One of the many milking helpers #TBT 5/25/15

The cats love to help with the morning milking.

Asia is in the wagon ready to go to the barn

Quatro used to be so shy, but now when it's milking time, he comes to me and he flops down in between my feet.

Jealous much?

So as I stood at the fence taking pictures of Hershey and the twins, I heard a scrabbling sound beside me.

Yellow cat climbed the post beside me so he could have some attention too.

And went all ""Pride Rock" on me!

Evening Chores on the farm...

The cows like to come out in the evening.  Hershey doesn't seem to like the daytime heat, so as the sun dips down we see her and the babies in the field.

Look how much thinner she is (and no, she's not starving...that's the way Jerseys look, however we are slowly trying to fatten her up a bit!)

Both the twins with some of the chickens... 

"Excuse me?!  Might you have some milk for me....?" 

The Saga of Black Cat

Let me tell you the recent goings on of our cats....

Tommy (Otherwise known as Black Cat) got into a bit of a scrape about a week ago.  He came to the backdoor first thing in the morning as he usually does, but one eye was almost swollen shut with tears coming down.  So I wiped his eye and noticed that he had bad scratches near that ear and it was swollen.  So we got out the trusty Hydrogen Peroxide....and started to doctor the cat.  And THEN put Peroxide on the scratches in my side, arm and shoulder (grin-have you read the email about giving a cat a pill??) Anyway...so he seemed to be alright.  The next day, we couldn't find him.  After two days and 1 night missing he showed up at dinnertime.  I fed him (and Yellow Cat) some of the biscuits I had made (and don't ask for the recipe...they were not good, that's why they went to the cats and other animals) soaked in tuna fish juice.  I put a pet antibiotic in Black Cat's and kept shooing Yellow Cat off. 

Next morning, another antibiotic in tuna.  Then, he disappeared again.  This time for 4 days/3 nights.  I worried and fretted that I had killed him with the antibiotics.  That he had gone out into the field and was attacked again and since he was sick, couldn't run away.  Had been eaten by the coyotes we keep hearing.  Last night, I had finally given up seeing him again.  So much so, that my Boy who is highly allergic and not really a cat fan, actually suggested that I look on Craigslist to find another cat to keep Yellow Cat (and me) company.  Black Cat has always come when Man calls as he feeds the cats the mice we catch in our traps.  This morning, Boy and I prayed earnestly that the cat would have either found a new home and they took him to the vet or that at least he didn't suffer.

So I started typing this earlier today with a "RIP Black Cat"....then Man went out to the shop calling the cat, but didn't look for him or even stop.  10 minutes later, my Boy looked out the back door and who was there???

A bit more beaten up as now his other ear has a bit of scratches on it.  He is now locked in a cage in the barn until he is healed up and I think he can hold his own against other foes.  And yellow cat is laying right outside of the cage waiting on him!!

OH, and this is a picture from 1/31 when I planted some experimental plants.  Black Cat tends to keep me company around the farm....I also updated the 1/31 post with the other pictures from that day... http://wallacehomestead.blogspot.com/2012/01/warm-day-lots-done.html

WOW! The forcast today!

EGGS and lots of em!  Finally my "baby" chicks and ducks have figured things out.  Yesterday we got 13 eggs, 4 of which were duck (or turkey, not sure I've actually seen a turkey egg yet)  That means out of the 12 hens, 9 laid yesterday!  WoOHoO!!! 

Also, the forcast for today is 59*.  Really??  On the last day of January?  I realize it is La Nina, but still...we are going to pay for this..in the meantime though....YEAH!!  I'm about to go let the girls free range for the day.  The laying should be done for the day.

I have a good friend coming over for a visit today.  We met in the funniest way.  She came to my yard sale in W'ville forever ago.  Found out she was going to homeschool.  Became email buddies.  She joined our homeschool group.  Then moved to West Virginia . We became Facebook friends and send instant chats from time to time. She has family in our city so she comes up every month or so.  Today, she is going to come out to the farm to see me...and she's bringing her boy that is friends with my boy!  I'm excited to see her again.  Side bonus...the downstairs got cleaned up!

