A Butterfly Saturday ~

I love Saturdays and all the pleasure they can bring to our work week. I know for many it is just another work day, as their job demands it to be. I've been on both sides of the work fence when it comes to how they are used. For many years I worked in a hospital setting which required that I work every other weekend. My husband has been a firefighter our whole marriage and has had to work either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday of every weekend. When I retired in 2003 from the hospital it opened up my use of Saturday. Matter of fact it opened up my week to a whole new way of living, but that is a story for another day. Needless to say I have always appreciated the days of the weekend for the freedom they have offered.

I've tried over the years to keep them free of anything that resembled the rest of my work week. Ask any person you know or meet about their week and all will tell you they are looking forward to the weekend. To have the opportunity to change their structured routine for a more free flowing lazy one. Our lives can become so hectic than we need and desperately crave some regular downtime. Hence the anticipation of the 60+ hours labeled the weekend. That is if these precious hours are not filled to the brim with more busy activity.

Personally I have to guard mine for it far too easy to see them as catch-up time for "_____." Instead of the free days they could be for P.P.P.'s (pleasantly personal pursuits) Living on a farm as we do makes taking the whole day off not a possibility. The critter family gets a little cranky if they miss mealtimes. So the regular daily critter care is done as early as we can bring ourselves to get started. The benefit is the sooner we start, the quicker the "rest" of the day can begin.

Today broke sunny and warm bringing all the butterflies out of their slumber. To warm themselves on rock and branches before searching for a meal. Watching them closely will reveal that even though they are up. They are happily lounging lazily on leafy beds, flapping their wings slowly as if stretching themselves in preparation for the day ahead. Once thoroughly warmed, energized by the sun and limbered up, they begin the beautiful dance on wing. Flitting first to this flower then the next. Taking a rest on a stem or branch before taking off to soar through the new day. Before spying a treat just down the garden path. Carefree, pursuing personal pursuits, sipping here, resting there. No agenda but to meet their physical needs and enjoy the day as it unfolds. Butterflies don't have a long life you see, they live them out in just one season of our year. In essence they don't have time to waste, that is if they are to fulfill their purpose as butterflies. Pollinating the blooms of our flowers and vegetables. Insures that their will be flowers again next year and a larger veggie crop this year. Their brilliant beauty is pleasing to the eye and adds a rainbow of movement to our yard and garden.

There is much to learn from their antics as beautiful winged messengers. To emulate their example would do much to slow our pace, refocus our minds and give us back our days of leisure. Today looks like a good day for practicing flitting through my day, having a care free attitude and claiming this Saturday for P.P.P."s.

Butterflies color our world with their ways - do we?

Deborah

Sneaky Snakes

I've said in the past that I'd rather deal with a snake over a spider any day. Spiders just give me the "hibby gibbies." Not quite sure where the fear originates, but I do not like them! ! My reasoning stems from an awareness that they can climb onto you without ever being detected. Due to their small size and body weight, they are able to tippy toe across you unannounced. Yew! Where I know others are terrified of snakes and often for good reasons.

I've never been bitten by a snake, but I have been by a spider while tending a flower bed years ago. Unlike a bee sting, snake bit or scorpion sting (another adventure of mine). Spider bites come with tiny teeth and I never felt a thing that is until I awoke with a swollen, throbbing elbow. Inflammation at set in over night and put my arm in a sling for several days, while waiting for the meds to kick in.

At least with snakes you generally have a warning if you stay observant of your surroundings. Otherwise they will give you a good scare if you don't. (Ask me how I know!) There are even some species that give warning to their presence, like rattlers. In a general backyard we may cross paths with a couple of harmless garden varieties. Hardly ever a poisonous one, unless you venture into their backyards, the woods.

Contrary to popular belief that - "the only good snake is a dead one." There are a few that are beneficial to have around. A KING snake being one of those. They have an appetite for the poisonous snakes, a good thing in my book and welcomed to my farm. Then there is the RAT snake, most often found around field mice hangouts - corn cribs, barns, feed lots, barns, grain fields, barns. BARNS. They too can serve a purpose by keeping mice/rat populations in check and preventing their destructive habits on expensive feed sacks.

