First cold morning!

I had to wear a jacket this morning. It's kinda cold out there. It's really starting to feel fall-ish now. I gave the animals a little extra hay this morning too. And threw the floor hay from the sheep into the chicken coop. It got a bit wet with all the rain we've had. I guess it's time to start all the winter preparations for all the critters.

I am a little bit worried about this winter. We only have a little bit of wood. And an open fireplace. We need a big wood burning stove now. I have been looking. I want one I can cook on if the power goes out. I want a Vermont Bun Oven really bad. Have for years now. And it's really just as much as some of the newer stoves at the store we've been going to. www.vermontwoodstove.com. That's what I want. Maybe when the big money comes in!

Projects. It's that time again!

This time of year makes me want to start crocheting and knitting and thinking about Christmas. But this year I am doing a holiday market the first 2 weekends in December. I am usually a very last minute type person. I can't be that way with this. I have soap to make. My vases and candle holders to make. Rag rugs to make. Dish clothes and wash clothes to make. I have to get busy!!

So today I started finishing this rag rug I had started last year. It's almost done.

Then I started on another rag rug. It's really the easiest thing to make. The most time consuming part is tearing all those strips from the sheets. After that, it's just crocheting using a huge giant crochet hook.

It's almost finished too. I will need to look for some more sheets in colors to match it to make it bigger now. I have some pretty blue sheets in checks and solids and circles I want to make a round rug with. I have a lot of material for that one. Then another in greens. I need to get to a thrift store to look for more.

And I made 2 pretty green wash clothes Friday. Then started this one yesterday. I love making these and can usually make a few an hour. Really simple to do. And they are the best for washing pots and pans with. Don't even need a scrubby anymore.

So is anyone else feeling the urge to get out their crochet hooks or knitting needles? Around here it's way too hot during the summer to touch wool or yarn. The only wool I touch is on the sheep! Til it starts to cool down some. Then I can't put it down.

It's wet here.

It's been raining off and on all day here. I had to wait this morning to go out to feed animals and do the milking til about 9:30. And tonight it was almost dark when I got out to milk again. Those goats do not like getting wet at all.

We sure did need this soaking rain. I can almost hear all the veggies out in the gardens growing and thanking God for the rain. I am thankful as well. I was getting a bit worried about my turnip greens and spinach and kale. All the fall green things. And it's supposed to be cooler too which they will love.

I noticed a lot of color in the trees on the way to town today. Little hints here and there. I hope we have a pretty fall this year. We have had rain so that should help. Lots of leaves falling too. It's beginning to feel like fall here! I am ready for some cool temps. But not too cold yet.

Fiona's wool coat

It's now Sept. 16th. The middle of Sept. And Fiona's scraggly wool coat finally came off. She's been looking like a viking for months now and I finally grabbed what was left and pulled til it came off. It was basically just hanging by a few hairs so I didn't hurt her. And I think she was glad it was finally off.

She looks so much better now.











If only her sister Leelah's would come all the way off too. She rubs her back on the back scratcher board so part of her back wool is off. But the side wool is still hanging on.  I guess she'll need it in a few weeks. It's supposed to start cooling off some here. I am ready for it!

New farmer's market

Today I went back to the Brainerd market. I love it. This is my 2 nd week there. I am so happy that there are people who are in to healthy organic food and not prices of healthy organic food. Just a totally different environment at this market. We even talk about ways to prepare the food they buy and ways they have prepared it. I sold just about everything I brought. I have some Roma beans left and one bag of kale and some radishes. The kale and radishes will go in the pot with the home grown chicken that's in the oven roasting right now along with some potatoes and onions in about an hour. The beans will be washed and put on the stove next. So I am ok with bringing a little home from the market. That's dinner!

I so hope that everyone who reads this blog will find a farmer's market near them and buy some healthy good food and support us farmers. I for one, so appreciate you! And you will appreciate the fresh food that you will have for dinner tonight too.

Every morning

Every morning, this is what I see out my kitchen door. There are usually a few more cats. Looks like they are all in line, waiting. Stella was laying down when I opened the door. Of course I had to go find my camera and when I got back, she was standing up.

The dogs are the first to get fed. Bubba and Sophie eat outside. Stella eats inside. I don't know why, but that's the way we do it. Then the cats get fed. Then I get the milk goats and feed them. While they are eating, I fix all the feed containers for the chickens, sheep and the rest of the goats. I go feed all of them and let the meat chickens out. Then back to milk the goats. Stella is still inside because she aggravates the goats. She does come in at the evening milking though. The dogs and cats are in the milk room for their bowls of milk. They love goat milk!

And then we do it all again in the evening, except the sheep and dry goats don't get feed. I put the meat chickens back in their pen and let the laying hens out for a few hours.  The dogs get meat bones. And the cats get rabbits and birds. Really. This morning I go out to feed the back yard goats and there's a dead rabbit in their shelter. With the middle eaten and a pile of puke next to it.

Sometimes I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day. Same thing over and over. Day in and day out. Every day the same thing. But I love it. This is my life right now. I can't imagine it any other way.

Farm Country

There is corn in North Georgia. There is a huge field across the road from us and they are harvesting the corn today. Big trucks loaded with corn from the big corn combine. It's really interesting to watch that big machine cut through the tall dried corn stalks and then go to the big trucks waiting to be filled. I love living way out here and hearing the big farm machinery. Seems like there is a tractor or some type of machine for everything.

And all around us are hay fields. There is haying going on everywhere right now. We have had a great year for hay. I don't think any animal will go hungry this winter. I have around 180 bales right now and will be getting another truckload in a few weeks. My truck holds at least 40 and sometimes 45-50 depending on who stacks it. You can see a round hay baler here in this picture. This is to the South of my property. You can see Lookout Mt.

Here is the field to the North. And there is Lookout Mt. through the trees in the middle of the picture. I love the smell of hay after it's been cut and it drying. Just don't like loading and stacking it. But the smell is amazing.

I had to cut some privet and honeysuckle for the goaties. They love that stuff. They have eaten every tree and bush in their pasture. It was full of blackberry bushes and those thorn trees. Lots of stuff back there and now there are only some big tall trees. Nothing much but grass back there for them now. So I go and cut them branches for them.

There is a lot going on around me here in farm country. What's going on in your neck of the woods right now?