Graphic Milk Picture....Warning, Kelly!

This looks like a very easy picture, right?  I call this the Octopus...as in "Trying to wrestle an octopus." 

 I need about 2 more hands!

And Mr.Nosy!

Weldon is feeling a bit neglected and wanted to know what was going on, on the other side of the gate...

Horray! MILK

FINALLY!!! We are back in Milk.  This is Hershey and I's first effort.

And no, even though her name is Hershey, she does not make chocolate milk. :(

Here she is....Hershey!

More words soon...I'm too tired right now.

What to do while waiting...

So here it is, Monday...and Hershey might come today....

And then I get a call that no, the ground is not yet hard enough to get the trailer in....

SIGH

But God is in Control!

I had been chatting online with a gentleman who is one of the few breeders of "ALTEX" rabbits here in Ohio.  And he had a buck for me!! WEEEE!  I just needed to drive south about 1 1/2 hours and pick him up.

Here's some information on the Altex Breed:

The Altex Rabbit is a relatively new breed, produced for meat and not recognised as a show rabbit. The name comes from Al from Alabama and tex from Texas, and pronounced "all-tex". It is the product of Flemish Giant, Californianand Argente de Champagne crossings, also with New Zealand.^[1] New Zealand crosses still have a large part to play in producing large rabbits for meat. Altex are predominantly albino.  (from Wiki)

So here is the newest additon to the rabbitry:

His name is Tex, and he is about 3 months old.

Weldon's new stall

After considering how ornery Weldon has gotten lately, I decided that perhaps he should be separated from Hershey (at least for a short time.) There is a gate between the front and back pasture, but he needed shelter too. So after much figuring and labor, he has a new stall off the back of the barn.

The pictures are not great as I took them with the iPod in a dark barn with harsh black light from the doors.  But you get the idea!

These two pictures are looking into the barn from the back pasture.  (These are my friendly meat chickens that want to be apart of everything)

Looking outward.  Hay that is frozen to the ground had to be moved (on the left). Then getting the big pasture gate and long pallet configured and secured as walls that will contain an enthusiastic 400+ pound bull...who was mooing at me the whole time. Apparently if you are in the barn you should be feeding him!

He's settled in well and had his first meal in his new stall...now we await Hershey's arrival. 

Ah...the feed store in the spring...

Going to the feed store in the spring is a dangerous proposition for me.  You see...in the spring time (and I know technically it's not spring for another 26 days) they bring in baby chicks....

But let me back up...just a bit.

I've been waiting for almost a month for my new cows....then there was a delay in delivery of the two....then somehow Half-Pint got hurt...then another delay in delivery.  She was supposed to come today.  But then I got a call that maybe it would have to be tomorrow as the ground is too soft to load....so disappointment.

Then my Boy was going to put up my grow room so I could start my seedlings.  But the package had 3 packages of one set of poles and non of the others...so I ended up with 16 missing poles and the tent had to be packed back up to go back from whence it came....sigh.

So my Dear Man, knowing what would happen...and actually encouraging me...sent me off alone to the feed store...

Two Light Colored Americaunas, Two Dark Americaunas, and 2 Buff Orpingtons.

And I'm going back on March 10 to geth the other 3 breeds I'd like to add!

Vegetable List...

If you enjoy reading lists, stay tuned.  If not, feel free to skip my "ocd"ness....

Brassicas

• Early Cabbage
• Early White Vienna Kohlrabi
• Romanesco Broccoli
• Snowball Cauliflower
• Regular Broccoli

Tomatoes

• Farmer's Monster (Red, Large)
• Delicious (Red, Clustered)
• Tigerella (Slriped)
• Mortgage Lifter (Red, Larger)
• Hillbilly (Red/Yellow Stripe, Large)
• San Marzano (Red, Paste)
• Early Girl (Red)
• Burpees Gold Jubilee(Gold, Large)
• Yellow Pear Bite Size
• Sweet Cherry 100
• *Tomatillos

Summer Squash

• Black (Green) Zucchini
• Golden Zucchini
• Yellow Crookneck
• Zyphyr Squash
• PattyPan

Winter Squash

• Waltham Butternut
• Spaghetti Squash
• Acorn Squash
• Connecticut Field Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin

Cucumbers

• Straight 8 Salad 
• Homemade Pickles
• Muncher

Corn

• Early Sunglow (yellow)
• Bi-licious (bi color)
• Early and Often (yellow)
• Peaches & Cream (bi color)
• Silver Queen (white)
• Strawberry Popcorn (red, popping)
• Ornamental Indian

Peas

• Sugar Snap (snow peas)
• Wando
• Early Alaska
• Cascadia

Beans

• Fordhook Lima
• Burpee Stringless (Green)
• TenderPick (Green) 
• Topcrop (Green)
• Gold Rush Wax (yellow)
• Mellow Yellow (Yellow)
• Royal Burgundy (purple, turns green when cooked)
• Gourmet Mix (Green, Yellow and Purple)

