Yellow butterflies

These 2 butterflies were on this blade of grass this morning when I went out to feed the chickens. Wonder what they are and what they're doing?

1 year ago...

 I got 2 bee hives. I put 1 in the garden and 1 out back in the goat pasture. This is the day I got them, coming out of the nuc.

One of the frames, full of beautiful bees.

A peek inside the hive. Lots of busy bees!

Added another small super.

Just such a beautiful sight to see! So many bees.

Winter. It was cold. I lost the outback hive. One day they were there, next day they were gone. I don't know what happened. I think maybe the queen died and the bees just left. Maybe moved up to the garden hive?

So I decided to wrap the hive in a heavy quilt when it got below 35. I think it helped them. So many people lost hives this past winter.

They made it! And I had to add boxes. They were busy working, foraging, gathering lots and lots of pollen.

And this is now. The bee condo. They are doing great and I should get honey in June! I am so happy to have these beautiful bees. It's been a year of learning and growing. I still don't know a whole lot about bees and probably never will. But I am thankful for knowing people who do and I can ask for help.

So if you haven't made that jump into becoming a bee keeper, think about it. It's really not that hard to do. And it's SO worth it. Every sting, every scare, every day. It's worth it.

30

I have lost 30 pounds as today, May 14, 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am beyond amazed with myself. I have never stuck with anything this long. But I am determined to get below 200 and stay there for the rest of my life. I can live on salads I do believe. But other food would be good too. I just need to start looking for some fun recipes to try now.

We're back in the milk room!

 We're all back in the milk room, just like we never left. The dogs back at the end of the stanchion, waiting for me to squirt milk for them.

The cats, lapping up milk from their dish.

A pail of milk. I love that sound of milk pinging into a stainless steel bucket. I missed that sound.

I haven't tasted the milk yet. Last night I gave it all to the cats and dogs. Freja was dewormed a few days ago, so I wanted to give it a little longer. Although, it should be ok. And she freshened about 7 weeks ago, so her milk should be good.

Freja is probably lonely and of course in a new place with new animals and people. I had to lift her up onto the stanchion both times so far. She ate some last night, but not much this morning. I just want her to eat on the stanchion, so she'll want to get on it. I don;t think she's been on one before. So this is all new to her. And this was her first kid too. But her udder is big, with nice long teats and nice big orifices for great milk flow. And it takes about 2 minutes from start to finish. One goat. Never had just one goat.

I'll be looking for another doe for her to be with. I hate to have just one of anything. I have a friend in Sale creek Tn. where I got Abby form years ago, who had does for sale. I'll probably get one from her.

This is fun! I have missed having goats and milking. Can't wait to try her milk now.

The sunrise this morning. So pretty.

Meet Freja.

Freja is my new doe. She's 3 years old. She had a buck kid that was 7 weeks old but he died this morning from kidney failure. My friend is still unsure how this happened. I was going to get this doe, but not this soon. But here she is.

She is part Lamancha and part Nubian. I think she got the Nubian loud mouth for sure! And she has the Roman nose. And with just 1 kid, her udder is a little uneven right now. I am hoping, with milking her twice a day, she will even out soon.

I am hoping she will get along with the sheep. She was kind of bullied by the older doe that was her grandmother. So she always stayed by herself most of the time. So she should be ok til I get another goat. I think in the fall, I'll get another doe from a friend who has a lot of doelings she wants to sell. I will hopefully get to use Woody, who is John Henry's buck from last year, to breed Freja and the other doe.

She so reminds me of Sandy, my Nubian doe. She was always the loud mouth of the herd. I hope that Freja will be the lead doe if I wait to get the other goat later. And I hope to be able to keep the sheep and alpacas and the goats together. For now anyway.

It feels good to have a goat again. It's been a year without them here. I got the milkroom all cleaned out today before I went to get her. And I've had this name on my mind for weeks now. I love it. When I went to see her, Kendra said she never has named her. So Freya she is. It just fits her. I love her already. I gave her Abby's collar to wear. That seems to fit too. And I know Abby would be ok with that.

So here I go again!

Babies!

There are baby chicks on the farm once again! 3 of the eggs hatched yesterday. The other hen that went broody a few weeks ago has stolen 2 of the chicks. The real momma had 1 of them.  So they are sharing the motherhood job right now. But I can already tell the real momma. The other hen will go off for food and leave the chicks.

Here is Black Bart, the proud papa.


I put them out this morning, just because in the middle of the day, there's no shade on the lot there, so they all go in the coop. I'll put them back in tonight.

Look at these big fluffy momma hens. So sweet.

The chicks went through the fence several times. The other chickens didn't even bother them.

Aren't they so adorable? I love them.

I might be bringing something home this afternoon. I'll post about that later.

Around the HOT farm.

Yes, it is hot here. And no rain for a few works. Really dry. Why is it that is rains all winter and early spring, then not a drop of rain all summer? I'll never understand it. I have a feeling we might have a hot dry summer again.

So I sat outside, on my nice clean porch, and spun some of the combed top I've been working on of Adalaide's. She's the ewe below the spinning wheel pic. She had really crimpy wool last year, so the only way to be able for me to use it was with combs. It takes a long time to get a little bit to spin. But it's amazing! Like silk.

 Look how pretty and silky this is.

 

This is Adalaide. So full of wool.

 

And Annabelle.Her wool is about 5" long now.

They are all just miserable in this heat with all their wool still on. I had to email the lady who is supposed to be coming to shear. She said last year she'd be here in March. well, March came and went. I emailed her again. She said mid to late April. That came and went. Emailed her again. She said she was sorry, but her mother had dies early April and she was tied up with arrangements and all. So she said it'd be the 3rd weekend in May. I emailed her again, to see about when she'd be here. Well, she said her husband had been rear-ended by a texting teen ager and broke his back. SO, now it will be the 22nd or 23rd now. I just hope and pray nothing else happens. She said the sheep would be fine, but she doesn't want me to lose this year's fleeces. I hope I don't. I can understand, though. But I think we might need to look for another shearer?

These 2 guys, Click and Clack, the Tappit Brothers, will be going to the butcher after they get sheared. A friend gets the the bigger one, Clack. And I'll have Click made into sausage. I just don't think their wool be much good.  Maybe Click's will. But you can see how Clack's is off his back already. Just like his daddy, Abraham.

So not really much to blog about today. There is rain all around us but none here. Maybe we'll get a little later this week. I'm already tired of watering the gardens!