More baby love!

Sorry. I just cannot resist taking baby pictures and posting them everywhere. But they are so stinkin' cute!


This is Gracie and her 2, Tater Tot, on top and Biatrix. They love their mommy. All the lambs this year are being named B names. But for all I've tried, little Tater Tot's name has stuck like glue. He just looks like a tater tot, my grand daughter said. So Tater Tot he is. He's the only odd ball. But sure is a cutie.

And this is one of my favorite pictures. A mother's love. Leelah and Blossom. So sweet.

Then above are Fiona's 2 ewe lambs, Bridget on left and Bonnie Belle on the right, in their cute little cowgirl shirts. Enjoying the sunshine.


These 2 fellas are Darla's boys, Bo in the front and Buck in the back. They are more wool sheep than the other 5, which are hair sheep. Darla is half Suffolk and half Finn. There is such a difference in their wooliness. They are nappy, where the others are just furry.

Then of course had to throw in the 2 little goaties, lounging in the sun too. Ira Joe in red sweater and his sister Elle Belle. Too cute!

I just love all these little cuties. But they all have to go soon. I'll keep the 3 little ram lambs, but all the ewe lambs and goat kids have to be sold when weaned. I just don't have the room for so many at this time. I am trying to sell the 2 bucks as well. I posted them on CL last night.

Downsizing sucks, but has to be done to be more manageable. And I sure am going through a ton of hay.

I hope all your kids and lambs are enjoying their days in the sun too. Have a great day!

Sweet dreams

I got my Taproot magazine a few days ago. The 5th issue of this great new magazine. I love it. If you haven't already heard of it or get it, you need this one. No ads at all. Great illustrations, frame worthy. Great homesteading and farming and livestock articles. And this issue has an article about bees! Of which I will be getting soon, from my friend at Sale Creek Honey. He is selling out. I'll get them in about 6 weeks or so. And the middle of April, I'm taking a bee keeping class at a fellow blogger in Ringgold, not too far from me! So, looks like things are coming together for the bees. I have wanted bees for so long. But I don't know anything about them, other than we need them to pollinate plants and trees. Without them, we won't last long.

But all the things that keep a person from doing something like this, I have been through. First, I know not a think about keeping bees. Next, bees can be quite pricey. Not only the purchase of bees, but also all the bee paraphernalia that goes along with bees. Suits, smokers, hives, food, extractors .... the list goes on and on. (I did put an ad on CL for used suits and things, Or if anyone who reads this blog has anything, let me know.) Then, what if I kill the poor things? What if a disease gets in the hive and wipes them all out? What if  make too much noise and get attacked by the whole hive of them and killed in one outing?  Oh yes, I have thought a lot about this. All the horrible things that could go wrong. I would be responsible for them.

But ya know what? Sometimes there is no "right" time to do anything. Ya just have to do it. Jump in and get the feet wet. learn as you go. Just like having children. No right time there. It just happens. And you survive somehow. And so do the kids. Or the animals. Or whatever. Ya just have to do it.

And right now, with Eddie selling out, is the right time for me. And the class, the right time. It's all falling into place for me to get my first bees. I am jumping in, feet first. And I just have to believe that these sweet dreams will come true. And I will have hives of bees here on my farm.

I would love to hear you bee stories if you'd like to share. I will need all the help I can get.

If you're interested in Taproot magazine, here is how to order it . taprootmag.com or 802-472-1617. It's just as easy as that! And I promise, you will love it too.

Slow day, like a traffic jam

It's kind of a slow Monday here for me. Kind of like this picture that looks like a traffic jam. Not much going on.

I've had a really hard, sad weekend. I feel like it all ended last night. After a very long 6 week illness, Abby finally gave up. I had to bury her this morning. Not the way I had hoped it would end for her. So, I am just grieving right now. I need to process everything and remember. I had Abby almost 8 years. She taught me a lot. I will miss her.

Fiona's little lambs

 Fiona had her lambs this morning. I had just gotten up and let the dogs out, then ran out to check on her to see if she had any lambs yet. There was a little tiny wet red lamb out in the middle of the other sheep and being pushed around by them and attacked by the rooster. So I grabbed the lamb and took her back to her mamma  Well, Fiona had another lamb that she was talking to and licking. She didn't want the red lamb. She kept butting it and trying to kill it. Poor baby. So I grabbed them both and started rubbing them together and then rubbed each lamb with the other's scent. Then stuck my hand to Fiona's nose. She finally did let the lamb nurse some. Then she'd act like she was going to butt her, but didn't. They are both ewe lambs!!!



