Wilderland...

Today, my daughter, her 2 Boxers Rousey and Daisy, and me and my dog Stella, went to the most beautiful place to walk. It's a private property at the foot of Lookout Mt. It's beautiful. I want to live there. I would never leave.

The dogs had a ball, jumping in every lake and stream and mud puddle they found.  Just look at that water! All blues and greens. Magical. That's Lookout to the West.

This lake is at the top. There are about 7 or 8 on this property. Maybe more. But each one is amazing. Little waterfalls and streams all over. Even some natural springs with wonderful cold water!

One of the guys who own this property has a son who walks tightropes. There is one across this lake. It goes from here to the other side. He has done this from the 2 Aquariums in Chattanooga. He's good. But what a great place to fall, right?

The most peaceful place ever. And a beautiful day to go for a long walk.

kids...

This morning we went out back to see what we needed to fix the electric fence. Thorin and Alva came to say hello to Tiny. All the kids were out this morning early. We had a hard freeze last night and it was really bone chillin' cold out. I am so ready for some nice warm weather please!

I had let the sheep and alpacas out back last night, after I put the goats to bed. After I fed the sheep and alpacas, I let the goats out. All the kids were out and I saw Misha and Sugar at the gate, checking the babies out. They love babies. They practically raised the 3 bottle lambs 3 years ago. They are still good buddies. So I told the boys they will have plenty of baby lambs to take care of real soon. I'm sure Amarillo, the ewe that had the quads, is going to have quads again. She is rather huge right now. Some of it is her wool because she was the only one who didn't get sheared in September last year. But it is babies too. I called my friend Carrie to see if she was serious about wanting bottle babies and if she was, she better get ready for a few! She said yes, they were really wanting some babies. I am happy about that!

I kind of wish we had gotten snow instead of this frost the past 2 nights. I didn't cover anything, so I know I've lost my few blueberry bushes that had tons of flowers on them already. And the 3 fig bushes had tips of green. The elderberry bushes had full leaves too. It's been a wonky winter for sure here. I'll be so happy to see it leave us.

And we're all done!

In less than 12 hours, kidding season started and was over. Last Tuesday, the 7th, about noon, Freya was in the back stall in their barn, laying down when I checked on them. She didn't show any signs of labor at all. In fact, I had written dates down, starting March 9th through the 24th, so I wasn't even thinking about kids then.


I was in my studio, which is right in front of the barn. I thought I heard a baby goat, but thought there's no way. But I heard it again. So I went out and sure enough, there were 3 little goat babies. 3 of them!! I knew Freya had more than just 2 kids in there, as huge as she was.

So got some towels and helped dry them off as much as I could. They are all girls!! All are doing great. I have tried to give them a bottle, but they will not take it. I have had to milk her some, because the kids will just nurse her right side. Her teats are SO big, they can't get their little tiny mouths on it. So when I get most of the milk out, it helps them.  She's such a good momma.

It's been really cold here and they are small, so I decided to put little sweaters on these guys.

Then, about 11 that same night, I went to check on Olga. I had noticed earlier that she was laying down, getting up and pawing, then laying down again, quite often. So I was watching her.

When I went out at 11:30, she'd already had 1 kid, and the head and a leg of another were coming out. I couldn't find the other leg, so I gently pulled when she'd push. And out came another kid.

The darker one came first. It's a buck. I named him Thorin, after the dwarf king under the mountain, in the Hobbit. I was hoping I'd get at least 1 buck so I could use that name.

The lighter one is a doe. I named her Alva.

I am milking Olga because she's SO big and the kids cannot drink it all yet. Her milk is really good and we are drinking it already. I have missed goat milk so much and it's SO good! I wish Freya's kids could nurse on Olga. She has perfect little teats, just the right size for little mouths.

So I was way off on dates. That buck must of got them both as soon as he went through the gate here! Just bam, bam, done! And I kept him here 6 weeks.

These kids are SO cute and sweet! And I am SO allergic! I'm having to take Claritin just so I can breath. And hay too.  But I have to love on these sweet babies!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting here. I take pictures with my phone so it takes forever to load them onto this blog.

I will try to post more often though.

Oh, if anyone has some really cute Irish, Celtic, fairy, elf, hobbit names for girls, please let me know. I need 3 for Freya's girls.

