the wood needed to put the roof on the new goat shelter we are building for their new living quarters. Hopefully it won't take too long to complete and they will have a dry place to wait out the winter weather sure to come. Plans are to also partition off a place in our "barn in progress"for a kidding area and holding pen. A big need that will be used sooner than I think we will be ready for. Here's hoping for some dry weather and well bodies to get the work done.

Lon put up a deer stand near his food plot behind the house, in hopes of getting us some venison for our freezer. We have seen signs of their presence on the property. The grasses and peas are coming up good in it and someone has been sampling the corn we left out in the woods. It is a wait and see game, that is played out each year about this time.

With all the time I've had to sit gingerly around the house, I was able to finish the quilted pumpkin I had been working on. I have several other fall craft projects I would like to get completed too if I am able. Some are leftovers from previous years and would be nice to finally see them finished. One is a small quilt that I started last fall during hunting season, from fabric bought many years before that. I have a wooden pumpkin that needs to be painted and some fabric acorns that would look great in a bowl with pine cones and other natural items if I could get "around to it."

Then there is this poncho I started knitting for myself that has been set aside for more pressing things. I am never at a lost for some sort of hand work to pass the time with. That is if I can ever find the time to pass. In an effort to get a jump on some Christmas craft items, I started back hand stitching some quilted pieces suitable to be used as coasters or ornaments for our tree. I think they would also make cute hostess gifts if we should get invited to some one's home this year. They are a pick-me-up kind of craft, one that can be easily set back in the basket by my reading chair if the need arises

As you can tell from my notes I am still not sitting or moving well. Lon is of the opinion that my tailbone is not broken or I would be in more pain than I am. I on the other hand is not so sure! I have had broken bones in the past and know what one feels like. Resting as best I can has been the order for the day and will continue for several more. Sleeping is beyond a comfort level that I can find right now. Lying on my back is impossible and trying to sleep on my side causes pain also. I am unable to sleep on my tummy, due to a previous injury to my cervical spine as a teenager. So that only leaves sleeping standing up or on my head. Don't think I want to risk another injury with that one!

Looking for some sleep,

Deborah

Falling in the Dark

(Sorry, this post is being added at a later date. I am attempting to get back on track, which will take me some time. So I hope you will bear with me in the process.)

Yesterday was spent mostly doing odd jobs and running to get feed for our critters. On the way home from the feed store we stopped off at a friend"s house to pick up the saddle he is letting me borrow until I can find one of my own. I was trilled as I would finally have the chance to ride Sassie. Seems like I have been waiting since for ever! I could just imagine the rides we could take together around this place and down the road. That was until disaster struck right after supper last night. . . .

Going out to dump somethings in the burn barrel after dinner. I heard what I thought to be field mice in some bird seed. Climbing up to get a better view of the activity I discovered the "cute" little field mice were in actually LARGE rats! Who proceeded to use me as a ladder for escape when I startled them. Who, in turn terrified me! I screamed and jumped back as 4 left their perch. Lon came out laughing at me, that was until 2 more jumped towards him. (Sounds funny now, but it wasn't then, at least not for me). Causing him to start swinging his arms to strike at them. Which caused me to step back quickly to get out of the way, falling backwards in such a way that I could not break my decent to the concrete floor. It literally felt like I had been picked up and thrown to the ground. Sickening pain shot up my spine and down my legs. Unable to move I laid in the dirt, fighting the nausea that swept over me. Lon was finally able to help me to my feet after I could start breathing again, but the pain was severe. I knew I was hurt bad, as walking was very difficult and I was unable to straighten up to a standing position. After getting me cleaned up and taking some pain medication I limped off to bed with his assistance. Tears flowing easily from the pain, plus the realization that I had just injured myself in a bad way. So badly that I may not be able to use the saddle which I had finally gotten only hours earlier, any time soon!

Today as Lon left for work after I assured him that he could despite last night's nightmare. I fell into a puddle of tears. Why is it we are called on as children to get up and be brave, when we have fallen down. It is such lessons that we learn and carry into our adult years, that can cause us even more discomfort most of the time. It was plain and simple why the tears fell. I wanted him home! Taking care of the farm will be near impossible today for me, but it all has to be done. The trade off for his being here, would be the lost of overtime, which we need. So what is a girl to do? I sent him to work despite how my heart felt. I followed my head which over ruled my back side. Resting in between chores was about all I could accomplish. The pain is the greatest when I try to sit, but standing, lying and anything in between brings discomfort. I fear this is going to be a long journey towards healing.