So I decided to got to Walmart and get 2 identical sweaters for the lambs. I needed a few other things too. Well, I cannot believe that all they had was spring and summer sun dresses. For dogs. Really? People actually put dresses on their poor little dogs? All I wanted was 2 little sweaters for the little lambs. so Fiona would get confused and think they were alike then. I didn't get sundresses for the lambs.

Went over to the pet store and they had a rack of dog clothes right in front. And 25% off! I found these 2 cute shirt type things. Not really sweaters. More like tank tops. Good grief. Anyway, aren't they just the cutest little cowgirls now?  I rubbed each lamb with the opposite shirt and put them on. So far so good. And the little red lamb walks over to me now. She's adorable! And the white lamb is a little snobbish. Like a mamma's girl already.

So here are #11 and #12. So far, of the 4 ewes that lambed, there have been 3 twins and 1 single. 3 ram lambs and 4 ewe lambs. Not too bad.

My truck

This morning I went out to try to crank my truck. I've been driving it because my Trooper is in the transmission shop in Flintstone right now with the transmission dead. So have to use the big huge gas guzzling truck. Which is now really hard to start. Somehow, I have to get the gear shift in just that right spot and it will crank. But it takes about a half hour to find that spot. So, I put it back in park and went inside for awhile. Went back out to try again, and no truck. Gone. It was right there when I went inside.

Here it was, in the fence at the bottom of the parking lot. I have a farm bell there too. It's now on the ground. Fence bashed in. BUT, at least, it is on the side of the gates! I can still open them. BUT, it still willnot start. AND, yesterday, like a big dummy, I filled up the back tank and decided to go ahead and fill up the front tank too. I looked and it was nearly at a hundred $. And still not full. I looked to see if there was gas on the ground. But no. I stopped it at $100 even. And it took 27 gallons and still didn't fill up the front tank. Oh well.

This is what the fence looks like. That's the garden gate. That's the bell post. And that's the bell, on the ground. And it WAS in park.

If I had not been crying over all this other stuff going on with the goats and sheep, I would have cried some more. But it's a little bit funny, really. So I am laughing. Just because it feels better right now. And my mom is coming out to get me and take me to Mrs. T's, where I am back to work on Fridays again. And I will see if I can possibly borrow her car til my Trooper is fixed.

So there is light at the end on my tunnel. And it's spitting snow! Have a great weekend, y'all!

All around the country and back again

This yeast has been all over the country. Traveling with my husband in his big truck. It was quite the mystery too.

I was going to make bread several weeks ago. I always keep the yeast in a container like this in the freezer. It's also the same type containers I put food in for my husband to take with him on the road when he leaves. And I usually pack everything for him , well, because he's a man. But that particular time, he was leaving like very early morning and I just told him where things were.

Anyway, when I went to make bread, I could not find that yeast. Anywhere. I cleaned out the freezer looking for it. It was no where to be seen.

Meanwhile, my husband had called wanting to know what was in that square container with the blue lid. I had no idea. And couldn't figure it out.

It all came together when I had to go pick him up from his truck when he came home. He was handing me stuff from his truck and gave me this container. He said that's what he's been carrying all over the country, not knowing what it was, all this time. And it was my yeast!

I was So happy to have it back. And to know what happened to it. Now I am making bread! And the house smells so good again.

Outside today

(This is Gracie on the left with her 2, Beatrix on left and Tater Tot in the middle. Then Leelah with her little Blossom.)


I let all the new mommas out with their lambs this morning for some fresh air and a little green grass. It was a bit chaotic for awhile, with lambs running around chasing other ewes, asking them if they are their mommas. Then getting butted away. Then finally it all settled down, with the right lambs staying with the right mommas. All is well again.

So just went back out, to take lamb pics. In my long johns. Still haven't gotten dressed. I did have my Carhart jacket on, thank goodness. Because when you go outside wearing pj's to take lamb pictures, people will come to see. And they did. First was the meter reader. Then as he's trying to back down the driveway, in backs the FedEx truck, to bring me my elderberries. So yeah, if ya want company, wear your pj's outside. And of course no make up. And hay in your hair is an added bonus. At least I did have my bra on.

It's not bad out right now. But the weather people say we can have flurries and cooler temps the next 3 days.

Here's Darla with her 2, #8 and #7. Haven't come up with names for them yet. B names this year. Except for Tater Tot. Just because.

Both Darla and Gracie are doing much better.   And the lambs are just too stinkin' precious!