Bacon and goats

This is some of the bacon I just got back yesterday from my pig. I kept him up the road at my friend's farm with his pigs. We took them to the butcher a month ago. So Allen has a smoker and he smoked all the bacon for us. It is SO GOOD! Worth the wait. He also smoked some for too long and gave me some to use for seasoning beans and things. So today, I've had a pot of pinto beans going. Having them for dinner with corn bread!

My husband's been working on the driveway, clearing all the weedy trees and privet. he got a truckload of brush so I put the goats up front so they can eat some. They went right to it and started going at it! Happy girls right there!

Freya is due March 9th through 15th, then Olga  5 days later til the 20th or so. They are both HUGE! I so do not want them to have more than 2 each.

And the sheep are getting bigger too. Amarillo is so big, but I think part of hers is her wool. She's the only one that didn't get sheared in Sept. so her wool is pretty long. But she's poking out at the sides, so I know she's pregnant. She's the ewe that had quads last time. UGH! This is why I bred the goats to kid first, so I'll have milk. Just in case.

I can hardly wait to have goat milk again! Cow's milk is just not the same at all. It's like water to me. And we're getting raw milk from a friend.

The weather has been really warm lately. Trees are budding out, which makes the pollen count go sky high. I have been stuffed up now for a week. Even my ears. I hate this. I've been drinking dandelion tea, from flowers in the yard and garden. I hope it kicks in soon. My grand kids are the same way.

So sorry I've not been posting, but I haven't had a lot to say lately.

New gate.

It's been awhile since I've posted here. Since I was sick, I just have no motivation at all. I have to make myself get up and go. Maybe it's the weather too. Although, it's been so nice here lately. We have not even had a fire going til a few days ago. Windows open too. We do have to open windows sometimes because that wood heater really puts out some serious heat. It's usually 83 in the dining room which is next to the living room. So it's not too much longer til spring! I've been seeing daffodils popping up already!!

So my friend Beth, who gets goat milk from me, swapped me this great gate! I finally picked it up this past weekend. My husband wanted to put it up right away. So we set the posts yesterday and got it all finished this morning! SO much beter than the 2 pallets with the little piece of fence in the middle for a gate.

Here it is, all done. Farmer Tiny, so proud of it! He is a great guy really. It might take all day to do something, but he can still do it!

And here they go, through the new gate for the first time! And as usual, Sugar is the very last one anywhere. He just ambles everywhere, that alpaca. No hurry for him. He's so funny. I have seen him run a few times, but it's very rare.

And there they all are, through the gate. And we have never been able to get the latch part to be snug against the pole. Ever. So we have lots of bungee cords all over. But it works! And that's all that matters. It looks so much better. And it swings both ways. It'll be so much easier to get through without getting scratched by wire.

Thank you Beth! I got the other gate from her too, that goes to the goat yard.

So what's going on at your farms?

Cameron in the studio.

Some snow?

Don't know if you can see it, but these sheep and alpaca are covered in snow! It actually started snowing pretty good awhile ago, so I moved them back next door to where the hay is.

And the house has a little dusting of snow too. But it's already almost all gone. It might snow some more later. Who knows? Georgia is already being shut down and declared a state of emergency. Schools closed here and in Tn. Probably Alabama too. SO scary, this white stuff, around here! But, my brother lives in Colorado Springs, Co. and he said they shut the schools down the minute they hear of snow coming. I thought that was pretty funny!

Hello...

So I have been sick since last year .It started last week, Tuesday I think, with a cough. It grew to the flu. It was evil. After taking checks to Mrs. T's Wed. morning, I came home and went to bed and didn't get up til Saturday. It was bad. My throat hurt so bad I cried. A lot. I got up one of those mornings and almost past out. I lost almost 12 pounds.  I am somewhat better, but not like I want to be. I never want to go through anything like this again. My husband was sick too but I didn't know it.

And I have no pictures to share at all. It's just gloomy anyway here. We might get some snow! It's been raining a lot. Our local weatherman, David Glen, is a big liar. He said we would have a cold DRY winter. So far, there is not a dry spot out there. It's cold though. I think I would seriously consider moving to the Arizona desert for winters from now on.