We've had a few over the past 2 years down at the BARN. As the old building hadn't been used for many years prior to our moving here. Allowing the mice to move right on in and set up home. They were thrilled when we move into the home place and began doing their grocery shopping and providing home delivery of tasty treats in assorted bags. We in turn was at first happy to see the rat snakes. Who helped evict these munchers of our precious grain. But the snakes quickly ate themselves out of a meal. Only then deciding to make use of another readily available snack and was dealt with the swift arm of justice. But I digress~ Having thought we had taken care of these marauding raiders we rested on the fact that we hadn't seen any more in quite awhile. Which brings me to the point of this post. Bet you thought I'd never get to it, huh?

Our hens have been laying faithfully all summer, even in the worst of heat. Even when harassed by the now penned up Roos. So we were a little bit surprise when the egg numbers started dropping some. Reasoning that a few were showing signs of an early moult. But the numbers continued to drop from 1 1/2 dz a day to less than 1/2 dz. S0 we began looking for illness among the flock or for new laying hideouts. Some of the hens like to practice their Easter egg hiding skills all year long. Not finding any new clues, we were puzzled about this downward turn in production. Now with hindsight we should have seen the answer for ourselves. DUD!

I personally blame it on the busyness of the garden and canning marathon of lately. The mystery was solved when it presented it's self in BROAD daylight. Draped across the nesting boxes, munching on eggs. This past week Lon (thankfully) has been the one to find and dispose of 3 rat snakes. Two in one day no less, last Saturday. That is when the light bulb finally came on. Gathering only 4 eggs that day is when 1+1=snakes. The hens hadn't decreased their laying after all. We just had new unknown diners at our farm table. Evidently word had gotten out that a new fast food restaurant was available.

Having an open air coop area for our chickens have gave the sneaky snakes plenty of places to slither in or should I say belly up for some free ranged eggs. Needless to say they are now on our most wanted poster and their dinning privileges revoked. We depend on our eggs, as does the few customers we have. I may have to apologise for not being able to fill orders this week. Although we should have remembered their feasting this summer on a clutch of Guinea eggs.

The battle lines have been drawn. The rest of the sneaky snake family doesn't know it yet, but they have already lost. Maybe I should put up a sign like I've seen in a few restaurants. "No shirts, no shoes - NO SERVICE! Mine would also say - NO dinning or take out allowed!

Reminds me of another "sneaky snake" many years ago who was sentenced to~

"On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life."
Genesis 3:14

Watching for squiggle lines in the dust,

Deborah

Added note: my luck ran out last night. Going down to gather eggs I found a sneaky snake draped over 2 boxes looking for a meal. Guess who wasn't home at the time? Yep, hubby had gone to a meeting. This one was quite large and I wasn't sure I could injure it enough to stop it's escape. So I sent up prayers instead for the Calvary to come. Lon did arrive home before it was through checking out the coop and gave it the same swift sentence the other free-loaders got. This one was the largest of them all, measuring over 5 feet! I thinking of changing my stance on snakes. What do you think?

30 Minute Days

I awoke this morning to some "chilly" temperatures. Compared to the scorching heat of the past month and a half. Today's daybreak temp of 62* feels like winter could just be around the corner. Despite the fact it isn't due for another 4 months. Lon had asked me just this past Saturday if it "would ever get cool again." I jokedly responded ~ "Yea, in January!" Having no idea at the time that this "cool spell" was even in the making. Coming to greet us 2 days later on this very morning.

Not having a TV leaves us with a limited knowledge of what is going on beyond our front door. A good thing for the most part, as there isn't any expectations. Instead we move through our days letting the world unfold around us. Taking what the Lord provides with grateful hearts and a deeper dependency on HIS provisions for us. There is always surprises that thrill and challenge us at every turn, a benefit of not knowing what to expect in our daily lives. I have learned blessings can and do come in many different looking packages. Being always present in our lives for our enjoyment. We need to only have a receptive heart to unwrap them.

As I sat on the porch this morning with a chill on my skin and a cup of coffee by my side. (The first in several weeks, as I had quit drinking it. Favoring instead hot herbal teas as my morning beverage.) But a day like today, with this kind of hint of relief from the heat begged for a cup of tamed coffee. A sweet treat as I pondered the gift of this day, along side of the thoughts that were reeling me towards Autumn. A season that is a lot closer on the horizon than I've given thought to. Give the air a subtle brushing of cooler air and my mind scoots towards the pursuits enjoyed during the days of FALL. Warm quilts, colorful leaves, hometown high school football, porch sitting, seasonal decorations, campfires, pots of steamy soups, and crafting.