I haven't been blogging as I should....Pinterest has an evil side....it sucks me in, challenges me and then overwhelms me! However, I have been keeping busy.  I will be posting a recipe tutorial in a bit.  I actually made another fun, from scratch dinner that was "blog worthy".  When I try new recipes, I like to actually have them 2-3 times before I post them to make sure that I'm not giving incorrect information.  You'd be proud though...I remembered to take pictures of all the steps!  But Boy is doing math on my computer and I'm on the little netbook, so I will have to wait until later to post it.

Along with the whole Pinterest thing....I know I am supposed to be finding ideas to use the junk I have here, but as I spend time on there, my list of what I will be looking for at yard sales and thrift stores is getting longer! :)  I'm always amazed at the creativity of people.  I feel like I am creative, but I see some of this pictures and know if I had the same pile of stuff, I would toss it out as junk and they make a really pretty "scene."  So I don't even pretend that these are my ideas.  I am totally hijacking someone else. 

EXCEPT....my guys did take me to Goodwill this weekend...I know...month of nothing, but still....I found 5 things and only spent $2.14, and $0.50 of it was boy's and he paid me back.  I am not going to say too much, as I am working on something that actually might be unique and "Pin" worthy!! 

Here's a picture from my back step this morning.....even anti-social Timmy is coming up to the house to see if we have any mice for him.  (Nope!  They're doing a great job!)

Kitty Love....

So if you've been reading with us for awhile, you know that both of our guys are allergic to cats.  You may also remember that we ended up with two kittens dumped on our road that we took in.

Tim is also camera shy!

Well,  both are doing very well.  Tim is truly a barn cat.  He is not one to be petted or loved on.  He will get within a few feet of you, but that's about it.  He does come out when I call, but doesn't "come".

Tom, however, is quite the ham!

Now, Tom on the other hand is my little love.  He comes when we call.  Is frequently (now) found sleeping on the chair on the porch.  Follows me around in the garden and wants to be petted and loved.

Both of the cats are used to hunting, but also seem to enjoy the vegetables that I bring out for the chickens.  Both eat tomatoes, and chicken food.  They have left all the babies (chicken, duck, guinea) alone.  And since Tom has started coming up to the house...we haven't seen any mice in almost 2 months!  These are GOOD cats.

More beans....and it is HOT!

We are still harvesting beans and zucchini and anxiously awaiting tomatoes and peppers.  I am disappointed with the amount of cucumbers we've gotten this year.  Usually by this time we have had cucumber and tomato salad about 47 times....only twice this year....Sheryl:  The secret to the salad is to premake it and leave it in the fridge for about an hour (at least)...and sssshhhhh the secret sauce is.....italian dressing from the packet made up instead of from a bottle.  :)

It is supposed to be 98* today...with I think 150% humidity.  I don't mind heat it's the "stupidity" I don't like!!  But we need a few heat days so the tomatoes will start changing color. So....

The juvey chickens are doing well as are the young turkeys.  I let them free range yesterday and they came back to their coop last night.  We haven't had any more raccoon killings since the dogs have taken their posts.  I think it may be time for the cats to live near the house....I keep hearing mice in the house, and we've caught 2 in the past two days.  I have seen Tommy carrying a mouse so I know they are doing their job out in the barn.  Timmy (formerly Molly) is very shy and that's perfect for a barn cat.  Tommy is shy in the morning...but then in the evening, he'll come up to the gate to wait for us to come out and do chores.  He will climb up on the wood pile and get up onto my shoulder (I'm the only one not allergic, so I'm the one they climb on.)

Funny thing is that now Drake (the older male duck) is now following us around when it is chore time.  If you were afraid of ducks, this might freak you out as their way of communicating is hissing.  So he is always bobbing his head and hissing at me.  But this is not because of meanness....he wants dog food.  He will eat the "fowl" food....but yumm....if he can have some kibble....his life is complete!  So I made the mistake of feeding him some as I took food to the working dogs...and now every evening when we are getting everyone put to bed....he follows me everywhere...and I give in and give him a few morsels...pretty much guaranteeing that he will be back tomorrow!

So I get to go pick up my kid from camp in about 2 hours!  Woo Hoo!  And then we have a day of running around town doing errands (not his favorite thing to do....but I'll get to hear everything about camp!)