I took the ram back home last week before I got sick. Thank goodness, he's gone! He was the biggest fattest ram ever! He was a real glutton. With him here, they went trhough a whole round bale of hay in less than 2 weeks. He had to go. Then I get panic attacks now, worrying if ALL the sheep are pregnant. UGH, what was I thinking????

Both goats are pregnant. Getting bigger every day. Already waddling. I've been getting cow milk from my friend Sarah. It's just not the same though.

I am making some ham and bean soup with the left over ham from Christmas. It smells so good in the house. I haven't cooked since last week.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. And wishing you all a happy healthy 2017!

Merry Christmas from Outback Farm!

                   Wishing you ALL a very merry Christmas and happy fun new year too!

Some new items in shop.

Here are some new items in my shop. I just finished this pretty scarf that matches the knitted hat. They are both knit in the basket weave pattern. So pretty and soft. Not heavy at all. This is wool from my sheep that I've spun and dyed. $55 for the set. Or $35 for hat and $25 for scarf.

This is mohair I spun from some roving I bought last year. It's just a knit stitch. Very soft. I will be adding a button on the cowl. This hat is $40 and cowl is $25. Or $60 for the set.

These are some quilted bags my friend Cindy makes. They are perfect for knitting or crochet bags! Pockets all over to store knitting needles or crochet hooks and other tools and supplies. The one in the middle is $20 and the other 2 are only $15 each. I have one and I LOVE it!

I can ship too! I am in the process of getting set up to take Pay Pal! Just give me some time to get it all set up. I hope to be able to put a button here on the blog. And get some web sites set up as well.

Drawings by Chloe for sale.

These are some of my grand daughter Chloe's drawings. They are prints. On heavy card stock. They are $10 each.

Outback Farm Fiber arts and Pottery Studio is OPEN!

I had an open house here about 3 weeks ago. It was so fun! I had some jewelry and Himalayan salt lamps here that a friend makes. Plus all my things. I did really well.

So I am now open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

I had a Black Friday sale then Small Business Saturday sale. Did really good then too. My sister brought up some of her things she makes. I'll post them tomorrow.

So all these items are for sale. I do have a square for my phone and also take checks.

Soaps are $5-$7 each.

I have salves for $10 each. Plantain, calendula and comfrey.

These are all knitted hats that I've made. All are hand spun wool that I have spun. Some are from my sheep. Others are from roving I have bought.

They are $35 each.

I also have baby and toddler hats too. They are $20 each.

The 2 in the middle are from my sheep.

This is alpaca that I spun from my 2 alpacas. The black is from a friend. The yarn is $7 an oz. The hat is knit from Misha's fiber. It's $40.

These are some cotton totes my grand daughter and I hand painted. They are $10 each.

Then the hand spun wool yarn from my sheep. Except the 2 yellow skeins on the left. That's Merino  that I spun from roving I bought.

The wool yarn is $6 an oz.

This is some 3 ply wool yarn. The turquoise is BFL, the white is Finn and the gray is Romney. All hand spun by me. $6 an oz. This one is 162 yds. I have 2 more skeins. 1 is 102 yds. The other is still on the bobbin right now.

Then I still have some pottery for sale.

Comings and goings...

I hope everyone had a really nice Thanksgiving. We were short one person this year. Our middle grand daughter, Coryn, was in Chicago. She left late Monday night with 2 bus loads of high school band members to be in the MacDonald's Thanksgiving Parade! They had a full itinerary for each day with so many fun things to do and see there. We sure did miss her. But this was something we all felt was going to be so good for her to experience. And it was worth it. SO glad she and all the kids and parents are back home though.

My sister came for Thanksgiving. With her 2 horses! She has Falcon, an 8 year old Mastiff. And Finja, a 5 year old Great Dane. Seriously, these dogs are HUGE!  When they were in my small kitchen with me and Heidi, there was not much room to move.  But Stella really enjoyed having company. Saturday, my daughter and her husband Jason brought their 2 Boxers, Daisy and Rousey, out to visit too. So there were 5 dogs running around the yard and house!

One day, I will tell you all about what happened to Bubba. I just can't do it now.