Greens

• Buttercrunch Lettuce
• Gourmet Lettuce Blend
• Bloomsdale Spinach
• Tyee Spinach
• Kale

Roots

• Nantes Carrots
• Tendersweet Carrots
• Purple Haze Carrots
• German Giant Radish
• Early Scarlet Radish
• Watermelon Radish
• Detroit Beets
• Cylindra Beets
• Hollow Crown Parsnips
• Purple Top Rutabaga
• Turnips

Peppers

• California Wonder (Green Bell)
• Yellow Monster
• Fooled You Jalapenos (Taste of Jalapeno, not the heat)
• Colored Mix (Bells, Orange, Red, Purple)
• Long Thin Cayenne

Onion

• Candy Red Onions
• Shallots
• Kappa Hybrid Cooking Onions
• Bunching Onions / Scallions
• Leeks

Other

• Okra
• Luffa Gourds
• Birdhouse Gourds

Herbs

• Cilantro / Coriander
• Parsley
• Basil
• Dill
• Thyme
• Rosemary

Flowers

• Sunflowers
• Marigolds
• Petunias
• Daisies
• Snapdragons

Potatoes

• Russets
• Red
• Purple Majesty
• Sweet Potatoes
• Jerusalem Artichokes

So now that you have made it to the end of the list....what am I forgetting??

I LOVE Sunshine!

Everything just seems to go better with Vitamin D, don't you think?

This morning, Man and I went through all the seed catalogs (they send enough catalogs that we each had one to go page by page through) and decided what "new and exciting" things to try this year.  The Boy joined in and decided on things HE needed to add to the list.  Plus, we came up with some neat ideas for the blog soon to be implimented.  (Good News-hopefully more consistant posting.)

I'm really excited because I have some "real foodie" people interested in joining the CSA this year.  I love to garden, but if it's just for me...I tend to peter out later in the summer.  If I am growing for more than just our family, there is pressure there....and as I've always told my cousin, I don't run on a reward system, more of a guilt system :)

So after spending ....mumble...mumble...at the local nursery (seeds were 25% off!) and even bigger MUMBLE..MUMBLE  at two different mail order places.  I think I have the majority of the garden set for the year.

We are adding to the orchard this year, and also adding a field of "soft fruits".  The saying goes that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago and the next best time is now.  I planted a Honey Crisp apple tree when we first moved it.  Man called it the "one stick wonder".  Well now it has a few branches but still is very sad looking.  Our other older apple trees did not do well last year....

Here are the trees we are adding this year:

Gala Apple
Red Delicious Apple
Another Honeycrisp Apple

Elberta Dwarf Peach Tree
Red Haven Dwarf Peach Tree

4 Pecan Trees

Also (non food)
3 Paper White Birches (my son is currently obsessed with these..I dunno why?)
3 Blue Spruce
10 Lombardy Poplar Shade Trees


As far as the 'Soft Fruit'

4 "Sand" Cherry Bushes
9 Black Raspberry Bushes (3 @ Cumberland, Black Hawk, and Logan)
12 Red Raspberry Bushes (6 @ Latham and Fallred)
3 Gold Raspberry Bushes (Fallgold)
3 Red Canadice Seedless Grapevines
200 Strawberry Plants (100 Everbearing [25@ Ozark Beauty, Ft.Laramie, Quinault, Ogallala] 100 June Bearing [25@Allstar, Honeoye, Sparkle, Surecrop])
1 Tayberry
6 Blueberry Bushes (2@ Northland, Berkeley, and Herbert)
2 Rhubarb Bushes


THEN...there are the Veggies!!  YAY!

OK...I'm not saying that I have a problem....however...I am up to 73 packets of seeds (not including flowers or herbs).  I will need to list them all out for the CSA, but for now...just behold the whole end of my kitchen table covered!!  (And this isn't including the 6 things I realized I still haven't bought...)  I can say I am doing better this year as I only have 9 varieties of tomatoes rather than 20.

Snow and Blue Skies!

This picture just cracks me up...Especially the udder!

However, LOOK at the blue sky and sunshine!! YAY!!

Really? Oh the Wind!

The past two days have been a nightmere of wind.  

(Trigeminal hates wind, BTW!)

We thought we made it through alright since we only lost power for about 1.5 hours.

But then, we discovered that the lean-to roof came down.  Thank God the trailer was not under there.  The plan had been to move the trailer in there, it just hadn't gotten done yet.

 

The scary thing was that the roof came down and there is one upright that is still solid..and poking up through the middle of the roof.

An Unwelcome Visitor....Disturbing picture!

So our "teenage" pullet hens have started laying pretty consistently (YAY!)  But then all of a sudden they dropped off again.  Now what....well here's what...

