Thanksgiving & My Blessings are Bountiful

It has surprised me that the days have past so quickly and the holidays will be ushered in come tomorrow. Lon has to work, so I will be spending our first Thanksgiving at the farm alone. We plan to gather around a turkey on Saturday. Prompting a need to go buy one, as I am not ready to give Thomas up yet. He has too much to offer next Spring with our new ladies to be sitting on a platter this week, all sun tanned from time in an oven.

Thomas with his Burbon Red Ladies ~

The rain has ended but the chill from Sunday still lingers today under solid gray skies. Nearly all the leaves have scattered across the lawn, except for the few stubborn ones on the old oak out front. Everything green has turned a shade of brown. Sitting out on the porch was a good idea at first, but my coffee was cooling too fast and even Boots was hunting refuge from the chill under my sweatshirt jacket. I wished I would have had my camera handy, as I often do when photo opportunities present themselves. He looked so cute!

Some of the hens have taken upon themselves to start laying in the hay of the goat shed. We found some hiding in it this past Sunday. Guess they like the freshly fluffed hay each morning just as much as the goats do. Production has been steadily climbing, but I fear the decreasing daylight will hinder it before long. Last year at this time we were living at our other house and was able to run a power cord out to the coop to add light and encourage their laying. But without power out to the barn yet, that is not even an option. But just look as the size of the eggs they are laying and heavy too. Is there a category for extra-large jumbos?

We are already going without our delicious goat's milk. As Amber was starting to dry up even before our last milking this past Friday. We don't want to be without eggs too! It was nice that first morning of "No Milking", as I didn't have to rush out at a certain time in the cold to do the morning chores. I could wait till the temperatures warmed up a bit and I had the chance to get awake with some coffee. Purchasing the store milk last grocery day was a bummer! It tastes funny now after having fresh for so long. Lacking the creamy goodness we are used to. It will be a long wait till Spring arrives along with our chance for fresh goat's milk again from not only one but all three of our girls! Should have plenty for some of the other goat milk projects I have in mind to try.

Leah came out this past Friday to spend the weekend at the farm. My how she has grown! We looked at her photo album of pictures taken this past Spring. They showed a young toddler, not the maturing girl I saw before me. Baking cookies is an all time favorite of hers and she even helped me put some cake ingredients together with the "big mixer".

We had a wonderful time together and was blessed with a special surprise on Saturday. A good friend's dad owns cows and one had given birth during the night on Friday. He invited us to bring her over to see the less than 24 hr old calf. She had visited there before back in the Spring to see his cows. But this time was different we were able to go inside the fencing and actually pet the newborn calf.

She was thrilled to be so close to the baby calf, to play with their dog "Sammy" and receive a small snow globe (which she adores) and treat bag from my friend's mom. She went to church with us the next morning and made her beautiful presence known by waving at her Papa in the choir loft. Then continued by waving at the pastor each time he raised his hand in praise to the Lord. Singing with gusto and swaying to the music caught a few smiles from those seated around us. My own - beamed! Such innocence and exuberance. I am thankful we could take her with us. These are the years when foundations are being set in her biblical teachings. What a privilege to be a part of them.

Thankful for my life,

Deborah

Looking Back on a Few Days

Last Friday's temperature is the coldest we've had thus far, since moving out to the farm ~ 31* is what my thermometer read when I got up that morning. Even with the heat on, the house had a chill to the air (should have been my first clue). Requiring a very warm housecoat, which I do not presently own. So I had to wear 2 layers instead as I sipped my morning coffee before heading out the door. Doing the AM chores was a test for trying to stay warm. I wonder if this is any indication of the calibre of lows we can expect this winter?

My morning became more difficult just as soon as I finished taking care of everyone. Returning to the house for warmth, I was met with a chilly reception. The heat in the house had gone OUT! Dropping the inside temperature to 61*, lower than what I had woke up to. Adjusting the gauge to a higher setting served only to blow out that much more COLD AIR. I needed a shower before going out to take care of some errands, but it had to be put it off till way after lunch. While I waited for the sun to warm up the outside of the house. The inside was still too cool for my comfort. Seems things always fall apart when Lon is working, and this day was no different. Spent my afternoon waiting for a repairman to come, hopefully to fix the dinosaurof a heating unit. Murphy's law hit us squarely on the nail, with no repair to be made, leaving me with no heat and headed into another sub-freezing nite. Brrrrrrrrr!

