Happy birthday, mom!

This is my mother, Iris. It's her 81st birthday today. She does not look 81 at all. She's so beautiful. I am so proud of her too. Still working. So healthy. People don't believe her when they ask her how many pills she has to take. Just one really small one. She loves to be outside in the yard, planting flowers and shrubs. She just pruned down some rose bushes that were probably 10' tall. But she loves it. She weed eats and push mows the yard. She is amazing. And she's so nice and sweet and has the best spirit. I want to be like her when I grow up! She is the way I want to be. I hope she has 81 more birthdays. I love ya Mom! Happy birthday!

Kelp anyone?

I ordered a 50 pound bag of Nature's Kelp from Thorvin. It says it's a rich source of natural minerals. I got it for the sheep and goats. They can have a 1/2 oz. each feeding. I have never used this before. So am wondering if any of you sheep and goat people use it. And what do you think about it? Have you noticed a difference in your sheep or goat's health?

I also got a goat mineral block, which they LOVE. They almost fought over that thing. It's already half eaten.

I need to have soil tests done here to see what I need to do. Also need to do some spring grasses for all the pastures. I  missed the winter rye planting time. Although I think I can still plant that. I would love to plant a good grass-hay-legume mix. So much that needs to be done. I am so tired of feeding so much hay. I originally bought around 180 square bales in spring and late summer. But started feeding hay in September. Why did I do that? So I ram out about the end of Jan. Got 34 more bales for a barter of half a lamb. Supposed to have gotten 37 but missed a few. Need to go get the 3 bales. Then used all that and got 30 more bales about the middle of Feb. I have 7 left. Good grief, I had no idea I'd use so much. I have a source about 2 miles up the road. I'll get more from them. It's a better quality hay too.

I have 4 less goats now. And am trying to sell the 2 bucks. Won't be keeping any kids. I the 8 ewes, 4 of which had 7 lambs. I'll sell the 4 ewe lambs. I'll be castrating the 3 ram lambs to be butchered in late fall. I also will hopefully have the 4 younger ewes to lamb in late spring-early summer. But right now, I'm thinking all of them are not bred. If not, I'll breed in late June for fall lambs. I'd like to do it this way, so I'll have lamb twice a year.

Right now, I am spending a lot of money on these sheep and goats. I am only making a little selling kids and goats right now. And that money goes right back in this farm. I'll be selling goat milk starting this week. And making cheese. So there will be a little money coming in again. It just seems to have been an expensive winter here. Hopefully, we'll start having that nice early spring weather, so I can get the garden's going. I ordered lots of seeds a few days ago and will get them in a few days. The garden is still too soggy to til yet. I need at least 2 weeks of sun to dry it out.

So please, if you have used kelp or are now, let me know how you like it. Thanks.

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!