Misty morning sunshine

I am so glad I carry my camera with me. This is what I saw this morning while I was feeding the animals. Isn't this awesome? There was mist across the road, gently rolling along. It got closer and closer. The sun was coming up and the sky was getting brighter. It was just beautiful. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. I know it's beautiful all over, but to me this is the most beautiful place on earth. I love it here.

And just thought I'd throw in some bacon. This is some from the pigs I started raising then sold. This is some of the best bacon I have ever had. I am seriously thinking about getting a few more. If I can raise them where these guys finished out their happy lives. It's like the perfect place to have pigs. We shall see.

These goats.

I was looking out the bathroom window yesterday morning and saw this. How many times have you seen the same thing? At first, I thought she was just in a deep sleep. I called her a few times and got nothing. I ran back in to get boots on and go check on her. Just the way she was laying, I thought she was dead.

Then she gets up. Scares me every time! And it has happened many times. She was just laying there in a very deep sleep, enjoying that nice warm sun.

So I decided to let the goats out on the other side of the fence, in the over grown vine jungle. They love it over there.

Sandy kept going deeper...

and deeper.... til she almost disappeared altogether. I could hardly see her. Must have been some really good stuff back in there.

That lasted about 10 minutes. Then they went out into the wide open pasture next door. Where they are NOT supposed to be, because it's not ours. But they always come back in to their goat yard to rest. I have good goats.

I counted my hay bales a few days ago. I only have 35 bales left. It's about the middle of January. I have been giving the sheep about 1 1/2 bales a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening. They also get grain and bread in the morning. I have 18 sheep til the end of Jan. 2 of the rams go to the butcher. I just might take the other 2 as well. Then I'll just have 14 ewes. Much more manageable for me right now.

The goats get about 5 flakes, plus grain and bread in the morning too. Then more hay at night. I have 4 does and a buck.

The alpacas get a hay feeder full because they are in the back yard right now and there is not much to graze on. Plus they get grain in the morning.

I have decided to only feed hay in the evening from now on. They are all out grazing what they can all day. Plus I go out and cut privet and honeysuckle and cedar for them all to munch on. And I cannot tell if the sheep are pregnant or just fat butterballs. They are huge. If they are pregnant, it will be a few more months, because there are no udders yet. They should all be pregnant because there are 3 rams out there with them and have been for several months now.

There is SO much to do around here. But hubby has a doctor today and some errands to run. I did get in a cleaning mood this weekend. Unusual for me. Could hardly sit still before I'd get up and go clean something. It sure feels good though.

I hope you all have a great week. And stay warm and dry too.

Blue Sunday

 Just some blue to brighten up your day!

Have a great day y'all!!!

Warm wool. And husband update.

Just thought I'd post some pictures of some of the wool sheep's fleece. I hope it's good come shearing time. Seems like every time I throw hay, all the wool sheep are right up under it. Hay all over the wool. It just falls right off the hair sheep. But the wool sheep wear hay. And lots of little sticks and brambles and anything else that will grab hold of the wool.

I think this is Amarillo in this picture. Her's is really nice and long right now.

And this is Adelaide. Hers is really crimpy but she tends to get really dirty. And she was sick last year so didn't get any of her wool to keep. I hope I can use it this year.

And little Buttercup. She is filthy and stays this way. I'll be washing her fleece for days! Hers is really long and has good crimp too. She's full Finn and so are Adelaide and Amarillo.

I hope to be able to buy some shears soon. I have seen what Premier has and they are pretty reasonable. I'd like to get new ones. Has anyone ever bought used shears? Would you recommend doing this?

It is now back to slippery slimy mud again here. We are due for about an inch of rain by Saturday but noce and sunny Sunday.

Also thought I might better update everyone on my husband. That fall did a number on his arm. I didn't realize how much. It's just like the skin was pulled back. He also sprained his big toe and the one next to it on his left foot. Don't really know when that happened. He said he dropped a piece of wood on it a few days before. But I didn't notice it til the next day when I changed his bandages on his ankles.

So yesterday, he had 2 appointments. The first at 11 with the wound care doctor. He goes every Thursday and every other time the doctor cuts away dead skin and stuff. It's pretty nasty. But to look at the wounds today and when I first saw them, he's doing really good right now.

His other appt. was at 1 with the skin cancer place. He had a few biopsies done a few weeks before on his left arm. The arm he hangs out the window if his truck. It looks pretty bad and I have been wanting him t go get them both checked out. Turns out he had a few places that needed immediate attention. So the doctor did a huge place on his left forearm. Huge. Right above where his arm was already messed up by the fall. So now, he really is looking like a mummy. His whole left forearm covered in gauze. Both ankles and right foot. His knee. He's a mess. But doing pretty good for an ole dude.

Prayers for a friend please.

My heart is so heavy and sad right now. My dear friend, Libby, has just found out her cancer has spread to her brain. She had stage 3 breast cancer about 5 years ago. Last year it came back, but in other places. She's been getting treatments for this. Then last week, she had the worst headaches and nausea. Her husband got her to the hospital. Tests and more tests. They did finally do a spinal tap. Results were that the cancer is in her spinal fluid and brain now. Just this morning, she had surgery to relieve pressure on her brain and a device was implanted, like a shunt, to relive pressure and to put chemo into her spine.

Her youngest son got married last year. He and his wife are going to have a baby in June. The doctor told Libby they would do all they could to buy her time. She just asked the doctor to get her to June, when her grand baby is born, so she can hold the baby. The doctor said he would do all he could for her to reach that goal. I am going to pray that she gets to hold ALL her grand babies.