The need for hay sent Lon off for a large purchase this week from a man we have been buying it from. All of the goats and Sassie love his hay, it is great quality at a very good price of $4.oo. He returned with a load of 32 bales mounded over his truck, showing us exactly how much it could carry. I am wondering at this point, just how long will it last. A month, maybe two, all winter, I doubt that. Though it would be nice to have a barn stocked till Spring arrives. I had picked up feed on my way home from errands and shopping this week, which were still in the trunk of my car. After a late breakfast the unloading began. Turning the goats out to browse in the woods enabled us to leave the barn gate open for ease of passage. One by one the bales marched into the hay room, filling one wall almost to the ceiling. I busied myself with cleaning up, filling feeders and placing dropped hay into nesting boxes. Being as tired as we were and not wanting to hinder the progress I fixed a picnic lunch and took it down to the barn for our enjoyment. Sitting atop fresh bales of hay with our meal spread between us, we rested and was refreshed in the quietness of the barn.

Love seeing and smelling a room full of hay,

Deborah

Fire, Fur and Feathers

Yesterday was "Bon-fire" day down at the barn. Clean out is under way of the place! Previous owners left, "you won't believe me if I told you" junk. We have 7 weeks till the beginning of Anna's expected due dates. Not knowing when she was bred exactly, leaves us guessing a bit. Conversion of one of the two rooms is needed for a place to kid, holding pens and a future milking parlor or should I say milking corner. Feed and hay storage and assorted supplies will occupy the other side. We would love to have a bigger real barn but will have to work with what we have for now. Besides, what really constitutes a barn anyhow? Webster dictionary defines it as ~ a building for sheltering - harvested crops (hay), livestock (goats), machines, etc. Guess the old relic qualifies. It was a long day with 2 very tired bodies at the end of it. But the difference is amazing! Anything that could be burned was quickly made into a pile of ashes. The large brush pile we had made during the summer was used to feed the flames all day long, clearing out that area too.

We set up some nesting boxes in the old silo, since we have 4 hens who like to lay their eggs in there. The goats seem confused about loosing their tepee living quarters. But the goat shed is almost complete and is their new home. Now if we can only convince them of that.

I had a friend ask me yesterday if we had settled in the house yet. I had to confess that after being here for 4 months it is still a work in progress, like so much around here. The shear number of projects to be done, slows progress in any one area. As we are constantly having to refocus our attention as individual needs arise. One day it's the chickens, the next the goats or Sassie. Occasionally it is our needs at the house that come up in the rotation. One thing for sure it is never boring around here. There is simply no time for it!

A blessing I found in one of the rooms of "our barn" was a huge tub of fabric pieces. Some were mere scraps but others were yard cuts. Someone living here before us must have loved to sew or quilt. It is quite an assortment with some really old prints in the collection. It's a quilter's treasure chest of possibilities and I look forward to using them. Right now I am trying to wash them up to remove the musty-storage smell from them. Hoping that a little time out on the line flapping in the sunshine will help. Being such a large amount, it may take me all winter to process them.

The time change of last weekend has brought both a challenge and a help to our chore schedule. The mornings are easier, due to daylight arriving earlier around 6:30-7am. But the evening setting sun at 6pm leaves us to do chores in the dark. Flashlights are a must for now, next year I hope to get some power established down at the barn. We talked just last night about another added benefit of the earlier darkness. One being that we are eating our dinner earlier due to the movement of choring up in the evening hours. The other is we have more leisure hours before bedtime now. Though with the intensity of our work load of lately, our bedtime has moved up as well.

It is encouraging to see the Silver-lace Wyandotes and Isa Browns checking out the nesting boxes. Increases in egg production should be right around the corner once these girls get on board with laying. Will be just in time to off set the fall moult of the older hens.

Today is a solo day for me. Other than a few basic home chores the day is open to whatever I desire to do. The challenge it brings before me is I have so many desires. Choosing will be difficult. Inside or outside play? The weather this week has been warm, sunny with chilly nights thrown in, typical fall weather. Little color is left, as the trees have dropped a good portion of their leaves.

Such short lived splendor to enjoy,

Deborah