So most of the wild fires in our area are pretty much contained now. Not all put out yet, but contained. We are supposed to be getting some good rain tonight and again on Wednesday. We hope this takes care of the fires that are still burning. And clean up the air. I was really sick from the smoke in the air for so many weeks. But better now.

Making friends

This is Shorty. He's almost all Finn. Has some nice wool. And this is Buttercup, his new friend.

Saturday, Darla was the only ewe that would even look at him. All the others ran and hid behind the alpacas.It was quite funny! Then yesterday, I let them all over here and they went to the back yard. He made friends with Annabelle all day. Then took up with her daughter, Buttercup. Still hanging with her this morning.

So, my flock of sheep will triple starting late April on. I am a little nervous about this whole thing. But people have been asking for lamb for awhile now. And a friend up the road wants her own flock. So I hope to be able to sell just about all of the lambs by fall next year.

Anyone need some lambs!

Life just got a whole lot interesting here at Outback Farm!

Wooden soap racks

My husband and I finally made the soap racks. I've wanted to do this with the wooden boxes we had made before. They were just taking up too much room on the tables. And I've been trying to conserve space when I go to markets. Plus this way will take up less space in the car too. So now I have the 2 plus the wooden cabinet for soap. 17 different soaps in all 3.                                                                                                          Now to get more dryer balls made. And get all my knitted hats and cowls priced. And pack up the car. And probably the truck too. Gonna be a fun weekend!

Feeling like fall here!

Yesterday we turned the AC off and opened all the windows! It was pretty cool last night. And this morning, the curtains were blowing in the breeze. I love this! Only low 70's the next few days! Welcome, Fall!

Some pig happenings...

This morning, on my way to Mrs. T's, I came across this peculiar sight. I thought it was 2 dogs walking down the street. But upon further inspection, (like I got out of my car to see if it actually really was what I thought it was) I realized it was a pig walking with a white dog.

Yes, a full blown pig. Maybe a pot belly pig? It was a male pig, not too awfully big.  The dog was very friendly. I tried to get a look at her tag, which had a bone tag with names on it, but the pig was too close. And I don't think the dog really liked the pig.

So she took off across the road, with the pig grunting after her. I sure hope they found their way home, where ever it is. Just another strange sight in the little town of Flintstone, Ga.  And that's the little fire hall with the tractor beside it. The elementary school is to the right behind the fire hall.

Speaking of pigs... here's my pig. I haven't been down to see him in several months. He's in the middle. They really aren't very big. They are long. But not fat. And I want a FAT pig! I mean, I want FAT on my meat when I get it. I want fat on the pork chops. I hate lean tough pork chops.  And fat in the sausage. I don't like having to add oil to the pan. I can hardly wait! And I want lots of bacon. And I want to make lots of lard too. So I want a fat pig.

I am trying to get ready for a big show this weekend at Cloudland Station. It's Sat. and Sun. I always do really good there. So I have lots of things to do the next 2 days to get it all ready. I'll be taking pottery, soap, and wool stuff. So excited!

A woolly week here.

This week, I have been working with wool. Lots of wool. I made a lot of dryer balls. Some of the wool I dyed turned into dryer balls. And some white wool too. As I was going through some of the wool, I was seeing really nice locks. From Amarrillo and even Adalaide. Then I went through a whole tote of Darla's wool from last year and got a lot more of really long locks from her. So had a nice basket full of good locks.

                                This is the basket full of beautiful locks. They are so soft and pretty.

                       
                      Some of the locks being combed into top. It's so soft and pretty like this.

This is a little bird nest all ready to spin into beautiful fluffy yarn. I'm still spinning alpaca, but will take some of this to the market with me to spin this afternoon. Do something different.
               

58 summers

So 58 summers are behind me now. I've started thinking things like this. My 58th August. My 58th Labor Day. Or anything like this. I never did before. I am 58 years old and I was born in 1958. I think that's just amazing! How many people can say they are the same age as their birth year? Probably thousands of people who were born in 1958.

So here I go into my 58th fall. My 58th winter. My 58th Thanksgiving. My 58th Christmas... It feels different for sure. I've never been 58 before, so it's all new to me. But I'm looking at things in a whole new way. I like it.

Happy fall, y'all! I hope it's your best 30th. Or 50th. Or even 58th. Have a good one! Make it count!