Looking for a soft place for my body and heart,

Deborah

Raining Again!

Today was a challenging day for me. It started off with a bad rain storm passing through in the early morning hours. Accompanied with heavy showers and lots of lightening. I felt bad that we do not have a dry place yet established for Sassie to get into at times like this. The weather was not a good combination for doing the morning chores. The pasture and barnyard are one muddy mess. I don't think the place can handle much more rain at this rate. For the past month it has been a weekly if not almost daily occurrence. I know the past few years we have been in a drought around here. But I believe we have more than made up for the water deficient. Everything is saturated to the point of TOTAL run off. The chicken coop even flooded again this morning, washing the shavings out from under the roosts and laying boxes. Yuk! The flow was so great it washed clean their "play yard" of any thing loose lying on it. The water flowed under the door of the future "barn" and soaked the carpeting the previous owners had in there. I don't think it had even dried out from the last flooding we had. The hole I found in front of the interior side of the door is getting larger, Discover it after I removed the broken tile there. I fear the whole floor will rot right out from under us. It is for sure the sub-flooring will have to be replaced before we can renovate it into a useful room in this make-shift barn. I

I tried making a trip to the next town over from us that has a public library that I have started frequenting. Tried, is the operative word. I needed to return some books that I had checked out and pick up a few that I had placed on hold. But found them closed when I arrived this afternoon. Checking out the sign posted by the door said that they close at lunch time on Wednesdays. I have never know a library to be closed a half day on Wednesdays AND Saturdays. I would have thought Saturdays would be a busy day for libraries. At least it was at the one where I used to live. Guess this is just another aspect of small town life. One that I will have to learn along with all the rest.

Adjusting to life,

Deborah

One Year Anniversary!

It is hard to imagine that I have been writing and posting on this blog for a year. Today is the one year anniversary of Heartland Farm. YEA! Even though I have missed a few days here and there with writing. I have shared a large portion of our lives with you. Not every day is a red-letter day, appropriate for sharing. Life is like that sometimes. But I must confess that there have been other times when I wished for a chance to post and was unable to. My ideal when starting this was to write on a semi-daily basis. As you can tell, it has not happened. Most days I am scrambling to just catch up my posts from notes quickly jotted down. One of the factors that I had not considered was how much of my time is spoken for in just taking care of the real Heartland Farm. Livestock needs, home needs, family needs and my needs all call for a large portion of my time.

In a time of celebration, one does not look back with regrets, but forward with anticipation. So I am celebrating all that has transpired this past year and looking towards the future. I am sure many more happenings are waiting for us on this journey of homesteading. Lots of up and downs to share with you. Ideas for writing are never very far from my mind. Thinking on all of it makes me want to write even more in the next year. Who knows I may even be able to stay up to date on my posts. Possibly, even writing daily, wouldn't that be a hoot!

Thanks for sharing the journey with us and putting up with my ramblings.

Deborah

7 hour Journey ~ South, then North Again

We left early this morning heading towards the hunting camp of many a good time. Since moving to the acerage that we now own. There is too much distance to make regular trips back to it. Plus we have hunting woods right out side the back door now. Having already seen several deer on the property on numerous occasions too. We had left our camper set up at the deer camp and was going back to clean out our personal things and get it ready to put up for sale. It was a hard decision to make, as we have had lots of memory trips in it over the years. We still love to camp and it is in good enough shape for a few more trips too. But the money it would produce from it's sale would go a long way towards meeting a few needs around here. It would be easier too to sell it to a hunter locally instead of hauling it all the way back here, just to sit in the yard.

Seeing it set up when we arrived almost changed my mind. So many fond memories of times spent there with family and friends. But we had little time to get the job done before turning around for another 3 1/2 hour drive back home. Milking had tobe done and feeding was needed before we could call it a day. We quickly packed up all of our things and posted a for sale sign on it before heading home. It is amazing how much you can put in such a small space. Lon's truck bed was loaded with items and boxes, besides all the breakables stowed behind the front seat. The big challenge to be conquered next was to decide where all of it was going to be stored, once home.

Hopefully it will sell this season and we can mark it off our list of things to do. Money in hand, we could see another pasture fenced in before the new year. And possibly a storage building for all the boxes we hauled home.

Waiting for a phone call,

Deborah