I went to collect eggs and saw the shadow in the nest box. I almost reached in as I always grab eggs from under the chickens.  Luckily, my mind registered "That is not a beak but a nose" just as I was approaching the box.  After throwing a bit of a fit (I've discovered I'm not really all that tough when confronted by unexpected critters-be they opossum or mice or whatever-I still scream like a little girl).  I put the feed can lid over the opening and ran for the workshop..

My husband, MY HERO! came out and shot em for me.  We left it in the box until this morning so it might be easier to get out.  And bless his heart, he first "posed" the critter for the blog (Is he awesome, or what?!?) and then took care of disposing of it.

Luckily, eggs are an easy meal, so none of the girls were harmed.  Opossums (what are they Irish?) will bite the heads off of chickens...and eat one or two.  So I'm grateful that they had started laying and he could have a lazy meal instead!!

Hopefully in a few days they will get back up to production!

Shudder!

Another thing done!!

I've needed to recycle old computers for years and years. Seriously, a few were old 386 computers with Windows 95!  But they just kept accumulating. It's been on the 101 list to get it done....

Finally, I  working on a project (pictures and details soon) that required the pump house to be cleaned out. So it was time. We packed them all into the van and headed to town. The recycler was not open (even though the web site said it was, however, Goodwill takes computers and recycles them too. And it just so happened that goodwill was right next door to the recycler. So even though we didn't make and change for it...it is done!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's the "love day".  All month, I have been putting hearts on my Boy's door and on Man's mirror letting them know things I love about them.

Today we had a chocolate fondue dessert!  Yay, chocolate!

And....it's on the 101 list!  Something to cross off.  Score all around.

Chocolate Fondue: Strawberries, Kiwi, Apples, Grapes, Raisins, Angel Food Cake, Marshmellows, Pretzels, and Warm Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookies!!  

I spent the morning cleaning out the pump house---again!  I didn't take a before picture as it was truly shameful.  After my grandfather passed away, we brought home lots of misc. stuff and it just got stacked and stacked into the pump house.  And it would have stayed like that until spring....but....

We received a "grow tent" that I had intended to put up in the cellar with my "greenhouse" shelves from last year.  The tent is 77 inches square...and even though, in theory, I have room down there, one (me) would have forgotten to take into account the duct work that I need to duck for.  Ummm...yeah, so send the tent back and get a smaller one?   Oh look. the pump house has 78 inches wide...Yes, it's very close, but we are going to make it work (I hope).

Tomorrow, I will do ANOTHER thing that's been on my list forever which is recycling all the old computer stuff that is out there.  My Boy has torn all the computers apart, but truly they are so old that even if he created one super computer, it would be so slow, so tomorrow all will get packed and taken down to the computer recycler and clear out space for the grow tent.  YAY!  And I have two bags of stuff for Goodwill.  So overall, it's been a pretty good day!  Tiring, but good.

Hopefully the cows will be coming on Monday.  I'm ALMOST ready for them.  Tomorrow is also another "getting supplies" day in order to be prepared.  God is working this out well.  The forecast is calling for warmer weather next week which will be a blessing as I am trying to learn the milking machine.

Cold and Frosty Morning

It was so foggy this morning and the fog froze to the trees.  It was so beautiful (and too cold!) 

 There's Weldon in the cold morning air.

Iona saying Good Morning!

New Milker...

Yesterday, 4 very Heavy Boxes appeared on my back porch.

WooHOO!  It's the milker.  All 105 pounds of it.  Who knew it would come in so many pieces?!?

Only the 3 smallest boxes

Cleansers

This milk can is JUST a bit bigger than I anticipated....umm...just a bit.

We ended up getting a milker that had lots of extras included.  Back brush for one....

Man and Boy helping put the vacuum pump and motor together.

It's still not completely together.  That will be tomorrow's project...while it is in negative temperatures again...Now that the milker is here, soon so will the cows!

Painting "Strawberries"

We are preparing for spring and the expansion of all the "soft fruits".  One of the big projects is the 200 strawberry plants coming.  In order to deter the birds I've read about painting rocks to look like strawberries and put them among the plants.  They peck at them before the fruit actually ripens and then are less likely to peck the real fruit when it finally ripens.  We shall see!

So after a trip to one of my happy places: Hobby Lobby, and armed with paint and rocks, we started painting.  Boy helped me get the red done.  I will have to post pictures when we get the rest of the colors on.  It is taking a bit of time as we wait in between layers and colors.  In the meantime, I am craving strawberry jam!

Anniversary Splurge

Man and I celebrated our 21st anniversary!

I love that guy! 

We had a wonderfully buttery dinner as a splurge.  The lobster is from his trip to see his brother in Maine a few months ago. (and drawn butter) And then we had slow baked steak in the oven (with butter & spices) and sauteed mushrooms.  Baked potatoes (with butter and sour cream).  Brussel Sprouts with Butter sauce.  Fresh home baked bread...with butter.  And finally pecan brownies (no butter)

I can't wait til the cows get here so we can have homemade butter!