I know the relief from the heat is only a temporarily lull, but it sure feels nice. I've already noticed the sun slipping across the horizon towards shorter days. For it is no longer shinning through the back of the house, heating up our living space with the late afternoon slant of the sun. The mornings seem to be breaking at a later time as well, as the evening hours creeping up steadily on the face of the clock to an earlier hour of the day. We are steadily moving out of Summer towards the shorter days of Autumn to be sure.

The kittens are getting braver in their discovery adventures on the front porch. Venturing down the steps and under the bushes more. That is until a hen passes by too close for their comfort. Forcing them to scamper back up the steps to a perceived place of safety. They are resting more quietly since Leah, our granddaughter left yesterday.


Her constant attention and loving was a challenge of patience on their part. I'm so glad she can experience the fun of not one but two kittens to play with. I had to wait 55 years before I had the pleasure. At 5 she is able to see, hear, learn and experience more here at the farm. Than she ever would have at our old house.

I really should get busy with my home chores for today. But find it hard to pull away from this wonderful day in the making. There is more than plenty for my day to be done. Probably always will be as long as we live here. The needs of the farm are too great and my interests too wide, to be still for very long. Seeing what needs to be addressed at any moment is easy. Ignoring such things for moments of quieted rest of body and mind are more of a challenge.

So on days like this I often have "30 Minute Days". They are sort of like a game for me, allowing me to enjoy both the work I need to do while playing at the same time. It's rather simple to do by setting a timer for 30 minutes and working like crazy till it goes off. Then resetting it for another 30 minutes and doing something I enjoy or nothing at all. Repeating the 30 - 30 activity until I call my day done. Give me an hour and I will get too comfortable with my play. Fifteen minutes at a time and I can loose focus. It truly is amazing how much I can get accomplished in these little splashes of time through out the day. I think mainly because I'm not locked into an ALL-DAY work mode. Having playtime punctuated through out the day helps to keep my interest peaked to get my work done. Cause I know playtime is right around the corner. I will never lack for something to do that's for sure. But unlike my "city dwelling" friends, I get the pleasure of pursuing them in the quiet, peaceful arena of our farm. Thank you Lord for the gift!

Setting my timer for 30 minutes ~
Deborah

Saying Goodbye ~

Our last 2 Spring bucks were sold yesterday amid some reservations on my part. Oh, I know they had to be sold. We difinitely didn't need 4 bucks on the place. Sometimes the one we have is one too many. But I just didn't like the ways of the man who bought them. Overly protective of my boys? . . . . probably.
Victor ~

Victor and Lil' Bit were both nice specimens of the dairy breed, Nubian. Either one of them would have been great breeders for our herd. Except for the fact that we were keeping related does. When it comes to genetics you don't won't to push the possibility of interbreeding fathers and granddaughters together. Or neither sons back to their mothers. So we had already decided to keep Patches, as our up & coming replacement breeder. As we had already sold his mother this year. Plus there wasn't any concern with him breeding the new does we had kept. So all of the other 5 bucks had to have new homes. Fortunately they had slowly left the farm one at a time until the last 2 remained.

Lil' Bit ~

My prayer as they were being pulling out of the drive was/is that they will be treated kindly. I hate the thought of them being reduced to slave goats (brush control) or worst wind up on someone's dinner table. Though right now my gut feeling is says otherwise. I know this is the nature of the business, but I hate transactions like yesterday.

Lon and I both have decided it is too hard to see them go when we have kept them as long as we did with these two. It was not our intent to keep them but to find homes quickly for them. Each time someone came to look at our boys. The others were picked over these two. Why, who knows, maybe it was their colorations. Or just not what the potential buyers wanted. Victor and Lil' Bit had become part of the family and were like pets, gentle, loving and trusting of us. For my own mental solace, I hope forgiving as well.

Their sale will help us with our morning chores though, as Patches is back with the adults now. There isn't any need for separate housing and feeding any more. He seemed happy to be back playing with Daisy and Sarah. Breeding time is fast upon us, as we are already noticing some bucky behavior from Samson. Though our plans to breed Patches to the new girls may have to wait till he gets a little bigger and older, possibly until next year.

Having dairy goats is an adventure and for the strong of heart. For every season brings losses to the herd. As babies and adults are sold for the health and well being of all.

Missing my little guys,

Deborah