Libby is the most precious woman, besides my mother, that I know. She is the most humble Christian. She is the hardest worker for the Lord I have ever known. I have known her since I started going to the Nazarene church 34 years ago. Libby has never ever stopped working. She always does the children's programs and Christmas plays. She taught elementary school for several years. She just loves children. Will do anything for them.

I just don't understand this at all. I can ask God why all day long and never understand why He would allow this to happen to Libby.

Please pray frr a miracle for Libby. Thank you.

Tuesday morning

 This child! We have had Kansas since Sunday. School was out yesterday and again today. And her mom has been sick. And has to work. This child will NOT be quiet! Ever. She is constantly talking or singing or mumbling. Her mouth is always moving. But she's the sweetest child. She loves everyone. And we love her. But man, is this child messy! Seems like everywhere she's been, there is a pile of something.

It was about 4 degrees last night. The thermostat said 66 all night. This morning, the central heater was on. The woos stove can't get the house up to 92 like it did that one time when it's so cold. I will not complain again about that! But it's finally warmed up to 71 now. And the wood stove is FULL of wood and going strong.

This is what we have for breakfast when it's freezing outside. Biscuits, gravy, fried potatoes with onions and eggs. Now that'll fill ya up and get ya going on a morning like this.

Last night, we had gone over to the little house-barn to turn on some heat so the pipes over there won't freeze. This morning it was nice and warn inside the house. But when I went to feed my poor cats, Sybil wouldn't even jump up to her bowl. She's sick. Poor kitty. I had gotten the cay room all nice for all the cats with boxes with blankets and there are 2 kid's chairs with fabric seats they lay in. I thought they's be fine in there. They've always been outside cats. I didn't think a thing about them not being ok. I wish I had put them all over next door for the night. Well, they are all over there now. With food and water and they are all warm. They have hay bales galore to lay on. That's where they will all stay for a few days, till it warms back up. And it's supposed to get to around 50 or so after tomorrow. Nearly 60 for Saturday. I sure am looking forward to that.

I have been filling up water buckets for days now. As soon as I put water in the buckets, it starts getting ice in them. So I am constantly putting more water in them all day. I am even putting warm water and sunflower seeds out for the birds. Apparently, birds around here don't care for sunflower seeds too much. Or maybe they're just afraid of all the cats? They sure are twittering out there today.

How about y'all. What is your favorite things to eat when it's so cold? How do you stay warm when you're outside doing chores? My mom gave me a really warm hat and I am usually sweating by the time I'm done out there. It's really warm.

The Frozen Tundra

Do you think Zeeboo might be a bit pregnant? Geeze. I put John Henry in with the girls Oct. 28th. He must have got her right away. She's huge already, at only a little over 2 months. I wonder if she'll have triplets? I am SO glad I didn't breed for Feb. or March kids. I did take John Henry up to my friend's does back in Sept. And they are both really wide. I got Zeeboo last year the end of Dec. and she never did get pregnant. I hope she has some cute little kids.

So, we are a big ole frozen mess here in N. Ga. right now. Last night it was windy like crazy. Lights flickered a few times. Some people lost power for awhile. It did start raining. Then turned to sleet then snow. Got to about 17 degrees. And tonight, 4 degrees people!  4 degrees.

This is what we woke up too. So pretty. But OH SO COLD!!

See that silly rooster on the fence to the left? I have no idea how long he'd been out there. Must have gotten out earlier this morning, because they were all in last night.

Isn't he a handsome roo? I have 2 more of these guys. And they have to go. I'll keep the biggest one, Black Bart. That's all I want. They just started crowing a few weeks ago. And now they've all realized they are GUYS and are all over the hens. Like ALL the time. They really are nice looking birds. But I don't need 3 for just 30 hens. They don't stand a chance with 3 roosters.

I let the chickens out this morning. And they did not want to go outside at all. They did finally go out, but went right into the 2 stalls to the left. Stayed there all day, scratching in the hay from the sheep. This is where the sheep stay at night now.

                                      More coldness. Icicles hanging from the garage. So pretty.

                      And a pretty little snow filled heart leaf on the ground at our daughter's. So pretty.

I have to tell a little story about my husband.  I am still laughing. We have a big hole, about 8 feet long and maybe 3 feet wide, where we are always having to dig up the water pipes between our 2 houses. So we finally just left the hole open. Well, right now, it's a big frozen pond. So this evening, Tiny wanted to put some old hay on the frozen hole. Don't ask me why. He just did. So we scatter hay on top. I said it would be pretty funny if the sheep got over there and ran to eat that hay and fell through the ice into the "pond". About that time, Tiny got a little too close to the edge and started falling. Like slow motion. I am laughing again right now. Is that wrong? I can't help it. He kind of fell to his left and oh my gosh, I can't stop laughing. Anyway, there's this metal tub I use to put the chicken feathers in when I butcher meat birds. It was right there. He could have been killed, probably. If he'd hit his head or something. But he didn't. He went to his left and just rolled over. Stop laughing already. Ok, he was even laughing by then. I was laughing so darn hard I almost had an accident myself. I am just that way though. When someone gets hurt, I laugh. I can't help it. We got him up and laughed all the way back to the house. I am thankful the man could walk, really.  But when he went to the bathroom, he saw blood. His left forearm was scratched a little. And his left knee. I am also thankful he hasn't bled to death, being on Coumadin. But it's all good. And it's still funny.